Before taking this class, I showed very little interest in writing. I mainly preferred reading over writing. Writing was not enjoyable at all, but I was still looking forward to this class because it seemed interesting and I did not know what to expect. In this class, I wanted to learn how to write better because I knew that my essays in the past lacked focus and ideas. I had written in the past, but it was mainly for reports in the areas of science. This led to me mainly researching ideas and writing them down without giving much thought to the purpose of the assignment. I believe that in this portfolio, I am able to demonstrate how I was able to add my voice into my essays. Throughout this course, I was able to add more of myself into the essay, both analyzing it and commenting on facts without taking away from the data itself. I was also able to learn to use the data better. The course taught me to find and analyze sources that would be more useful to me and to get rid of sources that provided little information.
In this portfolio, I want to demonstrate my growth as a writer not only by showing how my voice was able to permeate into my writing. Another thing I want to show in this portfolio was the change in the vocabulary and structure of my writing. Before this class, I would mainly use simple words as an easy way of getting my point across. With practice and research into the topic, I found myself using more relevant and intelligent diction throughout my essays. This helped me be able convey the topic more clearly and thoroughly.
What I am most proud of though is my improvement in terms of research. With our activities, I was able to access and utilize databases to my advantage. I enjoyed searching through the amount of articles that the databases provided not only because it was on a topic I enjoyed but also because they varied so much. The variance in the databases surprised me, as I found that there were even databases specifically for the environment. This helped me quickly find good peer-reviewed articles that I was able to use in my essays.
I believe that my writing has improved tremendously throughout the course of this class. I have learned how to research better to take advantage of the resources that our school gives us access to. Lastly, I have learned how to incorporate the research into my essay along with my own voice.
Jason Huang- Writing 10 Portfolio 