The Reflections on the Journey (RotJ) project builds upon the WHST project to include examination of your ongoing explorations of and reflections upon writing processes. At the core of this discussion is the journey map research you conduct throughout the semester. The RotJ is challenging because it requires a combination of description, analysis, and reflection in the primary written components of the project, as well as awareness of visual design strategies to effectively communicate your semester-long writing journey.
This project requires submissions for two stages: draft and final. All files are submitted to a RotJ folder in your shared course space on Dropbox.com.
At the Draft stage, submit the following documents:
The final submission includes the documents from the draft stage AND the following documents:
See the Submission Guidelines for details on how to name, format, and organize files.
Document type: memo, essay
Document length: 150 words (memo), 1500 to 2000 words (essay)
Project value: 450 points (50 for draft; 400 for final)
Evaluation rubric: _ENG111_Eval_RotJ.pdf
The RotJ project results in an essay that describes and reflects upon moments on your journey with learning to write. This work builds on the details and reflections you have begun during the WHST project and workshops 2 & 11 where we explored strategies for journey mapping. Although this essay continues the work of the WHST project, the RotJ is not merely an expanded version of that earlier project.
Although the RotJ essay carries forward the core themes of the WHST project, it also represents a reimagining of those elements within a different structure. Where that first essay asked you only to look back on key moments, this project asks you to ponder where you are and where you want to go.
Think of this essay as a personal narrative about writing. As you can see below, the essay ought to progress through an examination and reflection upon 4 key moments in your evolution as a writer toward the conclusion, which is a reflection on your concept of writer and writing. Think of the moments you present as an argument about writing, about how those events have shaped your thoughts on what it means to be a writer.
Your essay should incorporate all of the following discussion elements.
Remember that readers experience your journey through the explanations and reflections upon the events you share. The moments do not need to go in chronological order; rather, they need to tell a coherent story about you as a writer. For this opening moment and the moments that follow (see the description as it continues below), provide readers with the details necessary to understand it. Set the stage with details about the moment. What were the key events within it? Then move on to reflect on how the moment shaped your thoughts on what it means to write, and on what it means to be a writer.
Draw on the moments you have explored during your discussion to frame your thoughts. You are also welcome to draw on material from the Writing about Writing text. The authors talk quite a bit about what they think it means to write, and share essays and articles from a variety of writers who reflect upon these same questions. If one or more of those voices echoes your thoughts on writers and writing, or if they offer you a point to challenge, bring them into this essay.
Think of these sections of your essay as movements in your discussion rather than as paragraphs. Each section might be comprised of multiple paragraphs.
If it makes sense to include any images to support your discussion, implement them in your essay. For example, if you have a favorite writing space that you refer to during your discussion, consider adding a photo of it. Did a specific author or series of books inspire you to write? Consider adding a photo of that.
A memo of transmittal introduces the document it accompanies, providing context for its audience(s). You will craft such a memo for the draft and final submissions of the WHST project. Both memos should be addressed from you to me.
Your draft memo should incorporate the following content and design elements.
Consult the sample documents (see SVSU Canvas Files: Project Support) for additional guidance.
Your final memo should incorporate the following content and design elements.
Consult the sample documents (see SVSU Canvas Files: Project Support) for additional guidance.
Recommended tool(s): Microsoft Word, scanning device/app, digital camera
This section offers guidance for how to interpret the project and how to proceed with your work on it. Consider the following strategies.
You shape the discussion of your writing journey through the moments of that journey that you would argue have been most important to you. Whatever moments you emphasize, work to connect them to the claims you make about your writer identity.
Readers see the world through your words and images. Ask yourself these questions as you write, and again when you think your draft is complete. Have I made clear who I am as a writer? Have I demonstrated the importance of the moments that have shaped me as a writer? Have I described well the habits, strategies, & technologies I use to write? Have I provided enough detail and explanation to help others understand what I think and see what I see?
This section is designed to help you anticipate and avoid problems as you work on this project. Therefore, as you work, consider the following hints and tips.
You establish your writer ethos with the way you present your discussion. Be as specific and concrete as you can throughout your discussion. The more details you incorporate into your essay, the more reader-aware you appear to be. That helps establish and maintain your credibility and authority. However, it is also important to focus on the details that truly matter for understanding you and your writing journey. Focus on the details that are important to understanding these things.
Remember that academic (and professional) contexts value highly the ability to write and speak with economy, directness, and professionalism. Another way of saying this is to make every word count. Stay focused on the details necessary to understand your journey and the conclusions you draw about your experiences. Write and rewrite until your explanations make sense, and represent careful, concise, professional communication.
Edit carefully, seeking to express your ideas clearly and concisely. Edit out loud with the intent of writing in such a manner that your sentences sound focused and confident. Strive for high levels of professionalism and consistency in your work. Refine your document continuously throughout the stages of development.
The revisions and refinements you make from the draft to the final submission may help you understand your design process, and therefore your professional development in more-sophisticated ways. Archive your drafts of projects throughout your coursework, so you are able to examine your growth and maturation.
Read and attend carefully to these submission guidelines. Failure to do so may result in delays in receiving feedback on the draft of your project, or in points lost on the final evaluation of your project.
Create a project folder inside your shared class folder on Dropbox.com. Remember, I can only view files that you place inside the shared folder. Until you place files in that space, you have not in practice submitted them.
Name the folder RotJ or Reflections on the Journey.
Note. Do not share this folder with me. By placing it in your class folder, you have already shared it by default.
Convert all files to portable document format (PDF) prior to submitting them. Make sure the files listed below are available to me in the project folder by the draft deadline. Model your filenames on the listed examples:
Note. Do not share the individual files with me. By placing them in your project folder, you have already shared them by default.
Convert all files to portable document format (PDF) prior to submitting them. When you assemble your final submission for the RotJ project, there will be 4 files in the folder. Again, model your filenames on the examples listed here.
Note. Do not share the individual files with me. By placing them in your project folder, you have already shared them by default.
Take the time to organize your work as directed here, and to name each file properly. This helps me keep track of your work, and makes clear which files are meant to represent the on-going and final stages of project development.
This section describes the standards by which your draft and final submissions will be evaluated.
There are 50 possible points for this project draft. You will earn points according to the following standard.
There are 200 possible points for the final project. You will earn points according to the following standard: 50% content development and organization, 25% style & conventions, and 25% impact of revision. The specific areas of emphasis for this project are drawn from the description and discussion of the project, and are detailed in the evaluation rubric (_ENG111_Eval_RotJ.pdf).
Remember that I will only post the point values for projects on the Grades page in SVSU Canvas. I will post the details relevant to that evaluation in your class folder in a project-specific file.
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