Dao1 Giang Dao

Professor Hassell

ENGL 1102

November 19, 2013

English 1102 reflective

INTRODUCTION
Classroom context:

When I was in high school in Vietnam, I got 4.9 out of 10 grade scale in literature (equivalence to writing classes in the U.S.). That means I could not get a D for that class. My writing skill was not good, even when I wrote in Vietnamese. I did not expect to do well in this class. I thought that I would never take this class, if it is not required. In English 1102 this semester, I have worked on an extended inquiry project. I have used my textbook, The Curious Writer, to explore reading and writing as inquiry. I have also written the following types of papers: Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, Argument Essay, Research Report, and Reflective Essay.

The Research Report:

My research is based on the project of the class that is about online behavior targeting. It is a method by online publishers and advertisers to increase the effectiveness of their campaigns. It relies on capturing website and landing page visitor data and using that information to provide these visitors and ads that are relevant to their need and interests. My audiences for my extended inquiry research report are soccer fans.

Dao2 Preview the Essays Contents:

In this essay, I will talk about my progress and how I developed my writing skill and my reading skill. Moreover, I will talk about my process in my extended inquiry project and how I developed my papers in the project.

OVERVIEW OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING

Reading process

At the start of the process:

I was absent the first day of class because I switch my ENGL 1102 class fitting my schedule better. One of the first chapters that I had to read in The Curious Writer was Reading as Inquiry. I learned about the four purposes for academic reading: Read a textbook to acquire knowledge about a subject, read a textbook to help me do something, read a journal article or short story closely to analyze the arguments, read material I have found online to see how I might use information in my own writing. In class, we also discussed a process for reading to write: try to suspend judgment, use questions, and read to write and write to read. Learning the purposes for academic reading and the process for reading to write was important because I can learn method that authors use for writing and apply in writing.

In the middle of the process:

I was assigned to read the following chapters in The Curious Writer: Writing as Inquiry, Reading as Inquiry, Writing a Proposal, Writing an Argument, Problem with Information, Meaning, and Purpose in Writing Strategies, Writers Workshop, and Writing Portfolio. I also listened to some PowerPoint lectures from my professor and read some sources that explain about online behavior targeting because

Dao3 I was misunderstood in that concept. I recognized my purpose, genre, and audience to write for my inquiry project.

At the end of the process:

In this class, I did have to read many sources that help me on researching about online behavior targeting, and its advantages compare with its disadvantages.

Writing process

At the start of the process:

As I mentioned, I did not have a good writing skill. Especially, I have to write in English. Moreover, the first day in this class was really scaring me because I had fast writing in class. I questioned that: Seriously, do I have to write that much every class? I also had to write three blog posts before week 3.

In the middle of the process:

I had to write some inquiry paper about online behavior targeting. However, I misunderstood it, so I could not write correctly what I needed to write. After that, I figured out my purpose, genre, and audience. Therefore, I wrote my papers better. During this time, I was assigned to write seven blog posts, proposal, annotated bibliography, and argument essay.

At the end of the process:

Especially, the research report assignment took a lot of my time. When my professor suggested the assignment should have about 8 to 10 pages, I thought: Really? 8 to 10 pages? Seriously, before

Dao4 writing that assignment, I have never had that long assignment in my life. I have to gather my revised assignments into a final portfolio.

THE EXTENDED INQUIRY PROCESS

Choosing an Area of Interest:

I am very interested in soccer, and the project is about online behavior targeting. Therefore, I chose my topic is the advantages of online behavior targeting can affect to consumers who are soccer fans.

Asking question:

I questioned my-self how I should organize my paper. How does the project connect to the real life? How can I find the sources? How can I explain the advantages of online behavior targeting to soccer fans? How can I use some phrases that imply to consumers?

Conducting Research:

Most of my research sources are from online newspaper publications, magazine publications, and Wikipedia. I found an interesting source from UNCC library, not about the project but about how I can cite my sources in my papers. My peers also gave me some sources that are interesting about advantages of online behavior targeting. While my research provided plenty of relevant information, I found the following sources to be the most useful:

1. What is behavioral targeting?: This article helped me to understand what exactly I need to write about in my project.

Dao5 2. Personalize your marketing with behavioral targeting: I use information from this article to convince my audience about advantages of online behavior targeting. 3. What basic gears needed for soccer?: This article is an example for my audience, soccer fans understand more about soccers gears and its benefits.

Drafting Content:

I usually outline my ideas for each assignment. After that, I choose a kind of genre to write my assignment. I use my outline and my evidences to help my ideas flow well. The content of each paper has questions, claims, reasons, evidences, and counterclaims.

Revising Content:

My papers are being revised from my professor and my peers suggestions. I need to add more sources in order to give my audience evidences. It helps my ideas can be proven better. I will use revision strategy. I will rewrite my purpose because I misunderstood about that. Moreover, I need more evidences to convince my audience.

Building a Portfolio:

We have been assigned to complete a final portfolio, a form of an evaluated portfolio. I am building my portfolio like a blog that I create inside a bigger website. My portfolio will include revised and polished versions of my reflective essay, the proposal of the project, the annotated bibliography for the project, and the research report.

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CONCLUSION
Summary

Based Learning:

My reading and writing skill has developed in a professional way. Especially, my writing is easier for audience to find the main idea what I am writing about by organizing my paper better. By reading a lot of sources, my reading skill is also faster.

The extended inquiry process:

My extended inquiry project is done by my research report. Now, I understand exactly what online behavior targeting is. Moreover, I know more about its advantages.

Statement:

I really study a lot in this semester. Especially, this class makes me realize a lot of things. The first thing is how important writing is because I am in business major. The second thing is that how I can organize my paper in the best way to help my audience find my ideas.