Sam Darger

English 1010
REFLECTON

Describe your own writing and research process.

Why did you select this issue?
I selected the issue of having an age limit on drinking and is it effective
because I knew I had some brushes with this issue in the past, but had not
yet formulated an opinion.
How did you go about forming your perspective?
To get a perspective, I looked for research done relating to the ages of
persons, and the age they drink, and if it was effective to have an age limit,
or if this restriction had any effect, and what if any affects it had?
Did your perspective on the issue change over the course of your
research?
Yes
How?
Observing the research of various persons I observed what did work
regarding age limits, and what did not work, primarily from researched data.
Why?
I observed that setting an age limit did not make a large impact on those who
decided to drink or not.
Describe your experiences with revision and peer review.
More than this paper was my Rhetorical analysis. I thought I had done very
well, until my piers (metaphorically speaking) tore it to pieces.
How does both giving and receiving feedback improve your own
writing?
Revision is an understatement when it came to the analysis paper, but I did
take in to account the feedback. The paper was rewritten for the most part,
and I was able to better include in future writings an awareness of what I
learned from the feedback, and when it came to my Synthesis Draft my

feedback was much more positive. It also helps me guage my consideration

when giving feedback on others papers.
What have you learned about your writing throughout the semester
that is manifest in this Position Synthesis paper?
The importance of using transitions to bring life to my paper.
A better attention to MLA format than previous writings.
A better organization therein

Describe your experience with incorporating your voice into the

"conversation," with experts in the field.
I started thinking the easy paper would be the simple I agee, or disagree
paper, but found the better paper is the one that includes a more honest "I
agree but..."
How has your writing transitioned throughout the semester from
Response, to Analysis, and finally to Synthesis?
My writing now, in contrast, includes more opinions of outside sources. It
includes more "they say" and not strictly my own opinion's. Moreover, I enjoy
now understanding the rhetorical means used in a paper. In addition, the
biggest improvement I can illustrate would be transitions that are now
breathing new life into my papers.
What have you learned about writing that will make you a more
effective communicator?
Audience, Nay-sayers, "they say", "I say", transitions, formatting, and most
importantly rhetorical analysis.