Running Head: REFLECTION ESSAY 1

Reflection Over English 101

Ritika Gupta

Arizona State University

 WRITING PROJECT 4: REFLECTION ESSAY
2

Reflection Over English 101

During my first semester in this language arts class i developed in the wpa categories

which made me a better writer, reader and critical thinker. The skills I developed are rhetorical

knowledge, critical thinking, writing processes, knowledge of conventions, and abilities to

compose in multiple environments.

Rhetorical knowledge is the ability to analyze and act on understandings of audiences,

purposes, and contexts in creating and comprehending texts. Through the readings that we were

assigned and the essays we completed in class, I developed this WPA outcome. In writing

project two: primary research, I had to identify my specific purpose, audience, and subject. In the

readings from Norton Reader, we had to analyze the authors purpose and their writing style so

that we could adapt it into our own writing styles. One reading that stood out to me was Under

the Influence by Scott Russell Sanders. His understanding rhetorical context helped me in my

future writing pieces. Through the title alone his targeted audience and subject is cleared for the

readers. He is trying to address readers that have had negative experiences with their families and

whom still live through the consequences of these experiences. I was able to use this first-hand

evidence style in my personal essay where I discussed my rituals in healthcare over the Summer

of 2017.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze a situation or text and make thoughtful decisions

based on that analysis, through writing, reading, and research. I used this course goal throughout

my works while researching dyslexia for writing project 2: primary research. As I went around

interviewing teachers, students, and doctors, I had to use critical thinking to understand the

relations between all their responses. They all had an umbrella argument that dyslexia was a
 WRITING PROJECT 4: REFLECTION ESSAY
3

misinterpreted learning disability, that it was a problem that should be discussed more often and

brought to attention to the general public. Dr. Khurana said, the schooling system is frustrating,

the teachers are unable to explicitly say that a child has dyslexia, and that is why my daughter

was diagnosed late. Ms. George and Mrs. Trotter had also stated something similar. With the

restrictions imposed on them from the school district, it was difficult for teachers to pre-diagnose

students with dyslexia and Dr. Khurana had first-hand experience with this issue.

Writing processes use multiple strategies to approach and undertake writing and research.

I developed this aspect of my writing when I was brainstorming and collecting research for

Project 2 and 3. The main focus of these two projects was to discover about a community and

inform others about what I had learned. However, with the extensive data that I had collected

through my research for writing project two, I needed to spend time on initially drafting my ideas

for organizing my information in a cohesive way that would maximize the impact on my

audience. The teachers had assigned us writing project two for us to organize all the information

from our research. Taking that outline, I was able to organize my ethnography essay into a very

proficient academic journal. The planning and organizing helped me create a very compelling

informative essay on dyslexia.

Knowledge of conventions is the formal and informal guidelines that define what is

considered to be correct and appropriate, or incorrect and inappropriate, in a piece of writing.

Basically, it is the knowledge of using correct grammar and punctuation. Throughout all my

essays, I had to make sure that I used proper conventions seeing as how they are the foundation

of any successful essay or writing piece.

 WRITING PROJECT 4: REFLECTION ESSAY
4

Finally, habits of mind were the last components that were imperative to my writing,

reading and critical thinking prowess. Throughout my various assignments my habits of mind

would stay relatively consistent with limited adaptation to what was to be asked of me. I had to

demonstrate my skills with Curiosity, Openness, Engagement, Creativity, Flexibility,

Metacognition, and the ability to compose in multiple environments.. In full disclosure however,

I did not need to compose in multiple environments seeing as how the mediums through which i

delivered my messages remained unchanged. All of the remaining habits of mind helped gather

the primary research that I needed to write the ethnography essay and my personal essay. With

my experiences and interviews, I demonstrated curiosity, metacognition, and engagement.

Creativity, flexibility, and openness was used during the actual process of interviewing the

students, teachers, and doctors.

In summary, I was able to achieve the course goals and use the habits of mind in my

journey in English 101. This achievement helped me become a better writer. I was able to

demonstrate the WPA outcomes in each of the writing pieces assigned to me. I feel that I am a

much better writing thanks to my involvement in the class. Most importantly, I have gained

valuable insight in a prevalent issue in dyslexia that affects a considerable amount of the

population. This knowledge would not have been available to me this soon without the class.
WRITING PROJECT 4: REFLECTION ESSAY
5