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Oluwakemi Osinowo
Professor Suzanne Ingram
UWRT 1101-022
30 September 2014
Midterm
A. Look back at your first blog post from this class. What questions did you pose in August
that you can now answer? Are there any that you cant answer?
I can now answer all the questions that I asked in my first blog post. I know that all work that is
due on the syllabus is due prior to class if it is online. If a hard copy is needed then it will be
collected the day of as stated on the syllabus. I have discovered we will discuss reading
assignments in class, but we may not discuss all of them. Our blog post are considered low and
high stake grades, and it is stated why in the syllabus. We will not have exams in this class which
is considered a blessing in my eyes. Blog post will not be considered for late work because late
work is not accepted in the class. Luckily, we will not have to purchase any more books for
class. All we will need is the one book I have already purchased for the class. I know that we do
not have any work assigned over fall break, which allows me to spend quality time with my
family. You explained that all participation grades are considered low stake. Everything is
basically considered a low stake grade except for major projects. As long as I read the directions
that you give us, I will be able to work through weebly with no problem.
B. Look at the 9 key concepts on the first page of the course syllabus. These concepts are
practices or "habits of mind" that you should engage with during this course. Which ones
do you feel you're doing the best with and how? Which ones seem the most challenging
and why? What questions do you have about them?
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The key concepts that I feel that I am doing the best with are: getting out of your comfort zone,
making connections, intellectual growth and maturity, providing and receiving feedback, and
responsibility for your own learning. I think I am doing great at getting out of my comfort zone
because I am starting to open up more to make new friends. I am usually shy and standoff to the
back when I am around new people and a new environment. Opening up and actually speaking to
people have been a major step in stepping out my comfort zone. The key concepts that seem
challenging are: critical thinking, independent inquiry, curiosity, and the writing process and
revision. The writing process and revision seems challenging because I second guess my writing
skills. When it comes to the grammatical part in the revision stage, I tend to freak out. I am never
a hundred percent sure when there is a coma splice or fragment. This is why I do not like
revising other people papers because I feel like I might miss something in the other person paper.
I do not really understand what curiosity and independent inquiry mean? I feel like if I had a
better understanding of the key concept that I would not question them.
C. In your Final Portfolio Essay (FPE), youll be asked to analyze the work youve done in
the course. Youll want to quote from your own writing to support your analyses. Lets
practice by looking at your Literacy Narrative: what are your favorite revisions that
you made to that essay (any draft) and why? QUOTE from your Literacy Narrative
to illustrate what youre discussing. You may quote from various drafts to show the
changes you made.
My favorite revision to me is in my second literacy narrative when I introduced Mrs. Wiley
earlier in my narrative. This was my favorite because I got to reminisce sitting in Mrs. Wiley
class and her old ways. I did not think I would be able to recall as much that I did. My seventh
period was the worst of them all. My teacher was seven months pregnant and was always in her
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feelings. I was in a class of 37 and no one really cared about that class until it was time for
grades to come out. She was young with a nose ring that always looked like it was a booger
hanging out her nose. I wondered if anyone ever told her about her nose ring, but I knew I wasnt
going to. I used to not mind her class till one day when she took my phone. The bell had already
rung and apparently I could not take out my phone till she dismissed us. I loved writing about
this because I understood why I started to dislike her and stop trying in her class. It also gave the
reader a better understanding of who she was and created a dislike for her as well.
D. Choose one of the 8 sample e-Portfolios from our Moodle2 page to rhetorically analyze.
You have notes from class and Moodle2 to pull from. In your analysis, remember to
address the following: --The rhetorical triad: How do all the pieces (author, reader,
purpose, context/situation) "work" in this sample e-Portfolio? --The modes of
communication the author uses. Remember, no text communicates via one single mode. -
-What is the genre of this e-Portfolio? Is the genre simply "e-Portfolio," or does it fit into
a more specific sub-genre? Based on the way you categorize this, can you figure out
some rules for writing in this genre? What are those rules/conventions? --The ultimate
goal of rhetorical analysis is to explore the success of the text at hand. So, based on your
analysis, do you think this sample e-Portfolio is successful? Why or why not?
I chose sample #5 to do my rhetorical analysis on. The author Lauren Gruber made her page
seem more inviting and exciting as soon as I clicked on it. I could tell as soon as I opened the
page that Gruber wanted to welcome her peers and professor with her bright colors and fun
pictures. I feel as if Grubers purpose of her e-Portfolio was to show her growth in writing
throughout the year while expressing her love for music. Gruber used many modes of
communication in her e-portfolio. She used visual mode to welcome her audience onto her page.
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Gestural mode was used in her pictures that she used on her home page. She organized her e-
Portfolio so that it was easy to navigate using spatial mode. Gruber used Linguistic mode by
organizing her words and ideas so that they would flow together. The genre is just simply e-
Portfolio. Some rules for this genre is making your work clear so that the reader or teacher will
not have any questions. She expressed her growth throughout the year in her work. Her e-
Portfolio looks like a success. It is a great model to follow by and influences me to make some
changes to my own.
E. As of midterm, what grade have you earned in this course? Look back over your answers
on this midterm as well as page 3 of the syllabus (the e-Portfolio Grade Scale). Are you
setting yourself up to compose an exemplary e- Portfolio? After youve explained your
grade, you may also ask questions about the Grade Scale if any you have any.
As of the midterm, I think I have earned a B in the course. I believe I am setting myself up to
compose an exemplary e-Portfolio. Currently I can thoughtfully and thoroughly discuss my
engagement with at least three key concepts. I am getting out of my comfort zone more and
growing intellectually and maturity. I am also making connections in and out of class which will
help me in the future and other classes. I am growing as a writer and I am learning how to
analyze my own work. When I first started this class I had very little to no confidence in my
writing skills. I am know growing more and more confidence with each writing assignment that
we do. I try my hardest to explain and illustrate that all work was completed to the best of my
ability. When I do my work, I write as if it is the final draft. I write as if it is my final draft
because I put plenty of effort into the work and it shows. When you put your best into a project it
exemplifies your work ethic and others notice great workmanship. Can you still have an
exemplary e-Portfolio if you meet five out of the six criteria?