Camryn Takahashi

English 102

4/23/19

Project 4 Reflection

Throughout this semester, I was able to grow as a writer and as a student through English

102. I learned about concepts such as rhetoric, persuasion, viewing things from varying

perspectives and even using APA format in my writing. I used both WPA outcomes and “Habits

of Mind” when developing my projects. After having different writing skills drilled into my

brain by my high school, I had to remain open minded throughout this class and it proved to be

worth it.

One of the things that most enjoyed learning about was rhetorical analysis. I developed a

couple of WPA outcomes through rhetorical analysis such as critical thinking, knowledge of

conventions, and composing. I really liked working on Project 1 this semester where I was able

to choose a local mural and write a rhetorical analysis essay on it. In that project, I had to work

on my critical thinking skills as I had to uncover meaning from a mural that only displayed a

picture of a jaguar and bee along with one phrase describing the number of jaguars that are left

on Earth. Knowledge of conventions is often a challenge because different mediums can be

interpreted in different ways. Writing an essay based on a picture proved challenging but I was

able to persevere as I unpacked what I believed the message of the mural was from Project 1. I

used the “Habit of Mind”, curiosity, when learning about rhetoric. I found the use of different

mediums to convey meaning very interesting. I used curiosity to develop my knowledge as I

strived to learn and become a better writer.

 Something else that I developed through this semester were my elements of persuasion. I

learned about logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos and how to implement them into my writing. It

was important for me to work on Composing which is a WPA outcome. When forming an

argument, I realized it is crucial to back your argument in a number of different ways. I used the

WPA “Habits of Mind”, flexibility when using elements of persuasion. When it comes to

persuading someone, I found that different people are more keen to believe different things. For

example, someone might want hard facts to be convinced of something while someone else

might want to be emotionally persuaded by hearing about an experience. I used this technique in

my Project 1 and Project 3 this semester. In my first project, I used my knowledge of persuasion

to identify the elements of persuasion used in a mural to convey a message. In my third, project,

I was able to use my knowledge and apply it to my own essay as I persuade people to take action

against coral bleaching and climate change. I enjoyed using persuasion this semester, especially

because I was able to use my skills to support things that I am passionate about and persuade a

wider variety of people.

It is always hard to see something from different perspectives when you have your own

preconceived notions and beliefs. Throughout the semester, I worked on seeing all sides of a

situation before finalizing my beliefs. I used the WPA outcome, critical thinking, while

developing this skill. It was hard to constantly remind myself to see all sides of a situation before

believing something, however, once I was able to set a belief, I had more confidence that what I

think is right. I also used the two “Habits of Mind”, metacognition and openness. I used

openness as I realized that there are different ways to view things and I used metacognition as I

used my own perspectives and incorporated my knowledge of other people to form ideals. I used
this skill in my second and third project. In my second project, I researched coral bleaching and

climate change and had be unbiased when finding articles by finding various perspectives on the

issue. It proved challenging to hear arguments that I did not agree with but they were still

interesting to hear and I eventually grew an appreciation for them. In my third project, I was able

to persuade the audience towards my point of view through refuting other perspectives and

proving why they should believe me.

One thing that I especially appreciated learning about in this class was how to use APA

format in my writing. I used the WPA outcome, Reading and Composing, as I learned how to

properly cite sources in APA. In the past, I had struggled with these skills because I only knew

how to use MLA format in my writing. For my second project, I found different sources from

various places, whether it be scholarly sources or popular. I then used the sources I found to

develop an annotated bibliography. Through the project, I was able to formulate my skills of

finding credible and relevant sources and then apply those sources to my work. I used the “Habit

of Mind”, responsibility to achieve this outcome because I was citing someone else's' work and

made sure to give them credit. Knowing how to properly find credible sources and citing them in

APA is crucial to know as a student. I will use the skills that I gained this semester in almost

every class I have in the future.

Overall, this semester, I was able to step out of my comfort zone. I looked at other

people’s points of view and took them into account along with my own, I discovered different

elements of persuasion in someone’s work and was then able to apply it to my own project, and I

learned about rhetorical analysis and was able to pull meaning from things that I never even

considered.