Core Value 1. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

In all three of my essays I continuously went back to edit my writing in order to improve my skills and perfect my ideas articulately, clearly and concisely. This was a challenge, but had obvious results, specifically in my Letter to the Editor. I repeatedly went back to this essay because I felt like I was not getting my point across. Mr. Hodges left plentiful and valuable feedback that included great suggestions and critiques to make my writing better. He pointed out sentences that would be interpreted the wrong way and statements that did not contradict what the original author stated. Writing persuasively, argumentatively, and trying to include all 10 essential components of a letter to the editor was a big challenge for me because I’ve never written in this style before but I feel like my writing has definitely improved.

Core Value 2. My work demonstrates that I read critically, and that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

Reading Op-Eds, Editorials, and Letters to the Editors by authors on the NYT definitely positively impacted my writing. Their material became a guideline for me since they used strategies that I hadn’t developed yet or hadn’t thought of doing. One habit I have is telling not showing. Instead of indirectly stating a problem, I’ll blatantly spell it out. However, I think I do a better job of this in the second half of my Editorial. There is a lot of meaning in this essay because it pertains to the vaping crisis that has rose over the past few years. I feel like I contribute to a conversation as well.

Core Value 3. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

Being persuasive on controversial points was the goal in all of our essays. Creating arguments while appealing to different audiences is a difficult task. I want readers who do not agree with my side to read my material because it brings up unique points that are well written. It’s less difficult to grab the audience’s attention who favor your side, but trying to hook the other side is challenging. In my Op-Ed, I feel like I demonstrate creative arguments that are interesting to both sides to why the SATs should be abolished. This is my best piece of work that illustrates savvy points in a flexible and adaptive way. I also included a rebuttal paragraph about why Khan Academy is not the best resource for studying.

Core Value 4: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

Providing evidence in essays to make them more persuasive is an effective way to get the reader pulling for your side because hard cold facts can’t be argued with. I searched through the New York Times thoroughly to find the perfect sources that would provide evidence for my own ideas and interpretations. In my Editorial about vaping, I included many statistics to persuade the reader how unhealthy vaping is and the effects its had on Generation Z. I chose sources with valuable information that backed up my point and contributed to my argument.

Core Value 5. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

My work does demonstrate that I represent complex ideas fairly and cite more sources appropriately, especially in my Op-Ed. It is important to be objective and not skew people’s words or take them out of context. Providing context, background, and citing it correctly are all things I’ve learned how to do properly. In my Op-Ed, I explain the college scandal with Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin impartially to provide the reader with unbiased information. I cite my sources to prove my point later as well. In my work I also do not plagiarize because that would be unethical.