Core Value 1. My work demonstrates that I can use reading and composing processes as a way to think, to discover, and to explore ideas, and I recognize this as a necessary writing practice.

My LTE for portfolio is a great example of how I was able to use reading and a composing process as a way to think, discover, and explore ideas that I found to be a necessary writing practice. When research what I was to write about I stumbled upon a topic that I am passionate about. I went in with one idea and mind set about how I was already going to argue my stance. However, with the thought in mind of not entirely agreeing with the author I tried to see the other side. Through reading and trying to compose these new views and thoughts I found a new opinion on the topic. I was able to discover views within myself and explore ideas that I had never thought about adopting or even standing up for. Because of this experience I have not only found that it is very important to practice this skill with all future writing tasks but in life as well.

Core Value 2. My work demonstrates that I can read arguments closely to interpret and understand writers’ messages, and read arguments critically to evaluate, critique, and question those messages and how they are constructed.

My Editorial for portfolio demonstrates how I was able to read arguments closely and interpret their message. It also demonstrated effectively how to critically evaluate those arguments as to critique and question those arguments and the way in which they were construed. This is because in order to successfully make an editorial of my own and a compelling argument I had to do my research and include it in my work and be able to explain, refute, or agree with said claims. Through reading those arguments included in my work, I was able to understand those writers’s specific messages and critically evaluate them to dissect those arguments to supplement them for my own. I feel that I successfully questioned, critiqued, or supported those arguments and made an original and new message of my own.

Core Value 3. My work demonstrates that I can create rhetorically savvy arguments and can demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in creating argument

I was able to create rhetorical texts by considering the overall situation and context of my writings and those of other authors and making choices for my writing situation by identifying the specific needs and constraints. My rhetorical analysis not only helped me look at the text itself but also outside the text at such things as the context, author, audience, genre and the things that influenced the way this particular text was written. My Practice Op-Ed showed good examples of these skills I was able to adapt and adopt.

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.

Again, my Editorial for portfolio demonstrates all these key components and skills. The evidence in my portfolio comes from a multitude of places and are quality resources. It includes sites such as twitter, the new your times, and other news outlets. Twitter may not seem like the place to include evidence and ideas for an academic writing. However, the subject of my editorial began and grew on twitters platform, making it the main source for the writing situation at hand. With these ideas and evidence included with in the writing from these sources I then made my own arguments and interpretations with their support.

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. 

I believe this value is the most important value I was able to work on throughout the year. We sometimes don’t realize the impact we have on people, and when we put words or thoughts into writing those impacts become permanent. It is important for use to give other author’s ideas a fair shake, even if we disagree completely. We can’t sacrifice the ideas of others, or our own for our emotions or biased opinion. When we are able to successfully do that then we owe it to the evidence and writings we used to back up our arguments to properly represent them and appropriately cite aid work. I would like to believe all my work represented this core value but my Practice op-ed sticks out the most.