The Writer’s Letter is a (short) reflection that should accompany your Critical Essay, your Annotated Bibliography and Research Question assignment, and your Final Portfolio.
The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on what you have learned, what you have revised, what the next steps for this project might include, and what you would like for me to consider as I read.
Please choose one (or more) questions from each category below, and use them to guide your response. This means that you should respond to at least four questions.
Your Writer’s Letter should accompany the final draft of your essay, due to your Slack channel by 11:59pm.
What did you learn?
- What did you learn from completing this assignment?
- What kinds of skills from completing this assignment will you apply in other classes?
- Consider the learning goals for English 110 (available on the Reading and Assignment Schedule). Which of the learning goals did you move closer toward accomplishing?
What did you revise?
- Describe the changes that you made between the drafts of this piece of writing. What did you change?
- Describe advice that you got that you decided not to apply. Why didn’t you apply it?
- Describe what you would do if you had more time to revise this piece of writing.
What are the next steps?
- Did you complete all of the steps that you needed to complete in order to continue earning the grade that you are working toward? If not, what are you missing? What will you need to turn in with your final portfolio?
- Could you see yourself continuing to investigate this topic or extending this project in some way after this class ends? In what contexts?
- If you are writing a Writer’s Letter for the Critical Essay, which of your research questions do you think you might want to further explore in the Annotated Bibliography and Research Question assignment?
- If you are writing a Writer’s Letter for the Annotated Bibliography and Research Question assignment, with what kind of audience do you think you could potentially share your findings?
What should I consider?
- As you have with other assignment, please write me a paragraph directing my feedback to you. You can use the Feedback Menu prompt to help with you. Consider what kinds of questions you have about this piece of writing. What kind of feedback would you like for me to give? Remember: I can give you my own feedback on ideas, organization, citation, grammar and style choices, punctuation, or all of the above. Just tell me what would be the most helpful for you.
- When I teach this class in future semesters, how would you recommend that I change this assignment for the next time?
- Are there any other special or unusual circumstances that you would like to share with me and that I might consider as I read your work?
For the Final Portfolio assignment (only)
For the Writer’s Letter that accompanies the Final Portfolio assignment, please answer all of the additional questions:
- If you have made revisions, please note what they are to guide me as I review them. If you completed the Extra Peer Review Option, do not forget to mention how you have addressed or how you decided not to address the changes that your peers suggested to you.
- In what ways have you met the Learning Goals for English 110? You can find the Learning Goals on the Reading Schedule.
- What is something that you have learned in this class that you will take with you to other classes?
- What is something that I could change about this class the next time I teach it, or what is something that you would have changed about your approach to the class if you were going to start from the beginning of the semester?
- What is a piece of advice that you might give to my students who will take this class in the spring?
- Please review the grading agreement. Go back to your Slack channel, and note when you have turned in each of the assignments that have met requirements. Note which assignment you have taken as your “freebie.” According to the grading agreement, what grade will you earn as long as you turn in your final portfolio?
