After reading about the Assessment Portfolio I am more aware what is going to be expected from me and I feel more prepared going into it. However, I have never been that confident in my writing skills so this portfolio is intimidating to me. I usually have a hard time putting my thoughts out on paper, expressing what I am really trying to say, and connecting it to a deeper meaning. Reading the intro paragraph it summarizes everything that we have been doing in class, such as drafts and revisions, working with our peers to better our essays, and meeting with our teacher. I have found all of this to be really helpful in making my writing better.
I kind of feel better knowing that in order to even submit your portfolio you have to have a C- or better and I know that I can pull that off. There needs to be 2-4 essays in there and 2 of those will then be graded. I think I will have a hard time choosing which 2 because I have to determine which ones will get me a combined score of 8 or better.
One thing that I am worried about a lot is the cover letter. The length of two to three pages is a little scary to me because that a lot of reflecting that you have to do as a writer. I know that there’s a lot to include such as, demonstrating my self-awareness, strengths and weaknesses, knowledge of writing, and improvements as a writer, however, I think that I will have trouble coming up with that much information on each. I need to write it to the committee and be able to prove to them I have developed as a writer and have learned a lot of my style of writing.
After reading about all the information to submit my assessment portfolio successfully I have mix feelings of confidence and intimidation. I know that I can turn in a good portfolio but I understand that I am going to have to put in a lot of time and dedication.
Corynne, you came to the same realization that many of your classmates came to upon reading this hand-out: a lot of work is ahead of you. Other people also expressed the same mixed feelings, relief on the one hand but worry on the other.
ReplyDeleteThe post-writing exercise that I ask you to do before turning in your polished drafts is, essentially, pre-writing for the cover letter. You will be able to look at all four of those post-writes when assembling your cover letter, allowing you to see the evolution or trajectory of your writing process or writing self-awareness. Seeing the big picture like that will suggest insights to you that you can use to guide your cover letter.
Also, keeping in mind the purpose of the letter-- to set your readers up to appreciate properly the writing they are about to read even as you demonstrate your self-awareness as a writer-- really helps in deciding what to include and how to include it.