APA Reflection Paper

Throughout this semester I have learned many valuable resources, and tools. The big thing you taught us was how to write and argument paper. Also I have learned different tools on summarizing, how to better my skills for peer reviews, new library skills, and MLA format. Most of these I already knew, but you taught us them more in depth, and you gave me better understandings of them.

Throughout the course of this semester, I have continuously grown as a writer. Prior to taking this course, I had little experience or knowledge when it came to writing. I used to struggle with forming my thoughts into writing, let alone a paper. I was never confident with what I wrote. My writing had no greater purpose other than the assignment. My writing process included: writing my paper, proofreading it, and turning it in. Once the paper left my hands, it also left my mind. Throughout this course we worked with others, visited the writing lab, wrote critiques, and we were able to revise our papers. I believe that all of this is has caused me to grow greatly as a writer.

Writing may come naturally for some people, but for me, it does not. This class will be challenging- as it is a college course- but that does not mean that I am not going to try my best to receive an A, and meet all of the expectations this semester. Even with it not coming naturally, I do know tasks that improve my writing, like being able to analyze the purpose, audience, and rhetorical strategies used by other writers (syllabus 2). In my AP Language class I took last year the concept of being able to come up with those three things was heavily stressed; therefore, we did multiple practice worksheets and wrote essays where we would have to come up with those things. On page 3 in the guidebook, it says that we should know how to write and

In Honors English III, Mrs. Bryce assigned the class a research project. Although we were allowed to work in groups, all of the writing portions were expected to be done individually. We were allowed do to research on any topic that we wanted. Unlike most papers we had written, this paper would be written in APA format. Some of the work would be done in class, such as the Introduction and Literature Review. However, most of it was expected to be done outside of school. Some additional requirements was that we had a minimum of three data collection sources and three findings from them.

I learned that you are not only writing for your own benefit, your writing for your classmates, teachers and peers as well. It helps you gain common knowledge that you may not have known otherwise, as well as teaching us research skills that we will need later in life due to the rise is technology use. I have learned that research is a part of life and you will need it throughout college. Writing has helped me understand things I was unable to comprehend before, and gives me a feeling of capability. As Frederick Douglas, an African American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman, once wrote, “Thus, after a long, tedious effort for years, I finally succeeded in learning how to write” (McQuade and Atwan). At the beginning of the semester, I would have never guessed that I would finish this course on a positive note; however, I finished, and it was not as difficult as I thought it would

Furthermore, in the second semester we also had a research assignment. Within this assignment, we had to create an auto bibliography of our resources. This was great, because it helped me know how to properly cite a resource. Knowing how to cite in APA format, was beneficial for my progression to reach goal #4 and my other courses. For example, if the course did not cover how to properly cite in APA format, I would have incorrectly cite resources for other class assignments as well. With the knowledge of how to properly cite in APA format, it will be a great use in my future college

As we have been discussing, rhetorical analysis asks us to look not only at what a text says, or the meaning of the text, but also at how that meaning is created in the text. For this assignment, I want to challenge you to not just analyze the “ethos, pathos, and logos” of a text, but to delve deeply into how the text moves us to identify with its message, and to think, feel, or act in a specific way.

In the same article, Elizabeth St. Pierre provides what I consider to be a systematic process to writing; she posits that, “writing is thinking writing is analysis, writing is indeed a seductive and tangled method of discovery” (p. 967). So, throughout the process of writing these assignments,

Throughout the semester I learned and overcame many different things. Writing has never been a strength of mine, but as the semester went on I started to enjoy writing the papers assigned to us. I overcame my problem with procrastination and not giving myself enough time to plan out my papers. I also learned what content is important when it comes to certain types of papers and how important peer reviews really are.

Gain experience reading and composing in several genres to understand how genre conventions shape and are shaped by readers’ and writers’ practices and purposes

My goal for this course was to learn as much as I could and develop my writing skills. My goal was broad and I believe that I have learned a lot in this course and had many opportunities to develop my writing skills. But my learning will not stop with the end of this course. I will continue to learn as much as I can, as often as I can. Written communication if important, not only in academics, but in my life outside of the University. There is always something to learn.

I share the same concerns on my writing as you. The APA guidelines are a continuing source of learning of rime. It is a goal of mine to master the APA guidelines. Regarding the course writing assignments I appreciate the Rubics. It serves as a map for me when I am completing my writing assignments. The Rubic also helps with the flow of my papers. When I am writing my assignments I approach my paper as a puzzle and allow the Rubics to serve as my guide. It is easier and less complicated for me to research, write and compile my paper. It may sound a little off but the process works for me. The information in the APA writing guide is extremely helpful. I am able to answer questions regarding my writing by referring the APA writing guide (APA,

I have gained a vast amount of knowledge and other skills during my semester in “Writing as an inquiry”. Not only were my writing skills improved, my understanding of rhetoric increased as well. This was done through teacher instruction, class participation, and assignments. Up to this point, I completed four projects in the semester. Each project being very different and improving my writing, rhetoric, communication skills, and testing my creativity.

Having only one AP class where I felt I could be successful, I enrolled into AP Studio Art for my junior year of high school. It was advertised that students would only work 4 hours a week on their own for it. In the past, I got high grades in my art classes, so, I thought it would be a better fit than the other three AP classes that were offered to me. I was so, so terribly wrong.

During this semester, I have learned a great deal about my own writing, and writing in general. One of the main takeaways from this course for me was how to break down the intricate process of writing papers. In addition, I developed viable skills regarding going into more in-depth detail during each step of the writing process. I enjoyed having the freedom to write about a topic that I was able to choose. This allowed me to research and write about something that actually interested me immensely. Having to work with one topic for the entire semester taught me how to find reliable resources and how to pick out the essential research from each article.