Final Evaluation for Eng lll

Andrew Serafim

English lll

29 April 2013

Evaluation

     In English lll I have come to be familiar with many topics, some previously known and some new. We have discussed the importance of rhetoric, the writing process, critical thinking, reading, oral communication, and digital technologies. Throughout this semester the class, my group and myself as an individual have been challenged to use these topics to become better at writing.

     How can you even talk about English without thinking of the writing process? In this semester we have delved deeper into just what the writing process is comprised of and used it to pull our ideas from imagination and put into text form. The writing process begins with the six core steps pre-writing, drafting, revising, proofreading, publishing and reviewing. Here is a mind map I developed to go into more details about the writing process. Within these steps there are many other sub categories but they all work towards the goal of “what do you want to communicate”. Without this question there would be no need to writing at all. Communication is the foundation of interactions with each other as humans, as cultures, and just about any successful relationship.

     Anyone looking to help there communication skills should look into the process of writing, just knowing the steps will help you in more ways than “just writing a paper”. This ties in with critical thinking. Critical thinking is basically the writing process in your mind. Going through the processes of evaluating how something should be said or how to interpret an idea all fall under critical thinking. Here is an example of critical thinking being implemented to come up with a draft for a paper my group and I composed this semester. These two steps will vastly enhance your communication skills if you grasp them and can help in a broad spectrum of instances in your life. Another topic that can enhance your critical thinking and writing processing skills is rhetoric.

     Knowing about rhetoric has changed my life. Before this English class I had heard of the term but was not familiar with just how much I interact with rhetoric in my daily life. Now whenever I see a commercial or view an article I can pick up on the subtle, or sometimes not subtle, use of rhetoric. It gives me a feel of almost being “in the know” and helps me understand some points people are trying to make. An easy way to help remember rhetoric is the Rhetorical Triangle. This is a simple process of knowing who the author is, what their message is and what audience they are trying to connect with. Those three things pave the way to really helping you know how to pick the rhetoric out of certain situations, or media. Rhetoric is used today in many forms and one form we looked closely at was in digital technologies.

     With digital technologies rhetoric can be incorporated seamlessly. Not sure what I mean by that? Just turn on the TV and wait for a commercial. All commercials follow the rhetorical triangle, otherwise there would be no use for them. Commercials are trying to sell an idea, there is an author/ company that is trying to influence an audience/ consumer. It is easy when you know what words are substituted (like consumer) then you can pick out the rhetoric easily. Digital technologies are everywhere, the internet is full of reviews and ideas people have shared. Smartphones allow you to have access to almost anything and with that you get people’s opinions, reviews and ideas. All of these things are a part of communication and even if the person putting them out on the internet doesn't know it, they are using forms of the writing process, critical thinking and rhetoric.

     Or course with the increase in technology focused in the digital world some people, it seems, have lost the ability to communicate orally. Oral communication is another topic we covered in this semester. We use digital devices to communicate so often that sometimes people lack the skills it takes to hold a conversation or they become nervous when speaking in front of others. Learning techniques like deep breathing and anxiety relaxation can really help improve your oral communications skills. Deep breathing also allows you to take time to evaluate what you have just heard/ seen and focus your attention on the topic at hand. The benefits of deep breathing cross all boundaries in life and help reduce health as well as in oral communication.

     I feel that I have some strengths and weaknesses in the topics we covered this semester. I feel that I excel in conceiving the ideas that I would like to share with others but sometimes have difficulty in wording them in the most efficient way. That is why I value all the topics that we have covered and look forward to expanding more upon each of them now that I am aware of what the basics of the topics consist of. I sometimes struggle with oral communication due to frustration of not being understood or lack of knowing how to convey myself in certain situations. I will continue to use the ideas and techniques gained from our class discussion on this topic. I also feel that my writing skills have improved from learning the correct process of steps to go through before finishing a paper. Drafting a paper and then coming back to proofread and edit the paper really helps me catch any flaws or unwanted information before I turn it in or publish it. Overall I feel that I have changed my perspective on certain topics because of some of the ideas that were introduced to me in this class and I enjoy the new outlook that has come with those changes.