English 2201 Reflection Paper

This English 2201 multidisciplinary course, instructed by Professor Mckoy, refreshed and introduced writing disciplines that allow the writing process to be conducted and allow writers to effectively present and support their arguments. Throughout this class I have learned how to become a more focused, intelligent and developed writer as opposed to entering English 2201 prior. Understanding the distinctions between authoritative and popular resources allowed me to understand the critic and frame that goes into research and information passed along through media and publication companies to scholars and enthusiasts alike. This gave me the foundations to look at an ethical issue in my selected field of study and further relate to an issue that develops interest and awareness for a subject to further examine. The projects from category 1 allowed me to write

successfully for the projects in category 2 and do so while keeping relevance between all the projects completed this semester. Building upon the foundations of writing in English 1100, I can proceed into my major intensive writing courses with the confidence that I will be able to apply knowledge through the resource’ distinguishes, rhetorical triangle, ethical approach and research lessons learned when supporting arguments and further advancing my vocabulary as I continue to learn and develop as a student here at East Carolina.

In developing my writing skills, I practiced writing in different formats from write ups to formal addresses for ethical issues that allow information to be presented differently. I personally believed write ups were the most effective way to express details in writing projects for this class. In my ethical issue for example, I could ask purposeful research questions and set up a reasonable issue to conduct the experiment and further explain the censorship used in music today. in addition, gathering my sources consisted of a variety that included print, online and scholarly journals that helped propel my arguments from project 1 and 3. In project 3, an annotated bibliography was done for six sources and required students to organize the material one by one with each source’s abstract. Organizing the main ideas from the journals into support for an ethical issue such as the source “Unlike a Rolling Stone” allowed me to use support for censorship originally when writing up the proposal to argue about passed legislature by governing bodies. In my revision for

category 2 project, I decided to change the argument and instead proclaim support for censorship by governments and local councils instead of supporting that government intervening in affairs is against free speech and artistic expression that is displayed in arts and humanities. Writing in different contexts by changing the arguments but keeping the same ethical issue challenged me as a writer to apply both sides of the equation to the proposal and focus on the thesis themselves being changed and not the overall content of the information provided. This has allowed my writing to be universalized in achieving different purposes in reflecting different views in topics that relate to the projects we finish for this semester. With the source “Unlike a Rolling Stone”, I could use the same context of legislature making an impact on sales of music to young children and argued that it is necessary and beneficial to enforce censorship to this degree as opposed to arguing infringement of free speech and artistic expression in the first attempt on project 3. For category 1, project 1 I could distinct the differences between authoritative and popular sources by distinguishing the language and context resources presented in the examination. Using proper language and grammar I could present each resource effectively contrasting with the other with evidence backed from my sources from lectures in class. I believe this is evident when I decided to focus on the appeal to the casual, everyday viewer instead of focusing on 3 different audience members that could possibly be utilizing resources in the arts and humanities discipline. Doing so allowed me to focus more on the main idea and why the writing strategies matter for the respective resource as they pertain to a specific audience. As can be noticed, Professor Mckoy, stress correctly citing materials that we use for projects and in doing so more aware of the issue of plagiarism in academic endeavors. I have learned to cite anything and even if unsure, do so in doubt of being wrong of miscompiling information to be used in various projects. Understanding how to properly credit work when acquiring information is another part of the writing process and crucial to developing and supporting a paper. Even in other assignments, lecture materials or lessons have been used to further support the information presented effectively and illustrate the intent of the sources themselves with the rhetoric triangle of appeal in analyzing writer strategies used to target audience’s emotion and intelligence. Using the materials available to me and conducting course objectives, I could effectively demonstrate writing skills as they pertain to my project 1 and 3 revisions for their respective categories and gain the experience in writing in advanced frames of mind that pertain to audience awareness, ethical dilemmas and contextual analysis that otherwise drive the foundations of undergraduate writing and will carry over for the rest of my academic career.
Writing is a process and becomes engrained after repetition and diligently advancing though writing barriers that help further advance a writer’s point of view and support their arguments. Taking what I have from English 2201, I am leaving with more knowledge of what I was taught previously in English 1100 and a greater vocabulary to use in an educated, formal writing style. I carried the lessons from Professor Mckoy as I have from Professor Pastor previously in becoming an even better writer for a discipline and becoming a better writer. It is still required outside of the English department to continue producing bodies of work that pertain to writing in multidisciplinary acquisition of study and major related research. I’ve learned that my greatest limitation with writing was myself and the effort put forth by either managing time or staying motivated to proceed and excel in my studies. English 2201 was enlightening and interested me to further develop my writing because I could see the progress from each passing project and the materials correlated in retrospect to the development of individual writing aptitude since the first day of the semester. The course objectives were achieved through awareness for writing styles, transcending context analysis and audience affiliation that forced students such as myself to gather sources, articulate ideas and present them in a professional manner. Integrating the tools, I’ve learned from rhetoric appeal and the credibility of resources/sources, writing is employed to have a deeper understanding of the material selected to relate and provoke to an audience of your view point on a matter and why it affectively relates to the world or the viewer at all. I will continue to write with the same level of focus and integrity that I have displayed for the English department classes as well through my other bodies of work and my career path. I could pick and choose my writing style apart though the revision process and learn my greatest strengths as a writer that will further develop if I stay motivated to investigate and share information in a formal manner. Thank you, professor Mckoy for taking the time to reflect on my projects and provide feedback for me in a way that would only seek to advance me forward as a student and not hinder on the inadequacies that followed from not following directions and routinely maintaining grades. It is with pleasure that as I embark forward that English 2201 proved to be sustainable class that provided material to help me progress as writer and individual at East Carolina and as a person. Continuing forth, I shall continue to uphold writing disciplines discussed and enhance my writing though the engagement I have conducted with the Professor Mckoy’s English 2201 section as I go forward into my academic career.