GOAL 1: I used a multi-stage, recursive, and social process for my writing and took into consideration feedback from my instructor, classmates, and other readers.

As I previously learned in the many years of writing, Professor Hodges restated that writing is not just a one and done deal. Writing takes numerous drafts, revisions, and editing sessions. When all of this is done properly it will be a successful well-written paper. I successfully achieved this goal by requesting feedback on each and every one of my posts, no matter if they were portfolio work or not. The best example of this is my Definition Essay Rewrite. It was not sufficient enough to simply ask for feedback and make those changes. An open line of communication between the professor and student is key. If I was not clear about a comment that was made, I asked for clarification. I took full advantage of the rewriting process in order to make revisions that would make my final paper a strong and well-written piece.

GOAL 2: I read source materials closely and analyzed them critically to learn how and why texts create meaning.

An important stage in every writer’s process is reading and gathering information on the topic they are writing on. This was a crucial part of the course because it was necessary to have as much knowledge of the subject we wrote on as possible. This goal is shown in my Rebuttal paper. In this paper I gathered as much information as I could on both sides of the argument. I analyzed what the opposing sides and the evidence they presented. After I analyzed that I analyzed the side I argued for and prepared a well-written rebuttal with both sides represented. It made my argument stronger when I understood fully both sides of the argument, and then presented a rebuttal proving it is the weaker side.

GOAL 3: I wrote with a particular audience in mind, allowing my purpose to shape the language and methods I used not just to communicate information but to persuade readers.

When writing a lengthy research paper, or any paper at all it is important to have an audience in mind to guide the writing. When writing my paper the audience I had in mind were all the people who attend the circuses and individuals uneducated about the abuse of elephants. By choosing a specific show such as the circus it shaped my paper and made the circus goers the target audience. My paper was powerful and persuasive, the information stated was not meant to be just communicated; but it was meant to move the audience. The purpose of my paper was to change the minds of the circus fans and show them the reality of what goes on. This is best shown in my final Research Position paper. In my paper I used powerful sources, including a former circus employee who explains the bloody horrors that go on behind the circus. By the readers reading these first hand experiences it persuades them to boycott circuses all together.

GOAL 4: I demonstrated my information literacy by synthesizing my own experience with new insights and information from a range of outside sources to produce new material.

It is important as writers to know that something can not just simply be stated. It makes a claim incredibly stronger if there is evidence to back up the claim to prove that it is true. By researching and finding evidence that synthesizes with my own ideas to make each claim stronger I fulfilled this goal. I realized that there were different types of information and different places to find this information, and after that realization I took full advantage of the libraries resources including ProfSearch to find the perfect evidence to back up my claims. This is best shown in my final paper the Research Position Paper. In this paper I have successfully shown the importance of synthesizing my own thoughts with scholarly evidence. Each claim I have is represented by a source that strengthens the claim and is cited correctly.

GOAL 5: My writing is ethical. Writing about meaningful topics, I have engaged responsibly with them and represented my ideas and the ideas of others honestly, fairly, and logically.

In order for a paper to be successful it is crucial that all topics are represented in an honest, fair, and logical way. This course has reiterated the importance of being honest and fair when it comes to analyzing sources that involve our topics. This goal is shown specifically in two papers that I have written throughout the course my Rebuttal Paper and my final paper the Research Position Paper. In my Rebuttal Paper I could have taken the easy way out and made the circus seem entirely hypocritical by taking the company’s explanation of its training techniques out of context. Instead, I took the harder more persuasive path: I let the circus make their best argument for their training tactics. I followed this by a strong rebuttal by demonstrating that rather than the circuses using positive reinforcement they were using torture tactics.  In my Research Position Paper I embodied the honest and logical aspect of the goal. I did this by making sure each and every one of my sources was cited correctly and that they were analyzed in a logical and honest way. I did this by stating the author, where it came from, and its importance before the quote was stated. I introduced before the quote because I learned in the Scenic Views lesson that if it was done after the reader would have already made up their mind about what the quote means.