1 English November 5, 2017 Making Aging Positive Senior citizens count for a great deal of the American population and are an essential part of society. Many perspectives come with old age with some affecting the old individual's way of life and other improving the elderly way of life. The paper discusses the contribution of to Linda P Fried article Making Aging Positive, and the Carpenter et al. journal and my own beliefs in understanding the various perspectives that come with the old age. From the article Making Aging Positive, it provides reasons why old age comes with a lot of challenges. However, there are qualms concerning the efficiency of this group of people in workplaces. According to Fried, the main point that is being enforced is or make the extra years that come with improved life expectancy into good use (3). I agree on this but still how experienced can the elderly individuals be at critical positions in the workplaces. It turns into the most profound angle of uncertainty to say that a group of retired people would be more efficient than the younger ones, however, experienced they are. The article Making Aging Positive it explains that at old age the connection between the senses of individuals is very active with a lot of experience. While people are troubled with the medical expenses on the elderly, this can help in making strides on the issues. This brings the thought of why the elderly should retire yet they can still work in the offices feel appreciated and live longer. According to Fried Linda, the elderly should not retire just because they have hit their age ceiling and should be left to work until when they will not be able to work anymore. The questions generated here are ambiguous but addresses a genuine concern on the dynamics of the content that are provided by the author. The issue that is raised by Fried is very authentic and if not addressed well turns into a crisis. The population pyramids of most of the developed nations in the world now have a broader top. Many scientists have raised concerns over various challenges that may come with more people being old for example economic collapse of a country due to the inadequate workforce and the purchase blocks. The solution to curbing these challenge includes the idea of the population aging positively. The connection may not be clear, but the correlation is more realistic. My grandmother is one of the oldest people and works as a public officer and likes sewing baskets. When she retired, there was need of her to always being active thus we opened for a weaving site, and this made her maintain a good health and therefore less medical expenses. The article Making Aging Positive gave me a quick connection to the relationship between the health of the granny and the post-retirement work. Research Carpenter et al. (184-192) support various steps that can be taken to ensure that the elderly get to retire in a less complicated environment as some relate agi ...

1. 1
English
November 5, 2017
Making Aging Positive
Senior citizens count for a great deal of the American
population and are an essential part of society. Many
perspectives come with old age with some affecting the old
individual's way of life and other improving the elderly way of
life. The paper discusses the contribution of to Linda P Fried
article Making Aging Positive, and the Carpenter et al. journal
and my own beliefs in understanding the various perspectives
that come with the old age.
From the article Making Aging Positive, it provides reasons
why old age comes with a lot of challenges. However, there are
qualms concerning the efficiency of this group of people in
workplaces. According to Fried, the main point that is being
enforced is or make the extra years that come with improved
life expectancy into good use (3). I agree on this but still how
experienced can the elderly individuals be at critical positions
in the workplaces. It turns into the most profound angle of
uncertainty to say that a group of retired people would be more
efficient than the younger ones, however, experienced they are.
The article Making Aging Positive it explains that at old age the
connection between the senses of individuals is very active with
a lot of experience. While people are troubled with the medical
expenses on the elderly, this can help in making strides on the
issues. This brings the thought of why the elderly should retire
yet they can still work in the offices feel appreciated and live

2. longer. According to Fried Linda, the elderly should not retire
just because they have hit their age ceiling and should be left to
work until when they will not be able to work anymore. The
questions generated here are ambiguous but addresses a genuine
concern on the dynamics of the content that are provided by the
author.
The issue that is raised by Fried is very authentic and if not
addressed well turns into a crisis. The population pyramids of
most of the developed nations in the world now have a broader
top. Many scientists have raised concerns over various
challenges that may come with more people being old for
example economic collapse of a country due to the inadequate
workforce and the purchase blocks. The solution to curbing
these challenge includes the idea of the population aging
positively. The connection may not be clear, but the correlation
is more realistic.
My grandmother is one of the oldest people and works as a
public officer and likes sewing baskets. When she retired, there
was need of her to always being active thus we opened for a
weaving site, and this made her maintain a good health and
therefore less medical expenses. The article Making Aging
Positive gave me a quick connection to the relationship between
the health of the granny and the post-retirement work.
Research
Carpenter et al. (184-192) support various steps that can be
taken to ensure that the elderly get to retire in a less
complicated environment as some relate aging to death and
others have end marked age estimations that are a porter of the
age limit. According to Carpenter et al. (188) explain that
induced positive feelings ensure that the mind of an elderly
individual remains stable. The article also describes that
individuals who are about to retire should be given better

3. offers, for example, continuity to nurture others to enable
continuous state of activity.
Personal Reflection
There are several things that we can do to curb the challenges
that arise from the precious high life expectancy. When my
grandmother engages her activity of sewing, it makes her very
jovial. It is also important to choose for them jobs that are not
very critical since their efficiency and accuracy reduce over
time. This explains that the elderly individual would have been
kept active and the mind will still efficiently function just like
the article making aging positive explains.
Work Cited
Carpenter, Stephanie M., et al. "Positive feelings facilitate
working memory and complex decision making among older
adults." Cognition & emotion 27.1 (2013): 184-192.
Fried, Linda. "Making aging positive." The Atlantic (2014).
Alanazi1
Alanazi5
English101
September 21, 2017
Thriving In A New Land Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu:
Visiting a foreign country for the first time can be quite
overwhelming, especially when the country being visited has a
culture that is different from the countries country of origin.
One gets to learn a lot of new things that help give people an
idea of what the country is all about. My mother landed at the
John F. Kennedy Airport at the beginning of December 2012,
something that made us both very happy having discussed the
visit over and over again. She was here finally, after a year of
not seeing her, with sight being replaced by talking over the
phone every day and skyping every once in a while. A year is a
long time, especially for the baby boy of the family who is
expected to always be on the mother’s side. Excitement could

4. easily be seen on my face I took a cab to ensure that I got to
pick her up, with a flush of joy and expectation taking over.
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Rather than speaking in
general terms here, stick to your mother specifically.
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: I would suggest starting
the narrative with this sentence instead of the building up to it
with more general sentences. This sentence jumps right into the
story and would pull in the reader from the very beginning.
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Nice job in this paragraph
of “showing” through details!
I have always known my mother to be an amicable person. As I
arrived at the receiving lounge, I would see her saying hello to
every new face that went with her, or she passed. A cheerful
spirit she is! Knowing some of the people in Manhattan, smiles
was their drive. Therefore, greetings could be something that
would keep them pacing even faster. Others, however, were
kind enough to wave back or gently nod while dragging out a
smile. I held on to her for a hug to what anyone would call an
eternity. It had been too long. She could not believe her eyes at
the sight of a foreign country covered in snow and not just snow
that she had seen in the movies. We hopped into one of the cabs
and headed to my apartment, which was my first individually-
rented residence to move into. I mean what more could i ask for
if not own independence and a means of growing peacefully
while learning from individual mistakes? Comment by Jennifer
Pacioianu: Can you say this more clearly here? Right now the
wording is confusing to the reader. Comment by Jennifer
Pacioianu: Nice description of what’s happening here. This
gives the reader a clear sense of you, your mom, and your
experiences! Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: This moves
into conversational writing and also moves off-topic. That will
feel abrupt and distracting to readers. Instead, stick to your
mom’s story and your story.
As opposed to Saudi Arabia, the United States felt tenser
regarding interaction with some strangers as compared to the
former. People were friendlier back home and more thoughtful.

5. This is as a result of community-based living that goes on in
Saudi Arabia while the United States believes so much in
independence, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. There
is an increased interaction between people of different
backgrounds in the Saudi Arabia as opposed to the United
States, which manages to have quite a number of its Saudi
Arabian students. My mother was surprised by all the energy
that she had felt so far given the differences between the
countries. This gave her hope and encouragement to hold onto
given the amount of anxiety she had regarding my stay in the
United States. She was already used to the bit of anti-social
atmosphere in existence in Saudi Arabia since we originate from
a Muslim country where the culture is quite rigid on various
matters, including interactions. There was a lot of freedom to
experience, and she did not hesitate to share her thoughts on
wanting to experience the beauty of the foreign country that
welcomed her with open arms. Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu:
Readers might be a little confused by the contradiction in your
description of Saudi Arabia above as “friendlier and more
thoughtful” and “increased interaction between people”
compared to here when you say it’s a “bit of anti-social
atmosphere.” Can you clarify meaning?
Introducing my mother to the apartment, she was surprised to
find that I could take care of myself without much hustle seeing
that I was the middle born in a family of five. sSchool taught
me that it was important to learn about how to take great care of
ourselves before landing more responsibilities with the growth
of family in the future given the already immense
responsibilities that came with my studies based on the number
of units we had each semester as well as how I had been brought
up. We decided to catch up as I helped my mother prepare
dinner since a mother’s cooking will always turn out better than
anything anyone else makes. It is one of the things that will
make me miss being back home in Saudi Arabia. I shared my
experiences with her since I was still a fresh face in High
School, the experiences before landing even if the conversations

6. were shared every day but they were never the same as those
shared in person, how I dealt with the challenges and problems
that had presented themselves and how I had dealt with them.
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: This sentence gets a little
confusing and long. Can you break it up and work on wording
for smoother, clearer reading? Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu:
This is another sentence that could use shortening and re-
wording for clarity. I won’t mark more, but look for more of
these and see how you can work on them. I’m happy to help,
too.
She did too share how life back in Saudi Arabia was, the
challenges she had to deal with on a daily basis, mostly because
my father would travel a lot for work, but she managed since
she did not have a child to fend for as well as the nice things
she brought me as a memorabilia for when she left as well as
gifts from family and friends back home. This was a happy
moment, I had my mother with me for the week, and I got some
gifts. After dinner, we made plans for the week which would
entail seeing Manhattan at its best and in natural light. This
included aggievile, the Kansas State University campus, going
onto the bowling alley, the Kansas state art museum, walking on
a snowy nights, and the country club, the public library as well
as many other places that we would get to discover together
along the way. Playing in the snow was one of the adventures
we were going to experience. Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu:
Can you “show” us these events together through rich details
instead of telling us you’re going to do it?
I slept like a baby that night. Six o’clock, the next morning,
caught mother up and ready to seize the day. A new country, a
new city, a new day presented new opportunities and differ ent
places to explore. She got to have breakfast for the first time
away from the house as we went by the school, as opposed to
what she was used to back in Saudi Arabia since she would
prepare it in the house before leaving to cater to various things.
Despite all that has been said about Saudi Arabia among foreign
group discussions, my mother was quick to share about the way

7. the country is changing given the ability of women to do some
of the things that were considered manly. It is a country that has
much friendlier people as opposed to the United States with a
culture that teaches hospitality as well as generosity to be
shown to all and sundry without biases. Comment by Jennifer
Pacioianu: Great job! You’re back to “showing” the action
here, pulling in the reader to your experience! Comment by
Jennifer Pacioianu: This goes back to repeat what you said
earlier and feels a little out of place here.
An experience and continuous adventure with my mother made
the days worthwhile as well as enjoyable. The visits tightened
the mother-child relationship that had strained a bit since my
moving to the United States for my studies and now the
beginning of another chapter of my life. Every evening we
would gather our thoughts to see what we had gained at the end
of the day from the experiences of the day. At the end of the
week, we had a recap of what the adventurous week yielded for
us especially since we were not going to see each other for a
couple of weeks. The pictures taken during our eventful week
would act as a reminder of the importance of our togetherness. I
accompanied to the airport the following day, embraced and
waved goodbye as I wished her a safe flight. Comment by
Jennifer Pacioianu: You’re mostly “telling” us about instead of
“showing” us these adventures. Slow down and show us bit by
bit what you guys did together. Like you did in the first couple
of paragraphs, use details and action to “show” these
experiences! Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: This is a nice
lasting image in the last sentence, but bring the paper together
for the reader and give them a deeper point. What did this time
spent with your mother mean to you overall and how did you
feel about her leaving? What does this say about the importance
of family to you both and about the difficulties of being in
different countries? Tie it all together for your readers before
leaving us with that image.

8. Work Site Cited
Alanazi, Muneera. Personal interview 9 Sep. 2017. Comment by
Jennifer Pacioianu: The citation looks good but Works Cited
should be on its own page (the last full page) rather than as part
of this page.
Saud,
You have some very nice scenes that “show” in the narrative,
although I’d like to see more of these. Your mom sounds like a
special person and your characterization of her is thoughtful and
respectful – your admiration and love for her really shine
through. Now, consider the notes I wrote about how you can
bring more of those memories to life that you shared during
your visit. Also note the length and confusion in some of the
sentences and see how you can make those smoother and clearer
for your reader.
One main thing is missing from your narrative: quotes! You
need those anytime you interview someone so we get to hear
their voice and feel their personality through their own words.
Take a look at all of the notes and Track Changes (in red) and
let me know what questions you have. I’m happy to meet with
you to discuss those!
Grade: B-
Alanazi1
English
November 5, 2017
Making Aging Positive
Senior citizens count for a great deal of the american population
and are an important part of society, and as any member of

9. society, they would like to contribute to the public but seeing
no place for them, according to Linda P Fried in her article
Making Aging Positive. The article contains myriads on insights
that are very useful in understanding the various perspectives
that come with the old age. I will be mentioning articles by
Carpenter et al (184-192), that shares the same look of making
the aging process as successful as possible, and the article by
Low et al. (1071), that takes a different view of the whole issue.
More thoroughly, I’ll discuss Carpenter’s article as it relates
better to Fried’s piece and also one that I personally share the
same belief with Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Before
referring to the article, you have to introduce it. How can you
lead into the topic, then introduce the 2 sources, then show how
you came to feel a certain way about what the 2 sources are
saying?
Everything in the paper should come from source #1 (“Making
Aging Positive”), source #2 (you have to pick one – you can’t
have two this time), and your personal connection.
Actually, from the article, I have understood one major reason
why old age comes with a lot of challenges. However, I feel I
have some qualms concerning the efficiency of this group of
people in workplaces. According to Fried , we note that the
main point that is being enforced is or make the extra years that
come with improved life expectancy into good use (3). I agree
on this is right but still how experienced can such individuals
be at critical positions in the workplaces. At that old age of
more than 60 years. It turns into the deepest angle of
uncertainty to say that a group of retired people would be more
efficient than the younger ones, however experienced they are.
It worthy still takes note of some insights that the author puts
forward. Reading through the work, I realized that the
connection between the senses of the usefulness of individuals
at old age has a lot of sense in it and should be set on for
discussion. Equally, there should be discussions on how to tap
this energy and use. More discussion should be on the ways to
achieve these. While people are troubled with the medical

10. expenses on the elderly this can help in making strides from the
issues when they are well discussed. Comment by Jennifer
Pacioianu: Now bring in the 2 sources to show what they’re
saying about this.
After considering the points that are put forward by the author,
several questions ran through someone’s mind. Concerning this
topic, one would ask him a question, for what reason then
should the elderly retire if they can still work in the offices feel
appreciated and live longer. Why can’t we allow these noble
people to sign their retirement from the deathbed? The
questions generated here are ambiguous but addresses a genuine
concern on the dynamics of the content that are provided by the
author. Then questions, however, must be analyzed keenly.
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Bring us these points!
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Can you explain what this
means specifically? And is it covered in the 2 sources?
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Rather than saying this,
bring in what the 2 sources are saying; show how their
connected and how you relate to that.
The issue that is raised by Fried is very authentic and if not
addressed well turns into a crisis. The population pyramids of
most of the developed nations in the world now have a broader
top. Many scientists have raised concerns over various
challenges that may come with more people being old, a
phenomenon we referred to as world aging. According to their
forecast, these trends can lead to economic collapse of a nation.
This is due to lack of adequate workforce and the purchase
blocks. This work on the other side strengthens the argument by
pointing to the solution that can be used to curb these effects.
He issues of workforce Challenges would be solved by the idea
of aging positively. The connection may not be clear, but the
correlation is more realistic. The point the author raises is very
genuine and scientific. Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu:
You’re getting more into the source here – good! Now get more
specific. Quote directly from the source, bringing us Fried’s
points that you think are most important and why. Quote and

11. cite.
The research work connects to most of the life experiences,
mine being one of them. My grandmother is one of the oldest
people you can mention now. She worked as a public officer
though she equally likes sewing baskets. We realized that she
was getting all joy from weaving so when she retired we
decided that to avoid a lot of disturbances we needed to take
him active .we then opened for a weaving site. Due to these
preoccupations, she has maintained a good health we have cut
down on the medical expenses on her. Reading this article gave
me a quick connection on the relationship between the health of
the granny and the post-retirement work.
Research
The article by Carpenter et al (184-192) shares the same look of
making the aging process as successful as possible. The article
supports various steps that can be taken to ensure that the
elderly get to retire in a less complicated environment. The
article is in the same line though only deviate a bit to talk about
the stereotypes about aging. Some individuals relate aging to
death while others have end marked age estimations that is a
porter of the age limit. According to Carpenter et al (188),
induced positive feelings are important in ensuring the memory
remains stable, the article examined the effects of positive
thinking on the health of individuals who are 60 years and
above. The article seems to suggest that individuals who are
considering retirement should be given better offers as some are
allowed to work in continuity to nurture others. The article
supports that the good life after retirement fully involves
making the individuals in continuous stated of activity.
Personal Reflection
On a personal account, I would hail the idea that is presented in
the article. It’s a serious topic and the early we talk about it the
better. It’s clear that there are several things that we can do to
curb the challenges that will arise from the precious high life
expectancy. When the patient is engaged in various activities

12. that feel that they are more productive to the society giving
them personal happiness. However while giving the jobs to
occupy the individuals, it’s important to choose the jobs that are
not very critical to human survival since the efficiency and
accuracy of such individuals has reduced over time. There are
several literature that supports the idea presented in the article
as well as those that are not of the same opinion. However,
these two states more of the literature tells us it is an urgent
issue, and we have to do it if we need some rest from a
headache. Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: In this paragraph,
you’re not really showing how this relates to you personally.
Use your grandmother’s experience clearly and relate that to
your 2 sources (Fried and ONE of the other sources)
Work Cited
Carpenter, Stephanie M., et al. "Positive feelings facilitate
working memory and complex decision making among older
adults." Cognition & emotion 27.1 (2013): 184-192.
Fried, Linda. "Making aging positive." The Atlantic (2014).

13. Alanazi1
English
November 5, 2017
Making Aging Positive
Senior citizens count for a great deal of the american population
and are an important part of society, and as any member of
society, they would like to contribute to the public but seeing
no place for them, according to Linda P Fried in her article
Making Aging Positive. The article contains myriads on insights
that are very useful in understanding the various perspectives
that come with the old age. I will be mentioning articles by
Carpenter et al (184-192), that shares the same look of making
the aging process as successful as possible, and the article by
Low et al. (1071), that takes a different view of the whole issue.
More thoroughly, I’ll discuss Carpenter’s article as it relates
better to Fried’s piece and also one that I personally share the
same belief with Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Before
referring to the article, you have to introduce it. How can you
lead into the topic, then introduce the 2 sources, then show how
you came to feel a certain way about what the 2 sources are
saying?
Everything in the paper should come from source #1 (“Making
Aging Positive”), source #2 (you have to pick one – you can’t
have two this time), and your personal connection.
Actually, from the article, I have understood one major reason
why old age comes with a lot of challenges. However, I feel I
have some qualms concerning the efficiency of this group of
people in workplaces. According to Fried , we note that the
main point that is being enforced is or make the extra years that
come with improved life expectancy into good use (3). I agree
on this is right but still how experienced can such individuals
be at critical positions in the workplaces. At that old age of
more than 60 years. It turns into the deepest angle of

14. uncertainty to say that a group of retired people would be more
efficient than the younger ones, however experienced they are.
It worthy still takes note of some insights that the author puts
forward. Reading through the work, I realized that the
connection between the senses of the usefulness of individuals
at old age has a lot of sense in it and should be set on for
discussion. Equally, there should be discussions on how to tap
this energy and use. More discussion should be on the ways to
achieve these. While people are troubled with the medical
expenses on the elderly this can help in making strides from the
issues when they are well discussed. Comment by Jennifer
Pacioianu: Now bring in the 2 sources to show what they’re
saying about this.
After considering the points that are put forward by the author,
several questions ran through someone’s mind. Concerning this
topic, one would ask him a question, for what reason then
should the elderly retire if they can still work in the offices feel
appreciated and live longer. Why can’t we allow these noble
people to sign their retirement from the deathbed? The
questions generated here are ambiguous but addresses a genuine
concern on the dynamics of the content that are provided by the
author. Then questions, however, must be analyzed keenly.
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Bring us these points!
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Can you explain what this
means specifically? And is it covered in the 2 sources?
Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: Rather than saying this,
bring in what the 2 sources are saying; show how their
connected and how you relate to that.
The issue that is raised by Fried is very authentic and if not
addressed well turns into a crisis. The population pyramids of
most of the developed nations in the world now have a broader
top. Many scientists have raised concerns over various
challenges that may come with more people being old, a
phenomenon we referred to as world aging. According to their
forecast, these trends can lead to economic collapse of a nation.
This is due to lack of adequate workforce and the purchase

15. blocks. This work on the other side strengthens the argument by
pointing to the solution that can be used to curb these effects.
He issues of workforce Challenges would be solved by the idea
of aging positively. The connection may not be clear, but the
correlation is more realistic. The point the author raises is very
genuine and scientific. Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu:
You’re getting more into the source here – good! Now get more
specific. Quote directly from the source, bringing us Fried’s
points that you think are most important and why. Quote and
cite.
The research work connects to most of the life experiences,
mine being one of them. My grandmother is one of the oldest
people you can mention now. She worked as a public officer
though she equally likes sewing baskets. We realized that she
was getting all joy from weaving so when she retired we
decided that to avoid a lot of disturbances we needed to take
him active .we then opened for a weaving site. Due to these
preoccupations, she has maintained a good health we have cut
down on the medical expenses on her. Reading this article gave
me a quick connection on the relationship between the health of
the granny and the post-retirement work.
Research
The article by Carpenter et al (184-192) shares the same look of
making the aging process as successful as possible. The article
supports various steps that can be taken to ensure that the
elderly get to retire in a less complicated environment. The
article is in the same line though only deviate a bit to talk about
the stereotypes about aging. Some individuals relate aging to
death while others have end marked age estimations that is a
porter of the age limit. According to Carpenter et al (188),
induced positive feelings are important in ensuring the memory
remains stable, the article examined the effects of positive
thinking on the health of individuals who are 60 years and
above. The article seems to suggest that individuals who are
considering retirement should be given better offers as some are
allowed to work in continuity to nurture others. The article

16. supports that the good life after retirement fully involves
making the individuals in continuous stated of activity.
Personal Reflection
On a personal account, I would hail the idea that is presented in
the article. It’s a serious topic and the early we talk about it the
better. It’s clear that there are several things that we can do to
curb the challenges that will arise from the precious high life
expectancy. When the patient is engaged in various activities
that feel that they are more productive to the society giving
them personal happiness. However while giving the jobs to
occupy the individuals, it’s important to choose the jobs that are
not very critical to human survival since the efficiency and
accuracy of such individuals has reduced over time. There are
several literature that supports the idea presented in the article
as well as those that are not of the same opinion. However,
these two states more of the literature tells us it is an urgent
issue, and we have to do it if we need some rest from a
headache. Comment by Jennifer Pacioianu: In this paragraph,
you’re not really showing how this relates to you personally.
Use your grandmother’s experience clearly and relate that to
your 2 sources (Fried and ONE of the other sources)
Work Cited
Carpenter, Stephanie M., et al. "Positive feelings facilitate

17. working memory and complex decision making among older
adults." Cognition & emotion 27.1 (2013): 184-192.
Fried, Linda. "Making aging positive." The Atlantic (2014).
Final Portfolio
Each EN 101 student at Washburn University is required to
submit a portfolio that includes the following:
1. All essays assigned for the class addressing differing
rhetorical situations. These essays must include:
· Evidence of a drafting and revision process
· Documentation and synthesis of source materials
· Persuasive/argumentative writing
· Critical/analytical writing
2. At least one reflective piece of writing that among other
things articulates the purposes and revision processes of the
pieces included in the portfolio
3. Evidence of a variety of writing-practice activities
4. Clear organization of content to aid in review
At the end of the semester, instead of a final exam, you will
submit a final portfolio of your writing. This portfolio should
present your best work and should also portray the process you
went through during the semester to produce that work. Final
and rough drafts of all formal papers are required in the
portfolio.
Organization of your portfolio
Your portfolio must be in a 3-ring binder or folder. (I will
provide these for you, if I have enough.)

18. In the following order, you must begin with:
1. Table of Contents
2. Cover letter (this is your 3-page reflection and the only new
composition in the portfolio)
Then, after the above, the rest of your portfolio will consist of:
· Rough drafts of each of your papers
· Final drafts of each of your papers
· At least one reflection (one of the reflections you wrote in
class during the semester) in addition to your 3-page cover
letter
· Several examples of prewriting/drafting activities:
· In-class activities
· Written responses to readings and/or videos
· Brain storming/free-writing exercises we did in class leading
up to our papers
· Group activity notes
· Peer Review
· Please include dividers between these sections! They don’t
have to be fancy; a labeled, plain piece of paper will do.
(After the table of contents and cover letter, you can put the rest
of the portfolio in the order you choose, as long as it’s clearly
stated in the table of contents.)
3-Page Reflection Paper: The Cover Letter
The only new component in your portfolio is a 3-page reflection
in the form of a letter describing your progress as a writer this
semester.
Requirements:
· 3 pages long (formatted like all of our other papers – MLA)
· Address the letter to me or to an important person in your life.

19. (this gives you a specific audience)
· Even though this is personal in nature (using “I”), revise it
like you would a paper and consider word choice/tone
accordingly. This is an academic piece of writing.
· As with all of our papers, consider organization—drawing in
the reader (introduction), providing evidence for your points,
transitioning from sentence to sentence and paragraph to
paragraph, and leaving the reader with a deeper point to
consider (conclusion).
· The reflection should also exhibit your editing skills, showing
your ability to turn in a clean final draft.
Below are some tips and questions to help you. Don’t just
answer the questions and turn that in as a reflection. Instead,
use them to consider how to write the reflection.
(Consult all materials (assignment prompts, your drafts with my
comments/peer comments, your final drafts with comments,
assigned readings, and anything else posted on D2L) to re-trace
your steps. Think back to the beginning of the class, your
expectations for the class, past writing experiences, and other
issues related to writing. Have any of your thoughts and skill
levels changed over the semester? How specifically?)
1. In the first paragraph, discuss your general impression of
your achievement this semester and what I can expect to find as
evidence for this impression in your portfolio. What would you
like to highlight as a personal accomplishment? What
challenges have you struggled with but at least partially
overcome? What else do you think a reader of your portfolio
should be aware of or pay attention to when browsing through
your work?
2. In the body paragraphs start by providing a general
description of what is in the portfolio and then transition to a
detailed discussion of each of the 4 papers. I suggest devoting
at least 1-2 paragraphs to each paper and its drafts. Here are

20. some questions to consider: What was the purpose of each
paper? How did you come up with, narrow, and refine your
topic? What do you feel you accomplished particularly well in
this project? What was the biggest improvement from one draft
to the next? What feedback or realization was most helpful to
you in researching, drafting, or revising it? What areas for
further improvement do you still see?
3. Finally, reflect on your strengths and abilities as a writer:
What have you learned about writing? What problems have you
encountered, and how have you solved them? Then identify
writing issues, challenges, or continuing goals for your future.
Tip 1: Do not simply rely on or repeat your instructor’s
comments. This letter should be about your own voice and
perspective, and while you can take comments (mine and your
peers’) into consideration, please don’t limit your own
commentary to agreeing with them.
TIP 2: The reflective letter presents an opportunit y for you to
reflect on your writing, rather than on your experience or
performance in the class as a whole. While your comments and
opinions on the class are very much encouraged and welcomed
on the course evaluation forms, please make this reflective
letter specifically about your writing.
Table of Contents
· 3-page Cover Letter (final overall reflection)
· Rough drafts
· Narrative based on Interview
· Rhetorical & visual Analysis
· Joining a Conversation
· 500-700 word Article – Writing Concisely
· Final Drafts
· Narrative based on Interview
· Rhetorical & Visual Analysis

21. · Joining a Conversation
· 500-700 word Article – Writing Concisely
· Reflection (at least one from the semester)
· Prewriting/drafting activities (see prompt for what these can
include)
· Pre-writing activities
· Brainstorming for Narrative
· Response to “Shitty First Draft”
· Response to “I’m Not Leaving Until I Eat This Thing”
· Response to Patchett’s speech
· Group Work notes for Unit 3 activity
· Brainstorming for Unit 3
· Peer Review for Unit 1
· Peer Review for Unit 3
Table of Contents

22. · Cover Letter
· Unit 1
· Brainstorming
· Response to “Fish Cheeks”
· Rough Draft
· Peer Review
· Final Draft
· Reflection
· Unit 2
· Group Activity Notes
· Rough Draft
· Peer Review
· Final Draft
· Reflection
· Unit 3
· Rough Draft
· Final Draft
· Reflection
· Unit 4
· Rough Draft
· Final Draft