ENC 3250 PROFESSIONAL WRITING: MIDTERM REFLECTION

Marile Franco

Functional Outline and 5 Cs• In this class, I learned how to use a functional

outline in my papers and the 5 Cs: clear, concise, complete, correct, and courteous.

• The best way for me to learn the functional outline and 5 Cs was through WA1 because I was being graded on them. Every assignment required me to use them and this made it practice for me and easier to learn them.

• It was significant to learn these because they are the basic criteria in writing documents.

• The functional outline and 5 Cs will be important to use in the future when I am in the workplace or have to write an important document. I have saved the documents on my laptop and open them when approaching any writing task but hope to entirely memorize.

Chapter 1• Through reading and

annotating this chapter, I learned about the writing process in detail.

• I learned chapter 1 the best through reading and taking notes, then later taking the test with questions from it. The first writing assignment also allowed me to use my knowledge acquired through the reading and put it into practice.

• Learning about the writing process is important in order to know the steps and tools to being an effective writer.

• In the future, I will use the writing process to approach writing and be able to consider, for example, audience to achieve purpose. One of my goals is to also be able to successfully work on collaborative writings.

Chapter 1 - Continued

Chapter 2• In Chapter 2, I learned about workplace technology, specifically

how to knowing what technology is important to use and learn in order to be a successful professional.

• I learned this chapter best by reading and annotating it. Answering the questions on the test from this chapter reinforced what I had read.

• Learning this was significant because it is important to know what technology impacts work performance, no matter how easy the job may seem. It was important to know how to approach unfamiliar technology because technology is always advancing.

Chapter 2 - Continued

• This chapter is one I can see myself coming back to during my career as a graphic designer, or any career in which I will be faced with learning new programs or technology.

Chapter 4• I learned about the principles of correspondence in this chapter and writing professionally in the various forms that exist today.• I learned this chapter best through the writing assignment in which I had to rewrite a complaint letter.

• Learning about correspondence matters because knowing how to effectively handle on-the-job writing tasks is crucial to establishing relationships and reputation.

Chapter 4 - Continued

• My goal in the future is to use what I learned in order to effectively write business messages in the workplace. My goal is to become a well-rounded writer when it comes to dealing with correspondence such as complaints.

Chapter 10• In this chapter, I learned ways to develop a clearer and more effective style in my writing. In this chapter I realized how I have used, and still sometimes use affectation in my writing. I also learned about biased language and how to avoid it in my writing.

• I learned this chapter best by answering application questions on the exam. In the exam I was able to distinguish between when affectation is being used and when it is not. The same goes with biased language.

Chapter 10 - Continued• Learning about affectation, biased language, awkwardness,

and other concepts in this section is important in order to achieve a clear, professional writing style. Writing loses professionalism when awkwardness or biased language becomes the focus instead of the message.

• My goal in the future is to avoid using affectation and biased language in my writing in order to achieve a professional style and tone.

Chapter 7 • From this chapter, I learned the importance of design and visuals and how writing is not always just about such things as mechanics and grammar.

• I was able to learn the key points through the checklists in the reading as well as the figures.

• Learning this is significant because design and visuals impact how audience deal with the information they are given. Visuals and design enhance the viewer’s experience and attention, as well as provide information needed.

Chapter 7 Continued• I will use my acquired knowledge about design and visuals in my future career as a graphic designer and be able to effective documents with visuals. Goals I have in order to improve the quality of my future experiences are to use the tools and programs available to me in creating professional visuals and graphics.

Overview• From the beginning of the semester to this midterm point, I

have seen a drastic improvement in my writing. Also, how to approach different types of writing tasks because of the variety in writing assignments we have had.

• Prior to this class, I was unfamiliar with the functional outline, 5 Cs, affectation, biased language, and global communication, just to name a few. I have had a few visits to the writing center for certain analysis assignments and final drafts which have helped me with such writing elements as grammar, mechanics, and tone.

• I feel more confident in approaching writing after having read the chapters, watched videos, taken tests, and especially doing the writings that reflect what we learn from the readings. Overall, I believe I have become a more professional writer since the start of the semester and hope to continue to grow.

Works Cited• Alred, Gerald J., Charles T. Brusaw and Walter E. Oliu. The Business Writer's Companion. Boston: Bedord/St. Martin's, 2014.

• Pixabay. 28 February 2016 <pixabay.com>.