Week 14: Drafting the Reflection
Week of Mon, Nov 16 · week closes Fri, Nov 20
This week's items
Exact due times are in Canvas. Late out-of-class assignments accepted up to one week past the original due date. In-class process work and Discussion Board assignments cannot be made up.
Know these cold
- Reflection writing is a distinct academic genre: it requires both descriptive and analytical thinking. You describe what happened in your writing process, then analyze what it reveals about your development as a writer.
- The reflection essay for EGL 1010 asks you to consider your growth across the semester: How has your understanding of academic writing changed? What was most challenging? What specific revision or peer-review moment improved your work?
- Evidence in a reflection comes from your own drafts, feedback you received, and the writing choices you made. Cite specific examples: 'In my first draft of the Synthesis Essay, I had three floating quotations. By the final draft, every quotation was sandwiched.'
- Metacognition is the ability to think about your own thinking. Reflective writing develops metacognition by asking you to step back from the product (the essay) and examine the process (the choices, struggles, and discoveries).
- Strong reflections are specific and honest. Avoid generic claims like 'This class taught me a lot.' Instead: 'Before EGL 1010, I did not know the difference between summary and synthesis. I learned the distinction when Prof. Upchurch flagged my Week 6 draft for quote dumping.'
- A reflection is not a complaint about the course or the assignments. It is an analytical account of your own growth — including difficulties — that demonstrates self-awareness and intellectual honesty.
- Transfer is the ability to apply skills learned in one context to new situations. In your reflection, consider: which writing skills from EGL 1010 will transfer to other courses? Which rhetorical strategies will you use when writing in your major?
- Draft your reflection this week. Bring a complete draft to Week 15 for in-class drafting and feedback. The reflection is due Tuesday, November 24 by 11:59 PM via Canvas.
Discussion and forum — how to show up
Discussion post
- Write three specific moments from this semester that changed how you think about writing. For each, explain what you believed before and what you understand now.
- What writing skill from EGL 1010 do you think will transfer most directly to your other courses — and why?
Netiquette from the syllabus: address ideas, not people. Complete sentences, correct spelling. Personal matters go to email, never the board.
Meerk's quiz — open the Week 14 gate
10 questions, no time limit. 85% on your first attempt in a 24-hour window opens the gate. Retakes inside the window are practice — they help you learn, they don't count. Work alone; the point is to know it, not to have seen it.
Dinner Table Question
Ask at home: What is the one piece of writing feedback you received this semester that changed your approach the most? What did you do differently because of it?
En español: ¿Cuál es el comentario sobre tu escritura que recibiste este semestre y que más cambió tu enfoque? ¿Qué hiciste diferente gracias a él?