ENGLISH 1301 PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT
Purpose: To showcase a collection of student-selected, polished essays written for this course; to demonstrate whether a student has met the course outcomes.
Audience: Composition professors in the English Department.
Portfolio Assignment: 35% of your final course grade will be based on the work you have included in your portfolio.
You will choose your portfolio entries from the work you have produced for this course. Only essays that I have provided feedback on are eligible for your portfolio. These choices must include the following:
- One reflective essay written at the end of the semester.
Two revised essays, chosen from the three major essays we have written this semester
Reflective Essay Assignment:
You should consider this as a persuasive essay assignment, arguing that your revised essays demonstrate significant improvement over the originals. Use evidence out of the papers themselves to prove your points. (Cite your own revised papers in the Works Cited for this reflective essay.) Also explain why you have chosen the two papers that you are including. This is an extremely important piece of writing because it shows how you write now, without any feedback from me or your peers. It is crucial that you give it your time and attention.
Be sure to discuss how the feedback you received from me and your peers has helped you to revise your final selections. In addition, you should expect to use the reflective essay to review and assess your own writing style for strengths and weaknesses. Be transparent about your strengths and weaknesses.
Your reflective essay will:
- Identify problematic areas and describe the specific changes made to the essays (including how you have expanded these essays)
- Examine how these changes have impacted the final, polished essays.
To structure this reflective essay, you should have a brief introduction that introduces you to your reader. Then, you will have separate paragraphs where you discuss each of your revised essays fully. You will also need a short conclusion, which will generalize your strengths and what you think you still need to work on for ENG 1302. No need for labels this time, but everyone’s portfolio should have these four paragraphs, in this order.
Your reflective essay should be about 3-4 pages long, edited carefully for grammar and mechanics. It should be a very polished, finished product.
How to Revise:
“Substantial revision” entails much more than just fixing up grammar and mechanics errors. In our case, follow the NEW “Portfolio Revision” prompts with specific instructions on what to add and adjust for each paper we have written this semester. These prompts are located in the “Stuff for Portfolio” folder on Blackboard. (Mostly these prompts involve discovering additional evidence. In your reflective essay, be sure to discuss what you’ve added to each revised essay and how it enriches your argument.)
Here are some things to check for once you have written your expanded version—consider your controlling idea and the structure of your paper:
* Are your points in their best order?
* Are there enough examples?
* Do you have [“How? / “Why? / “So what?”] analysis for each point and example?
* Does your paper make good logical sense with no apparent fallacies?
* Is your conclusion more insightful than your introduction?
* Can you make your reader care?
* Is your argument compelling and engaging?
Double and triple check for any grammar and mechanics “slips,” particularly for any recurring patterns of errors that you have grappled with throughout the semester. Make sure that each of your essays, including the reflective essay, is presented in the MLA format—the new 8th ed.!! Note that our UHD library site has not yet updated to this version. Instead, refer to https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ or to the EA book. We will also review the MLA 8th ed. Works Cited forms in class.
How to Assemble and Submit Your Portfolio:
- For me, turn in a hard copy of your reflective essay and two revised essays (out of the three we have written) clipped into a “colorful jr.-high-style folder with brads” as discussed in class. Include your peer review sheet and marked-up draft behind the revised essay that you used for the portfolio peer review session.
On the upper right-hand side of the outer (colorful!) cover, use a marker to write your standard class heading as usual. Be sure to include “a, ” “b, ” or “c” to show which section of the course you are in. If your cover is shiny or dark, type out your heading on a piece of paper, cut paper into a small square, and staple it to the upper right-hand side of the cover.
- For the department, turn in an electronic copy of your portfolio. Look for separate instructions on Blackboard; we will discuss this process at length in class. See syllabus for entire class period devoted to formatting and uploading. (No need to scan peer review sheet and marked-up draft—these will only appear in the hard copy.)
I will not be grading your portfolio online, nor will I provide your grade through Blackboard. However, if you fail to submit your portfolio online by the last day of class, I will withhold your grade until you do.
Grading Percentages:
Reflective Essay* 30%
First revised essay 35% (* Reflective essay is only worth 30%,
Second revised essay 35% but it MUST be there. A portfolio
100% without this element will fail.)
Important Dates: ** Portfolio Peer Review Day—1301a-b – W 11/16/16;
1301c – T 11/15/16
(Bring orig. and new drafts of ONE of your paper choices)
** Formatting Day (+ electr. submission)— 1301a-b – M 11/21/16;
1301c – Th 11/17/16
(Those who have chosen # 2 will also electronically submit the
“Sig. Core Assignment” for university assessment on this day)
** DUE date—1301 a-b – M 11/28/16, at beginning of class
1301c – T 11/29/16, at beginning of class
**The last day of class for your section is the absolute last day I can accept any portfolios! (“Minus 5” per class day, as usual.) If you do not turn in a portfolio,
you will likely fail the course. This date is:
1301 a-b (MW) – Wed. 11/30/16
1301 c (TTh) – Thur. 12/1/16
