About this week

Since this is the final week of the course and of Unit 4, you will spend this time reflecting on the work you have done all semester and consider how you would like to continue improving your academic writing. While your work will mostly focus on composing the full draft of Project 4: Critical Self-Reflection, you can also work on an optional revision of Project 3. Both of these assignments are due at the end of the week. Make sure you use the resources provided to help you compose these two important projects. Finally, you will consider the future of your academic writing, and reflect on what you will take with you from this course. The final LSA, due on Sunday, asks you not only to consider what you have accomplished in this course, but also what plans you have for the future of your academic writing.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand and implement reflective writing strategies
• Understand and implement revision strategies

Task List:

• Consume this week’s required readings and media
• Submit Low-Stakes Assignment #10: Final Thoughts and Moving Forward
• Submit Project 4: Critical Self-Reflection
• Optional: Submit your revision of Project 3
• Celebrate reaching the end of the semester!

Required Readings

• Narrative Writing and Weaving Personal Experience into Academic Writing: Review these two resources if you are planning to write an essay for Project 4. They will help you incorporate narration (storytelling) and personal experience into your work.
• Audiovisual Presentations made Easy(-er): Tips for Creating an Effective Powerpoint, Prezi, or Keynote;
  Organizing a Visual Presentation;
  Incorporating Effective Visuals in a Presentation
  Review the three above resources if you are creating a presentation for Project 4. They can help you as you consider which images to use, how to organize your work, and what impact visual sources have on your viewers.
• The Sixth Paragraph: A Revision of the Essay: This source reminds you that revising is much more than editing. Read it before you work on your optional revision of Project 3 and also before you compose the final draft of Project 4.

Diving Deeper

• Copyright and Writing: This source reviews some of the basics for using copyrighted material in your work. This will be especially useful to those of you who are creating presentations for Project 4.
• Excelsior Writing Lab: APA Format and Purdue OWL: Remember that you must cite ALL work that is not your own—both in your optional revision of Project 3 and in your final draft of Project 4. This includes images and videos too! You can review APA citation guidelines in either of the above sources.

LSA 10: Final Thoughts and Moving Forward

For this final writing assignment, consider all you have accomplished in this course: what you learned, where you improved, what you realized you already did well. Then, in a 250-word reflection, discuss where, as an academic writer, you will go from here.

As you write, consider these questions (you do not need to answer them all directly—they are meant to provoke thought):

•  What insights, strategies and knowledges will you take with you into future courses? What are they and what do you find helpful about them?
• How do you see yourself continuing to develop as an academic writer? Are there specific aspects of writing you plan to improve? What strategies will you use to do so?
• What aspects of your writing do you feel confident about? What do you do well as an academic writer? What behaviors contribute to this success?
• Has your perspective on academic writing and on yourself as an academic writer shifted during this semester? How so? Why do you think this is?

Please make sure you proofread and edit your work. Due by Sunday, 11:59pm. 

Submit Project 4: The Critical Self-Reflection

Optional: Submit a Revision of Project 3