Thacher Shields

Final Portfolio Essay

A Guide to the e-Portfolio

UWRT 1101
My experience in UWRT 1101 has been excellent. The class really did exceed my
expectations. I have very much enjoyed having Ms. Ingram as my instructor and, as a result,
have elected to register for her 1102 class in the next semester. I feel that I have been
challenged, but not pushed too hard. The class made me think about my writing and certainly
improved it as a whole.

Weebly
Weebly was a new concept for me. At the beginning of the class, I thought that blog
posts for a semester-long class was a bit silly. I now understand the reason for the posts. They
help to show my growth in writing and how it has evolved over the course of the semester. I
find it interesting that my first and last blog posts are so different. It definitely shows my
growth and development in the course. For example, in Post #1, my writing is very familiar and
informal. It is indicative of the passive voice and a relaxed tone. The writing in Post #5,
however, is very academic and professional. I find that this growth is very positive and
constructive.

e-Portfolio Design
I have constructed my e-Portfolio to be as intuitively structured as possible. The layout is
structured in a way that is intuitive and easy to follow. This design is used to help the reader

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follow the information in the site. My FPE is first so that the reader has the site guide before
anything else. This ensures that they read about the site before venturing into the unknown.
With a better understanding of what the site is, the reader can more easily navigate to the
included artifacts. Additionally, the site is very minimalistic in its presentation of the typeface
and stylization. I modeled the presentation of content after Apples Mac OS. The font is an
easy-to-read sans-serif that has both a sharp definition a smooth flow. This makes the content
easier to read.

Blog
Blogging for school was new to me this semester. I had never used a blog site to turn in
assignments and complete homework. I do like the idea, though. The fact that I am able to
customize the format and style in which my writing is presented helps me express myself. I feel
that the personalized sites really help the reader get to know the student a little more. For
example, my site really says a lot about me. The space background and glass text containers
show that I find futuristic design appealing. It is one of my favorite aesthetics. As for the
content of the blogs themselves, I had some trouble being passionate about them. The topics
upon which our blog posts were to be based were a bit dry for my taste. I did not take any
particular interest in any of them. However, I found that I was able to emulate interest by
pretending it was interesting and writing as though it were. I wrote each blog post as though
they were about topics in technology. This made it much easier to give the appearance of
interest.

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Literacy Narrative
One of my greatest difficulties in this class was writing reflective pieces. The Literacy
Narrative is a good example of that. In my Literacy Narrative, I talk about learning to build a
computer. Since I was very young, I have loved technology. It is truly my greatest passion. When
a woodworker sits in a chair that he has crafted with his own two hands, he feels a sense of
accomplishment and pride. Similarly, when I sit down to my desktop computer, I feel a warming
sense of accomplishment. It is very personal. The opportunity to put these feelings into words
was spectacular. It allowed me to further explore why I felt this way. Additionally, it helped me
to work on reflective writing skills. This was extremely helpful. Stepping out of my comfort zone
to write in the first person made writing this paper much easier.

Portrait of a Writer
My Portrait of a Writer essay was written a bit unconventionally. I found that organizing
it the way that I did made it much easier to read. Most of my classmates wrote theirs as one
piece. I find it easier to write essays in pieces like this in order to fulfil all of the requirements of
the assignment. In addition to streamlining the writing process, this technique makes it easier
for the writer to focus on the specific sub-topics in the assignment. For example, I was able to
use a very metaphorical statement in the first paragraph: I am the link between the reader and
the story. Arguably, I am the most integral component to any work. For what is ink and paper
without the pen? Just as the pen is necessary for transferring the ink to the paper, the writer is
necessary for transferring the story to the reader. I really like this excerpt. It shows that I have
become very comfortable with a non-analytical style of writing. And, given that I have a very

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logical/analytical mind, this shows a great step of progress. This assignment definitely shows
that I have grown in my writing.

Midterm
The midterm was an excellent way to check my progress. It was really nice to be able to
write my midterm in the same manner as my Portrait of a Writer assignment. The ability to
focus on sub-topics individually was just as helpful this time as it was on the Portrait of a Writer.
In the first section, I analyze my standing at the beginning of the semester. I noted that I felt
confident about my writing skills in general, though my first-person writing abilities were less
than ideal. In the second section, I discussed the key concepts of the course. This paragraph is
slightly drug out and I find it a bore to read. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done about
this. In the third section, I discuss which of my works I most enjoy. I chose the second draft of
my Literacy Narrative. At the end of the section, I talk about wanting to write about interesting
topics in the future. I say this because writing about interesting topics, such as building my
computer, is very easy for me. In the fourth section, I analyze a sample e-portfolio. I chose to
analyze Lindsey Woodruffs. As I write my Final Portfolio Essay, I realize that my initial analysis
of Woodruffs essay was inaccurate. I originally stated that it was a boring read and that, as a
result, was a poor essay. I now realize that the objective of the FPE is not to entertain, rather to
inform. I also now feel that the essay is very good and deserves that A that it received. In the
final section, I explain why I feel I deserve an A in the class. I stated that I have set myself up
for success. I still believe that this is true. I was fully prepared to compile my e-portfolio as I
expected.

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Writing Process
This section includes a picture of my typical writing environment, a time-lapse video of
myself in my writing process, and two songs that I frequently listen to whilst writing. They show
how I write and what my environment is like. The time-lapse video was shot in my suites
common room. I work very well in my common room. I often play music visualizers on the TV as
a background effect. It frequently inspires me and helps me write. These visualizers are usually
like the one in Zanarkand music video. I also work in my room very regularly. In my room, I
have three computer monitors. This is extremely helpful when writing. I have one monitor for
my paper, one for my research, and one for the assignment requirements. This helps me keep
all of the information I need easy to access. The keyboard is another object of interest. I use a
Razer DeathStalker Expert gaming keyboard. This keyboard uses high-quality Chiclet-style keys
and has a very high polling rate. This means that I can type extremely fast. I chose the Chiclet
key style because I grew up typing on an Apply wireless keyboard. Apple keyboards use the
same key style. The final thing to make note of is my speaker set. I always listen to music when
writing. I find that it helps me focus. Additionally, I fancy myself a bit of an audiophile. I really
appreciate high quality music and speakers. As a result of this, I use the Logitech z506 5.1
surround sound speaker system. It is by far the nicest set of speakers I have ever owned and it
shows every time I use them. The definitely help me write.

Feedback
The first item in my feedback section is from Ethan, a class mate. His comments were
constructive and helpful. Ethan helped me see that I was getting too far into the specifics of

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building a computer and straying away from discussing my literacy in the topic. This information
helped me change direction and get back on track. It helped me to continue writing a narrative
as opposed to an essay. The other feedback was given by another classmate, Olivia. Olivias
comments told me what was right with the paper. She helped me see what I needed to focus
on and what worked well in the narrative. Additionally, her agreeing with Ethan helped back his
comments. It showed that something was objectively wrong and not just a matter of opinion.
This feedback really shows that constructive criticism can help form a paper into its final form.

Writers Notebook
For this section, I have chosen two Reader Response Letters (RRL). The RRL was a new
concept for me this semester. I like the idea and the assignments made me think. They also
forced me to read scholarly articles on writing. Because of this, I have a greater appreciation for
writing and a better understanding of the topic as a whole. In RRL #1, I respond to article about
the difference in high school writing and college writing. In RRL #4, I discuss how to best
interpret assignments and the best ways to go about fulfilling their requirements. These RRLs
have helped me and I am grateful for the instruction to read them.

Wild Cards
In this section, I have included items form my site creation. The first item is some of my
custom CSS code. CSS, or cascading styles sheet, is a computer language that dictates the layout
and format of websites. I modified mine to look sleeker and cleaner. I chose custom fonts and
layouts that best fit my site ideals. The second item is a picture that I edited in Adobe
Photoshop. I worked very hard to make this image the perfect backdrop for my site. To enhance

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the image, I adjusted the contrast, widened it, and added an iris blur that brings the viewers
attention to the center of the site. I also now use this image as my desktop background.

Grade
I definitely feel that I deserve an A on this assignment and the semester as a whole.
After viewing works of my peers and reading the works of past students, I have determined that
my writing is worthy of an A in this course. I work very hard and have very good writing. My
works always take a professional tone with an academic diction. Additionally, I feel that my eportfolio is among the best in my class. I have put a lot of effort into making it look as neat as
possible. I can say with certainty that my site is more personalized than any other. As I stated in
my midterm, I work very hard and contribute a lot to class discussions.

Conclusion
This semester has been wonderful. I have really enjoyed this class and am very satisfied
with the content. I definitely enjoyed this class much more than my high school English classes.
I find that the content of this course was much more constructive and helpful than that of high
school English class. I feel that I have grown in my writing and that I have gained more
knowledge about writing as a whole. The Reader Response Letters and blog posts helped me
learn about writing and I am better for it. I will use the skills that I have learned in this course in
my next writing course. I have elected to take Professor Ingram again next semester and will
use the skills that I have learned to perform better in her course.