Core Value 1. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

Over the course of the semester I have watched the thesis of my research paper evolve into what it is now. Through the use of resources, I have been educated on this topic and developed a more clear position on the issue. When my thoughts were overcrowding each other and I wasn’t sure where to begin my research or how to clearly phrase what I was looking for specifically, Professor gave me some simple yet effective search terms that lead me to exactly what I was looking for. In my Definition Essay I needed to give my idea a definition which was challenging considering my topic was more of a way of thinking than a set definition, but I managed to use the definition of the “white picket fence” phrase to show my audience exactly what I was not trying to promote. 

Core Value 2. My work demonstrates that I read critically, and that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

My Causal Paper at first was a little disorganized and I had trouble trying to get my ideas to make clear connections, but through some revision I was able to make things coincide with each other. In a specific example I used a database containing statistical information on a family’s criminal history and the influence it had on their children and compared those findings to Oprah Winfrey’s troublesome childhood and how it got her to where she is today. It was challenging to show my audience the connections that I knew were there. In the end I did well in conveying the overall meaning of the essay and showing the audience how each type source related to one another. 

Core Value 3. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

With my topic being a unique idea that puzzles many individuals, I knew there was going to be a lot to refute. I wanted to address my refuting audience with as many facts I could obtain. In my Rebuttal Essay, I showed my audience the benefits brought by implementing challenges throughout a child’s upbringing. I clearly identified the things a child needs to have in order to succeed thus identifying what type of challenge I wanted to implement into the idea of child raising. I also brought to light, that an overall close connection a family experiences is the most important thing a child can have. I included this to show my refuting audience that I was agreeing with them to an extent and that my beliefs were not so far from theirs. 

Core Value 4: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

Over the course of this semester, I gathered different ideas from different sources to better organize my thoughts and turn them into a grounded opinion supported by evidence. In my  Research Paper I included many ideas brought by different and unique sources. Not only was the Research Paper created by using the three small arguments: Causal, Rebuttal, and Definition, but it also included several different standpoints that all came to a similar agreement when brought together.

Core Value 5. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

Many of my sources came from unique places such as Psychology websites, a Ted Talk, and a Parenting Booklet. My Annotated Bibliography displays all of the sources I used including the ones I simply learned from. I believe that even the smallest of articles played a part in shaping my topic, and so I made sure to include sources that simply inspired my ideas. It is crucial to include all of the sources used when the paper was first being started even if some sources were never directly cited in the text of my essays. Any source that gave the impression as a reliable and supporting cause to my topic was included in the Annotated Bibliography as well as at the end of each small argumentative essay.