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.

I met this goal in my Definition Rewrite, and carried it through the rest of my papers. At this point in my creative process, I was still fleshing out my hypothesis, and still figuring out exactly what I hoped to achieve in my 3000 words. I explored numerous routes, and as I workshopped my first essay of the three, was able to conceptualize a new topic that I could defend with pre-existing evidence. Even in the development of my argument, I was able to discover more ideas that strengthened my original, and aided in its evolution into the final product. 

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. 

In my Rebuttal Rewrite, I achieved core value 2. By comparing a source that provided a counterpoint to my idea, I had to deeply dissect the information to understand how best to poke holes in it. To best refute it, I used another source that contradicted it. However, with my paper topic in particular, this was a challenge, because it was impossible to quantify what I was researching: the motivations for school shooters. The best way to contradict the source that disagreed with my stance was to provide an example of when my stance was accurate, thereby putting weight behind my claim.

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.

I met this goal in my Visual Rhetoric assignment. Though not a text, I took careful note of what elements were used in the advertisement to aid in conveying the central message. Through this exercise, I learned just how important it is to “set the scene” for my audience. The things that are seen and not told often carry the most weight in storytelling. In my Visual Rhetoric assignment, as I went second by second to understand the underlying message without any dialogue, I began to understand this on a deeper level. For example, if you want to convey a message about dog shelters and adoption, you would not start by setting a scene of the beach, no dogs in sight. That would not prepare your audience for what they are about to observe, and it will be, in turn, harder to understand. 

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.

I think I succeeded best in this goal for my Causal Rewrite assignment. The sources that I found uncovered striking ideas regarding my topic, and I used them in their full capacity to illustrate my idea. In particular, there is one source that I kept referring back to in my writing. The section of the work that I was most focused on was about Ethan Crumbley; the Oxford High School shooter. This source was rich with information, and I was able to establish a clear line of reasoning with this as the focal point, and from this foundation, I was able to expand upon and draw a conclusion. The conclusion that I drew is recurring in my final paper, and I believe successfully combines all of my works into one cohesive line of reasoning. 

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. 

This core value is best presented in my Annotated Bibliography. Though initially imperfect, with valuable feedback from Professor Hodges, I was able to adjust it to be more reasonable and accessible. Moreover, in my Annotated Bibliography, I explain the value of each source to my final paper in depth, including ones that, though not directly cited, established the foundation of my stance. In total, I had seven sources, and each served a valuable purpose. Each source is properly formatted in APA, and is adequately linked to the source of which it is for.