Final Assignment: The English 131 Portfolio

Final Assignment: The English 131 Portfolio
Due Date: Jun 11th
Your final assignment for this class is an online portfolio, which is worth 70% of your final grade. The portfolio is your chance to show yourself and me that your writing has developed over the course of the quarter and that you now understand and can apply the course outcomes. Your online portfolio will include seven sections:
– An Introductory Reflection
– A section for each outcome with a reflection and a revised draft (x4)
– A Final Reflection
– A Section with all the drafts you chose not to revise: Compendium
Note: All these drafts must be included AND the appropriate page length in order for your portfolio to be considered complete!
So what should you include in each section?
The Introductory Reflection
You can think of as your portfolio’s homepage, so you will want to provide an introduction to your portfolio generally. It is your opportunity to welcome your audience and explain the context of your portfolio: How does it relate to the course outcomes and the course itself? You might want to attach an image that will give your audience greater insight into the theme or purpose of your portfolio.

In addition to being an introduction to your portfolio, your homepage is also an introduction to your critical reflection pieces. You need to present your main claim about how your writing as a whole demonstrates mastery of the course outcomes. You will probably want to provide a brief discussion of the evidence you will use to back up that main claim (which papers for which outcomes).
The Outcome Sections (x4)
– The Reflection: Focusing on one of your revised drafts and the course outcomes as evidence, you will show how you have met the writing goals specified by each outcome. Be sure to use specific detail and to cite your work when necessary.
Your commentary should do two things:
(1) Demonstrate your understanding of the outcome, in general. You should answer both of these questions: What does this outcome mean? and Why does this outcome matter for good reading and writing practice?.
(2) Demonstrate your ability to execute the outcome, in detail. You should offer specific evidence from your embedded work to show how you fulfilled the outcome in a specific context and why it contributed to your thinking and writing. Answer the questions: When/where/how did you demonstrate this outcome? and How did the outcome improve your writing?.
A compelling critical reflection quotes, paraphrases, or summarizes directly from your papers. Other evidence can come from peer feedback, teacher feedback, and tutor feedback.
– The Revised Drafts: A complete portfolio includes four (significantly) revised papers: one major paper and three short ones. The pieces you choose for final evaluation should be evidence of your best work and demonstrate the full range of your ability. This means that you should be careful to select a complement of work that will demonstrate each of the English 131 Course Outcomes.
In revising the earlier drafts you may wish to change the structure of the paper, the evidence used, the major claims or minor claims presented, or the larger rhetorical strategies at play. Minor alterations of word choice and punctuation should also be made but do not count as revision. Revision should not be limited to my comments and suggestions on drafts. Throughout the course, weve concentrated on learning and practicing new and different writing techniques. Applying the new stuff that youve learned to the old stuff that you wrote is important. Thus, my comments should be understood only as starting points for revision.
Following your reflection, you will embed both the original draft of your paper (after peer review if it was peer reviewed) followed by a significantly revised draft. Do not include drafts that you brought to class for peer review or peer review worksheets.

Note: You may want to use a paper as evidence for more than one Outcome. This is fine, but I prefer you focus your outcome reflection on one of your revised papers (a different one for each outcome) – this is the one you should embed. Feel free to reference papers that are attached to other outcomes, making it clear to me where I can find that other draft.
The Final Reflection:
This the place to conclude your portfolio by addressing its “stakes.” Why does it matter that you have learned to apply the outcomes in your writing? How will the outcomes help you in your future classes? Your major? Your career? How do you see the work you’ve done this quarter translating to other situations, either in or out of school?

I don’t want you to tell me that this class has changed your life. I do want you to tell me how the skills you’ve gained will influence your writing in other classes or the “real world.” You may want to consider your strengths and weaknesses coming into this class and coming out of it. What still needs improvement? How will you continue to improve?
Keep in mind: The reflections are pieces of argumentative writing. Your argument is that you have learned how to apply the Course Outcomes and your evidence is your showcase of work from the semester. Thus, you should be applying the same writing strategies to your cover letter that you have been developing all semester, including:
– Making major/minor claims about your work
– Providing context to situate the reader and help make sense of evidence
– Summarizing, synthesizing, and using quotations to support claims
– Providing stakes: Why does it matter that you have learned what you have?
The Compendium:
A complete portfolio includes every assignment you have been asked to complete over the quarter. Therefore, you will attach all of the drafts you chose not to revise on the compendium page of your site. Incomplete portfolios will receive a failing grade. Prompts for missed assignments are available on the course website. Note: To be considered complete, assignments must meet the required page count.
The Release Form:
This page is optional, though I would be so grateful if you would include a release form that would allow me to use your work to model outcomes/assignments. Future English 131 classes will thank you for your help!
Heres the statement:
I, [student name], hereby give my consent to Instructor Kexin Song to use my electronic portfolio submitted for English 131 during Spring Quarter 2021 for purposes of instructional training and modeling, programmatic considerations, and academic publications and presentations. I understand that granting or not granting this release will not affect my grade in this course.
Submitting in Your Portfolio:
During our in-class portfolio training session, you will create and submit the link to your Canvas e-Portfolio. As you continue to work on and update your portfolio, the changes will automatically reflect in the link you have sent me, so you will not need to update the link. You will however submit the link on canvas (Final Assignment) as soon as your portfolio is complete. After 11:59 p.m. on June 11th (PST), no more changes may be made to the portfolio.

Last Completed Projects