All revision portfolio elements are due on the last day of classes for the semester: 7 December.
brief description
- a reflective essay, which includes a clearly established and supported thesis statement that focuses on the writing contained in the portfolio (25 points)
- a significant revision of one essay of the three written for this course -- revised, edited, proofread; this revision will also include a comparison document that justifies the changes you made from the original submission. (125 points)
- two revision exhibits (25 points)
- two peer review exhibits (25 points)
introductory essay
The reflective essay will serve as the introduction to your revision portfolio and should thus critically analyze not only the contents of the portfolio itself but your writing process as a whole. Explain what composing practices, strategies, or skills your peer reviewers suggested that helped you in the revision process. Where there contradictory comments offered by two different peers? Whose advice did you follow, and why? Think about the different types of assignments and workshops held throughout the semester along with the class discussions and readings. How have these various elements contributed to your improvement as a writer? What elements of the process have helped you most?
Remember, too, that this essay should be thesis-driven, so organization continues to play a guiding role in your writing. The reflection on the exhibits provided in your portfolio should be a narrative -- first person is suitable here, but don't overdo it -- explaining the writing and revision processes you have experienced throughout the semester. This document, along with the exhibits, aids in proving that you have gained the knowledge necessary to revise your writing.
Required length: 500-1000 words.essay revision guidelines
Keeping in mind that revision means to "see again," this portion of the portfolio presents an opportunity to rework the final draft of one of the essays you've submitted previously for this course, approaching it from a new perspective. Remember the following points as you revise:
- Revision is more than simply correcting grammatical errors and refining word choice. Your revised essay should look decidedly different form the initial graded draft you turned in earlier in the semester.
- My grading standards are naturally going to be more stringent this second time around. Not only have you had more time to consider the essay, but you have also had the benefit of my comments.
- Use the draft notes you submitted with each essay -- especially the final question addressing what you'd change if you were starting over -- and revisit the topic with fresh eyes. Perhaps you completely rework your introductory paragraph and/or incorporate several new paragraphs to support your revised thesis statement.
Effective revision considers each of the following elements of the writing process.[1]
- Purpose: what do I hope to achieve? How can I achieve it more effectively?
- Audience: who is my audience? Does my writing meet some need or desire my audience might have?
- Topic/content: Is my topic interesting? Does it follow the guidelines of the assignment? Have I narrowed it enough? Too much? Is my topic suited to my audience and purpose?
- Organization: How is my essay organized? Are the points arranged logically and coherently? Is each point clearly highlighted in its own paragraph, or have I jumbled points together? Can I expect my reader to understand the transitions I have made from one idea to the next? How can I make these transitions more clear and flowing?
- Development: Is each paragraph developed fully with concrete examples or illustrations? Have I avoided generalizations and abstractions? In places where I have had to use them, have I defined them clearly through examples and illustrations? Have I emphasized the right points?
- Style and tone: Is my writing clear and readable? have I avoided slang? Where in my essay can I improve the effectiveness of my prose by using more active verbs and concrete nouns? Have I overused adjectives and adverbs, especially such empty intensifiers as "quite," "really," "definitely," and "very"?
- Surface correctness: Have I eliminated all errors of spelling, grammar, and punctuation? Have I proofread for those errors to which I am especially prone?
For additional inspiration in this process, see UNC Writing Center's page on revising drafts.
**Formatting note: The revised essay will be a "marked up" document, containing commentary and marks of revision. It will look messy, but that's okay. The process for creating this document -- using MS Word's "compare documents" tool -- will be reviewed in class (see image at right). The final version of the revised essay should contain the following:
- significant and visible revision on each paragraph. Keep "track changes" active in Word (similar to the "suggesting mode" in the Google Docs) so that all of your changes and revisions are clearly marked.
- at least one substantive comment per paragraph explaining the changes and improvements made to the paragraph. Use the "insert comment" tool in Word, similar to the corresponding tool in the Google Docs, to achieve this requirement.
The commentary will count 25 points toward the final portfolio grade.
revision exhibits
The revision exhibit consists of two samples of revision you have made, not those suggested by your peers or another outside source. The model below shows the overall content of this part of the portfolio.
Procedure: Review the various freewriting exercises, preliminary drafts, and final graded versions of the essays complete for this course. Choose a section or idea in two of these essays to trace the changes through three or more versions.Viable examples will trace the evolution of ...
- thesis statement
- introductory paragraph
- concluding paragraph
- a supporting paragraph
- transitional phrases (throughout essay)
Note that these revision samples do more than show sentence-level adjustments. They are more substantive and focused. In other words, you will not receive credit for exhibits that merely show a revision to one of the sentences in a preliminary draft.
- other ideas? ask me
Consider the following elements when organizing your revision exhibits:
- appearance: Decide how you will visually present and organize your selections of the exhibits. Use different fonts, colors, or notation functions in the Google Docs to distinguish between the various parts of your exhibit. NOTE: If you do not have a copy of Word on your own computer, use available copies in on-campus computer labs.
- organization: Order the drafts logically to enhance clarity and coherence.
- analysis: Critically consider why you have chosen this selection. Why did it need to be revised and how did the comments help you improve it?
The two peer-review exhibits evaluate input given to you by your peers and show how you put those types of comments to use. Select two examples to show the effectiveness of the peer review activity. Look for particularly insightful comments from peer reviewers, your instructor, or perhaps from a Writing Center tutor. Consider the following elements when organizing your peer review exhibits:
- appearance: Decide how you will visually present and organize your selections of the exhibits. Use different fonts, colors, or notation functions in the Google Docs to distinguish between the various parts of your exhibit.
- organization: Order the drafts logically to enhance clarity and coherence.
- analysis: Critically consider why you have chosen this selection. Why did it need to be revised and how did the comments help you improve it?
[1] Adapted from M. McFarland's revision guidelines.
