Self-reflection

Self-Reflection At the onset of this my main objective was to develop my composition writing skills to alevel that is both compelling and stylistically rich. Writing is a way of communicating one’s ideas to an audience that might not be necessarily physically reachable. Thus, the element of creative writing in a manner that catches the attention of the audience cannot be overemphasized (Ramsay and Holly 34). Therefore, I set out with a clear goal of develop my writing skills to a level that would not only discuss a given topic in a comprehensive manner but also engage the audience in a manner that calls for self reflection.
In my second essay concerning the dangers of children playing video games, I used as logical argument in some parts to convince the reader on the dangers of children playing video games. As noted in the classes of this course, one of the main components of good writing is “ logos”. This is the ability to appeal to the logical aspect of an issue and engage the audience in a reasonable manner. In my essay I note that “ When children are outside, they can make friends or they can spend time with their friends. They can laugh and run about as they play. They can share stories while waking together. Physical activity is then closely connected to social activity.” These statements are meant to convince the audience on the real importance of play to the children. The use of practical information succinctly captures the essence of physical activity in a manner that is resonant with the audience.
During the course, I also learnt about the importance of solid development of the main concept in any writing. My essay on the effect of technology on different generation exemplifies the vital skill I learnt concerning progressive development of the subject matter. At the beginning of the essay, I reflected on the background issues relating to technology and the different generations that exist. This was meant to give the audience a contextual background based on the key elements of the topic. Having established a solid foundation of the topic, I then delved into the core issues that technology has on different generations by the use of detailed explanations.
Later in the course I also learnt that clarity and precision are important elements of good writing. In my first draft of the essay on the effects of technology on different generations, my descriptions of the use of technology by the baby boomers were ambiguous and lacking in precision. I got feedback from my peers and the course instructor on the necessity to be clear in the description of the issue. Therefore, I illustrated the real impacts of technology on baby boomers by the use of clear examples such as ” If Baby Boomers see cellular phones for calling than data services, for instance, Gen Y children can help them use smart phones, where they can maximize their data services for their communication needs”. This clearly illustrates how the baby boomers and the Generation Y are using technology in a different manner.
The engagement of the audiences’ emotions is important in putting across a strong and convincing argument. The appeal to the emotions of the audience is vital to sway them into the point of view that I would want to put across as a writer. In the project about the effect of video games on children, I tried to paint a grim picture of the gravity of playing video games. I used strong statements that evoked fear and urgency in regards to the dangers of children playing video games. For instance, I wrote that “ the image of death is supposed to force parents to remove the bad habit of their children in playing games for long hours”. This is an elaborate use of pathos to put a cross an important point to the audience.
I would say that I have accomplished the goals that that I set out to achieve at the beginning of this course. The essence of good writing is being able to convince and educate the audience on a given topic. I feel that this course has helped me to develop my skills as a writer.
Works Cited
Ramsay, Graham G, and Holly B. Sweet. A Creative Guide to Exploring Your Life: Self-reflection Using Photography, Art, and Writing. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2009. Print.