Writing 101 Reflection

Throughout my time in Writing 101, the learning outcome to which I directed my focus is Exploration and Argumentation: Students will use writing and other modes to analyze text, explore unfamiliar ideas, engage with thinking different from their own, develop sound arguments, and reflect. I consider this outcome to be the most significant in my learning experience because of how it has led me to become a more enlightened and open-minded writer, rather than one that dives directly into flaunting my own opinion. Although I still occasionally find myself oblivious to alternate viewpoints, working towards this learning outcome taught me how to familiarize myself with a topic before forming an opinion, be more accommodating to alternate opinions, and to be a more considerate writer overall. Out of the three writing assignments, my argument paper, Paying Tuition One Grant at a Time, was the most related to my learning outcome. The argument assignment was most significantly related to the

Most importantly, I discovered that I need to be more understanding to opposing sides. Being assertive is necessary when arguing a position, but I found that I tend to disregard claims that support the other side, leading to my arguments being very one-sided. I now understand that I need to be more conscious when taking a side on an issue to ensure that I properly accommodate the opposition. My efforts toward this learning outcome also showed me that I have a bad habit of making overly aggressive statements directed at the other side. These critical claims significantly strengthened my argument, but they seemed to be offensive to those who do not agree. I can see now that a good argument must be reasonable and accommodating, not hostile towards the other side. Although this argument paper is only one instance, it has taught me specifically what I need to be aware of each time I write from here on