To: Crystal Rodwell

From: Michael Bermejo

Date: April 5th, 2022

Subject: Self-Reflection on Light Bulb TD

The purpose of this memo is to share the development of my writing strategies with the integration of new skills such as subtle persuasion and the addition of images. The course learning outcomes that were achieved were strengthening source use practices such as summarizing and analyzing, practicing using variable resources such as the internet to locate appropriate sources for the project, and enhancing strategies for drafting, revising, and self-assessment.

In the Technical Description, the task was to choose a simple technological item and compose a written and visual representation of the object.

This technical description paper differed from previous assignments because of the integration of visual images supported by writing. The technical description helped with practicing using various resources such as the internet to locate appropriate sources for the project, such as finding details and images of my object. It was crucial to look for reliable sources since we are trying to provide facts to the audience. When looking at the articles, it was crucial to summarize the information and not directly copy what was stated in the article.

Through the drafting process, there were areas where I added images but did not clearly label or mention them in my writing. My peers, as non-experts of my object, mentioned that my paper lacked in structure. I also did not correctly label what was a part and a subpart which made it difficult for my audience to understand the functionality and structure of my object. Moving forward I will add phrases that reference my images so that they can be explained in the writing and flow altogether.

Revising my essay consisted of adding labels to my images such as captions and arrows to show what each individual component is. I considered my peer’s point of view and looked in the depth of the areas that needed more detail, for example correctly organizing the section in my essay so that there is a more solid format. I also took my peer’s advice in adding a table of contents to my paper for the reader to have a better understanding of the paper.

One important strategy I have learned is the use of subtle persuasion. The purpose of the technical description was to be persuasive by only using the facts provided by the sources. This meant that the audience had to be convinced about the object by just listening to the facts. This is a valuable skill that I believe is helpful to know and different from an ordinary argumentative or persuasive paper.

In the future, I will work on analyzing my sources such as images in this case and make them easier for my audience to comprehend. Also, work on my organization skills especially when the use of images is integrated into a paper.

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