Course Reflection

 

This class was definitely different from any other I have taken before because we were working on one project for the full semester.  I feel as if because of that way the class was structured, I was able to focus on how I wrote, and how I could improve that writing.  I was able to submit big assignments, receive feedback from the instructor and my peers, and then make that writing even better.  Having the freedom to choose what we wrote and studied allowed me to have more motivation and enjoy completing the assignments.  This way I was able to put forth my best effort and enjoy doing it. 

I really feel as if I showed outcome two well throughout my writing.  For example, in an excerpt from the final draft in my Literature Review, I show what I aim to research, I pose my research question, and I gather information from various sources to support my writing goals.  The excerpt says,

“After all, the youth is the future of this world, and while “the needs are many; [and] the challenges are great,” exploring the perspective of young missionaries is important because it locates problems which in turn could be fixed (De Jong).   Having a different perspective on these issues could also provide understanding as to the attitudes of these individuals and the motives behind this work.  Whether local or foreign, religious or not, society can benefit from mission work.”

I state what I aim to study and also provide a source.  Also in my literature review I utilize not only scholarly sources, but blogs and books as well.  In outcome four, I show an argument that goes right along with what I am inquiring about and even show a counterclaim. 

“Once money is given to missionaries and these organizations, where does the money go?  Some might say the money once given to a missionary regardless of the specific way it is spent would go towards the greater good. Others like Dambisa Moyo, have conflicting opinions and say that “Millions in Africa are poorer today because of aid; misery and poverty have not ended but have increased.  Aid has been, and continues to be, an unmitigated political, economic, and humanitarian disaster for most parts of the developing world” (Moyo xix).”

Moyo strongly disagrees with the way mission teams disperse their money and say it only hurts.  My writing also improved as the semester went on when I continued editing and making new drafts.  This goes right along with outcome five.  In the first draft of my Literature Review, I wrote a paragraph on Stress in the Mission Field.  I said,

“What a lot of missionaries and potential missionaries fear is burnout.  Stereotypes have been placed in a lot people’s heads that the stress is too much to handle and that being a missionary is not worth it because you may not even see results (Parker).” 

These sentences have grammatical issues, include run-on sentences, and are unclear to the reader.  Professor Longhany provided useful feedback and said “Perhaps re-contextualize this” and to see what really mattered for the section.  After revision, the section reads,

“What a lot of missionaries and potential missionaries fear is burnout.  Burnout can be described as the physical and mental exhaustion of a missionary in the field.  Stereotypes placed in a lot people’s heads seem to indicate that the stress of this path of life is too much to handle and that being a missionary is not worth it because you may not even see results (Parker). This continues to be a problem because while there is tremendous stress involved, as with a lot of occupations, the stereotype serves as a turn-off.”

I believe the reader has a better understanding as to what I am talking about, and “This opening is so much better!” was the feedback I received.  I believe that getting feedback on my writing in this course was what improved my writing the most.  Sometimes we as writers have a cloudy judgment on what we write, but by taking a step back and getting the point of view from someone else’s eyes, our writing can be enriched.  I know one thing I will be able to carry on to future classes is analyzing sources, one thing I had a lot of trouble with in starting this course.