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Fernanda Ramos

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT

04 April 2020

SLO Essay
★ Rhetorical Knowledge: Rhetorical knowledge is the ability to comprehend the different
factors that goes into writing such as the audience, purpose and context of your essay.
Understanding and being aware of the rhetorical knowledge you’re using in your writing
enhances your ability to properly write your paper because it allows you to determine
what tone, words or messages you’re trying to express. There are various different
reasons to write so, these strategies are applied differently depending on what type of
text you’re typing and the purpose behind it because rhetorical knowledge helps you be
able to differentiate which techniques to use.
○ One example of rhetorical knowledge from this semester is when we learned
about the different ways we speak in a studio, the woman in the TED talk
explained how she changes her vernacular depending on who’s she's around and
the setting she’s in. This is apparent in our writing as well, we change the way we
write according to our audience and our purpose. I wrote that “Having a broader
understanding of literacies can influence what audience you attract/want to
attract and you also can decide what message you want to give to your audience.
Understanding when to use a form of language and to who to use that language
with will strengthen your writing and your understanding of other people’s
writings.”
○ This studio helped me enhance my knowledge of the different vernaculars we
use when we speak and it translated to when I write as well because knowing
when and how to write properly according to the subject is a skill that’s
necessary, it helps us effectively and properly communicate with one another.
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Rhetorical knowledge helps us write with the right intentions when you have an
understanding of your audience, purpose and context.

★ Critical Reading: Critical reading is the concept of analyzing, interpreting and

understanding other sources and incorporating them effectively into your writing to
help your audience better understand the entirety of your paper. This skill is important
when you’re researching your topic more in depth, you have to have the ability to weed
out important information and disregard any unnecessary information to cite into your
paper. This skill is also useful when determining what kinds of sources you’re looking at
and whether or not they’re credible.
○ An example of critical reading is when we created our research summaries. We
had to locate and analyze eight credible sources to incorporate into our inquiry
paper. We had to follow a guideline of six requirements per source, the last
requirement was to analyze how you would incorporate the source into your
paper, I said “I would use this source in my thesis to explain U.S policies
concerning refugees and the resources that are provided through the
government to determine whether or not they’re sufficient enough to meet
refugee needs.” for one of my sources because it included important information
on refugees for my project.
○ This assignment allowed us to differentiate between what information and
sources would be beneficial to include into our project and which ones weren’t
important. I had to go through multiple websites and decide whether or not the
information would strengthen my paper.
★ Composing Processes: Articulate writers use composing processes in order to create
their final drafts. This process looks different for every writer, being able to have a fluid
process is important for proficient writers because important information is sometimes
found in different stages of writing, being able to flow with your writing process is part
of creating the best paper you can write. The more flexible you are with your creative
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process the more room you have to improve your writing. This skill also includes
allowing others to review your work and take their suggestions into consideration.
○ An example of composing processes in UWRT was when we wrote our first draft
for our inquiry paper, it was the introduction to our topic. My first draft was
garbage, I didn’t read the instructions thoroughly and wrote something last
minute. We met in groups to read our papers out loud and give feedback to each
other, the feedback I got helped me rewrite a better paper and allowed me to
write the paper I actually wanted to write. I went from writing about “Why Adolf
Hitler got away with what he was doing for so long and how he got into power”
to “Should America allow more refugees into the country” which is a more
concrete inquiry that I can effectively research and I was also more interested in.
○ This meeting helped me rethink and compose the type of paper I would be
proud to turn in and present. I had to restart, and brainstorm a better topic,
strategy and purpose for my paper.
★ Knowledge of Conventions: A proficient writer uses knowledge of conventions in order
to properly write within the “rules” of their subject in order to properly write the kind of
paper they want to write. This skill helps you understand different genres and how they
differ from one another. This skill also shows you how to correctly format your paper
and citations. This is important because every kind of writing serves a different purpose,
you wouldn’t write an argumentative paper like a poem and vise-versa. This is also very
important because to demonstrate you’re an articulate writer you must follow the
guidelines for every kind of paper, and use the correct grammar and format.
○ An example of this is when we use a more casual format when we’re doing our
studios and post them onto the discussion board versus when we were writing
our inquiry paper. I used MLA formatting and cited all my sources for all the
major assignments while when I was just replying to people on the discussion, it
was more casual grammar and formatting.
○ Being able to differentiate when to use what kind of grammar and formats is
helpful when you’re trying to be a successful writer. Using the proper “rules”
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when you’re writing is important because it shows that you’re an articulate

writer.
★ Critical Reflection: A proficient writer critically reflects in order to understand their
thoughts and the reasoning behind them. This skill is important because it helps you
better understand the way you think and analyze the information you’ve retained from
writing. This is an essential part of learning and understanding information from your
paper. This skill will also help you reflect on the entirety of your paper, did you
effectively communicate your message? Did you properly format your paper? Did you
cite your sources correctly? Etc. This is a tool to help you improve and reflect on the
choices you made throughout your entire paper.
○ An example of critical reflection is when we would write in our journals and
reflect on the chapters we read from The Choice. We would think about the
chapter and reflect on our opinions and thoughts from the text to better
understand the story.
○ These assignments allowed me to think about what I was reading and retain the
information better because it helped us process the information further. This
advances our learning because we are given the opportunity to analyze the text
for a second time and interact with the story to better grasp the message the
author was trying to convey in her book.