Week 1:

In week one we were to introduce ourselves and start to learn about reflection and
autoethnography as a research method. We also looked over the course's main concepts and
assignments. We started to talk together and learn more about each other in heart-to-heart
one-minute discussions. Some of the assignments we did were the Create a Bio and Introduce
Yourself (1 pm), Create a folder called "Writ 1" in your Google Drive. The actual reading and
watching taking notes assignments were the WATCH video "Overcoming Shame Using Black
Studies & Autoethnography" & WRITE reading notes about it and READ Taczak "Reflection is
Critical for Writers' Development" and WRITE reading notes about it. We would either watch a
video or read an article and take down key points we heard or read about.
I felt more connected and comfortable with the class after we discussed our interests
and expressed ourselves in the padlet bios. I felt indifferent about the reading and watching
note-taking assignments. I was interested in the things that I heard Dr. Dieter talk about. I also
had a heartfelt moment when Dr. Dieter was talking about her late father.
The discussion with multiple different classmates went well as we got to know each
other. We learned about where each other was from, our interests, and our life goals. Learning
about what makes each of us unique. The note-taking went well, it is just an assignment and
watching and reading was fine. I did my job well as I got positive feedback which made me
happy with my work.
My previous anthropology class helped me with quick note-taking as we had to do a lot
of reading and writing for that class. We had to do many essays and weren’t able to get a lot of
feedback from our TAs as it was during the strike. So that could hinder my writing or note-taking
abilities as I wasn’t able to “grow”.
I was able to create new friends and learn more about the environment of this
classroom. I won’t change much outside of doing more homework and trying to improve upon
my note-taking skills and essay-writing skills.

Week 2:
Week two was much more jampacked with reading and writing as well as more activities
to get to know my classmates. We had to Create a Name Tent for Class in which we were given
a piece of hard white paper and were to write our name on it, fold it, and use it as a stand. In the
Getting to Know Your Classmates (1 pm) we needed to react to 3 different bios and comment on
something we found interesting. In Thinking About Project 1 we began bullet-pointing ideas on
our Project 1 assignment. Thinking about the basics and simply brainstorming our topic points
and any information we had on our minds. This week was more reading than the week 1
readings as well. With READ "We Write Because We Care: Developing Your Writerly Identity",
READ Elbow "Teaching Two Kinds of Thinking", READ Elbow "Freewriting", and READ Wells
"Dispositions Towards Learning". This was more reading assignments and each had more
pages per read as well. Giving it an overall more reading and writing in comparison to week 1.
I felt feelings of joy and fun during the getting-to-know classmates assignment. However,
the reading assignment made me far more tired than in week 1. It felt like a lot more work and
was a lot more “tiring” as well. But, I felt closer to my classmates thanks to the getting-to-know
assignment. I found connections with those around me and felt I formed a deeper bond.
 It was a great time reading about the lives of my classmates. I was able to find hobbies
that I shared with those around me and made me feel more connected to them. I felt more at
ease thanks to the newfound information presented to me. I would say that the assignment was
a great idea as it made the class bond with one another and had great positive influences. The
increased number of readings gave me more to think about and process. The great benefit was
the information I learned about dispositions. I never even knew the meaning of that word but
now I do thanks to the article!
Building on week 1 readings, I was able to more efficiently take my notes as I had an
idea of what was to come. I could expect the kinds of information being presented and thus felt
more comfortable and confident in writing down notes. The information learned from the articles
would build on itself. Improving comprehension of any new information, and this will only
continue to grow! For example, Taczak’s article helped me take steps toward improving my
writing skills which are helping even now.
All the new information made me a better reader and writer. Plus, the in-class
assignment helped me form a deeper bond with my classmates making us all closer to a family
rather than just simply strangers. I plan on being more proactive in making conversation and
forming bonds with those around me. There is always room for improvement!

Week 3:
In week 3 we READ Daniel Willingham "The Privileged Status of Story" and took
notes on it as well as READ Sara Aird "Storytelling and Identity: Writing Yourself Into
Existence" and took notes again. In addition to this, there was also the activity What Are Your
Topic Ideas for Project 1? (Optional), which I did as well. We just had to brainstorm some
ideas for our upcoming Project 1. Then after those due Monday activities, we did Wednesday
activities as well. Which were BRING Starting Lines to Class as well as BRING A photo of
your object or place - digital is fine; just have access to it in class. They were simply the
textbook for our class and a photo to go along with Project 1. In addition to these 2 activities, on
Wednesday there was also Your Memoir in 500 Words or Less which is us trying to limit the
word count for Project 1 ideas, and Read Richard Straub "Really Responding to Students'
Writing" notes.
The readings were the usual as reading and taking notes will always be on the
time-consuming side but necessary. I will always be a little tired after reading and taking notes
on the articles. The starting lines book made me feel more connected to the book due to its
student article being the highlight of the chapter. I felt very nostalgic when writing the memoir
and pouring out all my emotions about my past.
The readings and notes were well done and always necessary in improving my writing
skills. As well as improving my reading comprehension and learning more about the skill of
writing. The memoir went well as I was able to get my thoughts down easily under the 500-word
count but it felt very limited as 500 words aren’t nearly enough to tell a story about the crucial
part of my growing up. The photo helped a lot in remembering the “X” on the map for me, so I
would say that was a plus!
The note-taking is a continual process slowly but surely improving my skills as a writer.
The Project 1 brainstorm assignment we did before helped a lot in the Memoir writing process
as I was able to simply follow the bullet points I had laid out for myself. I already created a
general plan for the story I just needed to fill in the blanks. Reading starting lines helped a lot
with more planning for Project 1 as I was able to read and visualize firsthand what a fellow
student wrote before that was an “A” standard. This would greatly help with my story as I now
had a baseline that I could compare myself too.
The significance of starting lines first chapter reading helped me realize the work ahead
of me for Project 1. We are just getting started and there will be plenty of room for improvement
and drafting to come. I know now to prepare myself for what is ahead. I need to have more
emphasis on conflict and rising above as I learned from the readings as well. The readings
always taught me key points I need to fill in order to make my story a “story”. I feel more
prepared for the upcoming week and the continuation of Project 1!

Week 4:
In week 4 we were going about completing a draft for Project 1. This will be our first
initial draft of our project 1. Write a Draft of Project 1 and Post It to Eli Review by Class Time
(clicking on this assignment will take you to Eli Review). Then after this we had to provide
feedback for Project 1 within Eli Review for the Peers that we were assigned as a group. There
were 3 other people and I had to give 2 positive and 2 constructive comments about their draft.
Provide Feedback for Project 1 in Eli Review for the Peers Assigned to Your Group (clicking on
this assignment takes you to Eli Review). We learned about revising and such with our video
and notes for the week. WATCH video "How to Revise" & WRITE reading notes about it. After
completing this we finally ended with a Project 1 revision plan in Eli review and had the teacher
comment on our plan and give us feedback. Write a Project 1 Revision Plan in Eli Review
(Clicking on this assignment will take you to Eli Review).
I felt okay about it. I haven’t been feeling not too happy in general these past couple
weeks and I don’t really know why. Nothing seems to pique my interest anymore. The writing for
Project 1 is also bringing back a lot of memories that I had kept buried and didn’t want to think
about so it also made me feel a little “sick to the stomach”. But, it is okay, I felt better learning
more about writing. Learning to improve my skills.
It was pretty nice being able to dump all the information that has stayed bottled up inside
of me. It feels more relieving in a sense since it has always been stuck inside. It isn’t healthy to
keep everything locked inside. And I guess I am finally getting those feelings out that I have kept
locked up for so long. It is a new feeling for me and I also got to get some feedback from my
peers and their opinions on my life story. Which they seemed to like so that was a bright point.
Writing the Project 1 draft wasn’t necessarily hard or easy. My previous teachers never
really taught me much in the way of writing. My sophomore English teacher (pre-covid) wasted a
lot of time with typing club and I didn’t like him. He was a creep to my classmates and no one
enjoyed him being there. I never taught us, and would always waste our time talking about his
life. That definitely hindered my skills in writing. However, I learned more after watching the
video and learning about Killing My Darlings. All of these videos we have watched and articles
we have read have certainly helped open up my eyes about revising my essay.
The significance of this week was opening up about my internal feelings to the paper.
That is an experience I never thought I would have. The whole writing freewriting idea is actually
wonderful. Just talking about anything that comes to my mind. It is quite a relaxing ordeal and I
do enjoy it so much. As for my revision process, I have already outlined what I plan on doing in
Eli Review and hope it will help with my Project 1 grade and writing skills!

Week 5:
In week 5 we had many things completed this week. We had to bring starting lines to
read a writing by Maya. BRING Starting Lines to Class (click on assignment to see the essay
you need). Then we had to do our reading and notes for two articles. READ Alvarez, Wan, and
Lee "Workin' Languages" and WRITE Notes on It. READ "A Limestone Way of Learning" and
WRITE Notes on It. We also worked on our Project 1 Memoir assignment as well as planned out
a set time for our project 1 teacher conference. Project 1: Memoir Assignment. Project 1
Teacher Conference. We worked on a padlet post and learned about different concepts of
literacy. Plus, learning about using keywords to search databases. Using The DALN.
This weeks readings and notes didn’t feel as tiring as the last. It was only 2 this time and
I felt I learned a lot! I felt a sense of accomplishment once I finished the Project 1 memoir
assignment writing as it was a lot to get off my chest. I felt a little better getting everything out of
my system and finally being free. I felt a little confused at first about the DALN as I have never
used anything of this sort before. However, felt a little better after looking more into it and getting
to know it.
I think my Project 1 assignment went well enough, however I still feel like it can be
improved but I don’t know how or where. I did the best of my ability and think it is good enough!
It was amazing to finish Project 1 though, all the time and energy spent and finally being able to
see what I have completed through the hard work. I think overall the week went well as I
completed all the assignments well and did a good job, in my opinion. The DALN will be
interesting to use in the future as we prepare for Project 2 and I look forward to using it as a
resource.
The Workin’ Languages assignment helped a lot in the writing process. I was able to
take a step back and evaluate what language I was writing my Projecgt 1 essay in. Was I writing
it in an academic setting, or a more personal one. I was able to review my work and adjust it to
fit my own personal style. Rather than just writing it confined to an “academic voice”. This felt
more freeing and made my “Personal Essay” feel more personal.
I was able to complete all my assignments and felt freed after finishing Project 1. I no
longer have to worry about this assignment looming over me. I have more resources available
to me in completing other assignments in the future. I feel I have improved as a writer and am
actually learning things to improve my writing for once. This is the first year I feel I have truly
improved and taken a step forward in my writing prowess!

Week 6:
In week 6 we didn’t have as many readings as before. Or at least it felt much less than in
other weeks. Probably because I enjoyed the football one more than others! We brought starting
lines to read the article written by Darren Li. BRING Starting Lines to Class - "Why Do I Write"
on p. 22 by Darren Li. In addition to this we read another Starting Lines Article by Denise Perez
as well. BRING Starting Lines to Class - “We Have to Consider Family Contributions” by Denise
Perez on p. 25. We also read “Coaches can read too” by Branick which was a great read, and
took notes on it. READ Branick - "Coaches Can Read, Too" and WRITE Notes on It. We also
read a special back and forth article with two “authors” by PHD students from UCSB, then took
notes on it. READ DePiero and Dippre "How Writing Happens" and WRITE Notes on It. We then
thought about project 2 the new writing assignment. Thinking About Project 2.
I felt happy reading about the coaching experience from the Branick article. I enjoyed
reading about what felt like my football times in my life again. I felt a deep connection to the
author as I felt the things they felt. I felt the connection to football as more than just a sport. The
other reading was a little more confusing to me, or at least felt new. I never saw a back and forth
voice in the head style of writing in an article. I felt excited for the new project 2 that we will be
doing over the next few weeks.
I think my Project 2 500 words or less write did okay. I can easily write more but I treated
it more like a freewrite so it felt less refined in my opinion. But, that is okay as it is a first draft for
a new project. The readings went well as they were easy to understands and I enjoyed reading
them too. The Starting Lines reading were great too as they gave me new perspective to my
writing.
The reading “Coaches Can Read, Too” by Branick helped a lot in my completion of the
Project 2 assignment. I felt very connected to the author as I related to the football lifestyle. I
understand a lot of what goes on behind the scenes that most people wouldn’t know about. Only
players and coaches would know what happens behind each play and all the dedication it takes.
I felt the reading will be of great help in my Project 2 since it already sets a baseline and gives
many ideas for literacy communities within the football team. It dives very deep into the coach
and player dynamic as well.
The reading by Branick will be of great help in completion of Project 2 assignment. I feel
very confident and prepared going into this Project 2 compared to when we did project 1.
Especially compared to when we began Project 2, it was far more confusing. But, after reading
the Branick article it helped open my eyes to old memories of my coaches and community of the
football team. It also gives so many ideas to use for the project as well. Helping to streamline
the idea process of Project 2 for me.

Week 7:
In week 7 we actually didn’t have a reading and notes to complete which is the first week
I believe for this to happen. We focused on Project 2 and wrote up a mock draft. Project 2 in 500
Words or Less. Then we posted this draft into Eli-Review for our classmates to then provide
feedback for. Write a Draft of Project 2 and Post It to Eli Review by Class Time (clicking on this
assignment will take you to Eli Review). Provide Feedback for Project 2 in Eli Review for the
Peers Assigned to Your Group (clicking on this assignment takes you to Eli Review). After
reading what our classmates had to say in the comments. We then created a revision process
for our Project 2 in Eli-Review. Write a Project 2 Revision Plan in Eli Review (Clicking on this
assignment will take you to Eli Review).
I felt relieved this week as I didn’t have to do any reading or notes which made me feel
happy. I felt a little confused when we were working on the Draft for Project 2 as I still didn’t
have a solid solid idea of what I wanted to write about. However, I felt I should treat it as a
freewrite to just get some ideas down and that is exactly what I did. I thought my work was good
enough for a peer review, and after reading what they had to say I felt better about my writing
skills.
I think my idea of treating it as a freewrite when I didn’t have any ideas was a great
option. The revision process and reviewing my classmates writing went well and I was abel to
finish efficienyl and on time. I reviewed their comments and created my revision plan. I think it is
good plan as I generally know now what direction I want my Project 2 to go towards. The
revision plan and comments also helped me see what I did well and what I need to work on
which is great.
When I was stuck on the Project 2 writing draft. I reread the “Coaches can read too”
article and took big inspiration from that. As I played football so it was great to be able to
compare and contrast my thinking with another football background. It helped a lot in my
thinking proces and gave me a lot of ideas that I would be able to use and integrate into my own
writing. All of the ideas from Branick READ Branick - "Coaches Can Read, Too" and WRITE
Notes on It helped me with planning out some of the topics as well.
The significance of what happened is that I now have a general understanding and plan
for what to expect for Project 2. Originally I was lost and not able to really think about what I
should write down. But, now I know what stories to tell and how I can connect it to different
literacy groups. I can now take quotes and inspiration from Branick and use some of his ideas to
helped foster new ones of my own. I think the next time I write the final draft I will reorganize my
information in my Project 2 to improve the flow, and following my revision plan. I think I will also
take some more time to consider Killing my Darlings if that is what it takes to make my writing
better!

Week 8:
In week 8 we read and did our notes as we usually did. READ Stedmen "Annoying Ways
People Use Sources" and WRITE Notes on It. Only one this time which is nice as less reading
needed. But, this article was on the longer side however still enjoyable. We also created a works
cited page for Project 2. In addition to this we continued and finished our work on Projecg 2.
Project 2: Literacy, Community, and Me. Putting in our finishing touches for the teacher draft and
discussion coming up. We also were introduced to the end-of quarter projects:
Autoethnography, the Final Phase, and the Portfolio.
I felt relaxed this week as it was in preparation for Thanksgiving Break so we didn’t do
much work as it was a chill week. I felt more comfortable and smarter after reading the
“Annoying Ways People Use Sources” as it taught a lot about the many ways people use quotes
and etc. I feel more prepared in implementing my sources and citations and finding a way to
best balance it all and have it flow well. I feel more relieved now thanks to having Project 2
being almost finalized. Having that big project finally being completed.
It was enjoying to read and learn about the citations and sources. But, it was tiring as it
was a large article and a lot of thinking had to be involved. My Project 2 writing has majority of
the “meat” information already down and only needs to be finalized. I still need to implement
quotes and a works cited into it. But, that is all in the final stages and the most important part is
that a story is already there. The work on Project 2 went well however I feel it wasn’t as smooth
as Project 1. I understand the project but I feel I don’t grasp it as well as I did Project 1 which
makes me worry about it a little. But, I don’t think I should fear about it as that is what the drafts
are for and for the teacher interview to go over areas for improvement!
I don’t know too much about communication and literacy communities so that makes
Project 2 much harder than Project 1. But, with the sources like Branick and others like the
Stedman article teaching me how to use sources. I feel like it at the very least helps me with
understanding and enough to where I can still complete the assignment. Albeit I feel there will
still be room for improvement as long as I don’t feel 100% confident about it. But, I am taking a
lot of inspiration from the Branick coaches article as it connects to my love and life of football so
it gives me an angle I can also try. This helps me immensely as a lot of the points and facts I
agree with and can use with my own twist in my own essay. The framework is given and I only
need to fill it out with my own facts and feelings.
The significance of what happened is now that Project 2’s essay and meat is finished. I
can work on the finishing touches as well as adding in quotes and works cited. This will all help
streamline the process as well as simplify my plans for the Project 2 essay. I only have to make
it through the Teacher interview process and then I will be finally in the clear. Only needing to
make changes if it is deemed necessary in order to get an A for the final portfolio project etc. My
hopes of achieving an A are on the way to being realized!

Week 9:
In week 9 we started exploring writing about our autoethnography project. We also
started exploring how to create a learning portfolio to demonstrate how we have grown during
the quarter. We also explored writing with the use of ChatGPT. Learning how to cite as well as
get ideas when we are stumped with the help of AI. We did a ChatGPT Group Activity learning
about the ways to use AI to help boost our writing skills. ChatGPT Group Activity. We began to
start our Final Project, Final Project: Writ 1 Autoethnography.
This week felt pretty free as we primarily focused on tidying up our Projects and thinking
about what was to come next. I had originally used ChatGPT before. This made using it
comfortable and not daunting to me. As well as learning about all its new features cool for me. I
felt smarter after going through all the new ways to use ChatGPT that I never knew about
before. It was a great learning experience. However, I also lost my friend during this week so it
hurt a lot and I am still learning to try and get above it. But besides that, I feel pretty good about
going into the last and final week of this class and feel prepared to get an A on the portfolio.
Working on the Project 2 assignment went both good and bad in my opinion. While I
have begun to grasp what I need to do and have put down the necessary information and
essentially finished the “heart” of the story. But, I still need to work on it to improve the flow and
get a “thesis” going. At least the main paper and works cited as well as my quotation are all
done and good. So, I don’t have to worry about that part anymore and the Project 2 assignment
is finished. Overall I would say the completion of Project 2 was good and now I know what to do
to improve it for the Final Portfolio.
Just like last week I used the Branick article a lot in my completion of project 2. It helped
me so much in writing my essay and getting a general idea down onto the paper. I was able to
use his writing as inspiration for a lot of the points and put my own personal twist on it. Also,
with ChatGPT I was able to use it efficiently as I already had previous experience using it from
previous classes. I used it a lot for my Shakespeare class to help me answer questions as well
as for my Econ class. It is a great resource to have, although can be wrong a lot of times so we
always have to double-check work.
The significance of what happened is now that I am finally able to begin my
autoethnography Final Project as well as start thinking about the Final Portfolio. I have some
ideas already planned out for the autoethnography project and now just need to think about it
more and elaborate on it, and put it into writing. With Project 2 “finished” I can think about what I
will talk about in the Portfolio. I can talk about my process of writing it and go over the
corrections that I will be making to it.

Week 10:
In week 10 we continued to reflect on our learning and experience for this quarter. We
finalized our work on the autoethnography, revising, and our portfolio projects (finalized our
plans for it). We also continued to learn about ChatGPT and how to implement it into our work.
We thought about some themes we could use for the autoethnography project. What Are Your
Epiphanies or Themes for the Autoethnography? We started a mindmup to create a web about
our plans for the portfolio and how we plan to implement our work onto the portfolio. We also
worked on some short writing prompts provided by OpenAI to start thinking about our
reflections.
The week overall was pretty nice and I felt relaxed as it is all coming together to an end. I
feel confident about being able to do some work on Project 2 and have it ready for the Portfolio
and get an A. I’m feeling a little swamped with the amount of essays I have across all my
courses but it isn’t something I can’t handle! I feel ready enough for the autoethnography project
as it isn’t a “what should I say” but more of a “where do I even begin”, which is a good thing.
This means I feel confident and ready.
Answering the OpenAI questions was pretty good as it was all thought-provoking
questions. They will be of great help for the autoethnography as well as the Portfolio as some of
the questions covered some topics I plan on talking about in those projects. This is great as it
means I can already have some words and thoughts laid out for myself. \
Our previous work doing lots of autoethnography journal writing will help a lot in our final
autoethnography project. We have been doing weekly review writing every week since the first
day of class and it has prepared us greatly for this. It is a time capsule of our time here and we
will be able to draw on it for inspiration. We also previously put it through ChatGPT to see some
patterns and it gave us loads of information about our tendencies and how we grew throughout
the quarter. All of these tools and information will greatly help in the completion of our final
essay!
The significance of what happened is now we are in the final stretch. Everything has built
up to this moment. Our autoethnography journal every week gives us clues on how to write and
plan our final project autoethnography essay. And with this helping us complete our final
portfolio as I would like to achieve an A in this class. I have grown as a writer throughout the
quarter and now through the Portfolio I will finally be able to demonstrate this with a
presentation of all my projects and showcase my skills.
I generated these prompts using OpenAI. I asked it to create short reflective prompts to

What I Learned About Writing:

● Describe one key skill or lesson you've learned about writing during this term. How has it
changed the way you approach writing?
One valuable skill I have learned this quarter is the ability to “Kill my Darlings”. So many times in
writing whenever I have written something that I believe can stand on its own and I have spent a
lot of time on I want to make it work no matter what. I always try and force it into the paper
without taking a step back and thinking if I should really be doing this or not. But, now I know
that this isn’t right and I have to be able to just remove it for the sake of the paper.
● What is the most valuable writing skill you've learned this term, and how have you
applied it in your work?
● Describe a writing technique you initially struggled with but now feel confident using.
What changed?
● Reflect on your favorite assignment or activity from this class. What made it stand out to
you, and what did you learn from it?
I enjoyed Project 1 the most because it brought back all my old memories. I learned to kill my
darlings and learn to rewrite whole huge swaths of text for the sake of making the writing better.
Rather than forcing and confining myself to what I have already written. Allowing myself to grow
as a writer and improve the essay. This Project also let me take a look at the progress in life I
have made up to this point. How I have grown and how I have overcome so much to get to
where I am today.
● Write about a challenge you faced in this class and how you overcame it. What did this
experience teach you about yourself as a writer?
● Share an assignment or discussion from this class that particularly inspired or
challenged your thinking about writing.
● How do you think you've grown as a writer during this course? Provide specific examples
to illustrate your growth.
● Discuss how receiving feedback on your writing has influenced your development. What
specific feedback was most helpful?
● Describe a writing technique you experimented with for the first time in this class. How
did it affect your writing process or outcomes?
● Identify a concept from class that we studied that influenced you. Explain why and how it
has impacted your own writing.
● Talk about a time you took a risk in your writing during this course. What was the risk,
and what was the outcome?
● Based on what you've learned in this class, what are your writing goals for the future?
How do you plan to achieve them?
● What are the top three takeaways from this writing class that you believe will influence
your future writing?
Gibbs’ Reflection Cycle Questions:

Step 1: Description: What happened this week in Writ 1? What activities did we do? (link
to any applicable assignments or documents you created).
Note: Use CANVAS overviews each week to help you describe what happened in class.
● Simply describe what happened.
● Don’t draw any conclusions.
● All you’re trying to do is set the scene and prove some context.

Step 2: Feelings
● Describe the feelings you felt.
● Don’t evaluate those feelings; simply state what they were.

Step 3: Evaluation
● Evaluate the experience.
● Determine what went well and what didn’t go so well.

Step 4: Analysis (Our course readings might give you language to understand what was
going on. You can draw on, reference, and link to readings and materials from other courses
you are taking / have taken or research you are doing or have done). Here you might connect
to and explore previous experiences you’ve had.
● What do you think might have helped / hindered the situation?
● Explore options. Including what academic models or tools might have helped you.

Step 5: Conclusion
● What’s the significance of what happened?
● What will you do differently next time?

Step 6: Action Plan (Optional for now)

● Create a plan based on your conclusions
● Commit and take action on your plan.