Hello and welcome to my e-portfolio. This is my opportunity to let you know who I am and what I’ve taken from this class. So let’s start with who I am.
First and foremost I am a student. Eventually I will be getting a Bachelors of Human Services thru WWU here at Everett CC. My parents, older sibling, and nearby family all never went to college. But I do have extended family that have been extremely successful and happy after finding careers out of college, so I knew college was where I wanted to be. My family is always been behind me and is my largest motivation in life. My mom raised me on her own, and taught me the importance of education, and open mindedness. It’s because of this that I was very interested in this class and all the varied writings we read and analyzed.
All this reading and writing has expanded my views of the three themes of the quarter: identity, community, and tradition. I learned that genetics and culture work together to form identity. I discovered a world of new communities, including Barbie collectors, taxidermists, and online support groups. I realized how many American traditions, like “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner, are relatively new creations. These new lessons expanded my ideas on how personality affects daily life, what it means to be a community, and what traditions are really worth following. I think I am much more open-minded when dealing with other people now. At work, when helping all different type of customers, it is helpful to recognize the different personality types and cultural backgrounds of individuals. This sensitivity of the different forces behind people’s actions and attitudes has helped me handle customers in ways appropriate to their situation.
I have done a lot of learning, thinking and writing in this class. More than in any other course I’ve taken. This online format required dedication and focus to stay on track, and demanded a lot of critical thinking skills. Reading these short stories took active attention, discussions with classmates took careful thought, and writings took detailed analysis. All of this work paid off in the lessons I learned this quarter. My biggest lesson from this class was to always ask questions and find information to form my own conclusions. The pieces in this portfolio should serve to show my improvement as a writer and my expanded understanding of our main themes.
I have four pieces and four introductions, in this portfolio. My first essay, Social Expectations, displays the critical analysis used throughout the class. My blog, If you found my Wallet, is an example of the power of revision to give a writers ideas a better presentation. My writer’s choice piece is Communities Make us Feel Special is the essay I spent the most energy planning, writing, and revising. To show my understanding of voice and audience, I’ve included a few writing samples from our discussion board activities.
These are just a few examples of the work I’ve completed this quarter. If it were possible to show how much I’ve gained in organization and dedication by doing this class online, I would. I want to thank the instructors and my fellow students for a mind expanding experience. This class was special because of your influence and participation. I hope you enjoy my writings and the ideas they represent.
-Chris
