Jun 212016
 

When looking at the Athens’ Own Worker readiness Certification, one of the first items you see on the list is Writing, or more specifically “Strong Writing Abilities, including Spelling.” As a brand new intern applicant, I thought I had submitted an excellent cover letter and application; one free of mistakes. But after my first few conversations with Constantine, he pointed out that there were some distinguishable flaws in my writing especially in the area of spelling and grammar. He recommended I take the time to visit some of the on campus resources that help improve resumes and cover letters, and while I was still in classes, this could act as a first project for my internship.

At first, I didn’t want to believe there was anything wrong with my application. I had spent a lot of time working on building my resume and had read over my cover letter so often that I assumed it was perfect. But after using my campus resources, I realized that there really had been some little mistakes that I had blinded myself to because I had read the materials so many times.

I think that to become a well-developed writer you need to be able to see those little mistakes, and be able to self-correct, but I also think it’s important to take the time to have others look over your work to help you find those mistakes. After the semester ended and I began working on Athens’ Own writing assignments, this became even truer for me. Having Constantine there to check my work before I submitted it meant that I was getting that extra look over before it got published. But I was starting to get embarrassed that each time I wrote something, I had so many little mistakes that were just caused by me rushing the assignment or by me not taking the time to proofread my own work. So I decided that from that point on, it was more important for me to submit as flawless a piece of writing as I could before Con would see it, so that his proofreading would be more big picture, rather than fixing the little things I knew how to fix myself.

I think that the definition of Writing in the Worker Readiness Cert should also be broader than just grammar and spelling. I think it should be that initiative to work through your own work to make sure that you are submitting your best writing possible, each time you write. Even for things as simple as a Facebook post or an email to a friend, your best work should be what you put out in to the world, while not forgetting that having someone help look for the details you might be blind to is still an invaluable tool.

  7 Responses to “June 21d Writing Reflection”

  1. Excellent thoughts.
    I am having difficulty with word choice/syntax, last paragraph, second sentence.

    • “I think that the true definition of writing in the WRC should have an emphasis on have initiative to work through your own writing to make sure each time your’e putting in your best effort.”

    • Thank you Halley!
      Kathy Jacobson, collaborative partner, liaison, mentor here.
      I appreciate Constantine’s participation.
      I too am in the process of reviewing your log entries.
      I am mostly geared toward manifestation of the internship log instructions, linkages, concepts.
      I am not specifically focused on proofreading or editorial comments.
      It’s looks as though Constantine is trying to help with such things; I will include anything else that jumps out at me in my review document.
      I have created a Broadwell HIll page and am posting a running review of your logs there.
      Sorry I can’t include a hot link but not hard to find, I can provide guidance if needed.
      But, I want to emphasize how much I appreciate your writing, your contributions to the co-learning community and the development of collaborative systems!

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