ePortfolio Final Project
Cover Letter
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My Portfolio
Writing Project 1
Meaning of Dreams
When you fall fast asleep and your brain starts to wander
A world unfolds as your mind starts to ponder
A vivid fragment of the past begins to appear
that you wish you could keep
But alas this memory’s story is only clear
when you’re in a deep sleep
Random events fill your mind all throughout the night
Now there’s fire or flood or something that causes fright
Meaningless at first glance
Until you start to dig deep
These events take a chance
Uncovering truth while you’re asleep
Reflection
Turning a research article into a poem was challenging because research articles are long and have a specific message, while poems are much shorter and are meant to be interpreted. While doing the translation I had to take into consideration the change of audience, choice of nonacademic genre, and information integration. I encountered many obstacles along the way but through extensive analysis of the assigned texts I was able to decipher the true meanings, and create my own writings based on them.
The intended audience for the research article consists of students, anyone interested in dreams, or anyone who has some prior knowledge on the subject of dream psychology. The intended audience for poetry is typically someone who appreciates imagery and emotion. People who enjoy poetry are usually able to interpret and extract the ideas beyond the words on the page. When translating this article the intended audience changed. The audience switched from people who are more academic and logical, to people who are more emotional and imaginative. Because of this, I needed to translate the main ideas from the article into simpler terms that anyone, regardless of a background in dream psychology, could understand.
I chose to translate the research article into a poem because I really enjoy reading poems. When I was younger my mom kept books in our living room. One book in particular was a poem book called Where the Sidewalk Ends. My sister and I always gravitated towards that book and would read it together. We would talk about the poems and express our different thoughts about what each poem was about. Since then I have read other poetry books, such as Milk and Honey, Pillow Thoughts, and Shades of Lovers, and really enjoyed reading them. I thought about trying to write poems but I never got around to it. This writing project gave me the perfect opportunity to attempt to write a poem on my own. Also, I am a quieter and more reserved person so I knew I would not be comfortable translating a research article into a Tiktok or Youtube video. Poetry allowed me to translate my article into a nonacademic genre that is still more writing focused.
Although translating the research article into a poem was fun, it was also a lot of work and took a lot of careful planning. The research article I chose was very long, and used many technical terms to describe Freud’s contributions to dream psychology. After reading through the article I took notes on all of the main concepts. These concepts include the idea that dreams are hypermnesic, meaning people recall past memories in their sleep, that dreams have deeper meaning, and that context is critical in determining the real meaning of a dream. I then used that information to decide what to include in my much shorter and simpler poem. The first stanza is about the theory that dreams are hypermnesic, while the second stanza is about how dreams have deeper meaning. Since the research article was very long I had to leave out a majority of the details and only cover the main points. Since poems are supposed to allow the reader to visualize what is being said, I had to turn these concepts about dream psychology into visual representations. For example, at the beginning I talk about someone’s mind wandering. This is something someone can visualize. Also, in the second stanza, I talk about a flood and a fire. These are two events someone could visualize.
Since genre translation is difficult, there were a few challenges I faced while writing. One of the main challenges I faced was figuring out how to integrate all of the different elements from other poems into my poem about dream psychology. One thing I noticed in many other poems was that lines right next to each other would rhyme. Incorporated this element in the first stanza. In each set of two the last word in each of the lines rhymes. Another rhyme pattern I noticed was that alternating lines would rhyme. For example the first and third lines would rhyme while the second and fourth lines rhymed. This type of pattern can be seen in the second stanza where lines 3 and 5 rhyme, and lines 4 and 6 rhyme. These rhyme schemes are important because it causes
the reader to remember certain details and highlights certain points. For example, having the first two lines rhyme with wander and ponder causes those two words to stand out and really stick with the reader. This really emphasizes that the person in the poem is going to sleep. Another example is when the words in lines 3 and 5, keep and sleep rhyme. This rhyme is more spread out but it connects the words keep and sleep which emphasizes the importance of keeping the thoughts you have when you are asleep. It is difficult to remember dreams but if you do, you might find a connection to your dreams and real life. Another challenge I faced was figuring out what information to include in the poem. The research article was long and full of important content. Narrowing down the article to just key details took many hours and careful consideration. A third challenge I came across was how to turn the concepts in the research article into something someone could visualize. I overcame this challenge by turning the concepts into examples. I then used these examples in the poem. This can be seen throughout each stanza. In the first one the reader is about to visualize someone falling asleep and dreaming of memories, which represents the theory that dreams are hypermnesic. The second stanza brings up elements, such as floods and fires, which have a universal deeper meaning. This highlights the idea that dreams have deeper meaning. One specific example of a challenge I faced was turning the idea that things in dreams mean something other than what they appear to be on the surface. While reading the article, there were very few examples of this concept. When incorporating this into the poem I had to create my own images of events that the reader could visualize. I did this in the line “Now there’s fire or flood or something that causes fright.” I then followed this line by two others that helped explain that although a fire or a flood might be frightening on the surface level, if you look into your own life there might be something that is causing you to have these stressful dreams.
While translating my research article into a poem I had to keep in mind all of the elements that make up a poem, and figure out how to narrow down a lengthy research article into a short poem. One article I kept going back to while doing my article translation was Cohesion and Coherence created by the George Mason University Writing Center. This article talked about the importance of sentence patterns. It specifically says that, “repeating and/or using parallel sentence structures can help readers digest complicated ideas.” This is especially true when it comes to poetry. Poems consist of lines of words that have the same number of syllables. The lines also rhyme and flow together. Another thing I had to keep in mind was the change of audience from a research article to a poem. While translating the research article I constantly thought about how in the reading Ten Ways to Think About Writing, by Shelley Reid, the section titled “Lost Money and Thank You Notes: What’s in an Audience?” discusses how when the audience changes, so does word choice. The example given in the articles talks about money. Depending on where one asks for money from, whether that be a friend, parent, or bank, the way they go about asking changes. I used this information to help me figure out how to rewrite a research article, intended for students and scholars, into a poem, intended for a much wider range of people.
Overall, turning a research article into a poem taught me many things. I learned how to use tools, such as the online library search engine, that I had never used before. I also learned how to consolidate information and make it easy to understand. Doing this genre translation gave me the opportunity to learn the conventions of how to write a poem.
Writing Project 2
Tales from the Burkean Parlor
As I walked into the dimly lit Burkean Parlor, my ears were filled with the sounds of scholarly discourse. As I began to listen closer, I noticed that there was a tension growing among the different guests in attendance. The subject of conversation had fallen upon the role of teacher feedback on student writing, specifically the role of the red pen. The more I listened, the more I learned about each of the party guests. Turns out they were all scholars who had done extensive research about the more effective ways to improve student writing.
As all the guests took their seats around a gigantic round table, Dr. S. M. Alharthi began flipping through his huge stack of notes, trying to decide which point to bring up first. After taking a few minutes to gather his thoughts, Alharthi began by talking about how his research was focused on teacher feedback for students whose first language is not English. He then went on to explain that face to face feedback, where the teacher gives context and an explanation of the corrections, leads to better feedback uptake. When feedback is given this way, the students are more engaged. On the flip side, when feedback is only given through written comments, the students are less engaged and often overlook some of the feedback.
After hearing this information, Barbara Bardine felt the need to chime in. She replied to Alharthi’s statement by stating that while the format of delivery is still important, the way the teacher delivers the feedback is more important. She argued that students need real engagement with their writing. The idea of the red pen is outdated. Students need more than just corrections. Using a red pen to cross out and mark up work leads to students feeling discouraged. They need a teacher who is willing to sit down with them and guide them through the writing process.
Everyone at the table began to nod their heads in agreement when Dr. Kumar began to speak up in agreement. Dr. Kumar’s work focused on the most effective ways for teachers to give feedback to students who learned English as a second language. Kumar reinforced Bardine’s point by stating how in his study, students who got real time feedback did better than students who just got static corrections. The red pen is outdated and should be replaced.
After hearing Kumar’s statement, Dr. K. J. Retzlaff chimed in to say that there are some scenarios where the red pen is actually very useful. He talked about how in his world of publishing and editing the red pen is not used in a mean and disheartening way. When used well, the red pen can be used to improve and clarify writing. He claims that the red pen is not inherently bad, but the problem is how teachers use it.
While taking in Retzlaff’s argument, Alharthi spoke up to say that while the red pen can be helpful in a professional setting, in a school setting other methods of corrections are more effective. Students like to understand the why behind the corrections. Making corrections without explaining why they need to be made is ineffective.
Lurking in the corner of the party, Dr. Gina Wisker said, “This debate isn’t new. Writing, editing, and publishing all require feedback, but the goal should be to empower writers.” She also added that the editing process is supposed to be two sided. There should be conversation between the writer and the editor and it should not be a one sided critique.
Almost cutting off Dr. Gina Wisker, Dr. Bardine raised the question, “How are we supposed to create this balance?” Dr. Bardine then went on to say that many teachers have been trained to just mark every mistake when grading students' work and have expressed that they feel as though they are not doing their job correctly if they do not. He then claimed that the mindset of the teachers needs to change.
Dr. Kumar nodded in agreement and stated that this is exactly why dynamic assessment works. Instead of waiting for the student to present a final piece, the teacher guides the student through the entire process. This way the student does not feel like they are being tested on their writing skills, but rather feeling supported while they grow as a writer.
While everyone else was agreeing with Dr. Kumar’s statement, Retzlaff stood up and said, “While I see the importance of this type of guidance, the students still need a teacher who is going to correct them when they make mistakes. Students need to go home at the end of the day knowing how to properly construct a sentence. Editors don’t hold back while critiquing professional writers, so why should teachers.”
The room erupted in disagreement. When everyone began to quiet down, Dr. Whisker spoke up to say, “Students are not professionals. While they still need structure and discipline, they also need someone who is going to encourage them during the writing process.” She then went on to talk about how she has personally seen the effects of too much criticism and not enough support when it comes to teaching students how to write. They tend to just shut down.
Bardine chimed in to add that this is why training teachers differently is so important. Rather than teaching teachers to just critique writing, they should be taught how to give encouragement. If teachers continue to be trained to only critique students' writing, many students will feel discouraged or feel like a failure even though they were never given a fair chance to grow as a writer.
Alharthi then leaned in to say, “A middle ground is what we need. Structure feedback presented in a way where the student and the teacher can have a conversation about it. Based on my research, I have learned that when students are given the chance to ask questions, they improve on their writing as well as their confidence.”
Kumar nodded in agreement with everything his fellow colleagues had said in the past few minutes.
Retzlaff finally sighed in agreement and said, “I see all of your points. In my experience, I have only seen writing critique in a professional setting, where it is supposed to be harsh. However, after listening to all of your points I am finally understanding that when it comes to teaching writing, the way feedback is presented is critical in fostering a healthy learning environment. It makes sense for teachers to use corrections as a teaching mechanism to encourage growth, rather than as a tool for judgement.”
All of the other researchers nodded their heads in delight. They were happy Retzlaff finally understood what they were trying to say.
After a few moments of silence, Bardine spoke up to confirm that everyone was on the same page. He said something along the lines of how the red pen needs to be used carefully to deliver dynamic feedback that does not discourage new writers.
Retzlaff smirked, and with a hint of annoyance in his tone stated, “Fine, but I’m still keeping my red pen.”
The room erupted with laughter as the scholars began making small talk among themselves. The argument had come to a conclusion and much progress had been made on the red pen debate.
References
Alharthi, S. M. (2025). Examining EFL learners’ quantity and quality of uptake of teacher corrective feedback on writing across three different editing settings. Assessing Writing, 63, 100911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2024.100911
This article talks about how foreign language learners respond to teacher corrections in different settings. This research explores how the students respond to feedback based on the quantity and quality of it. The results are then used to see how effective different feedback strategies are for the students. The results of this study show that feedback sessions geared towards learning and growth are more effective than those without. Quality feedback is more beneficial to the students than a large quantity of feedback. This research contributes to the idea of quality over quantity when it comes to learning.
Bardine, B. A., Bardine, M. S., & Deegan, E. F. (2000). Beyond the red pen: Clarifying our role in the response process. English Journal, 90(1), 94–101. https://doi.org/10.2307/821738
This article discusses traditional feedback strategies teachers use on correcting students' writing. The article mainly focuses on the use of the red pen and how it is often overused. The use of a red pen is often seen as bad and when it is overused on students' work, the student can feel discouraged. This kind of correction strategy leaves students unmotivated and disheartened. The article then goes on to talk about how a better approach to correction would be one that focuses on the student and fosters an environment for revision and growth. This way the students will want to continue to write. It is laos more focused on learning rather than just finding errors. This research is important in changing the way teachers go about writing corrections with students.
Kumar, A., Rupley, W., McKeown, D., Seyed, H., & Paige, D. (2023). Beyond the red pen: Using dynamic assessment to mediate writing mechanics issues among ESL learners. Journal of Contemporary Language Research, 2(4), 171–180. https://doi.org/10.58803/jclr.v2i4.89
This article talks about how a more dynamic feedback strategy is more effective than traditional feedback strategies. Traditional strategies used by teachers, such as over using the red pen, can feel very negative and disencourage students from continuing to write. The article also focuses on the effects of writing strategies in students who learned English as a second language. The article then goes on to explain how interactive techniques that promote learning through guided revision are more effective in fostering learning and growth than traditional correction strategies used by educators. The research presented in this article emphasizes the importance of using corrective methods that encourage growth and encourage deeper connection with the writing and editing processes.
Retzlaff, K. J. (2014). Don’t fear the red pen: AORN Journal editors are here to help. AORN Journal, 100(5), 461–463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2014.04.017
This article talks about how correction strategies are used in the academic publishing process. Although this article is titled “Don’t fear the red pen”, the article is not actually about red pen corrections. This article actually focuses on how different techniques used by professional editors may seem really harsh, but they are only used to make the writers work stronger. The editor's job is to perfect the writer's piece. The corrections may seem extreme and cause the writer to feel discouraged but that is not the intention of the corrections. This article provides a different perspective on why traditional writing strategies are effective in an environment meant to perfect writing, rather than foster academic growth. It also provides ideas on how to respond to constructive criticism that may come across as harsh.
Wisker, G. (2013). Articulate - academic writing, refereeing editing and publishing our work in learning, teaching and educational development. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 50(4), 344–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.839337
This article talks about how all of the different writing processes are connected and then puts them in the context of learning and teaching. The articles mainly focus on how academic writing, peer review, and publication are all intertwined and go together. The article then goes on to explain how students can develop their writing skills through various strategies. Next the article talks about the importance of peer review and how to effectively respond to that feedback. The last part of the article talks about the publishing world and how to go about navigating it. This research is very helpful for writers who are looking to become professional writers with published work. It is also helpful for scholars looking to get their work published.