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First-Year Writing Portfolio 2008-2009

What Is a Portfolio? What Is It For?	What Should Be Included in My First-Year Portfolio?
What Is the First-Year Writing Portfolio?	Writing Portfolio Checklist
Who Administers the First-Year Writing Portfolio?	Section A Guidelines
How Is the Writing Portfolio Evaluated?	Section D Guidelines
What Does "Resubmit" Mean?	Sample Writing Portfolio- Exemplary
When Is the Writing Portfolio Due? What Happens After That?	Sample Writing Portfolio- Pass
How Do I Turn In My First-Year Writing Portfolio?	Assessment Rubric in PDF file Format

 

First-Year Writing Portfolio Guidelines 2008-2009

A Part of the SpEl.Folio Project at Spelman College

 

This document provides guidelines for completing your First-Year Writing Portfolio.  If you have questions after reading the guidelines, please visit the Writing Center's website at http://www.spelman.edu/wcenter/cwp.  The website includes schedules for workshops you can attend to help strengthen your portfolio; information on obtaining one-on-one tutoring; and models of successful First-Year Writing Portfolios.

 

What Is a Portfolio?  What Is It For?

 

A portfolio is a compilation of work that has been put together for a specific purpose.  The First-Year Writing Portfolio at Spelman College has four primary purposes:

 

1.     Demonstrate your achievements as a writer and critical thinker during your first year at Spelman.

2.     Enable assessment of your work as a writer and critical thinker.  This includes your own self-assessment as well as assessment by a jury of faculty and administration.

3.     Evaluate your level of preparedness to continue in more advanced writing and critical-thinking projects as you continue your education.

4.     Determine what additional support you may need as a writer and critical thinker.

 

Strong portfolios are built through a process of collection, selection, and reflection.  In other words, the portfolio is more than just a showcase of your work; it is a location in which you make judgments about how best to present yourself as an academic "composer," and in which you provide reflective writing that helps you and your readers better understand how the portfolio was developed.

 

What Is the First-Year Writing Portfolio?

 

This year Spelman College will support the First-Year Writing Portfolio—along with other elements of the First Year Experience SpEl.Folio—with the ePortfolio2 program in Chalk and Wire.  The advantages to completing an electronic portfolio are many:  it is more portable and flexible; it builds upon skills learned in first-year core classes including CIS 100, English 103, and ADW 111-112; it enables a high level of creativity in presenting your work; it builds and showcases skills which are attractive to employers and graduate schools; and, most important, it encourages you to show the connections between the many different skills you learn in your first year at Spelman.

 

Your participation in the FYE 101-First-Year Experience will include submission of this First Year Writing Portfolio by April 21, 2009.  As you will see below, the portfolio involves much of your writing experience during the 2008-2009 term.  In addition to this portfolio that will be assessed by faculty and professionals invited as the jury in the writing center, you will complete other SpEl.Folio writing projects during the year, as they appear on your FYE 101 syllabus.  Below are the directions for the First Year Writing Portfolio to be submitted to ePortfolio2 at the end of the year.  If you have questions about this process, please contact Dr. Anne Warner (awarner@spelman.edu/ 404-270-5580). 

 

What Are the Goals for Your Learning?

 

A student who successfully completes the First Year Writing Portfolio demonstrates the ability to

1.     Conceive and develop a clear and focused central argument.

2.     Use relevant and reliable sources in support of an argument, with appropriately integrated evidence and documentation.  Evidence may be drawn from experience, research of the literature (both print and multimedia), and/or empirical investigation.

3.     analyze and synthesize  evidence.

4.     Develop a clear sense of the rhetorical choices available for varied audiences and purposes, including voice, tone, diction, structure, and format. 

5.     Develop a clear sense of the composing processes required for various genres, including but not limited to academic research papers, multi-media compositions, and oral presentations.

6.     Conduct accurate analytical and synthetic reflection on composing content and on the student's development over time.

 

Who Administers the First-Year Writing Portfolio?

 

The First-Year Writing Portfolio is a collaborative project from the Comprehensive Writing Program (CWP), the African Diaspora and the World Program (ADW), the English Department, and the Office of Undergraduate Studies.  In cooperation with FYE 101, the CWP distributes the assignment, schedules support workshops, offers individual peer tutorials, and facilitates the evaluation process.  ADW and the English Department assign writing projects suitable to the Writing Portfolio's content.  Your submission of your portfolio is among the requirements for passing FYE 101.  In your second year, you will receive the results of the portfolio reading and either pass, or resubmit for a second reading.  Those who do not pass the resubmitted portfolio will be enrolled in a two-credit English course, English 150. 

 

How Is the First-Year Writing Portfolio Evaluated?

 

The CWP assembles a jury of readers from across various departments at Spelman, as well as expert readers from other schools including Emory University.  Each portfolio is read by at least two jury members and is assigned an evaluation of "Pass" or "Resubmit."  If the two jury members' evaluations are in agreement, the evaluation stands.  If the two jury members' evaluations are different, a third reader will determine the outcome.   A copy of the assessment rubric is available on the CWP's website as well as in ePortfolio2.

 

You will receive detailed feedback on your writing portfolio through the scoring record on ePortfolio2.   Remember that feedback comments on the essays as a whole, as well as on the cover letter in distinctive categories.

 

A few outstanding SpEl.Folios are assessed as "Exemplary."  Authors of exemplary portfolios will receive a certificate of accomplishment as well as a small monetary award.

 

What Does "Resubmit" Mean?

 

An assessment of "Resubmit" means that the writing in this First-Year Writing Portfolio indicates that the author will need additional support in one or more area(s) in order to be prepared for her upper-level writing and critical-thinking work.  Each student whose Writing Portfolio receives an assessment of "Resubmit" also receives information designed especially for her, specifying workshops to attend and at least one visit to a Writing Center tutor.

 

Common reasons for Writing Portfolios to be evaluated "Resubmit" have included the following: insufficient citation (in-text and/or on the "Works Cited"/ "References" page); lack of central argument or thesis; lack of demonstrated ability to use references in service of the author's own argument (rather than simply "pasting in" quotations or paraphrases); lack of correct grammar and mechanics; and failure to include one or more required items.

 

Resubmitted portfolios are due January 31, 2010.

 

When Is the First-Year Writing Portfolio Due?  What Happens After That?

 

• Portfolios are due Tuesday, April 21, 2009 by midnight.
• Portfolios are assessed in June 2009.
• Individual results will be posted in ePortfolio2 over the summer of  2009.

How Do I Turn In My First-Year Writing Portfolio?

 

First-Year Writing Portfolios will be submitted through your account in ePortfolio 2 by midnight of Tuesday, April 21, 2009.  Early submission is desirable and welcome.  You have most of the academic year in which to decide upon appropriate essays, consult your advisor, facilitator, or instructor about them, and revise and edit them.  Section D, your response to an argumentative essay question, is featured below.  You may respond to it during a break or a weekend, and have it ready. 

 

Penalty for non-submission or late submission will be failure of FYE 101.   Thus, if you do not meet the guidelines, your Writing Portfolio will be evaluated with the next year's resubmits, in spring, 2009.   

 

What Should Be Included in My First-Year Writing Portfolio?

 

Your Writing Portfolio will contain four essays, as well as the items specified in the checklist below.  Here's a summary of the four essays to include:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Checklist

 

 

Section A Guidelines

First-Year Writing Portfolio 2008-2009

 

The first section of your Writing Portfolio is a letter introducing yourself to the assessment committee and offering a critical self-assessment of your work as a writer during your first year at Spelman College.  A portfolio is more than the sum of its parts; its real value lies in its ability to demonstrate the meaningful connections between its parts.  Your reflective letter is your opportunity to articulate and deepen your readers', and your own, awareness of those connections.

 

Audience and tone.  Address your letter to the assessment committee.  The tone of your letter should be moderately formal.  In other words, assume that you are addressing faculty, but don't feel you have to take a highly formal or distant tone.  Write in the first-person singular ("I").  Be as candid and specific as possible.

 

Structure.  The structure of your letter should be clear and simple.  This is not an academic essay, so you don't need a thesis.  If you wish, you may answer each of the questions in order.

 

Content.  It's fine to address topics not included in the following questions.  However, do be sure that your letter, at a minimum, provides a full and detailed response to each of the following questions.

 

1.    Why did you choose the two essays in Sections B and C?  What do they demonstrate about you as a writer that you would like the assessment committee to notice?  Be specific about what you accomplished in each of these essays.

 

2.    Why did you choose the prompt you did for the essay in Section D?  What was it like to compose an academic essay without the usual structures and guidance provided in a class?  What skills did you apply from previous writing classes?  What did you learn about yourself as a writer from working on this essay?

 

3.    Which of the four pieces in your portfolio most engaged you as a writer?  Why?

 

4.    During your first year at Spelman, what writing skills have you acquired that you will carry forward into future classes?  Among these skills might be ways to draft and revise; come up with ideas; formulate a thesis; use evidence; and seek out feedback.  Explain exactly how you acquired each skill you mention.

 

5.    During your first year at Spelman, what writing skills have you realized you need more work on?  How will you get the ongoing support you need?  Explain exactly how you plan to improve each skill you mention.

 

6.    How is writing and/or critical thinking relevant to you as a student moving into your major?  How might one or both these abilities be relevant to you after you graduate?

 

Section D Guidelines

First-Year Writing Portfolio 2008-2009

 

Choose one of the following questions and compose an essay in response.  You also are asked to incorporate an appropriate image into this essay, an image that relates to some specific detail of your topic and that appears with a caption and reference.  Please choose your image with care or develop a photograph; any image you select should fit your context in terms of tone, formality, and evidence.  Clip art, for instance, hardly complements a serious argument.  Be sure to document the source of your image as well.

Your essay in response to this question list will be held to the same criteria for academic writing as the essays in Sections B and C. (See evaluation rubric for details.)  Composing this essay will allow you to show your ability to produce scholarly writing outside a class environment. You are encouraged to draw upon the many resources available to you as a scholar. For example, you may choose to conduct research and include outside source material in your essay; consult with a Writing Center tutor; attend workshops to strengthen your skills in particular areas; or all of the above.

Question 1:

The way in which our nation views privacy rights has been challenged through tragic events as widely different as the deaths at Virginia Tech and acts of international terrorism. Since 9/11, what some people might consider adequate security measures, others might call the actions of a "police state."   Our citizens live in considerable tension between the desire for security and the traditional rights to privacy. 

The recent introduction of "body scanners" in ten of the busiest airports in the U. S. (Frank) has intensified the debate about privacy rights and security.  While the inadequacy of current TSA security practices is cited on the one hand, privacy rights advocates object to the invasiveness of these body scanners.  For instance, the ACLU issued the following statement:

The TSA's announcement, as reported today by USA Today, that it will be expanding the use of whole body scanning machines to 10 airports, is a disappointing confirmation of our warnings against expansion of this virtual strip search.  Body scanners produce graphic images of travelers' bodies and are an assault on their essential dignity.  The safeguards announced by the TSA do not convince us that the technology is acceptable, and we question the supposed voluntary nature of these scanners.  Ultimately, we question whether the security value of these scanners is proportional to the cost to flyers' dignity and privacy, and whether they are the right priority for TSA.  

Compose an essay that makes an argument about your point of view about a citizen's right to privacy and security. For example, what might you say about your own rights? What would you argue about the expansion of this security machine to rail stations and court houses? 

Take a clear position, using examples from (documented) research or from your own observation and experience, and including an image that supports or illuminates your argument.

Question 2:

The recent mortgage crisis in the U. S. and the world has had a powerful effect on the access many domestic consumers have to credit.  Among these consumers are college students whose initial or continued enrollment depends upon access to student loans.  Last summer Congress acted to increase the student access to credit, easing the concern of students and higher education institutions alike about student enrollment.  This "five-year reauthorization of the Higher Education Act" by Congress includes a demand for more extensive reporting about college and university tuition, financial aid, and enrollment (Kane)—as part of an effort to reduce the astronomical increase in the expense of higher education.  The excerpt from The Chronicle of Higher Education below addresses the problem of access by raising the larger question about the connection between education and "national liberty."   

America's historical commitment to the education of its citizens is perhaps the most important link in the unbroken chain of our national obligation to justice, synonymous with national liberty. But today the burden of paying for higher education has shifted to students and families -- and that burden weighs most heavily on poor students and poor families. The poor are subject to a narrowing set of higher-education options, coupled with greater debt and higher rates of academic failure than their more-affluent peers.

In 2006 a nonpartisan panel advising Congress estimated that in the 1990s, nearly a million to 1.6 million low- and moderate-income high-school students who were academically qualified to attend four-year colleges and wanted to enroll did not proceed to earn their bachelor's degrees. The panel, predicting that as many as 2.4 million students would follow the same unfortunate path in this decade, concluded, "These bachelor's degree losses are an unmistakable signal that our nation has yet to make the full investment in student aid necessary to secure our economic future -- a dire warning that we are requiring millions of students to mortgage their future and ours as well." Just last month, the panel updated its prediction to as many as 3.2 million students.  (DiFeliciantonio)

Compose an argumentative essay reflecting your interpretation of the relation of justice and liberty to education, especially higher education.  Is the access to higher education solely the responsibility of an individual and his or her family or should it be undertaken as a responsibility on a broader scale?  Articulate your position on these questions, using your own experience or appropriate research.  Please include an image that supports or illuminates your argument.

 

Question 3

The United States consumes about 20.6 million barrels of oil a day. About 60 percent is imported. That's well above the 35.8 percent that was imported in 1975, when President Ford, and later President Carter, put their political weight behind comprehensive energy legislation. (Lightman)

The cost of oil in the global marketplace and the dependency of the U. S. economy on oil-based energy to function have catapulted both presidential candidates into taking formal positions on reducing oil consumption—in part by embracing new fuel sources and fuel technologies. Even oilman T. Boone Pickens has made a plan for wind power.  Thus, reduction of American energy consumption and development of alternative technologies--especially solar, wind, and bio-fuel energy—are part of the national vision for solving our energy crisis. 

In an argumentative essay, investigate, select and propose one of the alternative energy technologies as a part of the solution to our national energy crisis.  Which alternative technology offers the most feasible solutions to the broadest needs for power and fuel?  Offer a clear proposal for your selected energy source—and include an image that supports or illuminates your argument..

 

Works Cited

American Civil Liberties Union.  "ACLU Statement on Body Scanning Machines." (June 6, 2008) 6 August 2008.  http://www.aclu.org/privacy/gen/35558prs2080606.html.

 

DiFeliciantonio, Richard G.  "America's Damaging Lack of Investment in Higher Education."  Chronicle of Higher Education (June 27, 2008) 54.42:  A31-A32.  6 August 2008.  http://wf2dnvr8.webfeat.org/lcmQK11/url=http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=17&sid=8eb13e29-548d-428c-9374-2c1051e40460%40sessionmgr8&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=32993550

 

Frank, Thomas. "10 Airports Install Body Scanners."  USA Today  (June 6, 2008).  6 August 2008.  http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights2008-06-05-bodyscan_N.htm. 

Kane, Paul.  "House, Senate Pass Overhaul of Higher Education Programs."  The Washington Post (August 1, 2008) A3.  6 August 2008.  http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1522968531&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=30240&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Lightman, David.  "Obama, McCain Offer Very Different Energy Plans." McClatchy.  July 10, 2008.  6 August 2008.  http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/43652.html

 

First Year Portfolio Assessment

Scoring Guide--June 2009

 

Essays in Sections B, C and D

	1  Unacceptable	2  Approaches expectations	3   Meets expectations	4  Exceeds expectations
Central Argument	No clear central argument or focus for essays.	Unclear and/or multiple ideas competing for the focus of essays.	Student has sense of a central argument; could use further clarity, focus or complexity.	Clear, precise, complex central argument or focus.
Purposeful Organization	No clear organizational structure; essays difficult to follow.	Organizational structure is weak or inconsistent, often missing connections between and among ideas.	Organizational structure is present, though it may not seem well informed; needs stronger connections between ideas.	Essay makes purposeful connections between ideas; progresses clearly from beginning to end.
Relevant & Specific Evidence	Does not include evidence to support ideas/opinions; relies on faulty reasoning or inappropriate sources to support points.	Uses some evidence to support ideas; much is acontextual and not connected to the argument; weak sources or reasons to support points.	Student includes appropriate evidence to support points; might rely heavily on block quotes or  excessive quotation in place of student's analysis.	Strong use of evidence (sound reasoning or use of sources); if sources are used, they are well integrated with student's ideas.
Citation and Documentation	Outside sources not cited or not cited correctly within and at the end of the text.	Inconsistent citation of sources within the text; over-reliance on quotations; absences of writer's ideas and voice.	Consistent citation of sources, though the writer could continue to work on integrating her own voice into essays.	Consistent citation of sources; writer is comfortable processing and making connections between sources and her own writing.
Editing, Mechanics, and Correctness	Poor mechanics that distract the reader; sentence-level problems that make comprehension of ideas difficult.	Essays contain consistent mechanical errors; some sentences  difficult to follow because of wording.	Some errors in mechanics, but they seem random; most sentences are clear and well-formed.	Few errors in mechanics; demonstrated editing abilities; sentences are clear and well-formed.
Overall Critical Thinking in argument, perspective, details, layout,  and multimedia uses	Essays do not demonstrate complex thinking; little awareness of audience, purpose and context is evident.	Inconsistent evidence of complex thinking; inconsistent attention to audience, purpose, and context.	Some evidence of complex thinking; demonstrated awareness of the audience, purpose, and context for essays.	Consistent demonstration of complex thinking and reasoning abilities; clearly writes for the appropriate audience, purpose, and context.

 

(see other side of page)

Reflective Letter, Section A

Structure	Letter has no clear structure or progression.	Letter has a sense of structure, but tends to wander, or fails to address some questions.	Letter is structured by questions without connections between.	Letter is structured around student-determined content/theme from start to finish.
Tone (moderately informal, candid, written in first-person singular).	Student adopts tone inappropriate to guidelines.	Tone is inconsistent.	Tone is largely consistent, with occasions of inappropriate informality or over-formality.	Tone is consistently appropriate
Selection and Rationale for Essay Choices; Critical Thinking	No evidence for selection of essays or choosing the writing prompt; little to no critical commentary	Some marginal reasoning for selecting assignments and including them in the portfolio; surface level critical commentary.	Clear reasons for including essays in the portfolio; evidence of ability to think critically about her own writing.	Smart reasons for including the essays in the portfolio; connections between writings show critical reflection on her own work.
Realistic Self-Assessment and Articulation of  Future Writing Contexts	Student cannot articulate development in her own writing or a plan for future improvement.	Only surface- level improvements noted; few or unrealistic plans for future development.	Student articulates some realistic improvements and a reasonable plan for future development.	Student notes improvements and develops a thoughtful plan for continued development.

 

Other comments about the portfolio	Recommended workshops
Section B       Section C         Section D	___ Thesis development   ___ Incorporating evidence   ___ Citation / documentation   ___ Organization / structuring   ___  Copy-editing (note specific issues)   ___________________________   __________________________
Reflection, Section A

 

Assessment:              Pass (note if marginal)        Resubmit

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