1. The Revision Process and Writing Reflectively

2. The Revision Process
“Revision” means “to see again,” hopefully with a new perspective provided by your peers.
Don’t be afraid to make major changes.
Think of the pieces of your essay as building blocks. You can move them around, try them in different orders until you find the one that works.
Don’t be afraid to cut. Sometimes, we have to write for a while to find the good stuff, but that means that we need to get rid of the not-so-good stuff that came first.
Don’t be afraid to add new material to your essay. If your group pointed out an area that lacked detail, you might find yourself writing new sentences, and perhaps even new paragraphs.

3. Revision Time
There is no one-size-fits-all advice about your papers, but here are some suggestions:
Work on the issues identified by your peers. Incorporate new ideas that came up during peer review.
Many drafts I looked at had uncited sources or overuse of cited sources. Work on the balance of your own words and your sources.
Other drafts I saw did not have enough sources. Remember, you must have THREE sources in the body of your paper, either direct quotes or paraphrases.
Do more research. Work on deepening your understanding of your topic.
Do more reflection. How is your experience as a member of your culture or subculture unique to you?

4. Writing Reflectively
When we reflect, we don't simply tell what happened. We also think about…
Why it happened
What patterns/attitudes influenced events
How we felt about what happened
How what happened continued to affect us
How what happened fits into the "big picture" of human experience
And, of course, what we learned/realized

5. Tips for writing reflectively:
Be honest. Don't worry about "revealing too much." This class is a safe place to reflect and express yourself.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Good writing tends to make lots of people (including the author) uncomfortable. Work through your discomfort and see what you end up with.

6. Writing Reflectively in Essay 1
Choose one or two of the personal events, examples, or circumstances you're going to talk about in your essay.

7. Writing Reflectively in Your Culture and Identity Essay
Write for the time I give you about how you feel about these events, examples, or circumstances. Has your attitude changed over time? I'm not going to collect these, so don't censor yourself. Please take this seriously, though. You may find out that you have something you can go through and edit later. Write through your discomfort.