I could start this paper talking about all the challenges I had to face when I started this course and how successful or not I was. I could point out the fact that I was too comfortable in one style and that I was reluctant to try new paths. I could talk for hours about the fact that I have learned that I have to pay extra attention to details and improve my accuracy. I could do all of this but I choose not to. Instead of describing how I managed to overcome these language challenges, I would like to talk about what really changed my writing experience. Process writing.
When process writing was first introduced to our course we were all thrilled by the idea of not facing that terrifying moment of handing in blindfolded. We were never sure what to expect from the feedback we would receive from our teachers. We spent anguishing hours trying to work out corrections made by our teachers without being able to understanding what had gone wrong. Process writing gave us a chance of getting a second opinion before handing in and also, a chance of being a second opinion. We learned to learn not only what we were told to learn but also learned to discover things on our own. For the first time, we were also in charge of our learning process.
Although peer feedback sessions were helpful and changed the way in which I was used to learning writing skills, I believe that what was really a breath of fresh air was the last stage in process writing. Publishing made a difference in the quality of our pieces. We were not writing for ourselves and for a grade, we were now writing for a real audience with a real purpose. This meant an extra pressure for me, but also made the process more exciting and encouraging. We were given a voice, an opportunity to make our writing tasks meaningful and interesting. I believe this became essential to the way in which we decided to approach our writing tasks.
All in all, this course gave me a new understanding of what writing means. Perhaps, I will still misspell “believe” or use the wrong collocation every now and then, but what I will never forget is the importance of being aware that what we write is important and hence, we should give meaning to our pieces. I am fully convinced that I leave this course with an extremely valuable tool that will help me carry on the process I have started this year and that will probably never end.
I'd like to share a presentation I prepared for IT studies on Process Writing