Post 8: Pencils, Pixels, and Progress- A Term of Writing Lessons

This term has flown by through layers of knowledge, critical thinking, and self-reflection. One of the most important things I’ve learned is the value of rhetorical flexibility in academic writing. From our exploration of rhetorical situations to analyzing the importance of first-person perspective in Kate McKinney Maddalena’s essay “I Need You to Say ‘I’: Why First Person Is Important in College Writing,” I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how to tailor my voice, tone, and approach to fit the audience and purpose. For example, Maddalena’s discussion about clarifying who’s saying what by strategically using first person has changed how I approach complex arguments. When I write now, I think about how my use of “I” can clarify ownership of ideas, distinguishing my perspective from that of scholars I reference. In my essay “From Pixels to Paychecks,” I intentionally cited Brathwaite and Schreiber not just to fulfill academic requirements but to persuade readers of the credibility of my claims about the versatility of programming languages in game development. This awareness of citation as a rhetorical act, reinforced by Janice Walker’s “Everything Changes, or Why MLA Isn’t (Always) Right,” has transformed my approach to writing, teaching me that academic conventions are not rigid rules but tools to communicate effectively with specific audiences.

The least important thing we covered this term, in my opinion, was the heavy emphasis on the degrees of traditional citation formats like MLA. While I understand the necessity of following citation guidelines, I felt that certain aspects, like the need to specify publication mediums or the ongoing debates over omitting URLs, were less impactful to my development as a writer. For example, Walker’s critique of MLA’s shifting requirements, like including “print” as a medium for books, made me question whether these details truly increase the clarity of a citation or simply add unnecessary complexity. While I appreciate the logic behind citation principles, like guaranteeing access and intellectual property, the workings of these rules feel disconnected from the broader goals of academic writing. What stood out to me was not the mechanics of MLA but rather Walker’s weight on citation as a bridge between writer and audience, a way to communicate credibility and transparency.

Reflecting on this term, I see how the relationship between writing’s rhetorical nature and its technical aspects has influenced my growth. The discussions around dismantling the five-paragraph essay, for example, have been liberating. Breaking away from the fixed structures of high school writing, I now see essays as dynamic conversations with my audience, where conclusions don’t just summarize but instead suggest action, predict implications, or raise questions. These lessons have reshaped how I write and how I think about writing, making it a tool for connection, not just a task to complete. The journey has not only been about learning writing techniques but also about learning to trust my voice in academic spaces. By applying Maddalena’s and Walker’s visions, I feel better equipped to navigate the challenges of higher-level writing, and while some aspects of the course were less engaging, they still served as a reminder of the balance between sticking to conventions and embracing creativity. This balance, I believe, is the essence of academic writing, and it’s a lesson I’ll carry forward in every paper I write.