This post is a reflection of the past Unit 1 in ENGL Technical Writing. I will be discussing the phases of creating definitions for the term ‘Periodontium,’ peer reviewing another teammates definition, and editing my final assignment.
In the first step of the assignment, choosing and creating the term for the definitions assignment was very thought-provoking. I strived to choose a term that was intricate and informative to the peer reviewer. The term ‘periodontium’ was chosen because as a dental hygienist, I understood it well and there was a good chance that it was new to the team. It challenged me to simplify and find a fluent way to describe it so that the peer reviewer would be comfortable using this in day-to-day life. In choosing which definitions to use under the expanded definitions to make it flow nicely went easier than I expected as I already had it in my mind that I wanted to capture all areas of the periodontium. The tricky part was define it in a couple sentences or less. I love how with one simple word so much thought can be put into making it universal for readers.
The peer review process was the most uncomfortable for me. I didn’t want to be too direct and yet as to the point as possible. In the past, I have found it difficult to find fault in people’s writing; and further, my teammates definitions was well written. It made me reread the textbook to analyze and compare the definitions in a new way. After reading the definitions out loud, I did find a couple small errors in the sentence structure. As the course goes on, I believe, that peer reviewing will become easier as I practice my writing skills. I have already found that they are improving.
With all the great feedback from my peer reviewer and professor, editing was enjoyable. I like how illuminating peer reviewing is on personal writing compared to reading it yourself, which makes it difficult to see the mistakes. Even with proof reading the definitions, once I had the feedback I could see clearly how to make the definitions flow nicely. I see now the importance of the peer review process and am excited to grow with this experience as the course progresses.
Alanna’s Revised ENGL 1:3-Definition of ‘Periodontium’
Brendan Chan’s Peer Review for Alanna’s Definition of ‘Periodontium’
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