Category Archives: Unit 4

Creating a web folio is really interesting because it’s a way to differentiate myself and showcase myself and my work. Also, this web folio assignment is a very nice way to summarize what was learned in this technical writing course. I’ve used UBC Blogs to host my web folio because it uses WordPress which I’m familiar with having used it before taking this course. Though I’m open and on the lookout for any other sites to host my Web Folio, so if you have any suggestions please let me know! This is my first web folio, so I’m definitely coming into this new and an open mind.

Creating parts of this web folio has been done as part of assignments in this technical writing course, so a lot of this creation is adding visuals, proof-reading past work, and adjusting my work according to peer reviews, and designing the web folio to a specific audience. In terms of an audience, it was a little bit of a challenge to pick an audience because my application package is for a job in Education, which I do enjoy. I’m also very interested in student leadership and research, so it’s hard to decide on what I should do. I ended up deciding to tailor my web folio more towards people in Education because it’s similar to student leadership in the sense that student learning is a priority. For visuals, I wanted to make my web folio, neat and simple while adding enough visuals and colour to make it stand out but not overly done to where it becomes cluttered and confusing.

Something I found interesting while creating my web folio is the parallels it shares with LinkedIn. I think LinkedIn is very structured and serves mainly to connect with others and present yourself, but with a web folio, it feels more individualized where the structure and what you want to present is entirely up to you. It’s almost as if a web folio is an expanded version of LinkedIn in some ways. Another thing that was interesting was having a resume readily available for anyone to see as part of the web folio which makes reading my resume convenient for some readers, whether they might be on their phone or unable to access PDF files. Similarly, having an application package and showcasing your best work allows readers to see your highlights and what your career intentions are while also being very personal since you’re essentially sharing your journey through blog posts and highlights.

Overall, I love the idea of having a web folio as it’s almost like creating your own story or a personal journal that expresses your thoughts, your highlights, and your aspirations. And I think having this web folio as our final assignment is a great way to end this course.

I came across ENGL 301 while looking for an online elective to take this term and this course has been my most enjoyable course so far! I enjoyed how this course strays away from English classes about analyzing literature and focuses on communication between others. Communication is such an important skill especially with how easy it is to connect with people all over the world. The assignments in this course are all applicable to daily life in the professional world so practicing all these techniques in this course benefits us all.

One strength I’ve come across is writing reflections about my work. I think self-reflection is a strength of mine because I’m usually thinking about what things I could have done better, or how these assignments benefit me in the future. There’s always a lesson to learn from past mistakes or shortcomings and by keeping an open mind and being optimistic, I feel more receptive to all feedback. And because of that, I end up having a lot to say about what I think about the course, or things that I can improve on. As a whole, self-reflection also helps me what summarize what I’ve learned so far and also allows me to put my learning into practice which is how I learn best.

That said, there’s a weaknesses that I’ve realized from going through my Evaluation Sheet and struggles I’ve had when writing assignments which is writing with a “You” attitude. Writing with a “You” attitude is a writing style that is very new to me and while I’m glad that I’ve learned this style, it is a challenge to consistently write this way. It’s difficult to consistently write this way since I have to be constantly aware of what I’m writing, keeping the “You” attitude in mind. If I lose focus during writing, this could result in a negative tone in one part of the assignment. 

Overall, what I’ve learned in this course I can take with me in the future. Whether I end up in education, student engagement, or research, I’d be practicing the writing with “You” attitude through working with people, reviewing each other’s work. And also, interacting with people through memos and emails, and writing to cater to a specific audience is something I would be practicing daily in the near future. The skills learned from creating a web folio and application package, will be very beneficial for applying to jobs, creating more application packages and to showcase myself as my career progresses. Additionally, having a LinkedIn profile makes it easier to explore new career opportunities, to build my own brand and to connect with others with similar professional interests.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this course and I am surprised with how much I’ve learned. The best part about this course was being able to put the lessons into practice which is something I feel is missing in a lot of courses I’ve taken. I’m excited to continue practicing what I’ve learned in this course in my career.