Hi all!
It is hard to believe that the semester is close to an end and so is the technical writing course. It has been a fun filled writing experience till date. The reflection writing is a great way to sit back and reflect on my strengths and weaknesses I discovered during this course. It was similar to reinventing myself. I am confident enough to say that I have come a long way from meek writing to bold and objective writing.
Writing a formal report draft for the first time has boosted my confidence in writing. Brainstorming for a formal report proposal topic was a challenge in itself. Since it is one of the major assignments of the course, I am inclined towards giving my best. Preparing a draft, conducting surveys and interviews seemed like a major operation that I am solely in charge of and responsible for. It felt great to conduct research on a relevant topic/problem in my field. The in depth analysis of the problem, proposed solution, inquiry methods and scopes, data collection and recommendations were all pieces of a puzzle waiting to be put together. In the beginning, it seemed overwhelming but with time and Professor Paterson’s advice through her instructor’s blog, it started to make sense and fall in place.
Writing with YOU attitude was a major learned writing skill in this unit. Never before could I think that the YOU attitude changes the meaning as whole and it is so important to prioritize the reader’s feelings. It is actually a very polite and professional way of writing. The basis of the formal report writing is YOU attitude since I am writing it for my readers to read and act on. While the problem is put forth by the writer for the readers to take action, the YOU attitude helps to remind them that the taking action will actually benefit the readers, not the writers. Using this method in peer review has helped me feel very comfortable in providing feedback to my team members.
I had the opportunity to peer review my team member Priyanka Patel’s formal report draft. The topic she has chosen is very interesting and applicable to me as we both are dental hygienists and the topic discusses the musculoskeletal disorder in dental hygienists and prevention strategies. Recalling my first ever peer review in this course makes me feel proud of myself because I was not as open with my suggestions then as I am now. I have gained a deeper insight about the purpose of peer review and how giving a constructive feedback actually helps you in the long run. Reviewing someone’s writing actually gives the reviewer an opportunity to explore the various writing techniques and styles of the writer. All in all, this unit has moved me up another step by exposing me to a variety of assignments and various writing challenges.
301-T-Atwal-Formal.Report.Draft