Jon's Excellent Adventure - an ePortfolio

My first English course since high school has been quite a challenge. Having graduated in 2003 and moved on to full-time adult life, including marriage, divorce, military service, and raising a son changed my mental dynamic. This course forced me to not only re-learn basic essay skills, but also to change writing habits and styles on demand. The obstacles placed in my way varied from analytical thinking to a timed writing assignment to group discussions; I found myself transitioning from editing a team member’s paper to writing a blog post and varying my writing style accordingly. To those who have not attempted this, I bear words of caution: this is not as simple as it sounds!

For example, “you”, “yourself”, and “your” have been my mortal enemies for the last two months. With the exception of this letter addressed to my readers and future admirers, the use of “you language” has been withheld from my vocabulary by threat of poor grades. Though some may view this as borderline fanaticism, this rule alone has enabled me to become a better, more analytical writer; no small feat, as I've never considered myself as a writer, let alone a good one. This aspect, coupled with an idea I will remember forever are the two biggest influences introduced by this course.

Wrap your head around the following, and ask yourself if this sentiment makes more sense than anything you've seen on television lately: Humans are “looking to be told what group they belong to, then once they do that, they want to know, 'What are the rules?'”. Wow! No one but David Berreby, the author of some required reading, could have captured such a simple truth and slapped me in the face with it. Berreby's, It Takes a Tribe, left a lasting mark on myself that will travel with me through life as well as influence future writing.

In fact, I was so focused on Berreby, my essay on the subject of community completely wandered off prompt. However, the synthesis and analytical thinking exhibited in my community essay, Leaders are Essential, saved my grade. Another essay of interest, my timed writing assignment, Red Lobster, was the piece which I'd wanted to revise the most; I finally have that satisfaction. Two more pieces showcase my tongue-in-cheek writing style and general disregard for academic writing; Capital One IS in my wallet, but only from time-to-time, my first blog post and And that's the way it was..., my first forum post both grant readers an insight into the depths that are Jon. This e-portfolio displays my best analytical writing, the essay most likely to warrant revision, an example of writing for a specific audience, and a writer’s choice piece, and marks the completion of my journey through this rocky, online terrain. In the end, I feel I've reached the summit, only to find another, taller peak.

This “Excellent Adventure”, so profound that the phrase deserves to be capitalized, demanded the best of myself. Finally, during the twilight of the course I am to share that bit of me; these wanderings are Jon's greatest hits, and I hope you enjoy reading them more than I did writing them.

Best Regards,
Jon