Writing across the University of Alberta (WAUA) (Journal)
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A Student’s Guide to Writing their Very First Ever Terrible Creative Nonfiction Piece
Get PDFIn this particular WRS class, students were asked to reflect on their experience of writing a piece
of creative nonfiction. Joan Nwosu showcases how writing is sometimes a struggle, with its
process often comprising various and surprising elements
Be a Realistic Walker During the Dark Time: A Mirror Dream
Get PDFJianqiao Chen’s journey into an English-language post-secondary institution began with the International English Language Testing System, otherwise known as the IELTS exam. In this story, written for WRS 101 class, Jianqiao takes the readers on his personal quest as he prepares to take the exam. Part realistic struggles, part dream, the paper shows how hard work, self-reflection and regular practice yield positive results
Alleviating the Weight of the Mind
Get PDFWritten for WRS 101, the following piece is a narrative description of an experience with writing, presented as a spoken audio and transcript. Exploring the unique effect of journaling on an unsuspecting individual shows how doubt can be overshadowed by relieving feelings without complex intervention. Beginning with a quiet moment alone, listing the many thoughts crowding one’s brain leads to the discovery of how stressful thoughts can be displaced, leading to a feeling of weightlifting of one\u27s shoulders, opening space to welcome positive, mindless perspectives of the day. Surprise and happy confusion describe theindividual’s emotions as they work through the activity, rifling through incoming thoughts and dispensing those that preceded them
Lessons on Ableism and Inclusion: A Reflection
Get PDFIn Joel Leslie’s moving and insightful reflective essay, he recounts his experiences negotiating the post-secondary system as a person with disabilities. Joel explores how internalized ableism, inclusive and accessible pedagogy, and marginalization have impacted his life as a student, and he connects these insights with academic thinking on these topics. This essay is an outstanding example of a reflection that weaves between personal and academic knowledge and leaves us better off for having taken the time to read it
Second Grade Reading Journey
Get PDFFor this assignment, students in WRS 101 were asked to write a personal narrative relating in some ways to their writing experience. Dalton Low wrote a charming story about his struggles with learning how to read texts in French. With the help of a tutor in a library, a place he found eerie at first, Dalton not only improved his reading but gained a new perspective on how learning and accepting help can lead to personal growth
TikTok is not the Only Echo Chamber: A Rhetorical Analysis
Get PDFWhat techniques do opinion columnists use to persuade us? This question is at the heart of Lauren Bayne’s rhetorical analysis of Tasha Kheiriddin’s National Post opinion piece: “We said we’d never forget the Holocaust, but Gen Z has nothing to remember.” Kheiridden argues that TikTok is undermining Gen Z’s understanding of the world, especially when it comes to historical issues like the Holocaust. As Lauren deftly points out, rather than persuading audiences who might disagree with her position, Kheiridden uses various rhetorical strategies to confirm and reinforce the opinions of her existing readers
Poetry and Enlightenment
Get PDFHaolin wrote this paper for WRS 101 class. Students were asked to write a story about a writing event that they experienced at some point in their lives. They were also asked to reflect on the social significance of that writing in terms of what it meant to them, what they had learnt from it and whether or not the event helped shape their writing in any way. Haolin chose an appealing story the time he was asked to write a poem and how relating to Edgar Allan Poe as well as having an encouraging teacher helped him overcome his lack of writing confidence
A Web of Thoughts, a Storm of Intent, a Tapestry so Resonant
Get PDFAt the end of the semester in WRS 210 Intro to Professional Communication, students are asked to reflect on what they have learned in the course. Typically, students write their reflections in academic prose but are always invited to take diferent approaches to this assignment. Diego Martinez Ortiz, a graduate student in physics, wrote his reflection in verse, a surprising and delightful choice for a scientist. Diego reflects upon his journey as a communicator and the complexity he discovered in the process of professional communication
Hamsterdammed
Get PDF“Hamsterdammed” is a clever story about writing from the perspective of an enterprising but controlling hamster named Ernest. Ernest scripts the life of a human Lucine, and Lucine’s life follows the rather dull rhythms of Ernest’s scripts until, one day, Hamsterdam’s Script Submitter fails. Ernest and Lucine both have to learn what it is like to write and live more spontaneously. Peyton Donovan wrote this story for WRS 101. This wonderfully inventive piece has some important messages about the tension between invention and structure in writing