To my surprise, I actually really enjoyed this assignment. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved a good challenge. So this project was exactly that!

For starters, I am computer challenged. I don’t know why, but sometimes I just have the hardest time with doing more than the bare minimum on the computer. When I saw this assignment was a website and immediately panicked. Once I understood the assignment, I went and made a “trial website” with a different email and web address. I did this so I had another place to work on becoming familiar with the website and if I messed up or accidently deleted something, it didn’t really matter. I think this was very beneficial for myself. I was able to remain more calm and motivated through out the project unlike in projects in the past (aka Powtoon).

The next obstacle that was at hand was reducing the amount of words and turning them into visuals. I think this was one of my stronger areas, because I had made an outline before writing the paper, so I was able just to use the wording on my outline. I also did a little extra reading and researching in order to obtain more visual elements to get my point across. Overall, I feel that this was the part of the project where I felt most confident.

This process really reminded me of the synthesis essay. I didn’t necessarily have to include visuals in that particular paper, but I had to juggle many different elements into one project. For example, in the synthesis essay, I had multiple texts, an audience and a different type of structure to consider. Likewise, the multimodal assignment had the same set of issues plus a few more. With careful planning and self pacing, I was able to grasp the project and complete it with only one meltdown. I think that just like how I learned from the Powtoon how to address this project, I learned from this project how to tackle a future assignment. A part from actually composing the paper/multimodal, I think I finally understand how to arrange evidence and stay organized in my papers. In addition, I believe that I have a better handle on how to address the different audiences I may have to conform my paper to entertaining.

I say all of this to come to the final point that it is important to have an element of creative writing through out academic papers. Time and time again, I read over my friends’ essays (I’ve been titled editor of the friend group) and think man this is just so traditional. I really have strived to add a since of my personality to my papers, without it being to evident and non academic. I think about what I would want to read if I wasn’t writing the paper and in what way would I like to read it. All of this, I feel, is what has helped me grow as a writer and become a pro at the computer.