Reflective Post #8: Revising, Brainstorming, and Portfolio Planning

Recently, I have spent much of my time at my internship working with other members of the curriculum development team revising presentations, brainstorming, and discussing my options for my final portfolio. This work has differed from my past projects, which mainly required independent work. When working with others in revision processes, I have had the opportunity to observe editing techniques and to see first-hand how suggested edits are incorporated into final versions of documents. When I revised text on my own in the past, I sometimes faced dilemmas regarding company format. However, working with more experienced writers has helped me to resolve these concerns and to remember important elements of grammar and format that will likely be beneficial in my work later in the semester.

Brainstorming in a professional environment is a task that is somewhat new to me. Though I have participated in brainstorming sessions in some of my professional writing and editing classes, I was still curious to see how these sessions would contribute to the production of a NW3C course. The goal of the brainstorming session I participated in was to develop an activity for a course that is currently in production. The brainstorming process was used to exchange ideas and to receive input on possible activities. After the group decided on a specific activity, we distributed the work by assigning each person a separate task. I enjoyed participating in the brainstorming group because I observed the importance of teamwork and the valuable input that each person’s perspective can make on the production of a final product.

In addition to revision, editing, and brainstorming, I have also been spending time exploring my options for my portfolio of internship materials. Since I cannot publish my materials on the Internet, I have decided to use a CD format for the presentation of my work. I am especially excited to start working on this CD because I feel that I will be able to incorporate my own creativity into the style and formatting of my portfolio. Also, it will be interesting to see how my portfolio is similar to the courses I have worked on that are also accessible in CD format. As I will be working with NW3C staff members to create the portfolio, it will be interesting to learn about the programs used to create CDs and to gain experience in this area.