For the Social Media Project, I tried incorporating my sources in a better way than I have done in the past. I’ve never really had a problem with using sources, but in this class I’ve learned that I can do a much better job of integrating them. One of my focuses in this paper was trying to use both sources evenly, so that it didn’t seem like I just threw one in to meet the requirement. If I could, I used both boyd and Greenfield in one claim/paragraph. I felt as though having both people back up my claims made them stronger. As I was doing this, I realized I needed to make my words and thoughts more apparent. I was so focused on my sources, that they drowned out my thoughts. During the revision stage, I really tried to add more of my own thoughts and ideas to make sure the reader know that I backed up my claims. I found They Say, I Say to be very helpful. I used a few of the templates to introduce quotes and the naysayer. I find these templates very helpful and they also spark new ideas of how to word different pieces of writing. Overall, I think I have done a great job of integrating sources into my paper!
This prewriting activity helped me when I started my draft! I’m glad we had to come up with a working thesis, because I ended up changing it a few times and it really helped me base my paper of a main idea. I also like how we used the different colored pens to show my claims and evidence from the readings. This helped me find evidence easier than normal!
