Written Communication

This section displays my ability to write effectively using correct sentence structure, revise what I have written to improve clarity and organization of my ideas, and understand who the reader is and communicate written ideas effectively to my audience. Within all writing samples that a student submits as work they need to be original, not plagiarized pieces of material, with minor or no errors in the document. Evidence Of Learning Outcome: Example 1: In my American Studies class we were given the assignment to adapt United States The Pledge Of Allegiance and write our own Pledge for our generations to respond to. The Pledge that I wrote is given below. I treasure my goals and ambitions, being able to set my sights on those things, which I desire. They are presented to me by my own ideals, deliberations, thoughts, morals and objections. The right to be able to pursue these goals should be protected by those who are the legal guardians of my peers and I. We set aside the rights to be our own people and allow our own decisions to be made. To those who hold back others and oppress them, they are to be thought of as irrelevant, and their attempts at conformity shall be rejected. Our protectors, the parents and legal guardians of the adolescents, shall praise us in our time of triumph and help us to make a better understanding on how we can do better in out times of disobedience. Instead of being lambasted for our mistakes we ask that you assist us in becoming a better person. For the rights and ideals that are needed to be kept. We shall not be asked “Why,” instead we should be asked “Why Not.” Explaining our ideas is harder to explain for those who have lost the ability to taste life from the fullest extent. Wanting to reach out and touch the world. To see everything with untainted eyes. Support us do not put the idea in our heads that our goals are off the beaten path, We will attempt to take the roads less traveled by so that once we have found what we are searching for we will then be full of pride. Help us, we need the guidance; we do not need an instruction list. If within our lifetime we are found in the times of trouble, be our pillar, be our strength, lift our head and try to relate so that our mistakes do not seem so trivial. We need a friend, a mentor, a rock; we do not want a tour guide. You were here on this earth first, you are there to steer us in the right direction please do not tell us what we need to experience. We want care, love, and compassion. We need praise, encouragement, collaboration and support. All we ask is that you do not make us loose our ideals in the shadows of high hopes you have already set for us. Children do not come with instructions; the closest thing to a set of guidelines is to ask us what do we want. We will tell you, if you are willing to listen. Take into consideration that when you were an adolescent how you felt when those around you were setting your destiny for you. We pronounce that our destiny will not be decided for us. We will walk the path in our flip-flops, baggy jeans, and t-shirts, until it is the time we decide to drive the station wagon with the simulated wood paneling on the sides. Our hair may be crazy, our jewelry may be hardware, and our nail polish may not match the rest of our outfit, but the thing is the outfit belongs to us. We own our mind; we want our outspoken ways and rebellion to make us who we are. Yield to our principles, but do not over look what we need. We will when the time comes do what is right, but we will not need you to hold our hand until that moment. Let your words of wisdom echo through the vault our minds And not be whispered into our ears. Example 2: For my senior project I created put on a series of poetry workshops for a class of middle school students at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School. Within my poetry unit I also used pieces of poetry to inspire as well as demonstrate different styles of poetry. Below is a poem I wrote in the Free Verse style. It is entitled Jump. Jump You know those thoughts that you have? Right before you do something that you know is stupid Thoughts like: “Don’t look down” “Never Look Down” “You only get frightened when you look down” Words from past experiences, Words that never lied And I was frightened when I realized I couldn’t get down from up here Without destroying my pride And I was frightened when they dared me to go up on the ledge I was frightened when they dared me to just jump off the bridge So here I am bare feet on cold hard cement My hand gripping a railing, and my heart beating fast I gawk downwards at the lake I know that in less than a minute I’ll be jumping So much is in my hands My Life is at stake Yelling below I hear the drunken calls of my frat boy friend style idiots “Jump!!!” “Woo Hoo!!!” “Come on Just Do It!!!” Yelling below they encourage me, Because I’m the only crazy one with enough guts in the group to jump I look down past my polished toes that curl in excitement and fright And I can see the lake and the bridges reflection In the afternoon sunlight The lake that was there from my childhood When the blonde haired, pigtailed, two-year old girl First learned how to swim When her mother took her floaties off and told her to “Just dive in” That summer night when the moons glow was dim and For the first time ever I had enough guts to lean in and kiss him Memories of the lake can always make me smile But not all thoughts are joyous Some are sad, And some are even vile And the happy trance that I was in has now escaped me And all I can think about looking down are “How many souls are inside of this lake’s belly?” When the ideas of Alcohol and water sports begin to disagree And the drunks that were in their happy jubilee The last line that they sputtered out to their friends was: “Hey Look At Me!!!” And what about the children’s souls who’s mothers and fathers neglected to see When “Hey Look At Me!!!” Poured from their lips They cannot hide irresponsibility spat back in their eyes When their babies are being dragged by meat hooks From the back of a patrol boat in the water The though of death crosses my mind a million times And adrenaline begins to rush my veins And I know that if I jump and Die Only happy thoughts of me shall remain There’s a rush A thrill A brush of my skin And a skill The jump from this high plateau The bound to my screaming friends below So I look down and I yell “Are you guys ready for me? I’m gonna do it, on the count of three” “One……… forget it “THREE!!!” I spread my arms, I close my eyes And I Just jump.