Part A
Reflection #7: Using GenAI When Revising
Reflection is an essential part of the learning process. It encourages us to become more self-aware about our knowledge or lack of it; it helps us remember what we have learned so we can make improvements. When we reflect, it allows us to see our growth and check our progress, which can lead to a sense of accomplishment. The journey through reflection helps to make evident what is needed to continue to grow and learn.
Assignment Focus:
In this reflection, I’d like you to analyze your practical experiences using Gen AI to refine and revise an essay.
Instructions:
Answer the following questions in a paragraph in an MLA-formatted Word document.
1. Reflect on how Gen AI changed how you perceive your writing.
2. How did Gen AI help you see your essay differently?
3. Why did you find certain recommendations more useful than others?
4. How did those changes improve your final draft?
5. In addition, reflect on how Gen AI influenced your choices in revising your work.
6. Did it suggest changes that you initially disagreed with?
7. How did you reconcile these suggestions with your own writing style and voice?
8. What aspects of the feedback resonated with you, and what aspects did you choose to modify or disregard?
9. Last, consider how useful you found using Gen AI.
10. How would your essay have differed if you had ignored the AI’s suggestions entirely?
11. What are both the strengths and weaknesses of using AI in your revisions?
12. How could these experiences inform your future writing and revision practices?
Part B
ASSIGNMENT 8.1: 📝Editing and Proofreading
Assignment Instructions
📝 Editing and Proofreading An Essay
This activity is designed to help you develop and hone your editing and proofreading skills. Too often, students confuse editing with revision. They are
not the same processes.
Editing is the process of finding minor problems with a text – problems that might easily be fixed by deleting a word or sentence, cutting and pasting a paragraph, and so on. When you edit, you are considering your reader. You might be happy with how you’ve written your paper, but will your reader find your paper clear, readable, and interesting? How can you rewrite the paper so that it is clearer, more concise, and most important of all, interesting to read? Is what you wrote unified? Coherent? Well-developed?
AI Reminder: Review the English department’s AI policy located in the syllabus and at the top of the Content area of Blackboard. AI should not be used to write any part of this assignment — I want your own thoughts.
Instructions: Steps 1-7
Step 1: Print and Annotate to Edit a Copy
· Print the error-filled essay. You MUST do this part BY HAND. (no digital annotating) Why? Because technology will show you where the errors are and show you how to fix them. We want you to learn to recognize where a problem lies the old-fashioned way and think critically about how to fix it.
· Read the entire essay once to understand the topic and tone.
Error_Filled_Technology_Essay_MLA.docx (I attached this)
Step 2: Check Spelling and Capitalization
🔍 What to Do:
· Carefully read each sentence and highlight in GREEN any words that appear misspelled.
· Look for homophones (e.g.,
your vs.
you’re,
then vs.
than).
· Make sure proper nouns and the first word of each sentence are capitalized.
Step 3: Identify Grammar and Sentence Structure Errors
🔍 What to Do:
· Carefully read each sentence and highlight any areas with these kinds of errors in YELLOW.
· Look for:
· Sentence fragments (incomplete thoughts)
· Run-on sentences or comma splices (two sentences joined incorrectly)
· Subject-verb agreement issues (e.g.,
she go →
she goes)
· Inconsistent verb tenses (e.g., mixing past and present)
· Misplaced or dangling modifiers (phrases in the wrong place)]
Step 4: Improve Clarity and Word Choice
🔍 What to Do:
· Highlight vague, informal, or awkward phrases (e.g., “like totally,” “talk good”) in BLUE.
· Identify repetitive words or phrases that could be reworded.
· Look for overly casual or slangy language inappropriate for formal writing.
Step 5: Check Tone, Point of View, Formality, Paragraph Structure, and Organization
🔍 What to Do:
· Circle any place where the tone shifts (e.g., using “you” in some parts, “people” or “we” in others).
· Eliminate slang or conversational phrases that reduce credibility.
· Ensure the tone is consistent, objective, and academic.
· Add or revise topic sentences to reflect each paragraph’s main idea.
· Add transition words (e.g., “in addition,” “however,” “for example”) for flow.
Step 6: Review Formatting and MLA Style
🔍 What to Do:
·
Now you can go digital! Open the document in Word, insert your corrections from Steps 1-6, and make MLA formatting corrections.
· Check MLA requirements:
· Name, class, date, title
· Double-spaced text, 12 pt Times New Roman font
· One-inch margins
· Indented the first lines of each paragraph
✅ Step 7: Proofread!
· Read the essay out loud or ask a peer to read it to catch missed errors.
· Check each sentence for clarity, correctness, and flow.
· Make any last adjustments before submitting.
Submit Your Work: Submit BOTH your hand-highlighted and annotated copy as a scanned PDF document or a JPEG screenshot AND your corrected and properly formatted Word document.
Submission
Text Editor
Description
This activity is designed to help you develop and hone your editing and proofreading skills. Too often, students confuse editing with revision. They are not the same processes. When you edit, you are considering your reader. You might be happy with how you’ve written your paper, but will your reader find your paper clear, readable, and interesting? How can you rewrite the paper so that it is clearer, more concise, and most important of all, interesting to read? Let’s practice ways to accomplish this.
