As you look to the future and begin to think about what you would like to do as an adult, some of the most important skills that you will take with you from high school are the ability to research different topics and then use that information in composing different forms of writing. Whether you are completing an application, writing an essay, or sending a letter, your writing skills will prove instrumental as you apply for jobs or go to college or vocational school. In this module, you will learn about developing a digital portfolio for the writings you will draft throughout the course. This digital portfolio will provide you with the ability to see your growth as a writer. Then, you will review the writing and research processes to help ensure that you are adhering to proper techniques. Next, you will get to practice creating cover letters and résumés, essential components of achieving goals in both academia and the workplace.  Finally, you will create and analyze narrative writings in the form of personal essays and letters of introduction.

Getting Started

In this module, you will explore the writing process as well as the process of putting together a digital portfolio. Think for a moment about some small activity that you complete in your daily life and, jot down four to five small steps that you have to do in order to complete that activity. Why do you think process is important? What would happen if you completed the task in a different order?

Post your ideas to the discussion board. Then, return to the topic several times over the next few days to read your coursemates' posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to offer new insights, ask questions, and encourage further conversation.

 

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

anecdote	drafting	persona	salutation
annotation	editing	plagiarism	source
bibliography	enclosure	prewriting	thesis statement
body	formatting	publishing	voice
citation	heading	reflecting	Works Cited page
cover letter	hook	résumé
digital portfolio	parenthetical citation	revising