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My plans to develop & strengthen my skills for my Becoming a Teacher Advocate essay writing are to work on my grammar and punctuation review. When I'm writing papers I write what comes to my mind and sometimes I type really fast and have simple typos that could be fixed if I reviewed my paper carefully after being done. Another plan I would do is to explore more on the ECU library website for scholarly journals instead of searching for websites with information relating to the topic. Scholarly journals are more credible and hold more information than websites although finding a good scholarly journal could be a challenge which is why I always have preferred websites. Having a paper filled with credible information and good grammar and punctuation could boost the grade I received on the BTA papers.

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I have a few plans laid out to better develop and strengthen  my future Becoming a Teacher Advocate essay sections. I recently found out how to search the library website for scholarly articles, and found a few that will help support my claims and proposed reform. I printed them out and highlighted the sections/quotes that I think will be useful.

I also sit down and write my first draft all in one go, and then I step away from the essay for at least a day. I come back the next day with fresh eyes and re-read what I wrote, looking for any grammatical or syntax errors, as well as paying attention to the flow. I look to see if any of what I wrote doesn't seem to fit together, or would be better placed in a different area of my writing.

The last thing that I do/did was take copious amounts of notes on the "questions" worksheets that Professor Harris assigned us as participation elements from the previous modules. I answered the questions asked, but I also added anything that I thought might be useful for my essay and included my thoughts about why it would useful. I use these for my own information to help me map out my ideas and make connections between the text and my proposed reform. I plan to continue doing this for subsequent sections of the essay.

-Sara Basham

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I know that I need to work more on my writing skills. I need to focus more on my punctuation. I need to really feel confident about where I am placing my quotes from author's. I think I have always struggled with this. After I finish writing making sure , that what I am writing makes sense. When it comes to my Teacher Advocate paper  I really to talk about issues that I am actually facing in my school. I will research some materials from the textbook or online.

I need to work on sequencing as well. I tend to begin all my thoughts on the right track in the beginning of whatever I am writing. Then the middle part I will start talking again about whatever it is in the first part again. I feel like I want to get my point across, even though it may sound like I am all over the place. What I have always done was to first write a rough draft of everything and then I can see errors or mistakes that I may have made, before presenting my work. This has helped me along the way before I will continue to write my rough drafts and check my spelling of words. My biggest thing is my paper making sense.

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I've put together a few plans to help strengthen my Becoming a Teacher Advocate essays. I have found that it is very helpful to read every chapter for the current module in it's entirety before beginning each section of the essay.

I also make sure to complete my participation elements to better understand the information for each module. I usually do the worksheets after I complete all assignments but prior to writing. The prompts really assist with brainstorming ideas and with the research portion for my essay. The worksheets in particular have been extremely helpful in gathering my thoughts and the structure of my essay. I plan to continue using these steps for the rest of the sections of Becoming a Teacher Advocate.

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I have a couple thoughts in mind to help better develop and strengthen my writing for the BTA essay assignments. The first thing is to work on my organization. I will focus on this area because I was deducted a few points for poor organization in the introduction essay. I will give extra attention to making sure the paper flows smoothly and logically.
The second thing I will do is be more clear and direct with what I say. I did not definitively state my reform like I needed to in the opening section of the BTA assignment. I will work on not "beating around the bush" and saying exactly what I want to in clear terms so that the reader of my essay knows exactly what I am trying to say.
I also will continue to put a lot of effort and thought into the participation elements for the module relating to each BTA section. Doing so will greatly strengthen my writing because I am doing a lot of the research at that point which I can use to make my assertions stronger. It is helping develop my writing because I research with a more critical eye as I look for ways to help build the argument I am trying to make.

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My plan is to reach out and get a better understanding of the paper and it's expectations. I feel as if I am missing something even when I am following the rubric and I do not know what it is. I am not sure if it's organization, understanding the concept, or if it's research. I am struggling on my papers and I am typically a very good writer. ECU has a set of it's own expectations on how research papers should be done and my plan is to study those expectations more in order to meet them.

As far as my writing I can always grow and become better. However, my biggest problem is understanding the expectation of our research papers.

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As part of strengthening my BTA essay, I will re-read the module for each section to ensure that I address all elements of the participation grade in their entirety. More specifically, I need to make sure I am answering direct questions included in the participation element. I will continue to do this with all future sections of my BTA essays.

I use the questions for review worksheet to help guide my writing, which usually helps me stay focused on the specific topic of the BTA section. I plan to continue using the questions for review worksheets as a guide, but will also pay closer attention to participation elements in an effort to reinforce the reform I am advocating for, thus the overall essay. Reading what has worked for you all who have posted has really helped a lot as well.

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There are a few things I would like to do with the next part of the BTA Essay to strengthen my writing. First, I would like to do a better job of including my research in my essay. I have been able to find good sources for my research, but I haven't been including information from these sources effectively in my writing. Second, I would like to make my writing a little more clear. Sometimes I feel like my essays are a bit cluttered. This time, I am going to spend more time proofreading my work to make it a little easier to read. Finally, I plan to do a better job of highlighting why my reform needs to be made. I don't feel like I've done a good enough job explaining why my reform needs to be made. I plan to do a better job of focusing on my reasons in the Philosophy section.

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In order to improve my writing in my BTA paper, I must start carefully looking at the rubric before and after completing my paper. I need to start "grading" my own paper with the rubric prior to turning it in. I am also going to start asking members of my family to proof read my paper. Two sets of eyes are better than one and when you're looking at one thing for too long, you are less likely to notice the mistakes. I am also going to refer back to the APA resources in Canvas more frequently in an attempt to avoid formatting errors. I also think that I am going to start with drawing out a plan or rough draft of how I want my papers to be structured. This will help my writing become more organized. I will use these techniques listed above in an attempt to strengthen my writing.

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To strengthen my writing, I think I need to slow down when reading the chapters for the section and focus on the word and lesson in its entirety. I tend to rush and try to get things done before my kids are climbing all over me. Another plan of mine is to support my writing with strong information and make sure that I write my references correctly. I also need to read the rubric more carefully and make sure I understand what the rubric is asking.

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One thing that I know I need to work on in my writing is, I need to be better organized with what I want to say in my writing and actually getting those words on the page without giving too much information. I also need to start creating a rough draft of my BTA sections where I just put what ever comes to mind on the document and then go back and edit it from there.

Something I did on this module that has helped my understanding of the content a lot is taking notes of the lectures rather than just listening and answering the questions.  I also have been making sure that I give myself enough time to complete the participation elements instead of leaving them to the last second and having to rush through them. This has given my the ability to take my time and do my best work.

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When I am writing, research and support for my claims is something that I struggle with. I need to look more deeply into my resources and ensure that they are correctly conveying the point I am trying to make. I could also spend more time writing commentary to show my understanding of the topic. I also plan to look more closely at the rubric for the next few sections of our paper, lately I feel like I am not putting in as much quality content as I should be. It is reflected in my grade. I hope to work harder and do better on this next section!

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When I am writing, I tend to feel as though I am rushing through the section and not giving it much thought. I think that if I were to plan out what I am going to write and take my time, I would write a whole lot better.

I also tend to look over many grammatical errors in my writing which can cause a whole bunch of confusion, I plan to read over my sections and double check for any errors that I have made throughout each section.

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My plans to strengthen my writing for my BTA paper are to do a lot more editing. I need to have someone look over it and read it for me. I have also not written a paper in APA format in probably three years, so getting back in to that has been super hard and confusing, coming from years of only writing in MLA format. I also need to find other reputable sources than just our textbook to use. I am also struggling with writing enough with this paper, which is usually not the case for me, so I need to go back with my editing and add more content to get my word count higher. I also need to read the rubric more closely before I begin each section, as to get a better sense of what it is asking.

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I know that I need work with connecting my reform to the education of today. I also need to work on how I write and cite my work. I am trying to get more help and take more time to edit and review my work to check for mistakes. I need help with understanding exactly what is expected in my paper, so I know that I need to communicate more with the teacher. I can also try outsourcing for help. Needless to say I need a lot of help.

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I plan to develop and strengthen my future BTA essay writing by thoroughly researching topics via the internet that are aligned with the concept of each chapter. I  plan to synthesize the information which I gather from my research in a deeply detailed manner. I  hope to contribute new findings from my research and to be able to pose new ideas. I aim to awaken awareness in my reading audience of the issue that I am advocating reform for. I plan to compile a variety of arguments and oppositions as it relates to my reform and write about them to reflect an evolving, continuum platform on which my reform rests. In light of my reform issue, I plan to write an essay that will mobilize my reform by paying attention to the rubric . The rubric gives it the wheels and navigation upon which the essay needs to demonstrate the depth and detail of my topic. All good journeys are accompanied by maps, which is where researching and synthesizing information guides my advocacy for reform. I plan to use my references and practice writing a draft for APA in-text citation, and reference list on a blank word doc before submitting my final APA format.

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I need to work on making sure I have the correct APA documentation and formatting within my paper. I need to make flashcards like I did back in highschool to organize my thoughts and ideas. There are so many things that I want to put in my paper that my mind gets so jumbled up it is hard to organize my thoughts and information on paper. I am struggling with some confusion on details within the BTA paper, I need to go back and watch the videos and slideshow again and this time take thorough notes with details and descriptions for the requirements in each paragraph.

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My plans to strengthen  my writing for my BTA paper is to do more research. I have found some new articles through the
ECU online library that will help support my reform. I will also be more careful with APA formatting. I have never done a paper using this format so I am making a few mistakes. I am also going to try and be more in depth with my writing. I am struggling with reaching the minimum word requirement. I need to review my essay and then add more supporting evidence to help with the length of my paper. I have started writing my paper earlier in the week to help give me more time to polish the final draft.

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I believe that by using my plans for the BTA section 2 I was able to strengthen my writing. I used a new scholarly source for my essay that I had not previously used, and I think it helped add value to my discussion in the paper.

I also utilized my plan to step back from the essay for a bit once I had completed it. I was not able to step away for a full day this time due to family obligations, but I was able to step away for a few hours. When I came back to re-read my essay I noticed a few grammatical errors to correct. I also noted that a few areas of my essay would flow better if I moved them to a different section. By stepping away I was able to come back and re-read with fresh eyes/a fresh mind and I think that helped strengthen my paper.

The notes I took on my "questions" worksheet also helped me to remember the thoughts I had that I believed could be important to my essay. While writing I also realized that not all the notes I took actually fit well in my essay and I was able to cut those thoughts from the essay.

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Having submitted my section on philosophy, I feel like I accomplished quite a bit. I feel as if I developed my writing well. I think that it addresses each part of what the rubric and instructional video guided us to deal with. I think anyone who reads it could clearly understand my assertions and explanation as to how my reform - eliminating homework from schools - is a type of reform that fits the progressivism philosophy. I think I was able to do a better job with organizing my thoughts which was something I wanted to improve with this essay. I gave intentional effort towards stating my self directly in the essay. I think I accomplished a more clear argument. I proofread my paper a couple times before submitting it so I feel okay to say that I accomplished a grammatically correct essay with few minimal errors. I also feel confident in how I used my research. I think I effectively used what I learned about progressivism to explain how my reform is exemplary of it. I also feel like I accomplished a very thorough analysis because my final word total was much higher than the rubric said we had to reach. I also feel like I accomplished good research through the participation elements which strengthened my writing a great deal.

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After receiving the feedback from the first part of my essay, I knew that I needed to work on a lot of different things. First off, I would like to strengthen my use of words/the type of words I use and the context in which I use them. It will help me if I do a better job focusing on the exact subject matter. Sometimes I am bad to run a rabbit trail when writing papers and most times it gets me in trouble haha... I need to communicate better with Dr. Harris to ensure that what I am writing is what needs to be done.

-Austin Cooke

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In writing section two of the Becoming a Teacher Advocate paper, I believe that I made some good improvements. I feel more confident in this section, than any other section I have submitted so far. In this section I felt that my writing was a lot more organized and my research better supported my claims. This is because I wrote down the main topics that I needed to cover in my writing. I also studied the rubric closely before and after writing the essay. I am looking forward to seeing how I score on this section.

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I have put a great deal of time into researching a multitude of resources related to my topic of the proposed reform. I have become increasingly knowledgeable of the issues around my reform. I have written my essay providing many details of the issues surrounding my reform and also providing relatable conceptual beliefs of my chosen philosophy. I was able to contribute to bringing awareness about the degree to which many people in the US feel there is a need for improving education as it relates to my reform. I was able to cite many concerns which continue to threaten our educational system as noted by my chosen philosophy. I was able to link an article from my other class, ELEM 2123, which shed light on an important need for school reform. I merged this idea into my topic of reform since it paralleled with hopeful outcomes of my reform. I remained focused by diving deeply into various concepts of my chosen philosophy as it aligns with my reform and was careful to keep the rubric centered in my mind as I delivered content from my researched resources.

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For my BTA section on Philosophy I found 2 new articles to use to support my reform. I also spent time adding more details to my paper which helped me reach the necessary word count easier. I pulled up the document on APA formatting and used it while I was writing my paper. I think these tips helped me strengthen my paper. I also took very detailed notes on the worksheets we were given this week, which helped me organize my paper.

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So some of the accomplishments I think that I made on my essay this time is I paid more attention to my sources of where I got my information. I also worked on my citation, and I tried to find more supporting information to support my philosophy.  I also used one of the activities that we had to do as a reference tool to help me lay out my essay. Hopefully, I will make a great grade on this one. Can't wait to write the next essay and to use all the skills that I learned in this essay in the next

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My accomplishments for this section in the Philosophy Section of the BTA essay were using scholarly journals and paying close attention to my grammatical errors. I downloaded Grammarly to my computer to fix all grammatical and punctuations error. I even finished my essay a day in advance to have time to review any errors I may have missed. Writing is not one of my strong skills but I learned that being well detailed and organized helps the paper flow better. I read a scholarly journal related to my topic and it gave me information on real-world and situational events that the website would not have provided.

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I struggled writing this paper and understanding the expectations of the paper. However, through research and time with our professor I was able to come to point where I could begin writing the paper with little issues and more confidence. In the future my paper will be more researched based and clear on my points.

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I feel extremely accomplished in the overall approach and knowledge I have acquired from the beginning of this essay. When this assignment was first assigned I was very confused in the overall goal of this paper. I wrote my introduction and had no idea where I was going with my paper and what the purpose was of what I was writing. I swallowed my pride and reached out to Dr. Harris for help. After 2 separate conferences with her it all clicked with me and I now know exactly what to do, and the direction in which to take my BTA essay.

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I think I was able to strengthen my BTA section 2 essay by working hard to expand in greater detail the questions for review worksheet. I referred to it often to ensure I was answering the questions being asked. I feel it kept my thoughts better organized as well. Along with this, I took the time to print physical copies of my sources to better analyze and dissect the information presented. This further allowed me to amass my understanding of the sources I chose to incorporate within my essay, thus allowing me to better construct a concise and informative essay.

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Right now as I am writing this , I have my Bachelors and I have obtained my Master's. I am clearly missing the mark somewhere. Rewriting papers seems to not be making any difference. As a teacher, teaching I have to reflect is it me? All I am going to do is to continue what I have been doing . I will not doubt myself. I have come to far in my education.

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My writing plans are to review everything from past courses that I have taken. I know that I need to review citing authors. I also just need to get all my information in order. from beginning, middle and end so that it will all make sense.

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Planning on ways to strengthen and develop my BTA paper has become quite the chore.
Initially I was struggling with providing the appropriate citations, especially for paraphrased material.  To be perfectly honest, I'm still struggling with citations...stressing is more like it!!
The second and major area of concern is justifying the educational philosophy and supporting information/data to support my reform!  I'm quite optimistic that there is information out there.....somewhere, but even my local research librarian had a trying time securing information.  Admittedly, I've wasted a considerable amount of time considering a new topic...
Woe is me