At the end of the semester, you are to hand in an EN 105 "News Literacy" portfolio. The portfolio will contain three parts: deeply revised versions of two (2) of the formal papers we have written this semester, the original (graded) versions of these two papers, and the portfolio cover letter.

The purpose of your portfolio is to present your best: the best writing you are capable of doing after a semester in EN 105, reflecting the discussions about writing we have engaged in throughout the term (demonstrating areas such as full development of ideas with appropriate supporting evidence, concise writing, grammatically correct sentence structure and punctuation) and the best critical thought on the issues of news literacy and news media, specific to the individual paper and informed by our larger discussion of news in class.

To select the papers to include in your portfolio, do not look primarily at the grade of the papers but rather at the unrealized potential of the papers. Which papers would you most like to re-engage in because you have more or different thoughts on the topics? Which papers might allow you to present your ideas differently or more effectively? Which papers give you an opportunity to revise your writing fully. If we revise to make our meaning clearer, then your choice of papers for your portfolio should be guided by the fact that you care about what you were trying to say in the paper and you want to present your message better.

The portfolio cover letter serves as your introduction to your portfolio. Therefore, in the letter, you will not only list the papers you have chosen for your portfolio but also explain why you selected them and how you have revised them for the portfolio. You may also want to address how you want me to "read" your portfolio. What should I pay particular attention to as I read your portfolio? What is the relationship between the two papers you have put in your portfolio: do they demonstrate different strengths you have as a writer or thinker? Are they complementary?We will devote the last week of class to portfolio workshops, so come to class each meeting prepared to work on your papers or to discuss your work with me about your papers. You are to hand in your portfolios to me on Monday, 4 May between noon and 1 pm.