Connections A Hypertext Resource for Literature

Final Portfolio

The portfolio is the most important thing you will hand in for the tutorial. It should include the following elements, in this order:

  1. A retrospective statement: this will be your final written entry in your process of reflection and self-evaluation this semester. Write a letter to me of approximately two pages, in which you look back at your work for the semester (papers, presentations, shorter assignments, class discussions, day-to-day thinking and exploration) and consider these questions, which are the past-tense versions of the ones we have used all along:

    • How did you make progress as a student in this class?
    • Where do you see the need to push yourself to grow as a learner?
    • Did you do your best work for the class? If not, what obstacles did you face?
    • How did you contribute to the intellectual community of the class?
    • Did you gain the skills of writing, reading, speaking, and discussion that you think you will need for the rest of your time at Grinnell? If not, how can we work together to help you gain those skills in the rest of your Grinnell experience?

  2. Your sense of a final grade: at the end of the retrospective statement, tell me what grade you think you have earned this semester. I have the ultimate responsibility for assigning your grade, but I will give a lot of weight to your thoughts about what and how you have learned.

  3. The final versions of your portfolio papers: these papers will follow the guidelines for revision described in the paper assignments, including the citation of their sources in Chicago NB style. As usual, please highlight the changes you have made in each revision.