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David Demoll
Sarah Hughes
English 1102
17 May 2016
Final Reflective Essay
The preparation of my three research papers this semester has enabled me to improve my
writing, research and critical thinking skills. The mediation paper in particular required the full
breadth of my English capabilities to compose. I had to objectively present different perspectives
on the value of screen usage for children.
At the beginning of the term, I wrote about the negative effects of the death penalty as a
deterrent for crime. I struggled initially to identify ideas about which to write, possibly because it
had been over a month since my last paper. However, my interest in the death penalty bubbled to
the surface and I decided to give that my focus. There was copious information identified
through my independent research on the Internet on the internet, which I then needed to
effectively organize. I contemplated the structure for the essay up front, so I was able to
smoothly lay out my thoughts when writing the paper. I submitted my paper to you for feedback.
With your feedback, I made my discourse more academically sound. This first essay, as well as
the second essay, helped prepare me well for the bigger challenge of the third essay on
mediation.
The mediation essay allowed me to accomplish all of the course goals as a capstone
project. The in-class debate about using screens at the dinner table inspired me to write this
paper. I wanted to ensure the research for this paper was thorough, to ensure the balance of
arguments were understood and the topics adequately addressed. I went to the COD library and

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brought home a stack of available books on the minds of babies and effects of digital media in
their early years. I initially reviewed the table of contents for each resource, scanning to find
relevant areas. I would then read those sections and assess if the material was relevant to use in
forming a more complete background on the topic. If so, I would then synthesize the key points
and paraphrase where appropriate. I sought sources which addressed both sides of the argument.
The COD library computer system slowed down the process, as it can be very difficult to use. It
is not always intuitive to find topical materials, and for many sources there is a fee required. I
was fortunately able to find four peer reviewed journals after many hours of querying the
inscrutable COD databases. I much preferred the print resources from the library which were
accessible, easier to review, and provided a strong background on the topic. Searching in Science
Direct was polluted with too much incomprehensible technology jargon. I read the articles, but
very quickly realized I had not sufficiently understood the content, and therefore not retained to
utilize in my writing. One article discussed the impact of photons emitted from various screen
resolutions and pixel densities on the minds of developing children. The goal of my paper was
not to write a scientific biological discourse so these articles were of less use to my paper
objective. The real challenge was putting two discordant sides into a single conversation. I had to
share one view and then contrast with an opposing view in a way that strengthened the argument.
After I decided on which sources that I was going to use, the next step was to ensure
these were documented. I had to dust off my MLA handbook to remind myself of the correct
documentation conventions. It was important to include a well formatted works cited with
credible sources. It would tarnish my reputation as a writer to include information from YouTube
or Wikipedia. I also incorporated parenthetical documentation into my discourse so the reader
would know the source for certain information. I wanted the reader to focus on weighing the

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facts presented in the paper and not have to worry about their validity. It is imperative to have
strong supporting details when working towards a solution on a divisive issue because usually
the reader will already have a bias regarding the topic.
Wrestling through all these texts and database records was a real challenge, but now I
believe that I am better prepared to create even more advanced research and composition projects
in higher level English classes.