Final Reflection

During this class, I have seen my writing go from purely opinions back with little evidence to opinions and facts supported by a lot of evidence. I feel like I am better at taking my ideas, and finding ways to support them. One patter in consistently saw in my writing is my strategy of planning before writing. I always sat down and wrote out all of my thoughts before writing so that I could organize them, and see which would fit and which wouldn't fit into my paper. I feel like my writing has gone from being just the typical five paragraph essay to being detailed and unique. I really dove into every topic, and I think it reflected in a lot of my writing. One thing I would still like to see change is my topic sentences. It took me a long time to remember to add topic sentences, but they really do make a difference.

One thing that I learned to do during this course is look at every angle of an idea and see how it was a possibility. I never really traveled out of my comfort zone when it came to viewing opposing views, but this class taught me that it is okay to do that. I think that the paper that best reflects my personal growth is the last paper, the persuasive paper, that I just wrote, because it shows how my writing has changed over the course of this semester.

I feel like I learned how to incorporate logos, pathos, and ethos into my writing to make it better and more appealing to all types of readers. I started each paper by figuring out who my audience is outside of my classmates so that I was more effective in my papers. I also learned how to shape my tone so that it matched the subject matter of my paper, and all of these things combined really helped me create good papers that met all of the criteria.

The most important thing that I have learned from this course is how to take an idea, turn it into a question or topic, look at all angles of the idea, incorporate all viewpoints into my writing, and put it all together to make a strong point. I like how open the class was for discussion. I felt like you created an environment that had room for all kinds of view points. I originally came into the class hating group discussions and peer reviews, but after this semester, I learned how important teamwork is, and how it can help shape your views and writing style. I really enjoyed this class, and I'm sad it had to end.

Persuasive Paper Reflection

Through the process of writing the persuasive paper, I learned a lot of strategies to help me read and identify credible sources that would aid me in my research. I learned how to organize my thoughts and make them flow together in a logical way so that every point that I wanted to make was hit. One thing that I learned about myself as a writer is that if I break the paper down into paragraphs and do a paragraph a day, my paper comes out more organized, and I pay closer attention to details. As a student, this paper helped me learn how to prioritize my time better, and I learned how to organize my writing in a logical way.

During this assignment, I struggled with portraying all that I wanted to say without going into a lot of unnecessary details. I had so much that I wanted to say, and it was hard for me to break it down into simpler terms and pick out the main points from each idea. When I caught myself going into too much unnecessary detail, I allowed myself to write the paragraph how I would say it if I were telling it to a classmate or family member. Then I went back and cut out the "fluff", highlighted the main points, and summarized them in a shorter, more condensed version. This helped me get all of my thoughts out on papers so that I didn't feel like I was missing something.

Through this writing process, I really dug deep into the facts and opinions that I found through my research, and I tied them into my own feelings and beliefs, so that I could strengthen my credibility with the quotes and facts from other people. I looked into other questions along the way that popped into my head, and I think that it helped me come to a better solution in my mind than I had originally started out with. When I found a source, I analyzed it, and found how it would help my argument, and then I incorporated it into my evidence as persuasion. I felt like I had a harder time when it came to picking a side, because I went into this knowing what my personal thoughts were, but the opposing views were very convincing, and they all made sense. In the end, I had to ask myself, "What would you do in this particular situation to address the problem?" In other words, would I let my adopted child meet their biological parents or not? By doing this, I was able to look at it from a personal level, while also keeping the opposing views in the back of my mind. I really enjoyed this assignment, and persuasive writing is one of my favorite types of writing now.

Synthesis Essay Reflection

After writing the synthesis essay, I felt like I was able to take two things and compare their points of view to come to a clear conclusion of my opinion on a topic. I learned how to take the main points of two articles and find out where they agree or disagree so that I could compare the two articles and summarize the arguments and then compare them to one another with strong evidence that shows where they differ. After completing the assignment, I realized how hard it is for me to take a topic that I am passionate about, and summarize it in just a handful of paragraphs. I had so much to say, but I knew that I needed to cut some of it down and focus on the important parts rather than the whole picture. As a student, I learned that I work better when I plan my writing out piece by piece, and take it one chunk at a time rather that doing the whole thing at once. This allows my ideas to develop even more, and allows me to put it all together at the end.

During the writing process, I struggled with developing my point of view. There were points in each source that I used that were strong, and they both challenged me to view the question differently. I had a hard time especially when I agreed with two points that contradicted each other. To solve this problem, I started to look for solutions to the problem rather than choosing one side. I looked for a middle ground that would satisfy both sides, and from there, I was able to come to my own conclusion based on the two sources.

In my writing process, I had many moments where I thought "Oh yeah, that makes sense too." I saw how both sides made a valid point, but in the end, I was able to come to my own conclusion based on the information that I had. I also had moment where it was clear to me which view point I agreed with, and this helped drive my ability to generate my own ideas about the issue. I would say that each article had its fair share of "Aha" moments, and those moments helped me grow my opinions into something worthwhile for my paper. I realized that once I was able to see the whole picture coming together, I became more and more confident in the work that I had done, and as I started to read over it, I started to see my voice come out and take control of the paper. The moment when my passion for the topic grew was on the best feelings that I had during the whole experience.

Analysis of Exploratory Blog Articles

               The article “ Should Adopted Children be Able to Seek Their Biological Parents” was written by a law student studying family law. Though their name is never given, the website that the essay was retrieved from is centered around providing law students with the opportunity to reach out to families through their writing. The essay was written by this particular student as a way to reach out to potential adopters and current adoptive parents, and inform them of the benefits that of biological family contact. The language of the essay is very formal, informative, and to the point. The writer gets their points across clearly, and their use of language shows that they are knowledgeable about the topic. One example of their use of language to show their credibility comes when the author writes “Adopted children have their right like any other child who is not adopted. There should be a free flow of information and personal right to engage in any activity as long as one can make sound and dependable judgment. For instance, when an adopted child attains the age of majority or is a grown up, he or she can make his or her own judgment. They can no longer be tethered in one place by their foster parents through denial of crucial information necessary for biological parents search” (“Should Adopted Children be Able to Seek Their Biological Parents). By describing the rights of every adopted child, the reader can clearly see that they are aware of the legal side of adoption, and have enough knowledge to write about such a controversial topic.  The writer never said that one side of the argument was better than the other, they simply presented the facts, and allowed the reader to formulate their own opinion upon reading the essay. One way that the author aids that reader in making their decision, is by giving examples of how contact with biological parents would benefit the child. The author gives you the facts, and then ties it all together with an example before moving on to the next points so that the reader has a clear idea of what the author is trying to say. The writer appeals to logos throughout the essay as they present facts and show logical thinking with those facts. They don’t try to appeal emotions very much, but I think that was good idea on their part, because they want the reader to be connected with the fact rather than emotional stories. After reading the article, I feel like I am well informed to make my own decision about the topic. This essay helped me see the important facts of birthparent contact, and I wasn’t lost in any personal stories that tried to persuade me one way or the other. Since it is a family law essay, the information presented was clean cut, and to the point, allowing the reader to get the information they wanted, and continue their research from there. The omission of personal stories is the most important part of this essay, because it made the main points stick out and guide the reader in their own thinking.

               The article “Adoption: When Problems Occur with Birthparents” was posted on a family education website that has article written by child psychologists, doctors, and family advisors. Due to the wide variety of authors, and the expertise that each other possesses, I thought that this would be a reliable source to gather more information from. The website reaches out to families of all types, and tries to answer some of the most common questions that parents have. This article in particular was written specifically to reach out to adoptive parents who are in the process of contacting the biological parents. It gives helpful information about how to reach out the birthparents, and explains the risks that are associated with contacting the birthparents. The article has a very objective view on the subject, although, it tends to be written more persuasively that the previous article. The language suggests that the author leans more toward the side of not allowing an adopted child to contact their parents, while also leaving it up the reader to make that decision for themselves. The author includes examples of ways that contact could go wrong that appeal to the reader’s emotions. They also present their information in a logical way that takes areas of common sense that the reader has, and applies them to the issue. Though they never present the other side’s views, they present their facts in a way so that the reader can predict what the other side would say about the issue. They also leave room for the reader to make their own decision without feeling like they have to agree with what the author has to say. I think that by not presenting the other side, they emphasized their points so much more. If they had include the other side, the reader would have been lost in all of the information, and the main points of the article wouldn’t have stuck out as much. As I read through the article, I started to see the other side of the argument, and I was able to compare it to the facts that were presented in the other article. There were points in both article that I agreed and disagreed with, and I think they both make strong points. 

Summary of two articles form Exploratory Blog

In the article titled “Should Adopted Children be Allowed to Seek Their Biological Parents”, the author argues why biological family contact is beneficial. The author starts off by explaining how having contact with the biological parents can help the child better understand why they were put up for adoption, and create a sense of closure. It is often easier for an adopted child to accept the situation they are in when they understand the reasons for their adoption, and why it benefits them. In the article, the author also argues that the biological parents can play a key role when it comes to raising the child. The author gives the example that the biological parents may have been financially unstable at the time of adoption, but they may have great parenting skills that are crucial to the child’s development. Just because they put their child up for adoption doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad parents, sometimes certain circumstances decide what it best for a child. If they are capable of parenting, then there is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to be a part of their child’s life, and in most cases, the child will benefit from their wisdom.

In the article “Adoption: When Problems Occur with Birthparents” , the author outlines the potential problems that may arise after contacting and meeting the biological family. The first thing that the author suggests is “No matter how well you get along with the birthparents before the adoption, it's a good idea to put your expectations and plans in writing” (“Adoption: When Problems Occur with Birthparents”). The author suggests this because it creates a guideline for parents so that they know where their boundaries are, and they have a clear understanding of their responsibility in the child’s life. One of things that is described in the article is that when birthparents are introduced into the family, they can either be needy and demanding of the adoptive parents, or they can pull away and lose contact with their child. Both of these things can cause tension. If the biological parents are demanding of the adoptive parents, they may violate their rights, and invade the privacy of the child and their adoptive parents. This can cause conflict and in the long run, ruining the relationship. However, if the biological parents pull away from the child, this can leave both families feeling like they did something wrong, and make ruin the communication line between families. The author of this article describes the reasons why some biological parents lose contact with their child. Loss of communication is often due to the fact that the biological parents are trying to get on with their lives, or they are simply too sad or angry at themselves since they had to put their child up for adoption. It is a common problem that arises in many adoptions. The article also explains that over time, life moves on for both families, and things change in the family dynamic, making it hard to keep in touch, and this often causes tension and problems for both parties.

Exploratory Essay

Should Adopted Children be Able to Meet Their Biological Family?

The question I am researching is “Should adopted children be able to meet their biological family?” I am interested in this question is because I have heard personal stories that argue both sides of the question. In my opinion, I think it is helpful for the adopted child to meet their parents so that they know where they come from, and so that they don’t feel like they are missing a part of who they are. However, I wonder if there are any drawbacks to meeting biological families, and if it causes any issues for the adopted child. I think this is a significant question because adoption is something that will never go away, and by weighing the pros and cons of biological family contact, I can come to a better understanding of why some people opt to let their child meet their parents, and why some people choose not to have any contact with the biological family.

            I wanted to start my research first by weighing the pros and cons of biological family contact. I found and article titled “Should Adopted Children Be Allowed To Seek Their Biological Parents” that argues both sides of the question. In the article, the argument against biological family contact states that children should not be able to seek out their biological families because it “may create a stigmatization environment where the child feels not appreciated in the society” ("Should Adopted Children Be Allowed to Seek Their Biological Parents?"). The article argues that if a child was given up for adoption due to the fact that the parents didn’t want the burden of having a child, this may cause the child to feel like they aren’t good enough, and that they are a burden to everyone. It also may make the child feel like they need to get revenge on their biological parents for giving them up for adoption. The child may be angry and have a hidden agenda when it comes to meeting their biological parents.  On the other hand, they also argue why biological family contact is beneficial. The author explains how having contact with the biological parents can help the child better understand why they were put up for adoption, and create a sense of closure. The article also argues that the biological parents can play a key role when it comes to raising the child. They may have been financially unstable at the time of adoption, but they may have great parenting skills that are crucial to the child’s development. There are pros and cons to reuniting with the biological parents, and after reading the article, I wanted to find out more about success in meeting the biological family.

I searched for personal stories from adopted children and adoptive families about their experience connecting the biological family. An interesting internet article came up titled “The Benefits of Birth Family Contact”, and as I was reading through the article, I found a testimony from the adoptive mother of a teenage boy. She and her son sought out his biological family so that he could see where he came from, and so that he could meet his biological brothers and sisters. After meeting with the family, his adoptive mother said "When you see children interact with their birth family, relatives and siblings, you begin to see their true personality and understand who they are. The birth family can help you bring out the child and blend all of the lives together" ("The Benefits of Birth Family Contact”). This is interesting, because by meeting his real parents, he opened up and found a new identity. This made me wonder if there has ever been a case where a child developed identity issues after meeting their biological family.

            In my search to find information about adopted child identity, I found a book titled “Family Identity: Ties, Symbols, and Transitions”, written by Vittorio Cigoli, and Scalini Eugenia. The reason why this book stood out to me was because of the word “identity” in the title. The questions  that I had at the beginning of reading this book was “How does a child’s identity change after meeting their biological family, and what affect does this have on the family dynamic?”  As I was reading through the book, I found a passage where the author wrote “…it appears that foster children want to belong to both their biological and their foster families. The questionnaire shows that foster parents want to respect the child’s ties with it biological family.” (Cigoli, Eugenia 127). The author later says that due to the fact that the adopted child wants to have both families in their life, they often struggle to decide who they belong to, and what kind of person they are. The author also rights that if biological family contact is going to work, the adoptive family needs to provide a clear understanding of where their biological family and adoptive family stand in the child’s life. It is important for the child to understand the difference between who they belong to legally, and who they belong to biologically so that there is no confusion when the child is trying to figure out their family dynamic.  After reading this passage from the book, I started to wonder what issues arise if the meeting with the biological family doesn’t go well, and if problems can develop after contacting the family.

            I searched for more information on why adopted children shouldn’t meet their biological parents, and an article titled “Adoption: When Problems Occur with Birthparents” came up. In the article, the author outlines the potential problems that may arise after contacting and meeting the biological family. The first thing that the author suggests is “No matter how well you get along with the birthparents before the adoption, it's a good idea to put your expectations and plans in writing” (“Adoption: When Problems Occur with Birthparents”). The author suggests this, because it creates a guideline for parents so that they know where their boundaries are, and they have a clear understanding of their responsibility in the child’s life. One of things that is described in the article is that when birthparents are introduced into the family, they can either be needy and demanding of the adoptive parents, or they can pull away and lose contact with their child. Both of these things can cause tension. If the biological parents are demanding of the adoptive parents, they may violate their rights, and invade the privacy of the child and their adoptive parents. This can cause conflict and in the long run, ruin the relationship. However, if the biological parents pull away from the child, this can leave both families feeling like they did something wrong, and make ruin the communication line between families. The author if this article describes the reasons why some biological parents lose contact with their child. Loss of communication is often due to the fact that the biological parents are trying to get on with their lives, or they are simply too sad or angry at themselves since they had to put their child up for adoption. It is a common problem that arises in many adoptions. The article also explains that over time, life moves on for both families, and things change in the family dynamic, making it hard to keep in touch, and this often causes tension and problems for both parties.

            After viewing articles on both points of view, I wanted to find statistics on the success and failure rate of biological family contact. I came across a study conducted by Frances Pacheco and Robert Eme titled “An Outcome Study of the Reunion between Adoptees and Biological Parents” on and online database. In the study, they surveyed seventy-two families that had been reunited, and administered a questionnaire after their reunion to determine how many people had success, and how many people still stay in contact with their families. The in the questionnaire, they asked how many people felt that the experience was positive. Eighty-six percent of people agreed that their experience was positive; ten percent disagreed, saying that their experience was negative, and four percent were unsure. Over all, the reunions were a positive experience for the adopted children. They also asked how many people felt like their identity has improved since meeting their biological families, and eighty-five percent agreed, seven percent disagreed, and eight percent were uncertain. This shows that after meeting their families, they had a better understanding of who they are, and they feel like they are have a better sense of completeness when it comes to their family life. At the end of the survey, they asked how many people would seek further contact with their families. The results came back that sixty-nine percent of people would seek further contact, eighteen percent wouldn’t seek further contact, and eight percent were undecided. Overall, the experience for these seventy-two surveyed individuals was positive, and the majority of them would like to seek further contact with their biological families.

            After conducting my research, I feel like I have a better perspective of the other side of the argument. Going into this research process, I was very one sided in my opinion, but now I can see how biological family contact could be a bad thing in the long run. I hope to hone in on my opinion in the persuasive paper, and come to a clear opinion and perspective on the issue of biological family contact.

Works Cited

"The Benefits of Birth Family Contact." Adoption Information Center of Illinois. N.p., n.d. Web.

        12 Oct. 2015.

Cigoli, Vittorio, and Eugenia Scabini. Family Identity: Ties, Symbols, and Transitions. New     

          York, NY: Psychology, 2014. Print.

"Should Adopted Children Be Allowed to Seek Their Biological Parents?"Law Teacher.

N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

Pacheco, Frances, and Robert Eme. "An Outcome Study Of The Reunion Between Adoptees

And Biological Parents." Child Welfare 72.1 (1993): 53-64. Academic Search Premier.

Web. 14 Oct. 2015.

“Adoption:When Problems Occur with Birthparents.”-Family Education.com. N.p.,n.d. Web. 24      

Oct. 2015

Research Paper Bibliography

My question that I am researching is: Should adopted children be allowed to meet their birth parents?

Works Cited

"The Benefits of Birth Family Contact." Adoption Information Center of Illinois. N.p., n.d. Web.

        12 Oct. 2015.

Boynton Noyce, Alison. "Meeting My Birthfather." Web log post. They're All My Own. N.p., 16

         Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Cigoli, Vittorio, and Eugenia Scabini. Family Identity: Ties, Symbols, and Transitions. New     

          York, NY: Psychology, 2014. Print.

Holden, Lori, and Crystal Hass. The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child          Grow Up Whole. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2013. Print.

"Should Adopted Children Be Allowed to Seek Their Biological Parents?"Law Teacher.

 N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

Pacheco, Frances, and Robert Eme. "An Outcome Study Of The Reunion Between Adoptees

And Biological Parents." Child Welfare 72.1 (1993): 53-64. Academic Search Premier.

Web. 14 Oct. 2015.