Your on-line class day consist of two parts:
Part 1--Response and Reflection to Yancey's NCTE address
Response—discuss your overall reaction of and to the reading. You must defend your reaction with specific and concrete reasoning. You cannot simply say “I do not like” or “I really enjoyed” with no discussion. This is your chance to engage with the reading on a more personal level, and you should and need to take advantage of this.
Reflection—situate the reading within our class by reflecting back on it. Some questions to think with: how does the reading respond to what we have been discussing in class? How does the reading expand what it means to “compose?” How does the reading response to your theory of composing?
Part 2--Your projects
Friday was suppose to be a work day and so I want you outline where you are and where you are going. Next week you'll be workshopping drafts of your newsletter, so you know you have to have a full, pretty complete draft done by then. Talk through your process, your research, your concerns, your direction.
Due Friday, January 28, 2011 by 3:00pm.
PART 1
ReplyDeleteResponse:
Yancey's writing is a call to action for instructors to accept the changes in communication through technology, and more specifically networking, in the 21st century as a positive reinforcement in educating the youth on the process of composition. Because this is a call to action, Yancey very deliberately emphasizes writing not only as something that people need, but also as something that people want . Yancey states "we humans have experienced an impulse to write; we have found the materials to write; we have endured the labor of composition; we have understood that writing offers new possibility and a unique agency" (Yancey 1). I was immediately drawn into Yancey's discussion because her introduction powerfully portrays composition as part of being human. Throughout the work, she makes a point to connect the evolution of the writing process back to her introduction using historical allusions that prove writing to be necessary and desirable. "And still, outside of school, people wrote— orders from the Sears book; letters from European trenches in World War I; diaries recording the flotsam and jetsam of daily life." (Yancey 3) And still, outside of school, people wrote: soldiers com- posed accounts of Korea and Vietnam; Ford, a pardon of Nixon; Martin Luther King, a letter from Birmingham Jail. (Yancey 4) These repetitive "and still" statements serve rhetorically to, again, build up the priority level for updated and relevant curriculum. I liked how Yancey characterized writing as a way of building individuality in contract to reading as a way of enforcing control. "through reading, society could control its citizens, whereas through writing, citizens might exercise their own control" (Yancey 2). It would make sense of her to state this because in doing so she is making a point that new ideas evolve from people synthesizing through a unique perspective. Obedience will not bring about questioning, arguing, or challenging current conditions. Only through writing can change be brought about. Through individual expression people make an impact on society. The "THIS IS SPARTA!" story greatly personifies this idea that purposeful composition, interwoven with today's technology, can work to bring a large group of people together, collaborating on one project, and allow them to do something that makes a strong statement. These collaborations are what allow society to evolve from Horace Mann's idea of eduction in the 19th century and education now.
Reflection:
The reading is pertinent because it cites specific instances where modern technology and composition have been a dynamic influence on modern society. In class we've been talking a lot about composition as a tool. This article reminded that writing isn't just a tool, but also naturally expressionistic. And when I think about it, Rhetoric could also be described as more than just a tool. Rhetoric is expressionistic; it's an art. Writing moves people the same way any other art does. By taking a humanistic approach and viewing composition as an appeal of our individuality, we can move people. By taking something we are passionate about; whether it's the movie "300" or the civil rights movement, our expressions in composition can bring people together. Our natural passions, which Yancey described as "impulse", when properly shaped, can change the world. Since my theory thus far has been strongly focused on audience, I think this article helped bring me back to the composer. In the end, expression through composition is what ultimately bridges the two and creates a catalyst for progression.
(I had to do two separate posts because it exceded the character count allowed)
ReplyDeletePART 2
I've still only done online research on "discourse community", but it is still 1 a.m. My plan is to look into some articles on JSTOR regarding discourse community. I want to incorporate many definitions. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to go about this. Some of the examples in class were impressive. All I can say is that I've been making notes on paper of different ways for me to outline the newsletter. I've already made an appointment at the Digital Studio for Tuesday to learn how to use InDesign. When I go, I'm going to start experimenting with different layouts and color schemes. I want this to be visually appealing.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteIn the conclusion, I thought it was so interesting that the teacher claimed that he "rarely graded alone" because students didn't compose in solitude. This had never occurred to me before. All I could think of are the endless Facebook chats I've had with my best friend (who is a French minor) whining and asking for help with anything and everything. Then I thought to just yesterday, when I realized exactly the position I was going to take with my newsletter, I called my mom (a brilliant marketer) barely taking a breath between thoughts and bouncing the ideas off her. I've never considered that maybe professors do it too.
The resources we have these days are amazing. Our generation lived through the change. My youngest sister is 6, and all I can think about is how different the world must be and how different it will be in the future for her. She is just now learning to write in a world where she will be using a computer in just a short amount of time. I once downloaded a coloring app for her on my phone and didn't even have to teach her how to use it. She continued "coloring" while I sat there stunned because her mom just learned how to use Google.
I agree with Alex when she says this article is a call to embrace the changes. It really is. Composition and technology mobilize people in a way that is unachievable by any other means.
Reflection: Before taking this class, my definition of composition was never this broad. I thought it was more related to writers and musicians, I suppose, but now everyone in the "arts" is a composer. A photographer, a person in graphics design, a film maker, anyone really. Now when I think of a composition I'm thinking, "Well, wait, what kind of composition?" This is interesting to me, and I find it very hard to judge one aspect of art as any better than another. I think the difference in writing something is that it is more accessible and analysis of the writing is more easily proven.
Part 2:
So far, I'm still in the idea stage. I'm thinking I'm going to play on the FSView found on campus and put a spin on it, also involving a popular murder mystery board game. I'm really excited about it! I think my end project will be something I'm really proud of. My only concern is research. I always have trouble finding reliable sources. I hate it and I hate citing. Hatred causes me to procrastinate, but once I spark the inspiration I'll have it done in 3 seconds flat.
I think this article was great. The role that technology has taken on everyone’s daily life is far more extensive than I think anyone could have predicted. I agree with Tiffany that the idea that teachers grade together is a groundbreaking epiphany. We almost never lock ourselves up somewhere completely void of human interaction to complete an assignment. Instead we read it out loud to someone, we call someone, we whine to someone. We need a second opinion on almost everything in our lives from outfits to what to write back in a text message to a cute boy. That last part is probably just girls but trust me, it happens more often than not. So the fact that teachers would do the same thing with grading never crossed my mind. Why would teachers need help? They know this stuff better than me, we always assume they are experts.
ReplyDeleteI love Alex’s comments on how writing is an impulse. We are drawn to the written word. Technology I hope will help this rather than to push it into extinction. Technology has already begun adapting to accommodate those who prefer books to computers, by coming out with Kindles and Nooks. I hope that composing and technology can work together rather than on opposite sides of the chessboard.
Pt.2
So far I am a little overwhelmed by this project. I have “style” as my word, which is great because it seems like one of the more creative words, but I am having a hard time figuring out just what I want to do with it. I know that if I don’t deliver a great product its going to be like “ you couldn’t do anything great with ‘style’? what about the poor people who have super dull words. Look at theirs etc etc”. All this media work is very new to me and it is taking me a little bit longer to catch onto it. I started messing around with layouts after Wednesday because I got a reality check after seeing the C and D newsletters. I like that I have freedom with this but I need to start being more decisive. Also I need to get someone to email me those assignment directions because I can’t access them from bb anymore. Ill work on that probably first so I make sure I’m doing this all right.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteMy overall reaction to the Yancey’s piece was how I thought it would be after reading the title of it. I was very engaged in the reading because it had a lot of association with my topic for our newsletter project; literacy of the 21st century. I didn’t really have a very clear understanding of the difference between literacy now and literacy in the 20th century. It provided me with a lot of vivid examples and even some details that I will reflect back on when working on my own project. It could comprehend what she was trying to say and the points that she was making, and what I liked most is that I could compare two different types of literacy. It’s interesting to see how things are changing in the learning process all the time.
Part 2
How I plan to attack this project is first organize. I went to Strozier Library Monday night and began doing research on Literacy in the 21st century. I finished my research on Tuesday. Now, I am going to come up with 3 different major aspects of the word during this time period, and focus on all 3 of those aspects in my newsletter. I am going to create an organized chart; something like a timeline. I will use a brief description of what literacy used to be, but not let that be my main focus (because my focus is on the 21st century). I will only use the comparison to show my audience how different the word used to be in meaning compared to what it is now. I will then find pictures that I will be able to place on my newsletter page. Once I have all of my information and the pictures, I will use one of the new programs that we learned about in the digital presentation in class last week. I will then use all of my information found to create the newsletter. I want to make sure all of my points are accurate and clear before I place them onto the digital creating program. I then will simply write. I will not to any editing until the very end before I completely finish the project. Sometimes it’s easier for me to just write and then edit then it is to edit along the way. Once I am finished with my newsletter, I am going to have a friend who has no idea about this project read it. I want her to tell me that if they were to know nothing about the word, that now they do.
I enjoyed Yancey’s NCTE address because it portrayed how reading and writing used to be thought of, and how it has transitioned today with the help of technology.
ReplyDeleteWe all know Facebook, twitter, blogs, informative articles, etc. because it is how we communicate with piers, and professionals. We write and read without even thinking about it. As EWM majors, we need to look at the history, the present, and how to go forth. However don’t we need some structure? Yancey states that, “people write as never before—in print and online. We thus face three challenges that are also opportunities: developing new models of writing; designing a new curriculum supporting those models; and creating models for teaching that curriculum” (Yancey, 1).
Yancey takes us into 20th century writing in order to understand how we got to where we are now. “Reading-in part because of its central location in family and church life—tended to produce feelings of intimacy and warmth while writing, by way of contrast was associated with unpleasantness—with unsatisfying work and episodes of despair—and thus evoked a good deal of ambivalence” (Yancey, 2). However, writing had a more negative slant, “People tend to remember reading for the sensual and emotional pleasure that it gave, they tended to remember writing for the pain or isolation it was meant to assuage” (Yancey, 2). Writing was associated with a negative connotation, “writing has historically and inextricably been linked to testing” (Yancey, 2). Times have changed though.
In the 21st century, writing has changed. “With digital technology and, especially Web 2.0, it seems, writers are *Everywhere.*” ….“Deborah Brandt has called self-sponsored writing a writing that belongs to the writer, not to an institution, with the result that people—students, senior citizens, employees, volunteers, family members, sensible and non sensible people alike—want to compose and do—on the page and on the screen and on the network—to each other” (Yancey, 4). I think writing has become more popular today because it isn’t institutionalized –it is freedom, rather than being cold.
Yancey gave us a historical sketch “helps us understand an increasingly important role for writing: to foster a new kind of citizenship, one that has roots in an earlier time but that is being reimagined today” (Yancey, 7).
I think this piece relates to the class in a multitude of ways. It points out how writing and reading has got to where it is today. That writing is now more approachable because it’s not “school work.” Also, as EWM majors, we need to think about the three challenges that Yancey says we face, “developing new models of writing; designing a new curriculum supporting those models; and creating models for teaching that curriculum” (Yancey, 1). Now that writing appeals to people as even fun, we need to get up to speed with the online world and answer these questions in order for reading and writing to be effective with the new technology.
For my main assignment #1, my term is voice. I got really excited with this because sometimes I have trouble in my writing having a centralized voice, so I think studying JSTOR articles will be useful.With voice, I want to include an older article, reflecting on what is was and then move to more modern times. Also, I want my newsletter to be informative, personable and visually pleasing. I know what work I have to do I just need to sit this weekend and get it ready.
Response- I was interested at the way Yancey traced the development of the teaching of writing. I think its interesting that the article began by pointing out the reasons that the teaching of composition has lacked throughout history, beginning at a very fundamental distinction between the two- that reading is easy to use to subdue the masses while writing is a potential venue for the masses to express themselves. I also thought that Yancey's analogy of writing as windowpane was an insightful way to describe the older, less-nuanced view of writing that treated it as a simple vehicle for an idea rather than an activity that actually stimulates its own knowledge or merits its own study. I also felt that the way Yancey used very graspable examples to demonstrate the potential of new media forms like the internet and social networks and the way that an understanding of using these new media to reach an intended audience can benefit an individual. It gives a clear idea of how these new frontiers can benefit us, not just generalities about their possibilities.
ReplyDeleteReflection- I think we can see the kinds of things we've been discussing in class in the section about the new age of composition, and the way that the internet has created a virtual commons similar to the commons of old towns and the increasingly murky distinction between readers and audiences. As the article explains, the internet is creating spaces where the same users are both recipients and creators of news. I think our classroom represents a similar type of atmosphere- we're learning to compose ourselves but still spending a lot of time reading the compositions of others as well. I think the article does a great job of showing the ways that composing has expanded, as I mentioned in the previous examples. I also think the article was particularly helpful because it traces our concepts of writing and composition all the way from its earlier days so its easier to see where composition has come from and where it is going next. I think the reading fits into my theory of composition in the sense that any theory needs to include perspective on the development of composition, particularly its potential moving forward as this seems to be the most crucial issue to be examined in 21st century study of composition.
As for my project, Im still trying to decide on a definitive route to go with as far as how Im going to approach defining Rhetorical Knowledge. I’ve been struggling to find articles addressing the concept directly enough to give me a concrete definition to start working from, but between last night and this morning, I feel that Im starting to get a slightly better grasp on the concept, and I’m planning to start thinking about a concept for the newsletter design this afternoon. As for the content of the newsletter, I would like to include an older and newer perspective on the term though, and hopefully come up with some type of helpful example to help the intended audience grasp what I’m talking about.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteYancey, as usual, makes an extroidinary claim about the world of composition and how it has progressed over the last decade. Yancey says that we need to progress our way of educating about composition along with the change. I really enjoyed when Yancey talks about the way humans, by nature, have been drawn to writing. "...we have
found the materials to write; we have endured the labor of composition;
we have understood that writing o!ers new possibility and a unique agency." It's only natural for us to move on from the old ways of composition and to modernize our way of reading and writing. Yancey also speaks about the influential difference between reading and writing, and how writing doesn't have as great of a reputation. “People tend to remember reading for the sensual and emotional pleasure that it gave, they tended to remember writing for the pain or isolation it was meant to assuage.” All of the points Yancey made were valid arguments for change and improvement of the world we, as English students, are so consumed with.
Reflection:
As EWM majors, like we have pointed out so many times before, we are faced with a society that is going through a massive change. Newspapers aren't paper anymore, and have been replaced with online websites or blogs. The world of writing and composition has taken on a new face, and by graduation, it will be our specialty. I completely agree with Tiffany who said that our generation has lived through the change more than any other. Our parents say the gradual introduction of technology, and our children will never even know what a real newspaper looks like. We have grown up with the constant change and upgrade of our every day life. Something that made made think of this article was a simple thing like briefcases. Who carries a briefcase anymore? No one. My father carried one every day to work. Inside contained piles of important documents that he needed to do his job, and now...laptop cases. Nothing else. Our lives are on a chip the size of our thumb. I dont know when briefcases got kicked out of society, but apparently i missed the memo, which just further shows me how ever-changing technology is in our world.
Part 2
As for the newsletter, I have the word "Assessment". When I first received my concept, I wasn't sure what it had to do with rhetoric and composition until I did some more research. Ultimately, assessment is a huge part of rhetoric but I wont bother with details why because all of them will be in my newsletter and no need to say it all twice. As for construction, my plan is to use as much color, graphics, ans to make it and fonts, in order to make it interesting and attractive to freshman students. I remember being a freshman like it was yesterday, and I also remember being given sixty million newsletters, flyers, and programs at orientation. All of which were black and white, ugly, long, and boring. Needless to say, I never read any of them, so with this project I'm going to avoid all of the budget-cut looking newsletter formats and go for something that eighteen year old might pick up even if I didn't hand it to them.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteThe part that stood out to me the most in Yancey’s NCTE address is when she talks about self-sponsored writing. “Such writing is what Deborah Brandt has called self sponsored writing: a writing that belongs to the writer, not to an institution, with the
result that people—students, senior citizens, employees, volunteers, family members, sensible and non-sensible people alike—want to compose and do—on the page and
on the screen and on the network—to each other” (Yancey 4). Today, people want to write. They are always writing, constantly creating news and sharing it with each other. We live in a world where people want to express themselves, no matter how small or how big the subject is. When someone posts a facebook status about how their cat just did a backflip, they are composing. When someone creates a website on breast cancer awareness, they are composing.
Yancey discusses that writing used to have a bad connotation. It was seen as labor and associated with testing. The government didn’t like it because it gave people the ability to exercise their own control. I think today, writing may have several connotations. I don’t think there is as much as a bad connotation because people are so dependent on the media. We always need to know what is going on in the world so we look to the media. I like what Rachael said about how we always need a second opinion, from the smallest things like outfit advice or a text message. We can always look to the media to provide these answers for us. The government can’t control everything we read, although they still might have some input. Freedom of speech is being exercised greatly through both print and online, but more so online because it is so immediate.
Last class, we talked about finding the correct genre for different audiences. I think this is a good tool to have because when it comes to writing for the media, we need to be able to write for a great many audiences. I also think we are practicing the things Yancey talks about through our projects. Our newsletter, for instance, is something I have never done before. But it is important in today’s world where news is constantly being posted and printed. The EWM major as a whole is exactly what Yancey says we need. It’s a fairly new curriculum that creates a foundation in the new forms of media.
Part 2
My keyword is reflection. I really like this word, and I have found a lot of research on it. My problem is that many of the sources I have found say the same things. Reflection is looking back on your work and thinking about what you like and dislike. There’s more to it then just that, but that’s basically the gist of it. I’m having trouble thinking of what my different sections will be, since a lot of it is the same thing. I don’t want it to just be definitions all over the place. I have a few examples that I want to include in different places. I also don’t know what template to use. I was wondering if anybody knew of a website to find good templates.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteI thought this article was very interesting. I never really realized that writing was not very common during the 20th century. The very fact that “pencils weren’t widely available until the early part of the twentieth century, which was forty years before the invention of the ballpoint pen; how messy and sloppy it was to try to compose in ink that dripped all over the page—and then smudged” (2). That is just inconceivable to my mind. I’ve always grown up with a pen or pencil in my hand and I can only imagine the how hard it must have been for parents to get their kids to write. But even then, the parents weren’t too keen on it either. However, when writing became necessary to express new scientific research, people turned their heads. But even then, writing was seen as just an interest one had, not for any particular purpose. But then with the invention of the personal computer, the process of writing was revolutionized. It’s fascinating what the computer is used for and how it has transformed the way we view writing. Now it is more visual, and audience is a key factor to the piece’s success, with a social component underway. Even thinking about this class. The fact that we are required to bring our computers is an effect of this fairly new device. While writing can be viewed as something you have to do for school, “In much of this new composing, we are writing to share, yes; to encourage dialogue, perhaps; but mostly, I think, to participate” (5). Writers are everywhere and you don’t have to be a student or scholarly professor to create original work. Average, everyday people can hop on the computer and post their opinions and concerns on websites. In lieu of this new composing generation, I think it’s interesting when Yancey explains three tasks that literacy educators need to take up. We need to “articulate the new models of composing developing right in front of our eyes…design a new model of a writing curriculum K– graduate school…and create new models for teaching” (7-8). I think this is something we seriously need to focus on. We can’t keep teaching the old way of doing things. Society has changed and we need to keep up. We, as composers, need to take this into consideration as well. We have to realize that our audience is constantly being exposed to new forms of composing. We can’t write in an old genre. We can’t write with ink when our audience is viewing with a fancy ball-point pen.
Part 2
I have the word ideology and when I got the word I didn’t even have a clue what it meant. And I’m still trying to figure it out. There are a lot of different ideologies but obviously the one I’m most concerned with is composition and writing. But how does that relate to a college freshman? I think I might take it from the angle that their ideology about writing matters because they can’t take what their professor says at face-value. They have to critically analyze what their teacher says and what they believe. I’ve found some sources and different scholars that talk about ideology but it still seems quite confusing. I think I need to get a better grasp on the topic before I can explain what it actually means and how it’s relevant to them. I need to make it something I would want to read too.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteResponse: I completely agree with Yancey’s address regarding Genre. She asserts that genre is more than a simple classification of work; it is the area in which we define our style and meaning. According to Yancey, we must utilize the context in which we compose and use genre to formulate meaning in response to the situation and audience. In this regard, genre changes as the situation changes, while still having an impact on the response to the situation itself.
Reflection: This reading directly correlates with what we have been discussing in our class. We are analyzing the different styles and genres we use in different rhetorical situations. For example, the activity we did in class about writing to different audiences about the “car accident” exemplifies the concept that we change our language and compositions when writing in different genres. My personal theory of composing accommodates the concepts of this reading as well.
Part 2:
My Project: My term for the newsletter is memory. I plan to use dynamic colors and audience-level appropriate language to relate how memory enhances message. So far, I have researched a few online resources, including the online studies of rhetoric fro Brigham Young University scholars as well as a paperback study written by Sharon Crowley. I have yet to compose a full draft because I am still looking for more information. I worry right now that I may not be able to fully relate the concept to my audience. I do intend on creating a vibrant layout with plenty of resources and tools. Thus far, I am confident that my first draft will be a suitable representation of my final project, with revision to be done of course.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteThis was real well laid out. Yancey talks about the progression of writing from a skill fixated on grammar and test taking to a subject to be taken seriously on its own. I found this refreshing to say the least. I saw very little interest in writing as anything more than a tool for tests while growing up from elementary through high school. I can only that my first two years of college is when writing really started become recognized in my classes as less of a test taking tool and more of a method for essays, making arguments, creative work, and expression ect… test taking and test scores are the main priority of most schools even up until some high education institutions . In those situations it doesn’t even matter if the student knows what composition really mains as long as they can produce the right scores. This leads to many students hating what they know as composing/writing but there’s great irony in this when the students go home and on to their computers, sending emails and blog posts and facebook updates. I thought it was amazing the story about the teenage girl who had sent out email messages and pictures of the flood disaster in her town, asking for help and it actually worked out. Like Yancey says she knew her audience and how to appeal to them and she gathered the information and the images and displayed them and distributed them in a fast efficient manner. This is a near perfect example of rhetoric and composition and yet she hadn’t been taught how to do this but she already knew how to use the tools (technology) available to her. Tiffany H. mentioned that her youngest sister of age six being able to figure out an iphone app almost instantly and while it was something as simple as a coloring app its remarkable, almost frightening how with each generation technology as it advances becomes so fluent.
The reading is all about the importance of digital media and technology to composition. The effects that media is having on the world with writers all ages and viewpoints being able to post only as well as in print is a part of the message of this class. This reinforces my ideas about composition. It’s expanding fast through all the new writers and their audiences.
Part 2:
I agree with some of the others about a sense of being overwhelmed by this project. I was given “Rhetorical Audience” and right now I’m still somewhere at the resource hunting stage with this project. I’ve got several web links to go through and weed out what is useful and what isn’t, what’s reliable and ect… Weeding through sources is probably one of the things I have the most trouble with in projects. I’m having trouble finding anything for a source in print. I don’t like using purely internet sources but I’ll continue to be out on the look for anything I can find. I originally thought of using a newsletter template on Microsoft Word since I have some experience with it before but after reading some other comments I think I’ll look into InDesgin and going to get help with how to get familiar with it. I’m still trying to pin down exactly how I want to came at this as far my since of tone and the overall message. I work. This is the other thing I have hiccups with, deciding exactly how I want to go at it. No other way to find out but to dive right in I guess.
I loved this article. It was clear, it was concise, and it portrayed writing as a very human pursuit that spans across all division lines. I think the best line was "Through writing, we are". She is right. Writing is a form of expression, a drive that originates from our need to communicate. It connected to something I learned recently, which is that our brains are hard-wired to remember stories. Its how we remember important information. And writing is how we immortalize that information. The author explains how writing and composition has changed to include more than just print. And not only has composition changed, but so has its audience. Composition is all over the the place, on the web, in the media, and in schools. As a student, I compose all the time. I compose facebook statuses at least once a day, I compose papers for school, and I compose emails to my family members.
ReplyDeleteOur class, Writing/Editing Online and Print, is a perfect example of how composition has changed. The curriculum does not just focus on print in the traditional sense of the word. In fact, all the readings done so far have been online. Another way that we use all outlets for composing is by bringing our laptops to class and composing in this very blog for homework. I think Yancey would be proud of this class because we already have that new model of composing in our classroom. We embrace all methods of communication and composition. Yancey's piece doesn't change my theory of composing because I already agree with her. There are no official "writers" because everyone can be one. People write every day, especially as Yancey emphasizes "outside of school".
Part 2 My newsletter
My word is Rhetorical Situation so I plan on writing it from a professors point of view. She'll basically be explaining how students sometimes feel lost when beginning their papers because they havent considered the rhetorical situation surrounding the subject. I want to come at this newsletter as a way to help students simplify their message and have a clear purpose in their minds before they start writing so their papers will make more sense and theyll be able to stay on topic more often. I have a full page of thoughts to work off of but as of yet I havent started my draft. I will have one by next week as well as a list of sources.
I think this reading will help us all with our projects because it was basically an example of a newsletter. It helped to see an example that came from this class, to see the layout expected and everything. It also helped to learn about the changes in technology and writing over the 21st century. It showed pictures in black and white of school rooms with desks, then all the way at the end shows a picture of facebook. This is a good way to illustrate the changes and how technology and writing and communication has become more modern. I think a lot of this has to do with hitting your intended audience, which is my word for the project, so it was a very helpful article to read prior to completing the project.
ReplyDeleteFor my project, I did some research to get started on today. Basically I have taken what we wrote in class the other day reflecting on our word and went from there. I like to think about things before I research them to get an understanding before hand. For example, my word is "audience" and when I think of audience, I think of like a stage or game with stadium seats filled up. So I will probably start the newsletter out like that, and then use further research to help me explain to my intended audience the significance of the word in composition. I also found two websites so far that I saved to go back to that had a lot of relevant information. Since audience is kind of common sense in composition, I'm sure I'll be able to discover new information to include in the newsletter that is relevant.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteResponse:
I once wrote a research paper arguing that technology is developing a lazy society. This is not necessarily my personal opinion, but research showed that as the use of technology has increased the heavy reliance on it has increased. It was shown that the rate of individual innovative thinking has been reduced. Contrary to these studies,Yancey's article embaces change of this generation and points out the collaboritive process is beneficial rather than lazy. As has been said time and time again, two is better than one. Working together can produce something greater than working alone, which is accomplished with use of technology and networking in our soceity. As Rachael stated, technology is an advancement that is not really seperated from the composing process anymore. Technology is no longer considered a tool, but an inseperable second nature. So it makes sense that writing is not just a tool as well, but an embodiment of our being, "through reading, society could control its citizens, whereas through writing, citizens might exercise their own control.” So this embodiment can only be strengthened with technological advances. Yancey pointed out and Eric noted, innovation and its frontiers “...can benefit us, not just generalities about their possibilities.”
Reflection:
This article is definitely relevant to our class in the sense that we are the audience as well as the composer. The article develops the idea that the field of composition is something that is becoming inseperable. People, just like in WEPO, are not just being controlled through Aristotle's idea of rhetoric but responding as well, especially in technical forums. So rather then fighting the change, like the researchers from my previous paper, we have to embrace it and join this innovative generation.
Part 2:
I have started working on my newsletter. I found several articles and books on Genre in the library and the online database JSTOR. I want to write the page out of the newsletter as a themed Dear Abby column for freshmen composition students. This edition's theme will be concerns about genre. I have not yet decided how many Dear Abby letters I will include. I am just going to begin writing them and see about how long a realistic response should be. In order to hook the reader I want to take the student's genre issue and create two different version of the same scenario, one appropriate for the genre and one not, then back this up with the research I have done. In the sidebars I want to include a little quiz similar to the genre switching activity we did in class, where the newsletter can chose the appropriate explanation for the scenario provided. I love working with Indesign and have not been able to since I worked on yearbook and literary magazine in highschool so I look forward to laying out the newsletter as well!
Reaction- Overall, Yancey’s address really resonated with me and my view of composing in the 21st century. I like the fact that Yancey provided historical antecedents to explain why writing has been undermined in the past in order to explain why new technology has made it so easy and enjoyable today. Earlier in the 20th century, writing in school was linked to labor and testing. But now, with computers and social networking sites like Facebook, writing is not forced upon students. It is an accessible way to exercise both creativity and communication. I, for one, write on Facebook pretty frequently, and the reason behind that is because I know I won’t be graded on it, and I can focus on writing about any subject I want. Also, The inclusion of the students collectively writing on their AP exams “This is madness” is a perfect example of the way the digital takeover of Facebook has been beneficial in providing an outlet for communication in large numbers. Just as Yancey said, this writing and organized exchange of ideas could be effective if the cause was great, and not simply having fun with AP grading.
ReplyDeleteReflection- Yancey’s ideas about a new curriculum for writing are consistent with our previous studies. She says that in order to improve writing, we should consider implementing “process writing” with peer review and reflection without making writing just a form of testing. Unlike traditional composing theorists, she states what some of the previous authors we’ve studied have mentioned, that “that’s the way we learn to compose digitally, too, of course, in concert with print and alphabetic literacy, not in sequence” meaning that we should utilize all sources of writing, both digital and print media. Yancey also mentions the importance of audience several times, once to say that, “writers are everywhere, yes, but so too are audiences.” This reverberates the importance of audience and the need to target your specific audience when writing. The reading is concurrent with my views of composing because I believe that composing is not beneficial if it is just in print. Today, in the digital age, we should be using many different medias. Also, I do believe that composing is something we do everyday whether it’s in a text, in an essay, or on Facebook.
Part 2- I have a pretty basic outline for my project on “Revision” so far. I have a template, which I’m trying to manipulate in different ways to see what works. Since audience is one of my biggest concerns, I’m trying to focus on an attractive color scheme, references to pop culture, and content that’s expressed in a language level the freshmen would want to engage in. As far as research, I have two solid articles from JSTOR about revision, but am still looking for more. I want to get the views of someone who is known in the field of rhetoric, but I’m still looking for that. I will focus on what revision is, techniques, and helpful information.
Part I
ReplyDeleteOf all the articles we have read in class so far, this article has been the most interesting to me. This article makes it clear that times are changing for the better. I liked how Yancey used a historical background of composition to make a point of this. She began with the history of composition and mentioned how in spite of the restrictions on writing in the past, people (composers) pursued their impulse to write. I like that she makes it clear that there is a problem with the way most adults and educators try to push basic forms of writing on younger composers (students). She points out how writing, instead of being a form of free expression, has been tied down by rules, and processes and tests. I also see that this is a problem. Growing up I always loved writing. I started a journal young as soon as I learned how to write. My mother encouraged me to write whatever came to my mind, even if I didn’t know how to spell things or be grammatically correct. The only thing that mattered is that I was composing. As I got older I became frustrated with writing because of the stale formatting they forced on us in school. Writing became boring and I wasn’t really learning. I was only writing what the teacher told me to write about, and how to write about it. Yancey points out that the writing process they teach in school needs to be redone. Writing shouldn’t be a test, and since there are so many genres, writing should be experienced in all forms. I agree with the need for a curriculum change. I agree with Yancey that everyone is a composer and an audience. In schools, students should be able to express themselves in multiple was to a variety of audiences, not just in a certain bookish process that is only intended for the teacher for grading purposes.
Part II
I plan to do a lot of work on my newsletter over the weekend when I have more time to sit down and process everything. I’m not quite sure how I want to attempt to explain process. I also need to think about how I will make process interesting. Sadly I haven’t had a creative spark just yet, but I’m sure over the weekend I will be able to relax and really think things through. I have thought about the actual formatting and use of colors and fonts though. I plan on using hues of Blues and greens. These colors together should work nicely because they can be dark and calm in background areas and bright and eye catching in areas I want to highlight. My text is going to be bold and exciting in the titles and subtitles, and the subject text will be basic and easy to read. I want to try to work out several mini stories instead of a few long ones because I think thatll make the newsletter more interesting and easier to read.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think that Yancey’s work reinforces the idea that the technological advance in the 21st century is important to the education of 21st century composers and their composition. She emphasizes that the process of writing is an inherent human need and want. The process of writing alone, a rare occurrence for composers of the 21st century, as Yancey posits, has transferred into the educator’s process; she creates an illustration of the teacher who doesn’t grade his paperwork alone. Yancey further categorizes writing as a way of maintaining a quality and control or determining one’s individual composition process. It would make sense of her to state this because in doing so she is making a point that new ideas evolve from people synthesizing through a unique perspective. Much of Yancey’s argument, of which I agree, highlights that directed composition and the new technology together can broaden the impact of a message or work. The practice of writing with other people and group editing can inspire collaboration.
Reflection:
The reading is extremely relevant to Editing, writing, and media because it shows the importance of the relationship between writing and technology. The acts of writing and composing have changed as the technological advancements have replaced the older genres of composition. As we’ve become writers in our own regard and explore the methods for composing, we can accept that writing, before though as an art of logic, is now expressionistic. The gradual introduction of technology stimulates a development in rules of composition.
Part 2:
For the newsletter, I have the word “Arrangement”. I decided to do a play on the word arrangement that is evident in the visual look of the newsletter. I’m still in the research stages of filling up my newsletter. I have consulted The History and Theory of Rhetoric: an Introduction by James A. Herrick as well as our Remediation book for different definitions of the word, as well as researching many of the rhetoricians who have developed the term. I will include various formats and layouts for the newsletter as well as utilize the resources for the writers and designers in the digital studio. I plan on writing from a visual rhetorician’s point of view; most likely a sculptor or artist and use the argument to relate the art of arrangement to that of sculpting.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteThis news letter reinforced everything that we have been discussing in class. Composition is the foundation of everything. Writing is used to educate, to entertain, and to spread messages. Although for many years writing was spread through manual labor, for the last few decades writing has jumped on the technological spaceship. Now compositions, which were once so hard to get a hold of, are impossible to escape. With the burst of social networking people are creating compositions without even realizing it. Within the news letter I even found connections to Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Yancey talks about logic, authority, and emotion when she talks about the different kinds of writing and what authors focus on.
Part 2
I have already researched rhetorical configuration and the definitions of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. I plan on defining these three words in my own way and giving examples of how they are used in the writing process.
Yancey's article(s) were very intresting. I enjoyed reading these articles, for it had me intrigued as I read the material. Just the description that was displayed really had me shaking my head uop and down in reference to the material. For, when I was coming up in elementary school, it was all about reading. I rememeber one of my teachers telling me that the more I read the broader my vocabulary would be when I began to write papers. Me paticualary was excited about reading different stories at first, until the writing began. I would write as I would talk, giving great detail, but going off on a tangent and then coming back to the prompt. I would enjoy explaing things and giving something that has a basic meaning and definition and completely differnt meaning. But, when a teacher would tell me that I did not follow the writing process, or "stick" to the prompt, I got turned off by the writing process. But as time progressed and I stopped writing and composing, made me float back to my inital feelings about writing and reading. As, Noelle said in her post, "writing is used to educate, to entertain, and to spread messages." I feel as if I can now do those things but all in once. By composing at all times during the day, makes me realize how much I enjoy composing. From, facebook, email, text messages, tweets, etc. places the excitement that I have in my everyday life on paper or on the monitor of a computer. When I was younger writing was a pain, it caused a good amount of time and effort, from sharpening pencils, getting paper, finding a comfortable writing posistion, etc.; when now all I have to do is simply pull out my laptop, click on Microsoft Word adn begin to type my thoughts away.
ReplyDeleteThe reading basically expanded our meaning of composing by support "our type" of composing. For, I mostly flock toward writing everything on the computer first. The computer has allowed us to take advantage of our composing process as we decide. A well discussed topic in class, can become a question of a day on facebook and twitter. Composing was once just catergorized as a process that was on paper and to educate, while it has developed into the purpose "...to share, yes; to encourage dialouge, perhaps; but mostly, I think, to particpate. (Yancey, 5)"
As, far as my newsletter, I have the appeerance of it completed, but I have to finish my research (which is the hardest part) to find something that will help me categorize and make my word become appealing to the audience. I'm going in the direction of #1 Collabaration songs in the past year. I feel as if music of all types of generes will intrige and help the students become engange and intrested in reading my newsletter.