For the past seven blog posts, I have been responding to the writing of others. This has allowed me to learn a lot of others’ opinions on the internet. In the process of learning, I have also learned a lot. Being able to see what kind of writing is good, and what kind is bad has really helped me. In a typical high school English class, I had less than ten true papers that were graded and commented throughout the year. This is my ninth in one month. I feel like the 250 word minimum establishes a good sample of our writing upon which our skills can be criticized.
The short nature of these writings also has a downside. It is very easy to get off target and one hundred words on an unrelated topic ruins the whole point of your writing. It is very surprising to me that, even though writing every other day seemed to be a burden at first, it has turned into an enjoyable project. Once the words start flowing onto the computer and the ideas in my mind start connecting, the paper basically writes itself. I attribute this to the consistent basis upon which we write.
My internet habits due to this unit have not changed too drastically. The only thing I am doing differently is focusing on my reading more as the amount of it increases. The statement that we skim what we read because we are used to instant gratification lit a fire under me. It made me want to prove the article wrong and therefore I am bettering my reading and writing habits. I also have the intention of reading more news and recent event websites or actual texts now. I am finding that I am not “in the know” near as much as the people I am surrounded by. This of course could just be some degree of hypercriticism but I am under the impression that news does the mind some good.
Though this section was focused almost completely on responding to others works and learning to “rewrite”, I feel as though my process of reading and writing has been completely revamped. Prior to this section, I viewed reading and writing as two separate and completely different processes. Now, I view them as interrelated ideas that cannot survive without one another. When writing, I now think about how different ways of writing are interpreted when read and adjust my writing to suit my purpose. Likewise, when I read, I think about what I would have written or how I would summarize the reading objectively.
The most important thing I learned from this section is that I actually do have an opinion on the effects of the internet on society. My opinion is now very well informed and I have several articles to prove my point. Society has a natural process of change. This change can be viewed from many vantage points and seen as good or bad. In the case of effects of the internet, I believe that no conclusion can be drawn. I simply believe that as much good has come from the internet as bad and that the ways in which we seek information have changed.
Good points on how this assignment has affected your writing and understanding of writing. As both sides argue their different points, you are the only person that can tell if you have changed whether in writing and/or reading. Good incorporation with the textbooking in the rewriting sense too. This unit has helped us do this correctly.
ReplyDeleteYeah, those are some good points about reading and writing being connected. People often think of them as separate. I was reminded of Harris when reading that part of your post. When your writing reminds me of Harris, that's probably a good thing.
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