Reading Response #24

Summary:

     In the article "Tlilli Tlapalli: The Path of the Red and Black Ink" by Gloria Anzaldúa, Anzaldúa talks about the importance of writing in her eyes and exactly what it means to her. She relates writing to sacrifice. She truly loves the art and believes it requires determination and trust in herself. Anzaldúa believes writing is directly related to her identity and her self-being. She says,

To write, to be a writer, I have to trust and believe in myself as a speaker, as a voice for the images. I have to believe that I can communicate with images and words and that I can do it well. A lack of belief in my creative self is a lack of belief in my total self and vice versa -- I cannot separate my writing from any part of my life. It is all one. (224)

     The article by Anzaldúa then splits into an article by Andrea A. Lunsford, who talks about Gloria Anzaldúa and delves into Anzaldúa's thoughts and ideas about writing.


Synthesis:

     This article reminds me of the other articles we read regarding identity. For example, the Alexander and Cixous articles discuss gender in the writing world, which directly relates to identity. The Smitherman and Delpit articles focus on how racial identity influences writing.


Applying and Exploring Ideas:

1. Mainly, Anzaldúa expresses Western art as something simply to be viewed, while tribal art is a bit more personal and relates more to the identity of a person. I believe that current literacy and culture is becoming more communal than individual because people do not really express themselves in the same ways. Many things are connected and referenced through others. Individualism is very hard to find.

2. I think Anzaldúa's approach is effective. I do not think it would have been as effective if she had used a more academic approach because she would be straying from her own ideas and argument. Her point is to show her readers what writing is to her and how it relates to identity and creativity within oneself. Using an academic approach would have made it just that: academic. Readers would see it more as a research article with a purpose to tell them facts, or something along those lines. The creative approach does exactly what it should; it represents her own ideas through her own writing style, rather than just through the words she writes.


Personal Response: 

     I enjoyed this article. I liked how it was an article based on creativity, which is along the lines of where I want to be with my own writing. It was refreshing to read an article that was less academically-based than the others. It was a completely new approach. It was much more relatable and a lot easier to read and understand.

Reading Response #23

Summary:

     In the article "VIEWPOINT The Laugh of the Medusa" by Hélène Cixous, the main topic revolves around feminism and women writing. Cixous believes that a change in the society can occur if women learn to write in order to "reconnect with their bodies" and "write themselves into existence." She claims how men are the prominent voice in writing, and she thinks that this should be changed. She thinks that this holds women back from having their own voice in writing. Cixous uses the myth of Medusa to show how she believes men have made "horrifying" images of women in order to keep them from exploring their own voice in their writing.


Synthesis:

     Cixous' article relates to many of the other articles we have read regarding gender and gender roles within writing and literacy. The article especially relates to the Flynn article because they both discuss the differences between men and women in terms of writing. It can also relate to the Alexander article; identity is partly the issue with the feminist writing Cixous discusses, and identity was the main concept in the Alexander piece.



Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

1. The article did not really make me feel uncomfortable because I have been getting used to reading things of this nature. However, I do think that Cixous wanted to cause some discomfort in her readers. I think this is so because the topic is not really one you would hear or talk about normally. In order to see and understand her viewpoints and argument, it would require a deeper level of thinking and would probably cause some kind of discomfort or strange feeling within.

2. When Cixous tells her readers to "write themselves," she means that she wants them to explore their own identity and put it into their writing. She believes that feminist writing can help women discover themselves and may even bring about a societal change as far as the way men and women are portrayed in writing and the authority each gender plays.



Personal Response:

     I was not that fond of this article. I think it is because we have been reading about gender and gender roles (especially for females) for a while. It's not that it was interesting at all, it just didn't seem very new to me and Cixous' ideas were kind of complicated. It was strange to me how she thought of Medusa in order to relate it to her argument. I couldn't really use her points to relate them to my own life or writing.

Reading Response #22

Summary:

     In the article "Transgender Rhetorics: (Re)Composing Narratives of the Gendered Body" by Jonathan Alexander, readers learn about the concept of transgender theories in relation to feminist studies that are used to help understand gender as a social construct. Alexander breaks down the article into subheadings and presents specific examples to help his argument. He talks about student writing and provides various stories of student experiences. Alexander believes that this concept should be confronted with an open mind in order to provide for better comprehension of the gender construct.


Synthesis:

     Alexander's article is closely related to the various articles we have read regarding identity within writing. The concept of transgender identity can relate to the concepts of Black English (Smitherman), Flynn's feminist/women concepts, and others.


Applying and Exploring Ideas:

3. The significance of trans pedagogy are the differences that it brings and the thoughts which it provokes. People are forced to think more deeply about the subject and look into the actual meanings of gender. Exposure to this construct could open up more minds and give people more insight; people would not necessarily be as judgmental. This concept is not as discussed as others, but I believe this significance is true throughout other minorities because when students are exposed to them, they are forced to think. They must open their minds in order to understand the complexity of what is going on.

4. Alexander describes gender as a construct because there is no solid definition. It is very much negotiable. This is seen through the concept of trans pedagogy. Transgender studies require the need to throw out all definitions and characteristics of male and female normality and transform meaning into something completely new. The concept is very personal, yet also can be political because there are people who do not fit the social norms that we have been taught, which provokes national and political/societal attention.


Personal Response:

     I got lost within the article at times due to the complexity of the topic and Alexander's writing, as well as the long length. However, I found this article to be interesting because most of the time as students, we are not required to look into this topic and we are rarely brought into it. We study gender as plain male or female, and are normally not looking at the transgender community. It provoked some thought in me and I think that Alexander got his point across well.

Reading Response #21 (Smitherman)

Summary:

     In the article "'God Don't Never Change': Black English from a Black Perspective" by Geneva Smitherman, the concept of stylistic differences in writing between blacks and whites is discussed. Smitherman argues how "Black English" should not be seen as incorrect simply because of grammatical error. She believes that it is merely a style of writing and sees people who disagree as racist, thinking that they are oppressing the Black English language. Smitherman uses examples of black students who received bad grades due to their grammar in order to explain her point.


Synthesis:

     This article is strongly related to other articles we have read--Delpit, Wardle, Flynn--regarding identity in writing. Each of these authors believes that identity shapes the way a person a writes. This article also relates to articles based on discourse communities--Swales, Gee, etc.--because the Black English language can be seen as its discourse community.



Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

2. Smitherman is using Black Idiom rhetorically by giving specific examples and using the Black English language throughout her article. She is trying to make this effective for her argument to prove her points by using her ideas upfront.

3. Language promotes power for specific races and classes because for example, in the society, we see an overwhelming white/English majority. Arguably, English-speaking whites have the most power. Literacy plays a huge role in power. It is believed that certain classes/races have specific positions of "power," and the most powerful must be highly literate--correct grammar, usage, overall language, etc.



Personal Response:

     I thought this article was pretty interesting, mostly because it sparked my attention to my own beliefs and brought to light exactly how society is regarding literacy and race. I do not exactly agree with Smitherman, though. I do not think it is racist or oppressing to blacks if we see some of their grammar as incorrect. It is simply the way we were taught the English language, so anything else is considered "wrong." As an English major, grammar is important to me. It is not the most important in my mind, but I know mostly what is correct and what is not. I think that it is okay for everyone to have their own style and language, but at the same time, we should not be called racist for telling a black student that they may have some grammar mistakes. I learned specific ways of English grammar and language, and that it is what it is.

Reading Response #20

Summary:

     In the article "Composing as a Woman" by Elizabeth Flynn, Flynn expresses feminist ordeals and ways of writing in composition. She discusses how the male perspective has been the typical way of writing and the most recognized, and how female writers do not receive as much credit and recognition as they should. She discusses gender differences and roles in composition.



Synthesis:

     Flynn's article is different than many of the articles we have recently read because it does not deal with specific discourse communities. However, it relates to some of the other articles we have read that are based on identity because it discusses the concept of identity as a way of shaping someone's writing.  This article was geared towards women and their roles in the composition world, rather than certain communities as a whole.



Getting Ready to Read:

     I have never really noticed any differences in gender treatment in my classes throughout my academic career. None of my teachers have ever treated me or another student differently based on their gender.




Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

1. This means that women have been oppressed as writers and male composition has been much more focused on. The marginalization of women relates to the marginalization of other minorities because Flynn basically expresses women in her article similar to a minority, due to their oppression in writing.

Reading Response #19

Summary:

     In the article "Memoria Is a Friend of Ours: On the Discourses of Color" by Victor Villanueva, the concept of memoria is introduced. Villanueva explains the connections between memoria and people of color. He explains all of this in the terms of discourse. Memoria utilizes Greek philosophies--logos, ethos, and pathos--in order to give more insight to an author's own identity and background. He ties the discourse with people of color and goes through the struggles and difficulties that come along with it.

Synthesis:

     Villanueva's article ties in with all of the other articles we have read about discourse communities. He proves that the conversation is still going on and will not end any time soon. It is clear that there are many different views and subtopics that can be related to the main topic of discourse communities. All of these articles have been helping me learn and expand on the third project. 

Personal Response:

     I thought this article was kind of confusing. The way it was written made it hard to follow along with. Villanueva added a bunch of stories and random excerpts and he did not really have an introduction. It was hard to figure out what his exact points were. It was interesting, however, to get another point of view to add to the conversation on discourse communities. 

Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

7. Villanueva's primary discourse is his private, personal life. His secondary discourse is his academic life, which is much more public. I think that Villanueva's ideas were more complex than Gee's because they were more difficult to understand. It was hard to see how exactly he was tying color to his concept of memoria. Gee's was much more straightforward.

Reading Response #18

Summary:

     In the article "Autism and Rhetoric" by Paul Heilker and Melanie Yergeau, the concept of autism as its own unique discourse community is discussed. This idea is connected and seen as basic rhetoric. This article goes into detail about autism; the authors try to get readers to understand autism and be able to comprehend their ideas. The idea of rheortical listening is introduced and used as an example.
 
     "...rhetorical listening allow us to generate a more productive discourse about autism and the rhetorical triangle" (265).

     The authors point out that knowing more about autism stems from thinking about the disorder rhetorically.

     "...adopting a rhetorical perspective on autism and rhetorically listening to autistics could radically revise what we think we know about autism, could fundamentally challenge some of our most foundational assumptions about autism and autistics."



Synthesis:

     This article can be compared to all of the other articles we read about discourse communities. Every author has something different to add to the conversation about discourse communities and has several unique, yet similar thoughts and ideas.
     Heilker and Yergeau add to the conversation by building on the definition(s) of discourse communities through their examples of the autistic community. This is traced back to the Swales and Gee articles because of their introductions to the definitions of what a discourse community really is and its importance. The other authors simply add on to each concept and theory, and expand the conversation through their own means of interpretation.




Personal Response:

     Each of these articles are helping me to understand discourse communities much more and in turn are helping me with Project #3. It is becoming easier to read the articles due to my newfound comprehension of what discourse communities are and how they are viewed through the literary world, as well as the society.
     This individual article was interesting to read because I have never really thought about autism as being a discourse community.

Project #3 Intro/Conversation

Project 3 Intro/Conversation

     When looking into the topic of discourse communities, we find that there are widespread, controversial means of defining the term. Everyone seems to have their own idea of what a discourse community is and about how exactly it fits in to the world of language and literacy. There has to be a main definition for “discourse community,” right? In reality, there is no set definition. Every author we have read from has explored the concept of discourse communities in different ways.

     For example, John Swales writes in his article, “The Concept of the Discourse Community,” about his six characteristics that help define what a discourse community is. According to Swales, a discourse community must: have a set of common goals; have intercommunication among members; use “its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback” (472); utilize and possess “one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims” (472); have “acquired some specific lexis” (473); and have “a threshold level of members within a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise” (473). Swales strongly believes that all of these characteristics are required in order to recognize a group of people as a discourse community.

      James Paul Gee has a slightly different approach on the concept of discourse communities. He discusses his idea of discourse as a way of being in the world. Gee’s ideas differentiate from Swales because Gee thinks that no one can be a pure member of a certain discourse community. This is due to the fact that we all take part in many discourses that influence one another. His main point is that “you’re either recognized by others as a full member or you’re not” (481).

     The Devitt et al. article is another take on the discourse community concept. Amy Devitt agrees with John Swales, yet she expands on the whole topic by pointing out the importance of genre analysis in comprehending discourse communities, as well as the other authors in the whole article do.

     In “Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces” by Elizabeth Wardle, Wardle adds to the conversation as well as begins a new one. Instead of focusing on how to define discourse communities, she discusses issues that were also brought up by James Paul Gee. Wardle explores how people write and adjust to several different discourse communities. Her article explores the struggles that can occur when moving into a new discourse community due to miscommunication in the forms of authority and identity.

     This ethnography will explore the discourse communities among choral and a cappella groups. These singing groups can fit well into the ongoing conversation about discourse communities. Among all choral groups, there are common goals, ways of intercommunication, roles of authority and identities, and even analysis of specific genres. 

Mr. Vetter,

     I wasn't sure what else to add as far as my ethnography on the choral/groups since this is only the intro/conversation draft. As we continue expanding on the project I will add more details about how each concept is true of this specific community. 

Reading Response #17

Summary:

     In the article "Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces," Elizabeth Wardle discusses the hardships that can occur when being introduced to new, different discourse communities. She studies conflict and struggles among new employees, for example. She gives the example of her study on Alan, who has just gotten out of college and is having problems trying to adjust and fit in to his new workplace. Alan does not feel like he belongs in the discourse community he is thrust into. The story of Alan helps readers understand and comprehend the idea that belonging to a discourse community has much more to do than just gaining the necessary skills that go along with it.
     


Synthesis:

     Wardle's article relates to the most recent articles we have read regarding discourse communities. Each author has had something different to say about discourse communities. Wardle has her own thoughts about discourse communities, yet she also agrees with Swales as far as the six characteristics for discourse communities. Wardle relates to Gee because they each find a way to identify with discourse communities and define them. The idea of genre analysis from the Devitt et al. can trace back to Wardle because of the idea that discourse communities exist along lines of similar thoughts, goals, and ideas.

Project #3 Proposal

     For Project #3, I would like to write about the discourse community of choral departments. I have been in choruses and singing groups since fifth grade, so it is very familiar to me and I have learned a lot about the similarities and differences between choirs and groups outside of the choral department. Many people might not think so, but choirs and other singing groups have their own set ways of doing things. It is, without a doubt, a discourse community.
     Choirs and singing groups have their own set of common goals. As singers, we want to improve our voices and vocal ranges. We also want to work well together, sound good, have fun, and in more competitive groups, win titles.
     The choral department has its own language and ways of communication. We communicate through music, and our love of singing. We have to be able to sight-sing and read music. A basic understanding of music theory is necessary. We use music terms that many people would not understand if they were not in the choral department. Performances also go along with the communication and language. In order to keep things organized, we all need to know what's going on and stay "in tune" with one another, in every way possible.
     People in choral groups are expected to help each other and be kind to one another. In order to make it as a group, teamwork and cooperation is extremely important. A successful choir or singing group cannot happen without the cooperation of each and every member.
     Some choirs do not require auditions, but many do. It is not just about talent. It is about hard work and a desire to sing and improve, and to be part of a group of others who share the same characteristics and desires. You cannot simply be "born into" the choral department. Even the best of singers have to work hard to be accepted.

     For this project, I may interview individuals in choral groups, as well as choral advisors or directors. I am interested in this discourse community because it is something I have grown up with and that I love dearly. Singing has been a huge passion of mine ever since I was very little. The choral department is a world all its own, even though many might not see how. I want to show people how truly different it is, yet how similar it is to other common discourse communities as far as Swales' six characteristics go.
   

Reading Response #16

Summary and Synthesis:

     In "Materiality and Genre in the Study of Discourse Communities" by Amy J. Devitt et al., there are a collaboration of three essays by three different authors. The main point is to show readers how genre analysis is directly related to the study of ethnomethodology, which contributes to the understanding and overall comprehension of discourse communities. Genre analysis relates to language, which is a huge part of discourse communities; they all have a specific language and way of communication.
   
     These essays relate to the Swales and Gee articles. All articles focus directly on discourse communities and seem to all be saying something slightly different from one another. They each expand on the idea and try to make sense of it so that it can be comprehended by students.



My thoughts:

     I enjoyed this article much more than the Swales and Gee articles. Not only was it shorter, it was also easier to comprehend. Some of the ideas were somewhat complicated, but it was refreshing to have a few of other writers' ideas and writing styles within one article. All of the articles are helping me to understand more about discourse communities, which will in turn help me with the next project.

Reading Response #15

Summary and Synthesis:

     In "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics," written by James Paul Gee, Gee examines discourse and comes up with his own definition of the term. He discusses and differentiates between language and grammar and also makes a point to show how a discourse is not just a thing, it is a way of being, and in turn a way of life.

     Gee's article relates to Swales' article. Both authors discusses discourse and its importance. They each give their own definitions and examples of discourse and how it plays out in the literary world.



Getting Ready to Read:

     Two activities that I take part in are playing the guitar and playing lacrosse. These two activities are very separate. For instance, one is a sport and the other is strictly from the music world. When it comes to playing the guitar, there is in a way a distinct "language." Music is a language within itself. It is a skill and a way of reading and writing that must be learned and mastered. People who are unfamiliar with music theory or with instruments will likely have trouble understanding exactly how it works.
     With lacrosse, the team speaks to each other in certain ways. Players communicate and say specific words or phrases that must be interpreted by the other teammates in order to understand what exactly is going on and what should be done. This is also a language within itself.
     These two activities do not really influence each other. I use certain specific skills and languages with both. They remain separate and do not have much of an impact on one another.



Questions for Discussion and Journaling;

1. Gee is trying to say that even if your grammar is essentially "perfect," it depends largely on how you say something. In school, I was always taught that grammar was everything and that it had to be near perfect, and that if it wasn't we were not very good writers. It is sad because we know now that this isn't true. Grammar does not have to be perfect, and even the best of grammar doesn't necessarily equate for a good piece of written work.



My thoughts:

     I definitely enjoyed this piece more than Swales' article. It was a lot easier to understand and much more interesting. I felt like I could relate to it on a whole different level, and I did not feel this way with Swales'.

Reading Response #14

Summary/Synthesis (Swales):

     In John Swales' article, "The Concept of the Discourse Community," Swales introduces the term of "discourse community" and its importance within the society--as far as writing goes. He gives many different examples to describe discourse communities to his readers and talks about the difference between a discourse community and a "speech community." Swales has his own six characteristics for discourse communities. He brings to light the idea that no one really fully knows or understands what a discourse community is; there is no true, set-in-stone definition. Swales also discusses several specific issues that remain within discourse communities and tries to give them some kind of explanation.

     Swales' article reminds me of the entire semester so far of the ENG 1510 class. "Discourse community" is a topic we have talked about, read about, and applied to the work we have done all semester. I can't think of any specific articles, but I remember having read about discourse communities in past articles a few times. Clearly, they are an important aspect in the writing world and set certain "guidelines" when we write.



Getting Ready to Read:

     A time I have felt out of place was when I went to Miami University for a college visit about a year or so ago. I felt out of place because I could tell it was very preppy and academically challenging. The other high schoolers in my tour group seemed extremely smart and sure that Miami was the school for them, and that they--if they hadn't already--would get accepted. I on the other hand was on the edge, worrying about whether or not I would get accepted because I didn't have the best grades in high school. I was also trying to picture myself being a student, and I couldn't. I felt much more comfortable when I visited OU, which is why I'm here now. My experience at Miami made me feel like I wasn't good enough, and that I had no place to even visit because there was no chance I would belong.



My thoughts:

     I thought this article was okay. I liked how Swales made a point to sort of introduce the term "discourse community" at the beginning. However, it threw me off a little when he started naming all of areas the term could be traced back to. I realize he did his research and wanted readers to see that, but he could have left it for quotes or his works cited at the end. It's too much to throw all of that information out suddenly, especially in one small section all clumped together. It honestly annoyed me and made me not want to continue as much as I would have wanted to otherwise.
     The rest of the article was kind of difficult to understand due to Swales' formal way of writing and use of vocabulary. The times where I did understood what he was trying to say, it didn't last very long. Plus, I had already been lost within the text previously, so it got confusing over and over again.
     The length wasn't an issue. I personally think it was mainly the way he wrote and used his own literacy. While I was reading, I was thinking how obvious it was that he wanted readers to see his literacy, and while I could tell he wanted to share that with people, it wasn't very effective. He doesn't appeal to a larger range of readers.




Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

5. Our own ENG 1510 class is a good example of discourse community. We are not all English majors, but the majority of us are. We have common desires and goals within the language and within our writing. The majority of us want to be largely successful with writing. When we step into the classroom, the general world becomes the writing world. Reality and our own personal lives are a huge factor in our writing, but in the classroom setting, a lot of our everyday routine is far from our minds. We are forced to think in new ways that many others may not understand, and as English majors, most of us already have a knack for writing and a personal desire to make it a career, whereas many people likely would not be able to stand even the idea of writing for a living. We're all different, yet alike in the ways we think and want to think about writing and the world of English.

Reading Response #13

Summary and Synthesis:

     In "The Sticky Embrace of Beauty," Anne Frances Wysocki discusses the visual forms in texts and how they effect readers and draw attention in certain ways. She mentions a specific advertisement and layout and how it pleasures her yet makes her angry. The social notions of beauty are also largely related to these topics in this article. It looks at what is considered to be beautiful, and what is not.
     Wysocki says, "...the principles and guidelines that I've discussed for analyzing and giving visual form to texts are not neutral or universal.... They too arise out of and then in turn help shape our senses of who we are and what we are capable of doing (or not) in the world."
     The separations as well as relations of form and content are brought up in the text. Wysocki also discusses how Kant believes that "the beautiful is that which pleases universally."

     Wysocki's article relates to past articles we have read because in a few places, she talks about teaching skills and the ways that visual forms and content in texts should be taught. Many of the articles we have read have at least had an underlying, if not straightforward, motive to teach students something new and helpful about writing. Both of our textbooks, in fact, were written for the benefit of college students. Even though Wysocki's article may not be solely focused on teaching practices, it still has something to say about it and has some kind of teaching purpose.



Pre-reading:

• demi-lovato-cosmopolitan_0x440.jpg

         This is a magazine cover which advertises many different things within the issue, mostly dealing with sex. Personally, I look up to Demi Lovato and I am a big fan of her and her music. I like the fact that the magazine has a story about her, which is clearly meant to be inspiring because it shares the story of everything she went through. What makes me angry, however, is that this cover is associating her with all of the sexual topics as well, and even though she is just the cover girl, she is not meant to be part of those stories. As the cover girl, the headline for her story should be much bigger, but they made it so that the sexual topics' headings are the largest ones on the page. They are the first thing people see besides the image of Demi, and therefore most people will typically be more drawn to those topics and want to buy the magazine solely for those reasons.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

2. Wysocki has a very interesting way of setting up and formatting her text. She highlights a few different areas of the text, adds a few images to present specific examples, and has different headings and font structures. These all make the text quite visual and present it in a different way than many writers. Bernhardt would not explain it as a low-visual text because it is quite informative and has many visual aspects that may not be perfectly apparent at first.

3. I can see what Wysocki means when she discusses the Peek ad. When she referenced the shapes and the lightest area of the ad and how it draws attention to those who look at it, I understood exactly what she was saying. My eyes were drawn to the lightest shape, which is also centralized in the ad. Personally, though, it doesn't do much for me. It doesn't exactly capture my interest. While looking at it, your eyes are drawn to certain things, but I would not want to purchase the book nor learn more about it. People do a good job of capturing readers' attention through advertisements, but if a person were not specifically interested in what the ad had to show, it would not necessarily affect them very much.


Applying and Exploring Ideas:

2. I definitely think that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are some ways that I can understand what Kant is saying, but I mostly disagree with those ideas. I agree with Wysocki on the subject. Society plays a huge role in what is considered beautiful. We are usually told what is beautiful and what isn't. Many people follow these "rules," but many people do not. Everyone thinks differently of what is beautiful. We all have our own personal notions of beauty and are visually pleased in different ways. What is beautiful to one person may be "ugly" to another. There are some things that the majority of people find beautiful or pleasing, but there will always be a handful of people who see a completely opposite side to it and have no interest. Society, and our own personal views, are the basics to what is considered beautiful and what isn't. Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.



Meta Moment:

This statement applies to Wysocki's article because it is basically saying there are different ways that visual texts affect readers, and each person is entranced by a visual in their own way by certain aspects of it. This also applies to other visual art forms. Writers and artists usually know exactly how to pull in their readers/viewers and focus on certain areas of their work. However, some things may not work for everyone; some things affect people in separate ways.



My thoughts:

     I thought the topic of this article was interesting, but at times confusing. It was especially confusing when she delved more into the work of Kant. All of the structure diagrams and the whole concept itself didn't completely click with me as to how it related to the rest of the article. It was also kind of difficult to understand right away exactly what point Wysocki was trying to make. However, it made more sense toward the end and it was a refreshing article, even though it was quite long. It was slightly different than a lot of the articles we usually read.
     It's interesting because I just did an assignment on the social notions of beauty, so this is a topic that has recently peaked my interest and has been in the back of my mind. It was also interesting to me how Kant believes that beauty is universal and we all think of the same things as beautiful. I disagree with this because everyone has different ideas of what is beautiful and what isn't.

Reading Response #12

Summary and Synthesis:

     In "From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies" by Dennis Baron, the relevance between literacy and technology and the importance of the two in the writing world is discussed. Baron believes that all writing is technological; it is "a way of engineering materials in order to accomplish an end." His point begins with the development of the pencil. He explains how even though a pencil is more simple than a computer, it is still a complicated piece of technology. After discussing the advancements of the pencil, Baron adds that "the first writing technology was writing itself."Baron also discusses the history of technology and writing utensils--i.e. the pencil--and its purposes in the past. They were first used to record, instead of for communication.

     The topic of originality and fraud is discussed in Baron's essay, making it easy to compare to other articles we have read. Past articles have discussed plagiarism and originality within a text, and how it is easy to copy someone else's ideas. Baron furthers these topics and explains how the computer and other aspects of writing technologies make it hard to prove credibility and authentication.



Pre-reading:

     Technology, by my definition, are kinds of advanced tools used to make a task easier and to serve a helpful purpose to those who use them. For example, we have cell phones, computers, televisions, and digital cameras. Technology is always being improved and people are always trying to find new ways to make it more efficient for people.



Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

2. I do not think that Baron is trying to give this message in his essay. Baron explains the way writing technologies have changed and how they have affected the way people read and write. I think that he carries this throughout his essay. It seems to be implied that, even though he himself is uncertain, the nature of writing will forever be developing and changing over time with the advancements of technologies.



My thoughts:

     I really enjoyed Baron's essay. It caused me to really think about technology. It was a completely different take on writing and in turn was refreshing to read. Although it was a longer piece, I liked how Baron broke each topic down into subheadings. It was easier to read than past articles we have read, and Baron made a lot of sense. It was pretty simple and easy to understand.

Reading Response #11

Summary:

     In Deborah Brandt's article, "Sponsors of Literacy," she discusses how a person's literacy is shaped by circumstances and institutions that "sponsor" literacy, and that people do not just become literate. Brandt talks about sponsors in terms of typically older, more knowledgeable people who help others become literate, while gaining something themselves. She claims that literacy would not happen without sponsors. Brandt even uses the actual experiences of a few individuals to express how an individual's surroundings affects their literate potential.
     Brandt also traces the history of literacy and how its demands and standards have become much higher throughout time. People are more dependent on it these days and are expected to do a lot more with their writing and reading.
     Brandt's article reminded me of Stuart Greene's "Argument as Conversation." Brandt's article is basically explaining a never-ending chain; a domino effect. Literacy would not occur if it weren't for something else, and so on. Greene argued that arguments are like conversations between people; every argument is brought up by another argument or idea. It is an essentially similar idea, where there is a never-ending cause and effect.




Pre-reading:

The U.S. and my community has always encouraged reading and stressed it as something very important. We have always been told that the more we read, the better writers we will become and the larger our vocabulary will be. It has also always been stressed that good grammar and writing skills are crucial, and that reading will also help us with this. There have been book sales and fairs--basically anything to encourage students and younger children to pick up some books and read. This is even relative to adults, too. Adults can always acquire more knowledge from reading, as well as enjoyment. They can also always improve on their reading and writing skills.



Applying and Exploring Ideas:

1. My own literacy history was much different than the history of Branch and Lopez. My sponsors came form my school, my parents, siblings and other family members, church, and the media as well. All of these things surrounded my life and had a huge impact as they still do today. Much of what we learn comes from what we are taught and what we see and experience. We are not simply born and grow to be literate, we have to become it and learn from our sponsors, as Brandt says. I had a lot of support from my parents, as well as a lot of access to books and computers. All of these things have helped me with my literacy.




My thoughts:

     Although I thought the topic of the article was interesting, I thought it was much too long. It was also at times confusing. It was kind of difficult to follow along and understand exactly what point Brandt was trying to make. She added politics into her writing quite a lot, which I did not understand. I realize that it had something to do with the literacy of the individuals she discussed, but it seemed a bit too dissimilar to me. Her idea of sponsorship ended up getting kind of lost, and I didn't really see how it fit into her examples. It doesn't make a lot of sense until it gets to the end of her article, where she explains more clearly what she was trying to say.

Reading Response #10 (Bryson)

Summary:

     In the article "Good English and Bad" by Bill Bryson, the English language/usage and its complexities are explored, and discussed in regards to its Latin background. Bryson also gives much information about the history of the English language and explains how many people made proposals due to the desire to regulate English.
     Bryson argues that there really is no "basis" for the English language and that, as a free language, the "rules" are not exactly 100% set in stone because no one has exactly made them. He claims that the "rules" are just opinions and beliefs of people from the past, which can then be in a way overlooked. Bryson's article explains the disagreements and arguments that people had and still have about usage in the English language. It is a very broad spectrum and everyone expresses different views and opinions about what is right and what is wrong.


Pre-reading:

1. When I think of bad English, I typically think about incorrect grammar. So many people have issues with grammar, and errors are seen everywhere. My mindset that it's "bad English" is because throughout school, I have been taught that incorrect grammar is "wrong" and "not okay." Teachers have always focused much on grammar and less on content. Their main goal always seemed to be to help students stray from a path of "bad" writing, as if the only way a student could be a "good" writer would be to have excellent spelling and punctuation. The reality, though, is that grammar has little to do with exceptional writing. However, I have been taught the opposite for years and am just learning that grammar should not be nearly as important as it has been sought out to be.



Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

3.     prescriptive - of or relating to the imposition or enforcement of a rule or method
        descriptive - assigning a quality rather than restricting the application of the expression modified

     In the past, the only grammar instruction I ever really received had to do with spelling, punctuation, or definitions of terms. The usage and distinction between words as Bryson explains them was never taught to me or given much thought. I always just studied "correct" grammar and made sure I knew what certain words meant by their definitions in the dictionary. The only other usage I was taught was how to use certain words correctly in a sentence.
   


Applying and Exploring Ideas:

2. When Bryson says that English is fluid and democratic, he means that it can change any time and is a reflection of the way the society is speaking and communicating. Each person has a different say, a different opinion on what is grammatically correct or incorrect. People can basically decide these things on their own and do not necessarily always have to follow a set of rules, because no specific rules have been set. Things are the way they are simply because of the ways they have been used and communicated by others. Personally, I have seen many different styles of writing and learned that everyone uses terms in different ways. There is no one specific way of writing or English usage.



Meta Moment:

     Parts of speech:

• verbs
• nouns
• pronouns
• adjectives
• adverbs 
• prepositions
• conjunctions
• interjections 

     I usually do not think about the parts of speech while I write; I simply write and make sure I have used the words correctly in my sentences. These parts of speech were taught to myself and my peers in school, but I found that as I got older, they were not so important as were the grammatical parts of the language and the correct usage. I do think that knowing the parts of speech and grammatical terms can help people write better because it provides for a better sense of meaning and knowing how to use certain terms in a sentence. Even though there are no set, exact "rules," certain things are just common sense because they have been communicated and used the same way in the English language and society for a very long period of time.

My thoughts:

     I thought this article was very interesting. I enjoyed the beginning; it made me think twice about the English language and how terms we use every day are more than we think. However, I think that Bryson piled too much information in the article too quickly. It started off well, and then suddenly he threw a bunch of information out. It was at times hard to keep up with. I enjoyed the length though, and thought that--even with the excessive amount of information in such a short article--it was written well and given a bit more simplicity (instead of being dragged on and on).
     This article compares to past articles we have read because it explores the English language and is a good example of conversation in writing, which has been a very important topic throughout the class so far.

Project 1 Intro/Conversation

     For long periods of time, any kind of personal writing within an academic text has been looked down upon. Teachers have been teaching their students to avoid the use of words such as I, me, you, we, us, they, they’re, their, and other terms that show possession. These possessive terms suggest a much more personal form of writing and one that is much more opinionated as well. However, many rhetorical texts feed off of these personal opinions and ideas. They are just written in a way that seem less opinion-oriented and are not as obvious to readers. Rhetorical research papers are not limited to simply looking up information and putting it into the paper as “evidence.” Many articles have been written as arguments and conversations between the writer and the audience. These arguments require the writer to look into different perspectives and sides of a topic. The writer’s purpose is to argue their point, and also discuss and detail other thoughts and ideas about the same topic. They can show their own point of view without being nailed down to something specific. Writers can even give both ideas a “winning” chance by representing every idea in a positive way. They don’t argue that one idea is “right” over another; they research opposing ideas to discover the argument in a construct. The argument comes from past ideas and conversations. People come up with ideas and viewpoints based on these past conversations and arguments over a topic. Every argument is brought up by another argument.

     The reality is that writers cannot avoid at least some kind of personal writing within a text. Even if it is a research paper, research that is found has most likely somehow been formed because of a past construct or idea of the same or a similar matter. Writing, even in an academic setting, has personal attributes and reflects certain values, virtues, and emotions. These types of researched writings and argumentative texts tend to have some kind of effect on its readers, whether it be emotional, logical, social, or even economical. Overall, these effects are quite personal and any type of research has the ability to create further arguments and conversation, which is what these texts are within themselves.

     Stuart Greene’s article, “Argument as Conversation: The Role of Inquiry in Writing a Research Assignment,” explains some of these concepts according to this particular writing construct. Greene’s focus lies on arguments and writing in terms of conversations. He claims that “…you need to demonstrate to readers that you understand the conversation: what others have said in the past, what the context is, and what you anticipate is the direction this conversation might take” (19).

     In other words, context is everything.  For example, in sociology, context is very important and is viewed on very personal levels. Every person sees some kind of behavioral or societal concept in a different way based on their own personal experiences and their own culture in the society. This is similar in writing. The difference being that the contexts are taken and formed into language to be put into words, all for an audience to read, interpret, analyze, and think about themselves. It is all very much provoked by thought and emotion. Context is important in writing because for a successful conversation, a writer must take on opposing views and try to understand the conflict at hand. The point is not to know immediately what to research or to only research one aspect. Truthfully, a writer or researcher finds out much new information during the research process, learning more about the topic itself and discovering completely new arguments that can cause even more debate and controversy. This all has some kind of personal basis.
     Donald Murray also discusses the concept of personality in writing with his article, “All Writing Is Autobiography.” He claims that, “…the texts we create in our own minds while we read—or just after we read—become part of the life we believe we lived.” Murray thinks that person experience plays a large role in reading and writing. People read and write what interests them or about things that they can relate to. A person would not read or write something they did not enjoy unless they were required to. People’s own lives typically revolve around what they choose to read and write during their time.

     Voice is another term that can be used with this writing construct. Peter Elbow writes about voice in his article, “Voice in Writing Again: Embracing Contraries.” Voice is a clear expression of who we are in our writing. With the person elements through voice, Elbow also discusses the importance of “embracing contraries” and thinking about both sides to something. Two opposing views can have a very personal basis and reasoning, which can be connected with our own voices in writing. 

Reading Response #9

Summary:

     In "Seeing the Text" by Stephen Bernhardt, text as far as in the visual form is discussed. Bernhardt talks about parts of a text such as margins, spacing, white spaces, font, headings, etc. and how they affect a reader and how they see/read a text. He explains the importance of knowing who the audience is and making sure to write in a way that appeals to them.
     This reading compares specifically to McCloud's article because of McCloud's argument toward the importance of symbols and images to make an effective argument. Bernhardt is making a very similar argument, only in a more textual sense.



Pre-reading:

     Look at text heavy advertisement. Analyze how the text is working in conjunction with the image. Where are you most drawn? Does the image emphasize the text, or does the text emphasize the image? Write out your thoughts.

     In a text heavy advertisement, the text emphasizes the image. Your eyes are drawn to the text, and then the image. The point of the text is to advertise the image and make a statement.



Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

4. I believe that I am supposed to write an essay that follows a specific format because throughout school, that is what I have been taught. Whether it be a research paper or some other kind of writing assignment, teachers have each wanted specific formats and ways to organize each writing. It was very repetitive, and also nonnegotiable. No one could really argue against formatting, because we each had to do what we were told as far as the format of what we wrote.


Applying and Exploring Ideas:

1. In high school, there were occasional presentations. In these presentations, we could present our writing and our findings through images and other visual representations. We could make large headings and format things the way we wanted, in order to capture the audience. These were definitely different than the typical essay and research paper formats. In the future, I can consider headings, spacing, and other visual aspects to make my writing more appealing to an audience.



After You Read:

     Scott McCloud would have represented Bernhardt's argument by using his own icons or images as symbols and a way of conversation with readers. McCloud understands the effectiveness of images in order to present an argument, and would be able to better represent Bernhardt's argument through the use of such imagery.



Meta Moment:

     I think that is extremely important to think about the visual aspects of a text when writing research papers. Whatever format that the paper must be in--such as MLA, for example--the writer must consider the criteria for the format and exactly how the paper must be set up. The spacing, font type, font size, headings, etc. are all very important parts of a research paper. Slight errors in formatting can be a big problem to someone who is reading/grading a research paper. I think that the first paper in this course calls for a lot of thinking about the presentation. Not only because it needs to be correctly formatted, but also because each of our constructs must be deeply considered as far as how each side sees it. We must think of perspectives and see what others see according to the topic. We are exploring every side to the argument, which requires us to interpret more visually, and to make sure we present our constructs in our paper in an effective manner.



My thoughts:

     When I read the framing of the reading, I thought the reading would be very interesting and talk about communication and reading through images, etc. However, it mostly seemed to talk about margins and the way sentences and paragraphs were organized on a page. When I noticed this, I quickly lost interest in the reading. Also, I understood Bernhardt's reason for talking about The Great Lakes Notebook in detail, but at the same time, I feel like there was a lot of unnecessary information about it and he discussed it too much.