jhuzzood

[jhuzzood]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vri1nR_gdoo

[jhuzzood]

Discourse Communities

Discourse communities exist all around us and we live in them without even knowing.  In school, in individual classes, at work, friend groups,  or anywhere else that fits the criteria of a Discourse Community. As John Swales says, a discourse community ha: a set of goals, mechanisms intercommunication among its members, uses participation to provide information and feedback, usually has a genre in which is communicates, as well as several more. As I was think about what makes up a discourse community according to Swales, I never realized just how many I was a part of. There are more aspects of my life that fall into those characteristics and even some that I know I don’t realize. Almost everything we do is in a discourse community. Every group or class has a set of rules whether spoken or understood, and each has a specific style and genre of communication. 

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Glade on College Writing

In Glade's article, she speaks on the variation of ways in which college students are asked to write and the very different expectations and guidelines professors have for similar assignments. As a college student, I have experienced what Glade is stalking about and have been many times frustrated by the "hoops" some professors make their students jump through in order to fulfill an assignment. Although it may seem that the professor is just trying to make life difficult, I have tried to look at it in a different light. In life, you many times are asked to do things or required to do things that do not make sense to you, it may be in work, school, or even in family situations. The fact of the matter is, even if you don't understand why, you still have to do it. For work, you may be asked to make a presentation a certain way simply because that is how the boss thinks it should be done. By writing with odd rules and differing expectations, us students are really just learning that there is more than one way of doing thins, as well as learning how to adapt to the environment we are placed in. 

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We should not take lightly the choice of which genres we ask our students to write in. Nor should we keep thosechoices invisible to students, as though all writing required the same stances, commitments, and goals; as thoughall texts shared pretty much the same forms and features; as though all...

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First Draft...First Failure

Anne Lamott, in her text "Shitty First Drafts," speaks about how hard writing can be. Drafts are a scary thing for many people. It is an attempt to produce something good; most times it is not. Drafts are usually nothing more than an initial failure. People do not like doing things they do not excel in so they do not like drafting papers. Failing is a scary thing, and many times, a first draft can be considered a failing attempt.  In order to succeed, writers must not be afraid of failure. Drafting is hard and frustrating but it is like a road map. It might not tell you exactly where to go, but you can use it to get on the right track. 

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Malcolm X

It is sad to say that many people today view reading books as somewhat old fashion and out of style. Television, social media and blog posts, and even Buzz Feed have replaced an important way of learning. For Malcolm X, books were a way to escape reality and further his lacking knowledge. He knew he did not know as much as he could and reading was his only means of education. Like most things at the beginning, it was not easy for him. He spent tireless hours copying and reading dictionary passages that told no story, but he knew where the knowledge of reading could take him. Malcolm X was a man with a plan. A plan that involved being as well informed as he could be through the resources he had. Reading did not only keep him busy while he was in prison, but is helped shape his view of the world and of himself. We all see the world through some sort of lens, whether it is what our parents, teachers, or friends have taught us, or whether it is a lens that we have chosen. For Malcolm X, reading was a major lens when it came to interpreting the world. He saw the world a one big history book; each aspect affected another, and each decision had lasting consequences.

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Literacy as an opportunity

Literacy is not just something that everyone is born with, nor is it something that can be learned anywhere. It takes time, resources, perseverance, and many times money. One of the biggest misconceptions about literacy and education is that is is only for those of means. Although most people who gain an education do have some form of means, especially those who are able to attend higher education; the education and literacy of everyone greatly benefits society as a whole. In several of the examples that Brandt references were of people without means who suffered because they did not have the access to the material they needed to in order to succeed. If all people were well educated and literate, society would be better off; there would be more qualified people to perform the jobs that society needs and less uneducated people who struggle because they lack the skills needed to succeed in America. 

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Literacy

Literacy is a world discussion and Scribner makes some very compelling arguments as to what literacy is. To be honest, Id never thought about what literacy really means; i just thought it was a simple definition. After reading Scribner's writing, my opinion has changed. It is a very complex and compelling word with many different meanings. The meaning is not a static one and Scribner talks about how it is different dependent on where one is and the cultural setting. Scribner also talks about literacy as something that is always changing. What it meant during WW I is not necessarily what it means today, and in the future with technological advances, literacy might look very different. Literacy is important in todays society but there is not a standard definition that applies to every individual.  

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What We Write Today

We do write more today than those maybe ten years ago, but what and how are we writing? We write on social media, texts, blogs, and  for school or work purposes. I do agree With Trubeck that we maybe write more today than we did, but we are not "writers" because of it. The writing we do is mostly informal, spontaneous, and many times emotion led that lacks substance. Writing in todays society takes little thought, less knowledge of the topic subject, and lacks any real affect of the reader. Again, yes we do write, but a true writer presents good, accurate information that elicits a response through their writing, not an quick, empty post to social media or a text to a friend.