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A Revised Definition of Twenty-First Century Literacies

Literacy consists of a vast and complex system of cultural  and communicative practices.  The ideas and methods surrounding literacy change over time, but the ideals and intentions remain the same. In modern society, there is the need to understand many literacies, because they are always expanding outward and changing all the time. These literacies, compelling enough to have an effect on entire cultures, are adaptive enough to be a part of  individual learning and  development. Active, successful participants in twenty-first century literate society must be able to:

Make technology work for them, whether that technology comes in the form of pencils, pixels, or anything in between. While there are as many approaches to writing technologies as there are individuals, literate society is increasingly multi-media focused and so individuals must have competence with many of these technologies in order to produce good work.

Collaborate and communicate productively with other participants in society.

Accept that literacy requires the continuation of our own learning. Stephen King believes that we cannot be literate participants of society without engaging in multiple aspects of literacy, saying that "you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." They must read widely, and use what they learn to improve their own work.

Use the works of ourselves and others to help us grow, by bringing in these ideas, trying them out, and getting a better understanding of ourselves. In her essay “Why I Write,” Didion emphasizes that writing practices allow for experimentation with ideas, citing “[one reason] why writers write: had I known the answer to any of these questions I would never have needed to write a novel.”

Understand that because there is  so much potential in  twenty-first century literate society, we must remember ethics and responsibility. As King says, “if you can take it seriously, we can do business.”

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An Incomplete Theory of Writing

Inspired by Bruce Mau’s An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth…

...and with some input from Stephen King and Joan Didion

Why Do We Need a Theory of Writing?

There are many, many ways to approach writing, and producing good work can be a slow, difficult process. A theory of writing, which gives solid answers on the hows and whys of writing,  can be a source of inspiration. By focusing on our approach and identifying our ideals and intentions, having a theory of writing can empower us to take writing in our own direction.

1. Writing is perhaps the most empowering thing we have. When we write, we are showing a part of ourselves to the world. So we should go deep with our writing, because the deeper we go, the more likely it is we will recognize something of value.

Like Stephen King says in his essay “What Writing Is,” we can approach writing for all kinds of purposes, out kindness, love, ambition, desperation, fear, disgust...for all kinds of purposes both wholesome and depraved, but no matter what we do, we “must not come lightly to the blank page.”

2. Through the process of writing, we learn more about ourselves. Growth and consciousness are not things that just happen to us, but rather they are things that must be produced. We should change up our writing,  draw on our writing, bend, crush, and fold our writing. It doesn’t really matter what we do to our writing,  we just have to do it a lot. 

3. There’s no way around it...writing is based in self-obsession. Our everyday lives are filled with millions of details, and all of these are viewed through a filter of our own preferences and experiences. By writing about these thoughts we manage them as if they are something that other people would care about, but usually they are only significant to ourselves. This is why we have our post-it notes and notebooks, our personal blogs and apps.

In Joan Didion’s essay “On Keeping a Notebook” she admits that, sometimes despite our best efforts, writing really is mostly about ourselves. “Our notebooks give us away,” she says, “for however dutifully we record what we see around us, the common denominator of what we see is always, transparently, shamelessly, the implacable ‘I’.”

4. Writers nonetheless must be open and observant to the world around them. We notice how the universe sometimes plops things into our laps. We stuff ourselves with observations, digest them slowly. Sure, many of these observations end up wasted, but they are the things that sustain life.

Didion images that her compulsion to write things down in her notebook is because of “some thrifty virtue (that) derives from preserving everything observed.”

In my post “Thoughts on Why We Write,” I discuss the writing that I do on the notes app on my phone, explaining that “some of them are to keep bits of information that might be useful in the future, some are there to help me gain a better understanding of my relationships and experiences, some are merely there to show the passing of time.” I also keep around the writing of others, and in my post “My Changing Approach to Literacy,” I admit that “these changes in the way most of us access information has made me somewhat of  a digital hoarder.”

5. To write is to interpret! Writing isn’t just about recording things as they are...there needs to be some creative interest. Write without limits. Recognize the metaphors in our own lives.

Didion does not care about the distinction between truths and untruths, and in her essay she says that “not only have I always had trouble distinguishing between what happened and what merely might have happened, but I remain unconvinced that the distinction, for my purposes, matters.”

6. Significant pieces of writing encourage us see familiar things in a different way, a jolt of the unusual within the usual. To get this, a writer should approach their piece with a creative and multidisciplinary approach.

In “Thoughts on (Good) Writing,” I emphasize the importance of insight, claiming  that “a written piece that contains no hint of significant insight cannot be considered good writing.”

7. This is intentionally BOLD. We should feel empowered to stand out, experiment, change up our writing in any way.  Consistency isn’t really a human trait.

8. Imitate. Imitate. We do not need to be afraid to get uncomfortably close to the works that inspire us. Writers know that there is not an original approach on the face of the planet. We will never get all the way there with our imitations, of course, but the separation between pieces might be the most interesting part. These separations are what makes the work rightfully yours.

In my attempt at writing an Onion-ish article, I emphasized the snarkiness and cynicism that characterizes the news source. The result is me, and yet it’s also not me.  “Over the past several months, the stereotypical hairy, glasses-wearing man with his nose deep in a book has become an increasingly common sight on any public bus or train. Researchers took to the trendy part of town to find out why…”

9. Writing is so dependent on form. Think about word choice and grammar, organization and structure, the placement of every slash, dash, and dot.

In “Thoughts on (Good) Writing,” I say that “there are many boring but important components of writing, such as word choice and grammar, which can be managed through specificity. Good writing pays attention to detail, and while many good writers do not adhere to convention, the approach taken  to writing must not distract from its message.

10. Writers have their own spaces. Mine is on the saggy couch in the corner of my favorite coffee shop. Surrounded by worn cushions, potted plants, and hipsters waiting for americanos, this is the place where my best work happens.

King emphasizes the importance of having writing places of our own, telling us that “I’m in another place, a basement place where there are lots of bright lights and clear images.  This is a place I’ve built for myself over the years.  It’s a far-seeing place. I know it’s a lit­tle strange, a little bit of a contradiction, that a far-seeing place should also be a basement place, but that’s how it is with me.”

11. Study. Our writing places are from where we learn about the world. We should use the process of writing as an opportunity to understand something new.

In King’s “Top Twenty Rules for Writers,” he says “if you don’t have the time to read, then you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”

The necessity to draw from other works sometimes makes our own process easier. In my post “Scritchy-Scratch, Clicky-Clack” about writing technologies, I claim that “writing research papers was the easiest for me me because their format encouraged the incorporation of many outside resources.”

12. Good writing is not device-dependent.

13. Collaborate. The spaces between people are charged with creative potential.

Writing itself is sort of like collaboration, and King argues that by sharing written work, “we’re having a meeting of the minds.”

14. ____________________. This is intentionally left empty. As writers, we should leave some space for ideas we haven’t had yet, as well as for the ideas of others.

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Revised Definition of Literacy

Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the 21st century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies are multiple, dynamic, and malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life possibilities, and social trajectories of individuals and groups. Active, successful participants in this 21st century global society must be able to

Develop proficiency in the use of pencils, pixels, and everything in between (this is still important...but from what I have observed, literacy is not device-dependent)

Use these technologies to connect us with perspectives that, until just recently, were completely out-of-reach

Intake all the information that comes our way, and then receive it, reject it, or ignore it (this is still important)

Continue to be discerning about written text, whether printed in a book or posted online

Use these technologies to get value from the creative output of others, and also use these technologies to produce our own creative output (this is the main emphasis for the revised definition of literacy)

Remember that what we write can change the world, but the technologies we use to do so can have just as dramatic an effect

One of the writings that will be applied for this project On Writing by Steven King, which discusses how we can better incorporate literacy into our individual lives, with a focus on creative individualism. 

However, I have been thinking also about the more subjective side of writing theory, such as the material in Joan Didion’s essay “On Keeping a Notebook”. This is a very different approach to literacy in our individual lives, and one that I would like to examine more within the context of what we have learned in this class.

Furthermore, another theorist that I have been thinking about is Bruce Mau, whose piece “An Incomplete Manifesto for Change” has some of the framework of my theory of writing. Like the Didion essay, this piece is focused on the changes that literacy makes in the lives of individuals, and in society only by extension. 

With these theorists, it is clear that my new understanding of literacy is very personal, very much reliant on individual experiences. Therefore, the revised definition of literacy that was written earlier in the class will undergo considerable changes. 

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An Incomplete Theory of Writing

...inspired by Bruce Mau’s An Incomplete Manifesto for Change

Why Do We Need a Theory of Writing?

Theories are tested by repeatable, observable experimentation. They are useful when you get the same results every time. Maybe this is not true for a theory of writing, however.

A theory of writing is better understood as a model that works in a limited range of settings, rather than a law of science which is applied universally.

The following, appearing in a numbered, stylized list:

In order to write, a writer must know something about themselves. What a writer produces is a part of themselves, which they are able to show to the world. (Think about that documentary about that photographer... that hundredth of a second that is stopped in time forever).

Writing is a way to learn more about the self, the writer. It is important to keep our writing current, I think, because revisiting the same thoughts again and again can hold us back. This is because, as we write our way to a better understanding of ourselves, we can still adhere to the things we jotted down months or years ago.  In this way, the process is just as important as the outcome.

When we are often distracted with the details of everyday life, looking back at our writing can reconnect us with thoughts that at some point, we had decided were worth keeping around. This is why we have …, the notes section on our phones.

A writer is someone who stays up late.

What makes good, effective writing?

Good writing is all about consistency, form, selectivity, and significance.

Writing is art, form is important. Think about indentation, …, and the placement of every slash, dash, and dot.

Consistency is not really a human trait. However, the more consistent a piece of writing is, there is a greater likelihood that it will convey its intended message;  inconsistent use of terminology creates a barrier between the reader and understanding.

The writing that stays with us encourage us see familiar things in a different way, a jolt of the unusual within the usual. To get this, a writer should approach their piece with a creative and multidisciplinary approach. Avoid fields. Jump fences.

Word choice is important.

Collaboration.

It’s interesting how the universe sometimes plops things into your lap.

Good writing is not device-dependent.

Our doodles are important.

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Looking Back

Dear Miranda,

Although you’re just a high school student and you have a whole lot of growing up to do in the next few years, there are a lot of things that I appreciate about you. At this point, you’ve already been working really hard for a couple of years, you have a few more seemingly-endless years of high school still ahead. Of course, things do get better. While college seems uncomprehendingly far away from where you are now, remember that time goes really fast…

Right now, high school is the most important thing in your life. While every assignment seems important in a red-faced, sweaty-palm kind of way, just remember that the only reason you are in high school is to improve your basic skills, most importantly in reading and writing. These are those skills that will be important for high school, college, and beyond, and learning will get so much easier and more exciting when you learn how to do them well.

As you improve your reading and writing skills, however, remember that there is something to be said about integrity. All throughout high school, you will never be at the top of the class or win any special awards. Regardless, you managed to do a good job all by yourself, so I’m not disappointed at all. Because of this hard work, your reading skills have gotten really good. I’m glad that you read all of the books assigned for your classes...you’re going to find some of your favorite books that way. For as much as you read, however, your writing just isn’t that good just yet. You're going to have some massively influential teachers that will help you out in that area, but even they can’t teach you everything. For now, I recommend that you continue to write down every new word that comes your way and learn to revise your writing as you go (you never do get over that tendency to procrastinate).

At this point in your life, you’re characterised by your many inconsistencies and underdeveloped preferences, someone who tries too hard to fit in and stand out simultaneously. However, start paying close attention to every little thing that you like (thrift shopping, folk music, breakfast burritos...). I encourage you to maintain a list of these things, even, and keep on looking for connections. As you do this, you will begin to understand who you are as a person, and you will get better at showing this person to the people around you. Being unapologetically who you are will make you a more likeable person, and it will improve every aspect of your life.

You are probably already planning for college, even though you have no real sense of who you are and what you want to do. That’s not your fault. Perhaps it was inevitable that not everything turned out the way you wanted it to, and you will spend a couple of nights crying disappointedly into your beer. However, after having spent less than a year at college, I already know that, by ending up elsewhere, there would have been many unknown implications, and I would not be the person that I am today. I would have missed out on the curriculum, which has already opened me up to thinking in new ways. I would not have chosen the same course of study, pursued the same passions, or been lucky enough to live where I do now. I would not have come across many of the teachers, writers, and artists who have further shaped what is important in my life. (And also, no matter how hard you work in high school, college is still going to be hard. I know, I’m sorry, but just remember that hard work is how the biggest growth happens. )

So, a couple last thoughts for you. Remember that with all of these things, you are always, always worthy of love.  So be nicer to your family, do more for the  friends who have always stuck around, and don’t worry about that boy you like now (you’ll go on to date both of his brothers, but never him).

So hang in there. You’re going to be fine.

Miranda

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DU Mass Literacies Reflection

For the DU Mass Literacies project conducted by Miranda Flora and Caitlan Gannam, we approach an understanding of literacies on campus by determining whether students prefer paper or digital notes and textbooks, and the reasons why.  Going into the study, we predicted that due to the university’s laptop policy and the high number of laptops present in every classroom, coffee shop, and corner of Anderson Academic Commons,  students choose digital literary mediums over paper mediums. However, after observing literacy practices on campus and interviewing a group of students, most students indicated that they prefered paper notes and textbooks over the digital versions, because of the perceived learning benefits of paper resources and the distractions that accompany digital media.

When enacting this study, research was first conducted through observation and then through interviews with students. We went to a variety of known study areas across campus and observed how students were utilizing their technologies. We made sure to observe the distribution of paper materials as well as laptops, and how students were using these materials. Then, to allow the students to describe their literary practices for themselves, we asked them about which technologies they choose to learn, how much time they spend using these each day, and other questions to get a comprehensive image of how literacy manifests itself on campus.

The observational portion of the study showed that many students had laptops present and were using them for both schoolwork and unrelated tasks (almost always at the same time). With this, however, a majority of those using their laptops have paper notes and textbooks nearby and actively use them. These observations suggest that, while laptops are a necessary (though undeniably distracting) technology for schoolwork, many students choose paper resources to support the digital resources that are available on their laptops.

Furthermore, the interview portion of the study supports the idea that students intentionally include paper supplements into the digital curriculum. As the pie graph illustrates, almost all of the interview respondents (80%) prefer paper notes and textbooks, regardless of major, level, and the amount of time spent studying each day. For instance, Kaimin Pang, a senior economics student, explains that she prefers taking notes on paper “because I am not much of a technology person, so the paper notes are just better for me. I also prefer physical textbooks because it’s easier to take notes.” Another student, Calvin Fisher, a freshman English major, responds, “all of my notes are on paper, which I think allows me to retain the information better. I sometimes have to use digital textbooks, but I think it is better to use physical ones. Like, even though this study guide for economics was online, I printed it out to study.”  These responses further suggest that the students at this university understand the benefits of paper resources and incorporate them into the way they learn.

However, these observations do not explain why students spend so much time on their laptops, instead of depending more on these paper resources.  As the graph shows, the average student spends at least an hour completing online schoolwork each day.  Some of the reasons why university students rely so heavily on digital means of production may be explained in Deborah Brandt’s The Rise of Writing.  Throughout the book, Brandt discusses the implications of living in a society whose main form of productive output is through writing. This transition toward writing has changed the way that society approaches the subject, and in many cases it has limited our options as to how our writing is produced.

Brandt states that “practically speaking, writing has flourished not in some civic sphere but in the realm of patronage, where writers enter into some sort of give-and-take relationship with more powerful others in exchange for access to tools, audiences, or remunerations of various kinds”  (5).  This means that when writing for a university, we enter into a type of contract where we provide written works in exchange for an education and an audience. With this, we must produce these written works in accordance with the stipulations laid out by the university administration. Another way that Brandt phrases this concept is by saying that “mass writing has grown up under forms of sponsorship that do not necessarily honor the integrity and freedom of the individual literate” (18).  This means that, as the  “sponsor” of student writing, the university in a way removes the preferences of the individual writer.

With these considerations, this is an institution whose curriculum is very reliant on digital technology...so much so, that students are required to have a high-end laptop in order to attend. From our observations and student interviews, this emphasis on digitization might conflict with student preferences toward paper notes and textbooks. Within the context of our literary culture as a whole, however, these practices are uncommon. Because the university is the sponsor of it’s students written work, it is the institution that determines the form of its student’s written output, and not the students themselves.

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Interview Responses

(These are my own contributions to the literacy interviews)

Joseph Ehrenpreis

Music Major, Third Year Student

Where do you like to study, and why?

My favorite place to study is in the vicinity of my apartment, which is right across the street from the Newman music center. Sometimes, when I have a lot of work to do, I’ll go to the library, but I don’t like fluorescent lights or having to wear pants.

Will you describe the process of producing your last major assignment?

Yeah! My last assignment was a transcription project for a music history class.  I went to a concert in the Newman Center, which was playing the music of Bali. When I was at the concert, I took notes on musical form and aesthetics, and then I had to write an analysis of it.

You mentioned taking notes at the concert.  Do you prefer to take notes on  paper or on your computer? 

I definitely take notes on paper for all of my assignments.

What about textbooks? Do you use digital textbooks or do you prefer having physical textbooks?

I use physical textbooks, which are really easy to find cheap online…physical textbooks are much better for forming neural pathways.

Well, since the curriculum here is mostly computer based, how many hours a day to you spend on your computer?

Probably about one hour a day. I don’t have Wi-Fi in my apartment. 

And what percentage of that time is schoolwork? 

Well, if you consider my art as schoolwork, I would say just about all of it. Or maybe ninety-percent…I waste a lot of time on Facebook.

You seem like a very focused student! Are you reading anything outside of class?

Yeah! Right now, I’m working my way through My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard, and Confronting Silence by Toru Takemitsu.

Calvin Fisher

English Major, First Year Student

So, I see you studying here (Lobby of Centennial Halls) all the time. Is this your favorite place to study?

Yeah, most of my classes are in Sturm, so it is easy to come back and study here throughout the day. It is quiet, easy to focus, conducive to studying. Sometimes I will go to  the library.

Will you describe the process of producing your last major assignment?

That would have been a test for economics, which I’m taking to fulfill general requirements. I went online to look at the teacher’s study guide, which I printed out.

So, do you take notes on paper or laptop? Are your textbooks physical or digital?

All of my notes are on paper, which I think allows me to retain the information better. I sometimes have to use digital textbooks, but I think it is better to use physical ones.  

How many hours each day do you spend on your computer?

Probably two hours, if you count schoolwork.

Okay, then, what percentage of that time is schoolwork?

Well, probably about an hour, since I get really distracted on my computer.  I know this is a weakness, so I make sure to keep my phone away when I’m trying to get work done.

That sounds like a good idea! Last question…are you reading anything outside of class?

 I’m in the Honors Book Club, which is reading George Orwell’s 1984. Don’t ask me about it though, I’ve only read about two pages!

Observations and Analysis 

·      All of the people who were interviewed, regardless of their majors, had similar responses

·      Taking notes on paper and reading physical textbooks is strongly preferred, with several students emphasizing that it allows them to learn better.

·      When asked about the time that they spend on their computers, all of them say that these can be a source of distraction, with social media being the biggest detractor.

·      Most of the students have academic interests outside the classroom, reading serious materials on their own time. They all seem to be focused students!

It is an interesting contrast that, while almost all of the students readily profess their preference for taking notes on paper and using physical textbooks, the academic approaches of the university are not always consistent with this. These ideas will be important to consider as our education practices continue to digitalize!

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Am I a Writer?

When considering writers, one must understand this group before trying to determine their place within it.  First and foremost, a writer must write. This usually implies that a writer writes well, or at least writes in a very specific way. However, a writer must also be someone who writes with a purpose, with the intention to have their writings make some kind of impact on their readers.

Of course, as a person who writes, these first two specifications are easily fulfilled. Really, these characteristics apply now to almost everyone, because so many of us have writing as a major component of our productive output. Because I am in a rigorous academic program, and in a writing class, for heck’s sake, I do a lot of writing. And because I have been doing a lot of writing for a long time, I have developed my own consistent approach to writing, with preferences, tone, and themes that remain consistent from piece to piece, whether I am writing a lab report or a blog post.  

However, with consideration to what Brandt had discussed in her most recent chapter, being a writer also implies some kind of focus, an intentional output that makes communication its main purpose. This is what separates people who write from writers. For me, at least, this intentional written output is still developing, and this shows in my writing practices. For instance, the  more writing I have to do for school and such, the less writing I want to do. To put it another way, the constant writing projects for my classes take away from my other writing, such as the poetry that I have been writing on and off for years. This is not consistent with the practices of  better writers, who find a way to write no matter what and in fact never seem to be overwhelmed by  it.

In a few months, when the demands of these writing courses have ceased, I will be able to  revise some of my poetry and submit it for publishing. With this, will I become a writer, rather than a person who writes? What seems to matter most is  how much one needs to write, how much writing is a part of one's identity. And with this, perhaps, I have further to go.

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Moment Three

One of the most fundamental ideas that we have communicated this quarter was from Ong’s Orality and Literacy, which argues that the technologies of writing have changed how we communicate, and with that,  how we think.

This piece was particularly interesting because it connected with some ideas that I had previously researched. Throughout it, I kept being reminded about the writings of anthropologist Jared Diamond, who is best known for Guns, Germs, and Steel. In his examination of global inequality, Diamond discusses the indigenous populations of Papua New Guinea, one of the last remaining people groups who live in the modern world without writing. Ong and Diamond have compatible examinations of  how societies with writing are different from societies without it.

We do not have to look at indigenous populations to understand how literacy can change the way our brains work. This week, we had a class discussion about how learning another language can change the way we think. Learning Spanish, for me, has given me insight into the structure of English, and I have a heightened awareness of each language’s  structure, conjugations, and  fluctuations. This increased awareness would never have come to me if I only knew one language!

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Moment Two

As my workload becomes more demanding and writing becomes a bigger part of my everyday life, it is important to try out new approaches in order to improve my writing process. I like to have a visual component alongside my written pieces, such as a chart or graphic organizer. Because of this,  I have become interested in mind mapping. A mind map is a visual representation of a central concept, which has words and images arranged around it. While mind maps are good tools for forming an argument and  planning a layout,with a broadened definition of what makes a paper, these mind maps could be considered papers themselves.

This video tutorial illustrates some of the ways to make a mind map.  

Hmm...this might be an interesting approach for producing a paper in the near future!

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Moment One

As discussed in Deborah Brandt’s “The Rise of Writing,” being a good reader and being a good writer do not always go hand-in-hand. As our society becomes more and more focused on writing, reading is continuously being overlooked.

However, at this point in my education, I get much more value from reading than writing. Reading lets us see the world with a new perspective, while writing lets us share our old perspectives with the world. Because my own experiences (as well as everyone else’s!) are limited to a very, very small segment of existence in this universe, reading is essential for building our knowledge and broadening our perspectives.

With this consideration, it is likewise important to develop writing skills so that what we learn through reading can then be put to effective use through writing. If we focus on our writing as well as our reading, there may be a little bit we can learn a little about ourselves in the process. When given the choice, however,  I’ll be having fun with my library card.

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Literacy Observations, Part Two

A quiet place to study...

...and one a little louder

Interview Questions

Where do you like to study? Why?

Describe the process of producing your last major assignment?

Are you reading anything outside of class?

Do you take notes on paper or laptop? Are your textbooks physical or digital?

    Which do you think lets you learn better?

How many hours each day do you spend on your computer?

    What percentage of that time is school work?

Interview Subjects

Kesiah Mendoza: Political science major: Interview February 8, 2017

Anne Martinez: Business major: Interview February 8, 2017

Kylie Dillinger: Anthropology major: Interview February 9, 2017

Dustin: Film Studies Major: (February 11, 2017)

Joseph Ehrenpreis: Guitar student (independent study) (February 10, 2017)

Calvin Fisher: English major (February 10, 2017)

[mirandaflorablr-blog]

Dr. Seuss Can Write, Alright?

Open up your ears and eyes, let’s make a theory of writing

So what we do can be better (and oh, so exciting!)

We all have ideas, and yours are important to you

So you should write, write about these, that is truer than true.

Writing is not easy, though,

And many who write do not get to the end

So tap your feet, bounce in your seat, but keep holding your pen,

because you should do it all over, do it over again.

Work hard, take time, make your words true

And maybe, just maybe, others will like it too

So do these things, and someday good writing will come

Spilling like sunshine... out of your bum!

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Super-Sleuthy Literacy Observations

Front Porch Cafe in Anderson Academic Commons

The Front Porch Cafe in Anderson Academic Commons is clearly a social space. There is a good amount of noise in the background as the espresso machine hisses and groups of professors chat.

In the immediate vicinity, there are five individuals studying at tables alone. They are all looking at Excel on their laptops. There is a nearby study group of three girls, all looking at laptops, even though they have paper notes. Most people here have food and drinks. Some students are holding their phones while looking at their laptops...possibly texting, Tindering, or whatever. Actually, judging by the finger swiping, it is definitely Tinder. They sometimes put down their phones and look back at their laptops. Some of the people are wearing headphones.

Honors Cave in Mary Reed Hall

There are no students in Mary Reed’s basement Honors Cave...which maybe implies that these study spaces do not have a big impact on literacy on campus.  

“The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey, the choice for this quarter’s Honors Book Club are piled on the coffee table, alongside copies of “The Atlantic” and “Science” magazines. Some resource books are on shelves. There is a outdated desktop computer in the back, but it functions.

This is clearly a multipurpose space, with couches arranged as a leisure area and some study cubicles in the back. It does not appear to be used very much.

The Wi-Fi does not work very well which does not make it an optimal study space.

Atrium in Olin Hall

There are four students in the atrium, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and geode display cases.The students come and go, and it seems that they only stay here for five to ten minutes..this  is a space for students to study in between classes. All of the students sit as far apart from each other as possible...this is not a social space.

All students have laptops out and two students on the lower level have notes.

A female student on is switching between her phone and her laptop. She is likely texting or on Snapchat, because she has taken multiple selfies.

Another student has her out laptop with headphones on. She is also using her phone (likely texting) but she seems rather absorbed by what she is doing on her laptop.

A male student has his laptop open with notes and cell phone out. He appears to be drawing charts from his phone. He is also texting.

A female student on the balcony has out multiple notes and is working on a notebook computer. She is very focused. Her phone is not visible.

Girl on phone taking selfies has closed her laptop and is now working on some type of graph. She continues to interact with her cell phone.

[mirandaflorablr-blog]

Thoughts on The Rise of Writing

In the introduction and first chapter of  The Rise of Writing, Deborah Brandt discusses the undetermined implications of how mass literacy has shifted in emphasis from reading to writing. In the twenty-first century, more and more of us have positions that are knowledge based, thereby making writing an essential component of most jobs. With this, these “workaday writers” with their constant production of reports and correspondence have compiled to a massive amount of writing...and no one really knows what to do with it. When these workers write as a part of their jobs, they are not representing themselves, but rather their employers. Likewise, the workers are not held to legal standards because there are no authorship rights involved, they do not stand to benefit economically because copyright has not been instantiated, and they are under absolutely no obligation to actually believe in what they are writing. This has resulted in a complicated balance wherein this writing “does not relate to the writers in any legal, economic, or moral way.” This section analyzes how writers manage inconsistent authorship policies, the suppression of their speech rights, and even the need to take on other identities as they write, and yet still integrate their own values and experiences into their written output. This piece is of extreme relevance to all of these “workaday writers,” whose further understanding of the subject will change how writing practices are utilized within society.

This dense, thoroughly-researched segment examines some aspects of writing that many of us do not consider. For the most part, the chapters suggest that the necessary, mindless writing we do each day has some interesting implications...not only for the readers, but for the writers as well. As most of us are generally convinced that words can have big effects, what does it mean when we spend much of our time writing to promote the interests that we ourselves do not care much about? This ranges from the seemingly innocuous production of emails and work reports to the more dubious practice of ghostwriting. Really, the next time I read anything from a chain email to a mass-produced biography, I will be thinking much more about the individual behind it.

This course emphasizes that, in the time of mass literacy, the ethical implications of what we read and write should be evaluated. This is demonstrated in the National Council of Teachers of English definition of twenty-first century literacy, which reminds us that writing can have a big effect, and also in Dennis Baron’s “From Pencils to Pixels,” which discusses how ethical practices in our society change along with technology. Within the context of these passages as well as the passage by Deborah Brandt, we need to consider ethics as we continue to transition to a mass literacy that increasingly writing dependant.

[mirandaflorablr-blog]

Literacy in Context

Prior to studying literacy, my understanding of this theme was just about individual proficiency in reading and writing. However, further study suggests  that literacy has always been about the complicated management of communication practices within a society. With this consideration,  literacy must change as technology changes. This is especially true in the twenty-first century, as the invention of computers has catalyzed the single biggest change to literacy since the invention of writing itself.

This definition of literacy manifests itself in much of the literature we have read this quarter. For instance, Walter Ong applies these ideas about literacy going back to its emergence, when societies were changing from oral tradition to writing systems. These changes have have allowed a higher level of intellectual ability. While in an oral culture knowledge must always be repeated or it would be lost, writing allows for an increased knowledge base and more effective utilization of literary technologies.

These ideas about literary transition  are still applicable in the twenty-first century, but now the transition is occurring between traditional printing and digitalization. Greg Nichols discusses the the implications of the dramatic increase of Internet access to the populations of the world who are just now becoming connected. Literacy has always been regarded as a stabilizing and democratizing factor, and this suggests that wherever literacy is introduced, it yields broad and changes in people's rationality, social development, economic mobility, and capacity for scientific analysis. However, as digital literacy becomes an increasingly worldwide phenomenon, the effects of this have yet to be fully understood.

Because of this, it is important to determine the most beneficial approach to digital literacy. The National Council of Teachers of English determines that participants of the twenty-first century should develop proficiency with the tools of technology and use these  to build purposeful connections throughout society. This approach suggests that, as technologies change and literacy changes with them,  the purpose of literacy has always been to increase effective communication throughout society.

My Word Cloud represents my definition of literacy. It really emphasizes the changing technologies and global digital literacy that are central to the theme!