Blog #16

The wide variety of university majors, colleges and their offered fields of study are typically considered relatively concrete, leaving little room for speculation with regard to content and educational strategy. However, there is evidently much controversy surrounding the flexibilities and defining characteristics of English/Writing majors at many universities. Specifically, “The Undergraduate Writing Major” has been interpreted with much hesitation and indecision – hence the remainder of the article’s title – “What Is it? What Should It Be?” It is considered to be in a state of constant defining and redefining, and is effectually growing and gaining recognition as an actual first-class major. The article discusses specifically the two types of writing majors that seem to be apparent – creative writing and compositional writing, both embodied within the larger English literature scope. There appears to be little consensus for what the writing major should look like, but a few questions have been raised to take into consideration for further defining and clarification. In particular, what gateway course, what capstone course, and what is to be included with regard to history, theory, and research must be called into question. The end of the article concludes with markedly inconclusive insight – yet where do we go from here and what is the purpose/vision seems to be the consensus thus far. This article really reiterates the fluidity and seemingly ineffable nature of the English major with regard to purpose, consistency, and structure. In some ways, this is disconcerting and worrisome as an English major, but it seems to also suggest that the skills and education gained is widely applicable to any future career choice or path. The changing nature of print, writing, and English also factors into this period of redefinition, and thus the article “Writing in the Late Age of Print” seems quite apropos. The incorporation of visual, electronic, and digital medias into the literate world has propelled society into a more computer literate state. One specific point in the article was a comment made by novelist E. Annie Proulx with regard to the impossibility of anyone wanting to read off of a “twitchy little screen,” – ironic, because the emergence of the Kindle is now upon us. The redefining of digital writing, the voice of text, and writing space is providing an unstable environment that allows for something like the redefining of English/Writing majors to take place. The conclusion of the latter article is that writing space is in fact a metaphor for the human mind and social interaction. Communication, interpersonal exchange, and entirely new modes of discourse are all subject to change and grow in this constant state of technological change within society.

Blog #15

In the “Copy, Paste, Remix” article, the author describes the growing trend of Myspace profiles and the users’ incorporation of various codes and modes of media to portray a sense of individuality or expression. The profiles include images, photographs, music, games, and text and achieve the portrayal of these through the utilization of copy and paste formatting codes. It is thought to be a “collective, social process” even though the individual is essentially in control only in tension with the efforts of others. Therefore, the entire Myspace phenomenon is perpetuated by a web of intermingling users who are generally inexperienced with the entire process. The article also references bandwidth stealing - the using of different media without permission that in turn costs the provider. Through the use of a few images, the article demonstrates a before and after of this example (however the picture of the “cat poop” was a little unnecessary...). Remix culture and appropriation are also noted within the article. I thought this article was pretty informative, though I’m not sure it really drove the point home...the conclusion was a bit fuzzy. However, as a short lived Myspace user in the past, it is funny to note the evidence of this misuse and confusion of codes, etc. within the community. The Basic Design Principles article and the Bad Design article both provide basic techniques and ideas with regard to creating a website - tips towards a professional looking website. Alignment, proximity, repetition and contrast are all considerations necessary to be taken when creating a website. Additionally, elements of bad design include all caps text, break lines, faulty links, etc. I do not feel too strongly about either one of these articles because they read like manuals or how-to books. Overall, both articles are applicable to the EWM major and post-graduate because of the advancements in technology within the publishing and editing industry.

Blog #14

The introduction to the “New Media Design” article enumerates a variety of facts and beliefs about the realm of graphic designs, as well as some of the misconceptions and uses of the field. Graphic design refers to the textual and visual information as it is arranged, formed, and communicated within a variety of mediums. Different types of graphic design include typeface, editorial, environmental signage, posters, corporate identity, packaging, general information, and media related graphics. When the different types were being described, it made me really examine the plethora of multifarious graphics that surround us to the point that sometimes it is difficult to remember that every graphic, construction, and image we see has been created by someone with a very specific purpose. Additionally, the differences between old and new media demonstrate the huge impact that the creation of graphics have on specific audiences. The incorporation of interactivity and the ability to enable audiences to act is significant difference between old and new media. The use of the computer makes the characteristics and functions of the new media possible. The possibilities for the future of graphic design and new media has led some to believe that even new modes of communication are being formed that will need to be defined. This article provides a basic background of the field of graphic design but also emphasizes its role and importance within everyday life - a form of communication that yields meaning and understanding for its various audiences.

Blog #13

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lynne Truss’ introduction called “The Seventh Sense” from the book “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.” Not only was it a worthwhile read based on its content, but her stylistic approach made me literally laugh out loud several times - something that has rarely, if ever, occurred within my academic career thus far. This in itself made me appreciate her stance on the importance of both punctuation and its potential to get lost within the haze of mistakes and lax writing rules as society advances (or in the case of punctuation, digresses). Truss suggests that punctuation is clearly the driving force of writing and provides examples of misplaced or absent punctuation that completely changes the intent of a sentence or paragraph...and in some cases, an entire work. Her description of the lack of emphasis on punctuation and grammar within schools made me realize the prevalence of common mistakes within many different forms of communication. However, after reading Jack Lynch’s, “Grammar, and Nonsense, and Learning: We Look to the Future,” I began to realize that being a “stickler” may not, in fact, be the best course of action if maintaining some semblance of “order” within the English language is of primary concern. His emphasis on appropriateness when employing language is particularly insightful, as well as his argument that for the past century (at least), the efforts made to maintain grammar and punctuation have proven to be futile. Additionally, the use of language as a socializing mechanism and a means of categorically structuring people based on level and choice of language is also extremely eye-opening. I truly enjoyed both of these articles and they have made me that much more of a proponent for this area of expertise.

Blog #12

In Sullivan & Eggleston’s article, “Before You Begin,” the editing process is described and presented as a checklist in order to demonstrate the varying levels of commitment and requirements that are involved within the field. When reading the article, it felt like I was reading a “how-to” guide or “editing for dummies” manual, but regardless the material is concise and useful, pertinent not only to the EWM major but post-graduation as well. The authors enumerate different levels of editing including standard proofreading, editorial proofreading, copy editing, and substantive editing, therefore displaying an increasing level of detail and work attributed to each possible type. The questions of what level of work, who is the audience, when is it due, which format will be used, which references will be utilized, and who will answer questions regarding all information, all arise within the article as key components that are a necessary part of the checklist (provided at the end) to go through each time a piece is edited or editing work is done. I found the article to be helpful and will likely use it as a resource in the future within this class and beyond.

Blog #11

In Kristie Fleckenstein’s article, “Appetite for Coherence,” she describes the necessary role of peer evaluation and reader/writer role acknowledgment for the development of coherence within composition. Coherence is created by the reader, thus the writer must take into consideration both the writer’s perspective but also the reader’s as well. “To be good writers, they must be good readers as well.” The claim that coherence is necessary within a composition refers to the relationships built between ideas that allow for furthered understanding and grasping of the points that the author addresses. Fleckenstein provides a variety of classroom based examples in order to support her claim that not only teachers, but students should be actively involved in the composition and revision process. I personally was a bit confused by the examples as it seemed to disjoint the flow of the article, but I can understand the necessary application and incorporation of them within the article. She proposes that fostering reliance on one’s own judgment rather than the professor’s or thought audience’s will in effect promote coherence within a piece. I appreciate the transitional and linguistic cues that are addressed within the article, but I’m not sure that the actual application of this strategy would be effective without having any personal experience with the process. I do think it is a creative approach for instilling editing/revising skills within inexperienced writers. However, it is evident that ideas and coherence is a necessary and huge component of the composition process.

Blog #10

In Nancy Sommers article, “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers,” she enumerates a variety of differences between the revision processes as approached by student writers in comparison to more experienced writers. The composition process and the incorporation of the act of revising are largely contingent upon the linear models established for writing – conception, incubation, and production being the three main components. However, because of the reliance on linear models of writing based on traditional models of rhetoric (speech), the presence of revision as a core component is diminished. Yet the possibility of revision is what may be considered the distinguishing factor of text from speech. Revision’s role within composition is seemingly deemphasized, but the author claims that its role is vital to the overall purpose of the composition.
After reading the article, it really made me evaluate my own writing process and specifically my attention to revising, or lack thereof. Based on the author’s evaluation of students’ responses to the revision process, it is evident that much emphasis is placed on word choice and sentence structure without much attention to the overall intent of the composition. However, I personally do not consult a thesaurus for word choice changes, etc., yet it seems to be quite prevalent especially in lower level writing. The oversight for revision, however, may be attributed to the styles of writing taught throughout elementary, middle, and high schools, especially the five-point paper, thesis first, etc. It all seems to be very formulaic. I also think this may be attributed to the emphasis placed on standardized testing and therefore writing for the sole purpose of covering all grammatical bases and rules as determined by the audience. The issue is that the audience is in effect responsible for the writer’s grade, acceptance, etc. and so the idea of the writing being a process of discovery is lost in the shuffle. The basis by which we are taught to write needs to be reevaluated if the incorporation of revision and the idea that “good writing disturbs” is of significance to the quality and future of composition.