What I think of Project 3

I've been thinking about my own draft for Project 3 and I have to tell you that I feel like I cannot write too personally about it or I might start to get home sick.  I feel as if I wrote any more it will ruin what I've already states.  I thought it'd be easy to write about my hometown, but it is hard to do the place any justice in words.  To be completely honest, I haven't really been thinking about my own draft at all.

Anna's Beautiful Paper

I am peer reviewing a colleague's draft on Project three and my first reaction is simply wow.  I wish this paper was a book that I could purchase and read over and over again.  I want to know more.  The vivid and beautiful language flows like a dandelion in the wind.  I expect a lot from the rest of this paper.

The Roller-coaster of Writing

A sentence starts like the beginning of a roller-coaster.  You do not know what to expect from the ride.  You can be excited or nervous or even both.  It can captivate you or build-up the drop like the first sentence builds up your paper.  You do not really know what to anticipate.  You have only gotten a taste of the journey.  You may wish it will be great, but you know it could make you sick.

A Vision of Students Today

Wesch argues that the classroom is no longer up to date with learning. Students don't get done half their work and they do not even pay attention in class. We need to become more focused on educating our future and keeping the students interested.  He argues that students need to learn by doing instead of listening and writing. Sitting in a desk does not help a student learn.  Having over 100 people in your classroom does not give you the attention you deserve for being educated.

Project 2- We May Need to Kill Some Babies

Writing is constantly changing and growing.  The main purpose of writing has stayed the same, but the technologies and mediums we use to help us write are forever evolving.  In the book, Writing Space, Jay David Bolter quotes Victor Hugo and says, “This book will destroy that building” (1).  Will the printed book go extinct with the new technological advances? Bolter brings up this topic and it is ultimately the center of his book.  The mediums used for writing will continue to change with new inventions, but the question is will the old methods stick around or become extinct?  They will certainly never be forgotten, but they will eventually need to move over and make room for new technology.

              The spaces in which we write change the way we write.  Our thoughts and ideas stay the same, but the format and the way we express those ideas can drastically change the way we write.  Through the computer and internet, we can now use hypertext to layer our writing.  All of the ideas are the same as they would be in a printed book, but now it is organized in a different way.  “Hypertexts remain linear and booklike at the level: they remediate the printed book as if by tearing out its pages and reordering them before the reader’s eyes” (43).  Hypertexts change the appearance and order of a piece of writing.  They do not change the thoughts and words of the writer, but they change the way in which we view their words.  In the Prezi that my group presented, we showed a video of a man tearing the phone book in half.  This showed the literal act of ripping out the pages of the book and reordering it.  With hypertext, we are figuratively tearing the pages and reorganizing our writing.  Writing from my own blog proves the point that the appearance is changed, but not the writing itself.  “Mali really used facial expressions and he put emphasis on certain words for certain reasons.  In the Spoken Word video, you still get to see the expression and meaning behind each word by seeing where it was placed and how it was written.  The performance and writing space of these two videos really captured my attention.  Each word gave a new meaning”.  With new machines, we can show more meaning through our writing.  We can write in different angles, fonts, layouts, and colors to express our feelings for what we are saying.  We can also show our writing in different ways like blogs and videos.  These sources make it possible for us to have different paths, structures, and layouts.  The writing space can take our words and sentences to a whole new level.  With new technological advances, it makes it easier for us to fully capture the attention of our readers. 

            These progressions of technology have reinvented a whole new way of writing.  “We now have the power at our fingertips to type a sentence within seconds, drag a paragraph to another location, delete an entire section with a single stroke.  The possibilities are endless” (Example K).  The technology that we have opens up the door to so many new and more efficient ways of writing.  Before the invention of the computer, one would have to start all over again if they made a mistake.  They would have to use countless amounts of whiteout and their handwriting would have to be legible.  Technology has made it so that we can spend less time rewriting and more time improving what we wrote.  The printed book improved the scroll and the computer improves the printed book.  The mediums we use change the way in which we can write.  With typewriters you can only write in a linear form.  New machines make it possible for us to layer our writing and to change the form all together.  Technology has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of writing.

            The remediation of writing has changed the way we communicate with each other.  Instead of writing letters and mailing them through the postal service, we now have email, texts, and communicate through social network sites.  The new ways are a lot faster, but they have their downfalls too.  People are now spending all of their time using these technologies instead of socializing face to face.  We also do not get much privacy with what we say.  “To reply to a given message is to link your text to that message, and both the message and the reply will circulate for days around the network provoking other responses” (Bolter 39).  These messages are hypertexts.  They are a new form of writing that the World Wide Web has made possible.  Blogs and networks such as Facebook provide us with spaces of writing where anything goes.  We are free to speak our minds without interruption.  “If you are to write vulgar books the books are looked down upon or banned, but you can’t ban a used from writing on the computer” (Sample O).  We have more freedom to express our thoughts through the internet.  These thoughts are soon seen and judged by the rest of the world through the World Wide Web.  People have the ability to respond positively or negatively about what they read, but they cannot ban us from using the internet altogether. 

The print text of letters is not completely obsolete, but it is slowly becoming the thing of the past.  Even college acceptance letters are being sent through e-mail instead of through the postal service.  We are slowly leaving paper, pens, and ink behind and moving towards newer advances.  These technological advances have become like second nature to us.  We do not worry about slow mail or papers getting ruined.  We do not have to worry about our letters getting lost in the mail or having to wait a week to receive a response back.  Through the formation of the internet, we receive responses much more promptly.  The advantages of digital text are causing print text to become extinct.  The print text is slowly dying and digital text is taking over. 

            Bolter is correct in saying that writing as a process is essentially the same, but the way in which we perform this act will forever be changing.  “When in the history of writing a new technology appears, it may supplement an established technology or replace it” (Bolter 32).  We are constantly building upon our previous technological advances of writing.  There are so many examples of this in our culture.  The Kindle is one of the newest forms of reading and writing.  There is now no need for the printed book.  We can simply download books from the internet onto this portable and handy technology.  This little Kindle is home to thousands of books.  It has made reading more convenient for our generation. 

Bolter is correct in saying that new technology replaces the old, but he seems to have this idea that the printed book will not be going anywhere.  The feather quill, papyrus, and scrolls have all become obsolete in modern writing.  We recognize them as once being a central part of the writing process, but they are no longer the smartest choice for writing.  The printed book will soon follow their fate.  With the Kindle, computers, and iPads, there will soon be no need for the printed book.  It will forever remain an important part of the writing history.  Group 5’s Prezi made the point that the old ways of writing are dead.  They used the image of a dictionary with OMG and LOL written on it.  These acronyms are mocking the book for not being as up-to-date as modern technology.  The same group also spelt out R.I.P. with the information in their Prezi.  Writing is not dead, but the old printed text is on its way to the grave and making way for digital text.  Bolter does not realize that the printed text will soon follow its predecessors to eventually becoming “dead”. 

Writing comes from our mind and our own thoughts.  It can only die when our brain dies.  The process of writing is constantly changing.  We replace each technology with something newer and greater.  “And as the new technology comes together it takes the idea of the old style and fix it to make it better, like the codex to books to digital computerized text” (Sample J).  Writing now has many different factors that affect the whole writing process.  The spaces, mediums, technologies, and advances have all changed the development of writing.  We now have so many options for how we want our writing to look, sound and appear.  Bolter supports all of the information he gives us about the evolution of writing.  It will never truly die, but the equipment we are given to assist with our writing will eventually fade into inexistence.   

           

Home Might be...

 Home might be like the ocean.  It may be beautiful at a distance.  It may be quite ugly up close.  You may leave it, but it will always surround you.  Home may sink ships.  It may be the source of icebergs.  It may scare you.  Home may be home for millions of other things.  It may be a wasteland, a filth.  Home may cause distruction.  It may be calm.  Home may suffocate you.

Home is Not

Home is not like:
open fields
the ocean
a starry night
a love story
a stuffed animal
a broken road
this English class
my cheerleading coach
a small child


Home is not like a love story.  There is not always a happy ending.  It does not make you cry.  Home is not sappy or romantic.  Home is not sweet or cute.  It is not a dream come true.  Home is not a powerful kiss.  It is not something you treasure or wish to have.  Home does not steal your heart. Home is not a fairy tale. It does not have a "happily ever after".  Home is not one person making you happy.

Coney Island of the Mind

I pressed play on this video, expecting to be bored or not interested.  The words that the writer uses are so captivating.  I could not take my attention away from the screen for even a second.  The words flowed like music and the story itself catches your attention.  It reminds me about a paper I once wrote on Peter Pan.  We never really grow up in our mind.  As long as we keep our childhood and memories alive, they will never die.  I never knew the Coney Island she talks about.  I never knew Coney Island at all except for in the movie, Uptown Girl.  In the movie she see Coney Island the same was the author does.  When they were younger, it was the greatest place in the world to them.  Now, they relive that memory in their head.  It will never die.  They will always live on as long as we keep the inner child inside of us.  This was a beautiful piece of writing that I will continue to watch forever.  It has touched me and brought me back to my childhood.

Home Sweet Home

Home is like a warm cheese steak.  It comforts and satisfies.  It's a taste of heaven.  It brings together all of the best things into one small package.

Inkshedding

The point that Bolter makes is that the devices we use to help us write can be seen or seen through, depending on what the writer wants.  An example of this is a computer.  You can use links in your writing which make the reader aware of the medium that is being used.  In some writing, the writer only wants you to see what they write.  They don't want you to take notice of the medium.  They want all of your attention to be on the meaning of each word.  Some people really enjoy this because they fall deeper into the story.  On the other hand, many people enjoy seeing the medium used.  Just like in museums where there are paintings really using the medium to bring out the true meaning of the work.  This makes a person have to take the image as a whole and not just as individual brushstrokes.  This shows a hypermediacy at its finest.  In many ways, despite its technological sophistication, hypermediated art/writing can lose its initial purpose- to portray the artist's gift and present the view of the creator.  a more transparent experience lets teh creator's work shine; unless, of course, the creator intends for his/her art to literally be the hypermediated medium.  In the frame of post-modern writing and art, this is often the case.  It cannot be said that either does a "better job".  On the other hand, looking at popular writing forms, we see typewriters are heavily extinct.  In schools, computers are the norm.  Pencils and paper were once the staple school suppliers, yet today even the government recognixes the importance of technology in the classroom.  Funding is provided for those who cannot afford a computer for education or purposes because they give student the opportunity to learn in different mediums.

The Final Prezi- Chapter 3

The argument of this Prezi was very clear.  The old way of writing is dead and obsolete.  Old is out and new is in.  Technology of our time is taking over the traditional style of writing.  This group went against Bolter's claim that ordinary writing not die, it will just be built upon.  This group's point was that it will die and that the newer style will take over completely.  They used a picture of a dictionary with LOL and OMG written on it.  These two acronyms are mocking the dictionary.  They are laughing at it.  They think that the book is outdated and "dead".  It is not up to speed.  Writing is forever changing.  They argue that the old is dead and gone and the new will soon see the same fate when something better comes along.

The Best Group Ever's Prezi! Chapter 3

The argument of our Prezi was that hypertext has evolved writing into it's next stage.  Older processes and forms of writing build upon each other like the layers of a pyramid.  They create a path to the current technology and way of writing.  The older processes are seen as important to the invention of the newer one.  Each stage of writing is possible because of the earlier form.  Hypertext forms a path along a piece just like writing forms a path to newer processes of writing.

How you perform or show a piece of writing plays a huge part in what it really means to us.  How you say and read alone can make a piece more meaningful.  Taylor Mali's diction and clarity of voice really caught my attention.  He also moved around stage, using his hands to capture the audience's attention.  Mali really used facial expressions and he put emphasis on certain words for certain reasons.  In the Spoken Word video, you still get to see the expression and meaning behind each word by seeing where it was placed and how it was written.  The performance and writing space of these two videos really captured my attention.  Each word gave a new meaning.  If I were to read this poem from a sheet of paper, it would definitely not mean as much to me as it does now.  

In the first video, the poem is more visual.  You see how Mali feels and you realize how ridiculous our generation  sounds.  The second video shows the poem as words.  You get to be more involved.  As you read each word, the meaning sticks with you.  You also have to pay attention more because of the layout of each words.  The two poems are exactly the same, but the meaning changes with the view.  

Spoken word can mean so much more than written.  You can feel the emotions of the person and how they really feel about each individual word.  The way you speak can also affect the meaning.  If you enunciate and use a well developed vocabulary, what you say will be respected so much more.  If you used words such as "like" and ask statements as questions, people are going to be too distracted.  They will not retain the thoughts you speak no matter how intelligent they are.  The textual writing space plays an important role in the transmission of meaning.  The layout of the words captures your attention.  They make the meaning of each word stand out and grab your attention.  The words mean so much more in the unconventional textual writing space. 

Prezi 3 Argument

At first, this Prezi confused me beyond belief.  The words and quotes mixed together and flipped around causing me to get lost in the text.  It was not until they showed the whole picture that I understood their argument.  The argument was that we still need humans to communicate with technology.  For this Prezi, I needed the people in the group to communicate with me to tell me what was actually happening in the Prezi.  The text confused me because I was only letting the computer speak to me and not the humans also.  The group may not have done this on purpose, but it went along perfectly with their argument.

Prezi 2 Argument

The main argument of this group was that the main focus of writing has always been the same, but what we use to write has dramatically differed.  They kept going back to this point by saying that what we speak is oral writing.  At any point in time, someone can be writing down or repeating what you are saying.  It could live on forever like writing.  They also said that we run the computers and they are a tool for our writing.  This proves their main argument that we are the same, but the technology is different.  I really liked the last thing they wrote on their Prezi.  "Writing is technology that is an active part of culture and the social world".  This point sums up everything they stated and it is a great closer.  Writing will always be here even though the technology we use with it may change.

Jaques Derrida

I am not afraid of writing while I am in the process of doing it.  I share that feeling with Jaques Derrida.  When I am in the moment, I say what needs to be said.  When I look back or think about what I just put down on paper, I quite frankly want to burn it and start to cry just thinking about how others will view it.  Writing terrifies me, but excites me at the same time.

I do take writing as seriously as Derrida.  I do not think about it as much as he does, but I know that not everyone will look at my writing and see the same thing.  I know that one person may love it and agree with me while another may despise it.  In the end, this factor just adds to the thrill of writing.  Each word, each period, and each space can change the reader's mind.

Diction

Trimble gives us three things that all writers need in order to improve their writing.  They are conciseness, vigorous verbs, and freshness. In my opinion, I need to improve in all three of these areas.  If I had to only pick one, it would be to improve my verb choices.  I tend to write exactly how I speak which causes me to use words that you hear in everday language.  The verbs that I choose do not contribute to the flow of my writing.  I really need to start focusing on using vigorous verbs that catch the reader's attention.  This has always been my week point.  I also tend to settle for the first draft instead of going back and adding in bigger and better verbs.  After reading what Trimble has to say, I will definitely be more aware of the verbs I choose.   I will also correct my mistakes and proofread to make my writing better.  Whenever I read a book or paper that uses vigorous verbs to get their point across, I always wish that I could write like that person.  Now I know that I can if I take the time and focus on the verbs that I choose.  My writing needs those verbs to really pull the reader in to what I have to say.  Writing will also be a lot more entertaining and enjoyable if I use these vigorous verbs.