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I am really glad we had to read this article, “Composition as a Write of Passage” because I am the person that Singh-Corcoran talks about. I find myself asking “why do I have to take all these extra classes that I’m not interested in?” all the time. I always knew that it is good to be exposed to a diverse curriculum, but I never completely understood why. The funny thing is, when I was in elementary school up to freshman year in high school, I always hated English and Writing Courses. It was something I always struggled with and just generally did not enjoy. Coincidently, the more I was forced to write, the better I got at it, and the more I learned to enjoy writing.
At the end of the article, Singh-Corcoran talks about the world of work. I took great interest in this section because in the example Lauren didn’t know how to write for her job position, but because she learned prior to work how to write different genres of papers, she easily learned how to write the files she needed. This gives me a sense of relief because I am unsure of what specific type of writing I will need in my career, but because I am learning now how to adjust to different writing requirements, I have faith that the same thing will apply with me and my job.
I personally have mixed feelings on the comics. I like how they are easy to read, are entertaining and pleasing to the eye, but I find it hard to stay focused on the topic and I feel distracted. I also feel like I don’t always make the connections the author is implying. Ashley, I also never knew there are different types of bias, I just thought bias meant that something is one sided. I feel like I learned a lot about biases and was actually able to recall the different tactics journalist use in their stories on the news. Kira, I also really enjoyed the visualization of the chart and the example Gladstone used about the presidents to explain bias. I feel like many journalists used bad bias when covering wars or terrorism, and in matter of fact most journalist use all the types of bias in daily news reports.
I really enjoyed reading this article because I am an intended science major and found this very useful and informative. I feel you personally have a better connection and understanding of something when you are interested in the topic and in this case, I naturally love science so this article may have been more interesting a to me than maybe someone with other interests. In reply to Danielle,I think this article actually relates to what we are learning.I think maybe this article was to compare the difference of quantitative vs qualitative data which we are doing for this class in our empirical research paper. I believe it is important, at least for me, to be aware of different types of observations and research that can be used in different situations. We all had to recently do research on our specific communities and I liked comparing it to how scientist do their research.
Scientist have a different style of writing which is more straight forward and to the point unlike other genres of literature, and I think that played a role in why this article was one of the shortest ones we read. The reading mentioned how science writers are experts in the field they talk about, which I found to be very important. That also can be referenced back to the beginning of the course when we were learning about discourse and how one must be an expert in order to fully be a member of a particular discourse.
Overall I really enjoyed this article and it made me interested in reading more science writings and articles on my own time to help better my knowledge for my major.
Kira, I really like how you interpreted this reading, I also had many similar opinions. I am actually indecisive on my opinion on journalism. I also do not like biased news sourced and it can be challenging to determine a reliable source. I feel many journalists twists words around to make their story more appealing and “eye catching” to the public. On the other hand, I know how important it is to have journalist because they have an inside connection to many important events that the public might not have at first hand.
I personally like when articles are informative yet less formal because I feel like it is easier to connect to on a personal level. I don’t get as overwhelmed and confused. I really like Gladstone’s readings because they are filled with valuable information, and the comics really help portray a visual to what Gladstone is talking about.
This article reinforced some of my prior opinions of journalism. I like I said they are important and I understand that but sometimes I feel journalist report for the wrong reasons. Sometimes it seems journalist are all out for publicity and reactions instead telling what is really going on. I don’t like how polls and other stories can be skewed because it almost defeats the purpose of the poll if the results are being altered. Sometimes I feel journalist have too much power and control over the public.
So far the class seems to really like this reading and I would also have to agree. “Putting Ethnographic Writing in Context” was very well organized, informal but still educational and sophisticated. This reading was organized into separate scenarios so the reader can connect to each part on more of a personal level, to some sections more than others depending on personal interest. I really like how in depth Kahn went into his explanations especially with all the examples and simplified definitions in parentheses. The focus on ethnographic was clear throughout the reading and I think this was a good topic to learn about because I believe not many college students really know about ethnographic writing or how they can incorporate this style into their lives.
A part of me was always interested in different cultures and how every human eats, sleeps, and breathe, but the diversity from one culture to the next is really fascinating. I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of a different culture when I went on a trip to Turks and Caicos. Prior to my trip, I had no idea how the people there lived, but I got to experience hands-on part of their rituals and celebrations. I think ethnographic writing is important because this is where all the diversity and uniqueness comes into play. Writing is a way of expressing and I believe expressing cultural values is important and we as people can learn a lot from how others live.
Before I started reading, I told myself I would keep an open mind to the article “Picture Texts” because yes the reading was long, but we only had to read certain sections so I figured it wouldn’t be so bad. The more I read, the less interested I became. I was not a big fan of the tone the author used and her word choice of explaining things. I understand the purpose of this reading was to help inform us of how to improve our writing by using visual texts, but the way Faigley used her words actually made it hard for me to visual what she was saying. I have a very unique way of thinking, and most of the time the way I comprehend words and readings are completely different from what the author intended, which is why visual aids, such as photos and captions help me connect with the author. My personal style of writing is very descriptive and I am actually pretty hard on myself when I write because I always want to make sure I use the best vocabulary possible to give a vivid description of what I am writing about. I agree with what Danielle mentioned about how authors “design what they write”. I believe this is true and important because writing isn’t just words, there is a purpose and a unique layout which helps give the reader an insight of how the author intended to express themselves. I also strongly agree that sometimes the only way to describe something is by visual aids. Several times I have a vivid picture in my head but no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to find the perfect words to explain what I see inside my head. This reading reminds me of the saying “a picture is worth a thousands words”. I think this ties into the reading because one picture can be analyzed and interpreted into hundreds of different ways, which helps start discussion and allow people with different ways of thinking to elaborate and build on top of their personal interpretation.
Alyssa, after reading your post, I actually understood the article in a more comprehensive way then when I read it on my own, and as a matter of fact, this is exactly what Dirk was explaining in the reading. Your post guided me on how I would write my comment. This connects the concept of what is actually intended by the word genre. I never knew there is so much more to the definition of genre because prior to this article I thought of it as different popular types of things such as music, movies, and books.
Similarly to what you mentioned, I am also a visual learner and it helps me understand and further “brain storm” by looking at examples of what I now can properly call genres. Dirk’s style and tone was very captivating. Originally when I saw the title of the article Navigating Genres, I automatically assumed the writing was going to be something boring but surprising it was anything but boring. The informality and the constant engagement of the audience made me feel as if Dirk was talking to me personally. I really like how he asked questions and then assumed the reader’s mindset as if he already knew some of the things he was saying could be confusing and further backed up his explanations with relatable examples.
Dirk said “it is in this knowledge that helps us to recognize and to determine appropriate responses to different situations”(12), in context he is talking about how this applies to genre, but this advice can apply out of context and be used to mentor people on handle real life situations. The more educated we are the “easier” it becomes to respond to those tough situations. I like when I can use information I learned and be able to apply it in real life and have a purpose for what I am learning.
