ggonza14-blog

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I am going to do an analysis on an anti-smoking advertisement. This is one of many I looked at, but this one looks like it sent some people a message.

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Blogging

The first day of class when I was introduced to the idea of blogging through Tumbler in class, I was quite shocked and excited because I had never used any type of blogging website. I never have even blogged before or know how I am supposed to write in a blog. I treated these assignments/blogs more as official assignments rather than just my thoughts because I am being graded on a well geared response. I felt like if I started to get too personal and into my own opinions that the response might not be graded for as much. Overall, I really enjoyed completing homework through blogging because it is something different and in my opinion better than writing. The readings that were assigned all portrayed a learning message and if students were able to give insightful feedback on them in their blogs, then it would be pretty easy for a teacher to tell that the material is being read and comprehended. I think blogging is a pretty effective method of teaching and learning and I am glad to have been a part of a class which allowed me to experience new things. 

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Writing as a Public Power

I thought this reading was going to be pretty similar to the article on Swales 6 characteristics because they both talked about discourse and rhetoric. After reading the article I gained some insight on what a civic literacy is and also what a public literacy is. Gabor explains that a civic literacy is “the understanding of and ability to use writing as power in public, political, and community based intuitions.” Then she further explains it and says that it can range from magazines, newspapers, textbooks, posters, etc. Then she says that public discourse can be as simple as voting, donating, and the most important, writing. I think that these two can overlap each other because in my opinion, public discourses make up a lot of civic literacy. We college students have always had some of these skills but we are being taught through college what it really is and the importance to have public discourse knowledge and civic literacy. 

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I think you make a good relatable point about the content of the article because this reading did require some research and skill to grasp the full meaning verses all of our other readings. I also agree with you when you used your example of a soccer team because I think that is a perfect example of what a discourse community should look like.

When I began to read the opening pages of this article, I knew that this article would be more of a challenge to read than some of the previous readings that we have had. Although this article was definitely not the most exciting or easy to read, I still believe that it is making a good point....

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I think you make a good relatable point about the content of the article because this reading did require some research and skill to grasp the full meaning verses all of our other readings. I also agree with you when you used your example of a soccer team because I think that is a perfect example of what a discourse community should look like.

When I began to read the opening pages of this article, I knew that this article would be more of a challenge to read than some of the previous readings that we have had. Although this article was definitely not the most exciting or easy to read, I still believe that it is making a good point....

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Swales

Prior to reading this article, I knew that the content was something not of great interest to me. Then, about two sentences in, I realized that this reading would be something I should read carefully and comprehensively, due to the complexity. I understand that Swale's goal in writing this article is to tell the readers how people may misrepresent a discourse community and then furthers his own explanation of six characteristics of one. I think restating them wouldn't be necessary but they all have a general direction in which they strive to achieve the recognition as a group of novices and experts who solve problems and communicate in rigorous detail about their field of expertise. Also, I thought that the way the author of this article planned out the format of this writing was interesting. He began talking about how Swales will be talking and tells us what and when to pay special attention. Its like he is trying to build a little connection with the reader in understanding that we didn't read the rest of the chapters of the book to fully grasp what Swales is talking about. For my group project coming up, this article will for sure be referred to so I can be assisted in further understanding discourse communities.

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I really can relate to this as I think most kids who went to high school can. It really is a struggle to get used to the changes of high school reading and writing to college level because it simply is not the same at all. 

From reading this article, I realized that transitioning from high school to college is a much bigger step than I thought. My high school teachers would always say “we’re doing this to prepare you all for college” but now that I think about it, it didn’t prepare me at all. College level classes...

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Writing Across The University

In the beginning of this article, Glade progressed with describing any students' past habits and assumptions on writing. In high school, we were taught how to construct a five page essay in MLA format with a works cited page, just like Glade said, and we could not begin a sentence with and or but. As I got to college, I was introduced to the idea that this is not always the case because during some college level readings, I observed the exact opposite of what I thought about how I was allowed to write. Articles that I was reading even in UWRT were contradicting all of what I knew, and so seeing that allowed me to loosen up a little bit about that.

When Glade starts talking about audiences and communities, he makes a good point in telling how one should understand what kind of community is going to be reading the work. Also, depending on what kind of similar communities you are in, one piece of work might not meet the expectations of that other community simply because maybe one community requires more depth and explanation in one area than another. The best and most efficient answer for these problems is what Glade talked about in the end of his article, and that is problem-posing. This is used to debunk exactly what you are supposed to do and give you an understanding of why you are having to do what you are doing, in this case it would be what you are writing and how you are writing it.

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For my radical revision of my narrative, I chose to create a How To Guide in a power point form. I created the power point on Google Drive and then transferred it to weebly.com. This was great practice for the midterm reflection because it got me use to using the website a bit more. If you would like to view my guide, the link will be placed after this post. 

http://giovannigportfolio.weebly.com

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"Shitty First Drafts"

I think that reading this article by Lamott  put some relief in every readers mind about their writing because she let the audience know that it is quite okay to start your masterpiece with a disaster. She is trying to say that it is always better start anywhere in your writing than nowhere. I like how she adds says she knows very popular writers who still to this day have to start their writings with a first draft that may not be the the prettiest draft created. This just goes to prove that no writer, with an exception of a few, can fluidly and naturally write their best draft on their fist draft. 

This is a concept that I think most writers struggle to grasp and myself personally. After reading this article I feel a lot more confident in just letting my mind wonder free and write down whatever is in my mind to get a lead on the direction I want my writing to go. 

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Learning to Read

Before reading this section that Malcolm X wrote in his autobiography, I really had not known much at all about him. I learned that before he became an influential African American leader, he used to be a hustler out on the streets. This habit lead to his imprisonment in Charleston prison and also Northfolk  prison colony. I think that Malcolm's story is great in the fact that he started out as a thug then became a strong powerful force in the African American society just by first picking up a dictionary, then writing and reciting all of the words on every single page. Also, I think that it's safe to say that before he went to prison, he did not know a thing about the history of slavery and even simple history of America. Malcolm tells us that throughout his readings of Pankhurst's books, he gained useful insight on the overall picture of what the "evil white man" has done to the African American people. Another greatly ironic thing that Malcolm says is that him being in prison actually made him more free. I think this is because he taught himself to learn and understand which to him, was the most important thing to him during this time. 

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Sponsors of Literacy

Before I post my thoughts about this week's reading, I want to just make a general statement about the readings we have had about literacy previously. I think that most of us in this class have already known and agree with just about everything that was being said in the readings, but these authors have really thrown in real life examples and situations that can help us open up our minds and really comprehend the effect and meaning of what is being told about our literacy.

After reading Sponsors of Literacy, I think that the word sponsor really just means any source of valuable and easily accessible information. It could consist of books, encyclopedias, magazines, newspaper articles, etc. Due to the numerous varying ethnic groups and religious practices in our nation, I think that the word "melting pot" can describe our nation pretty well. This word basically tells and describes a lot about who we are as a nation. All of these different groups and classes of people , from poor to rich, have some form of useful literacy that they use everyday to communicate. But the level of literacy will also vary directly with the class you are in, and even the background that you come from. But this may not be the case for all. For example, I saw on WorldStarHiphop, a media app, a video of a man who was obviously homeless. In the video, this man was asked by the camera man to play and sing this random piano that was out in the street. What came out of this mans imagination and soul next I think really shocked all of the viewers because he was actually such an amazing pianist and singer at the same time. I think this shows that literacy can vary in levels and people in every situation they are in. Also, I think it shows that no matter who you are, what you do, or the color of your skin, if you put your mind to literacy, you can achieve anything you want to.

(This is the actual man in the video) 

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After reading Scribner's essay, I think that I gained a lot of insight and can now further understand what literacy is. Scribner had three very good approaches on defining literacy and trying to explain all of the different aspects of literacy. Scribner's first metaphor, "Literacy as Adaption", I think is saying that we as a nation have had to have higher and higher levels of literacy as the years were passing along after World War 1. Back in that time, you were considered literate if you had a fourth grade education. Slowly as time passed, that grade level began to rise. Due to technology and all of the advancements today, we are required to have a good college education if you want to be greatly successful in my opinion.

Scribner's second metaphor, "Literacy as power", is interesting to me because I think he is saying that literacy to some people is seen as a way to communicate and learn what is best for the community of the people also primarily "promote national development." Also, he describes that literacy is more effective when its open minded and free, as opposed to places like Cuba and China where there is more of a fixed literacy. Another example of how I think literacy could be power is all of the written documentation that we live by, the Constitution. That is a good way to demonstrate how we have adapted as a nation and also shows power.

The third metaphor, "Literacy is grace", had more of a religious point to it, which made me think that there are many different forms of literacy. Every culture does not expect or have the same expectations when it comes to literacy. Memorizing the Qur'an would not be considered an important part of literacy to us in America, but in the Islamic and Arabic it is one of the most important aspects of their meaning of literacy.