Since January, I feel like I have become a much better writer. I am more confident in my writing now. Before, my writing often lacked depth, but now it has more substance and clarity. I have learned to write in different styles which has improved my overall writing. For example, the narrative allows me to write more freely and casually because it is based on my own experiences while the research argument is more formal writing since I have to use facts and statistics to prove my points. I also found the peer reviews to be helpful because sharing my work and getting feedback from classmates allowed me to see my writing through different lenses. Overall, I really liked this class and I will definitely use what I learned in future writing classes.
Author: Wendy Yang
Collage
I put my collage together focusing on the topic of climate change. Climate change is a significant issue because it harms our environment and health. Not only does climate change impact us, but it will continue to impact future generations if something is not done. Instead of presenting this topic in a traditional writing method, a collage can better bring out the message with its images. We connect with images more than text because they instantly inject characters and emotions. In addition, colorful images are more appealing than black and white words which lessens the likelihood that readers will leave the page. I really liked this website because it was easy to use. There was a wide variety of stickers and it only took a second or two to add them to my work. It is much better than other tools like Google Drawing because all the tools on the website are simplified whereas there are so many tools on Google Drawing that it can be overwhelming. There wasn’t anything I disliked about the website and I find myself using it in the future.
Time Capsule
In Atwood’s “Time Capsule Found on the Dead Planet, she utilizes conventions of dystopian fiction to critique society. Atwood structures her piece into five progressive sections. The first section uses imagery to emphasize the importance of God. The second and third section discusses the creation of money which became a problem. In the text it states, “It began to talk. It began to create on its own. It created…famines…” Atwood uses personification to show how money became powerful enough to create disasters. When humans place too much value on something, power is created upon it. Each of them desires more power than others. The “famine” that Atwood mentions likely represents the aftermath caused by fighting for money and power. The fourth section and fifth section talks about the formation of deserts which further shows how money is corrupting society. The text states, “Wars, plagues and famines visited us, but we did not stop in our industrious creation of deserts.” This exposes the greedy nature of humans because even though they were aware of the destruction caused by money, they did not proceed to stop. Humans become attracted to personal gains that they ignore the impact of their actions on others and society as a whole. All in all, Atwood’s use of dystopian fiction conventions brings awareness to major issues that can lead to the end of the world. In doing so, it challenges us to see what the future may hold.
Technology & Me
One technology that Dennis Baron mentioned in his article was the computer. Computers have definitely played a role in how I have written. I remember since elementary school that I had to use the school computers to practice writing and up until now, I have always been using a computer/laptop to write. In high school, my teacher would require us to use their writing process which includes brainstorming, drafting, self revising, peer revising and then a final draft to complete essay assignments and I have stuck to that writing process. I usually do all of these on my laptop because I find it easier to edit than by using pencil and paper. It is easier and neater to delete a word on my Google document than to erase a word on my paper. Sometimes, I use my ipad and a digital pencil to brainstorm because I want to draw out the brainstorm bubble instead of typing in lines on Google Docs. On my ipad, I use an app called GoodNotes. I prefer GoodNotes, but I know there are some other apps such as Notion and Notability. When I need my peers to revise my writing for me, I just have to share my document with them through email. I find this to be better than if I wrote on paper because my handwriting could be messy and they might not understand it or I can’t understand their handwriting so I would have a hard time reading their comments. On the other hand, adding comments on Google Docs is way easier to read because the comments automatically go on the side, which doesn’t block any of your words and you aren’t burdened by their handwriting. All in all, computers or digital devices in general have supported me throughout my writing journey. Without the help of computers, I believe I wouldn’t have been able to write as efficiently.
Multiple routes
James Paul Gee’s Multiple Routes Principle summarizes that different methods are available for learning. If one is not seeing progress with a certain method, try a different method. I found this principle most relatable. For instance, in my first year of college, I was a biology major and I had no idea how I was going to study because all I have heard about this major is how difficult it is. I went to the lectures and took notes as fast as I could so I could get every piece of information from the professor. However, I realized that I was getting more and more lost after a few lectures. I was stuck on the homework assignments as well. Some of my notes were messy and I ended up not being able to understand them. After that, I tried listening to the professor without taking notes and audio recording so I could take notes later from the recording. This worked for me as I was starting to understand the lectures better. I learned that this method is best for me to learn biology since it is such a heavy course. Taking notes from the recording allows me to focus on the initial lecture. My notes were also more organized because I could control the recording. I didn’t do this for my other courses because they weren’t as difficult as biology. As a college student, I think exploring different learning strategies is important for growth and success.
