A Partial Literacy Narrative

Jill Saba

WSC 002

Paper 4

5/9/2011

A Partial Literacy Narrative

I write for many different reasons. I write for school, for my professors, for a good grade. I write for my family, my friends. I write for myself or for others. I write to get something off of my mind of just because I can. There are many different forms of writing and I do not think I could ever write for one specific reason. However, whether I write because I have to or because I want to I am still writing.

            My writing style may change depending on my audience or the medium I use. Typically when I write for school I try to complete my thoughts and sentences, however, if I am blogging or writing with a crayon the reasons for my writing change and therefore my style of writing changes. When I am writing on Facebook or sending a text, again, my reasons for writing have changed; here I am most likely writing to communicate with someone else. Sometimes I write for enjoyment or to get something off of my mind.

            When I read the title “Why I Write” and was told to write about it I immediately began writing every possible reason of why I write, beginning each phrase with ‘I’. Than I began reading Joan Didion’s article Why I Write. Didion’s article was different from my passage in the sense that she is giving background to why she writes where I was giving the reasons. Didion states “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear” (2). It seems as though she is writing entirely for herself and no one else, almost as though the readers are the lucky ones, the one who get a look into her mind. I want to be that kind of writer, I want to let myself be vulnerable for a minuet and let the page be my escape, my telling the reader that I have a voice that should be heard.

              When asked to give new writers advice on how to write, I was at a loss. My writing itself is not complete, I still need advice or maybe I should for once just take my own advice. Writers need to be expressive and think outside the box. You do not necessarily have to write for your readers but almost more for yourself. Make the readers want to read your work. As I mentioned in “Why I Write”, as a writer you almost need to be vulnerable and let the page be your escape. Your writing is supposed to express you and only you. Writing is not necessarily easy, no matter what form it is. I have gone to write a comment on Facebook and typed then deleted the comment dozens of times before it was finally what I wanted. On my blog Here and Now there is an entry a sentence starts out like and I completed the sentence with building a house. Not only does a sentence start out like building a house, but writing as a whole is like building a house. The introduction is like the foundation to a house. The foundation and structure has to be just right or it can ruin the whole house, however you don’t know exactly how the house is going to turn out in the end. The foundation to a house and the introduction to a paper are important because the introduction is what draws the reader in, it is the first thing the reader will see, it needs to be strong and secure. Similarly a foundation to a house needs to be strong and secure, the introduction is the foundation, without a good foundation there is no paper. 

I believe that writing and text can be powerful to a reader. Having the traditional black text on a rectangular white page allows for the reader to really focus on the words that are on the page rather than visuals. One examples of this was with the Taylor Mali videos. Personally I enjoyed the text video more than the one of Taylor Mali himself. I liked how the text changed depending on what the word was and what the emphasis on that specific word was supposed to be. For example when Mali spoke louder or with more force, the text was written larger or bolder. Or whenever Mali said "like" it was written in a cursiveish font almost giving it a somewhat sarcastic feeling. In the text version of the video I appreciated what Mali was saying more. The video had more dimension and angles and gave a different feeling than the video of Mali did. The use of fonts, sizes, and style played a role in how the words and their meanings were perceived. Yet only black font was used, so there were no colors to distract the viewer. And there were no other people or images to distract the viewer from what Mali was saying, where in the video of Mali himself, I was constantly trying to read what his shirt said under the word "Scrabble" or looking at the people in the audience. I believe that a writer has done their job if they are able to create an image with words.

Chapter 6: Refashioned Dialogues

Observe: This group used a navy blue background with white text. The dark background made the light text stand out and easy to read. The group used visuals that not only fit in the with the text they choose but that were also engaging. All of the texts and visuals were in the same direction, and the size of the text generally stayed the same. The visuals were both photos and videos.

Infer: Something that the group discussed was how "the web allows individuals not only to represent themselves in words and images, but also to publish these representations to an audience of millions at almost no expense" (119). The web has allowed for almost anyone to become an author, whether it is through social networking sites, like Facebook, or through online articles and encyclopedias, like Wikipedia. People are albe to express themselves differently now because of this digital media; they are able to use pictures and words. But what does this idea of "almost no expense really mean?" Money wise maybe not, for the most part it probably wont cost them anything, but because the digital media allows almost anyone to become an author it seems as if some people post just to post and aren't really thinking about what they are posting which can cost them in a different sense, in a figurative sense.

Question:
1) Is digital media and the idea that almost anyone can publish something changing the way people write?

2) Does the digital media make texts rely heavily on pictures where they might not have needed them before?

3) Should digital media be used to teach students how to read and write?

4) Does digital media and the internet allow for users to create their own paths to follow?

5) Digital texts will sometimes make themselves look like printed text (for example the photo that was used of the New York Times printed and the New York Times digital); are printed texts ever made to look like digital texts?

6) Does the web rely to heavily on images?

Chapter 5: The Electronic Book

Observe: The prezi has a dark blue background with white text. The background didn't distract or take away from the text. Also there weren't many visuals, but the when there were they fit well with the text. Also some of the texts were turned in different directions which gave dimension to the prezi. Also the size of the text changed throughout the prezi.

Infer: At one point during the presentation the group was discussing the refashioning of books through digital technology or ebooks where people can download a digital copy of a book. This makes reading a book completely different from before because now the reader can jump around in the book. Also it makes the book a lot smaller because all the pages fit into one, flat, devise (for example the Kindle or the Nook). Also many of these ebooks nowadays allow people to go online, download almost any book, magazine, or newspaper, and even share the books with others. These give a whole new meaning to the idea of a book.
Another point the group was discussing was encyclopedias, which have also been condensed into digital copies. It seems as if nowadays it is 'the thing to do' to make almost anything possible into something electronic, something faster, and easier.

Question:
1) Are these electronic books taking away from the intentions or the purposes of a printed book?

2) Are texts going to get lost in the transition from the printed books to electronic books?

3) Because everything is becoming electronic and getting smaller or condensing, are writing styles and purposes going to change?

4) What do you believe is going to happen to printed text and books?

5) By having these electronic books and encyclopedias does it make information easier to find or are there to many links and distractions?

6) Is the technology of writing constantly evolving and changing?

Chapter 8: Critical Theory in a New Writing Space

Observe: The visuals that were used in the presentation fit in well with the text surrounding them. The prezi had a plain white background with black text; the background was simple and did not distract or take away from the text and visuals. Sometimes the font sizes changes, however it gave a good dynamic to the presentation.

Infer: The group discussed how the canon has a definite ending where now with hypermedia it is infinite. With a click of a button you can be almost anywhere. The internet does not just end somewhere, it is constantly moving. The group also discussed how printed texts are visually simple. Generally speaking there is only so much one can do on a single page. Yes images can be layered or turned to fit differently in order to fit more on one page however overall there is only so much the reader will see and there is not as much for the reader to get distracted by.

Question:
1. Printed text is generally visually simple; can hypermedia and digital text also be visually simple or will there also be more dimension to the page and more distractions?

2.Will there always be a "new writing space"?

3. How does semiotics play a role in creating digital media and has it played a role in past writing technologies?

4. What exactly is hyperfiction?

5. Does the new writing space and digital media take away from or limit the importance of printed texts?

6. Is the new writing space necessary for the evolution of writing?

Presentation: Chapter 4: The Breakout of the Visual

        I feel that one of our accpmplishments is that our group was able to get the message across the way that we wanted to. By using the images and quotes from Bolters book, we tried to break down each section and describe what Bolter is trying to get across in the chapter. Also we chose the light blue background with the black text so that the text would be easy to read and so that there would be no distractions from the text and what we were saying. Sometimes the text changed in size or fontbut that was not necessarily on purpose, although it did work out well.

Some of the things that I would like to improve was the speed of the presentation and my memory. The presentation went a little faster than I planned or I thought it was going to and I also forgot some of the things that I wanted to say so I wish that I wrote it out better before hand. Also I couldn't figure out how to make the video work at the end. I enjoyed working with prezi, but at points it was really confusing and I couldn't always make it do what I wanted it to do. Another thing I would like to improve is there are some spelling errors or typos. 

Overall we were able to get our point across and present our message through pictures and quotes from the text. 

Chapter 3: Hypertext and the Remediation of Print

Observe: The background of the prezi was calming and it didn't distract from the text. There was a lot of dimension, the test was scattered. All the text was the same size and font. The prezi was easy to follow and they made it clear that there were different sections to the chapter by going back to the title in between sections.

Infer: A main point throughout the prezi was the idea of hypertext. One point about hypertext that was made is that there is too much information to follow in hypertext that you can stray away from your initial intention. Hypertext is a link that will lead you to a whole other thing and although links can be distracting or make you stray away from your original intentions, but the links can also help you in finding something else that is helpful or interesting that you might not have thought of.
Also another point is that you can choose that path that you want to follow, with a computer you can cater it to your needs.

Question:
1) Is to much information a bad thing; can there really be to much information?

2) Are the links a distraction or helpful?

3) Will our culture ever get rid of books?

4) Is hypertext in a sense an upgrade version of the book?

5) Are these advances in technology and in our ways of viewing text bad?

6) What do you think the next technological advance will be?

Prezi

Prezi on Bolter chapter 4 "The Breakout of The Visual"
-Stefania, Jill, and Amanda

http://prezi.com/n3-wfu4oh_6z/copy-of-copy-of-the-breakout-of-the-visual/