Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
This Is It.
It's hard to believe this is my last blog post.
Thankfully, they went a lot better than I expected.
I wonder if I'm going to miss this??
One aspect of this class that I have particularly enjoyed has been noting its relevence to my life and connecting the material to areas outside the English classroom. On more than one occasion I was able to think about topics I was learning about in my Sociology class in terms of the information I was learning in this English class, and vice versa. Both classes, for example, discussed how the media and technology affect our society, particularly our education system. In this class, we noted how the internet has in some ways made us dumber, and learned from Chris Hedges the dangers of illiteracy. In my Sociology class however, I learned about a study concerning cell phone technology and its effects on literacy. Surprisingly, the study found that those who use "text language" actually do better in English classes. Apparently being able to make abbreviations and phonetically shorten words proves a deep understanding of the English language. So, from both courses, I was able to learn about both the good and bad effects of technology.
I have also found that this class has subtley changed the way I read and write on the internet. Before, I would never go to the web to seek out news. Actually, I wouldn't really go much of anywhere to seek out the news. Now however, I am a regular reader of the New York Times and The Daily Dish and I like it. It feels good to have some useful knowledge and to be up to date on some local, national, and even global issues. Reading online, like writing online, is not as difficult as I thought it would be.
Finally, as corny as it sounds, I think I have gained a new appreciation for writing and reading. I have learned that not everyone values these things anymore. There are many people who no longer even take the time to fully digest a text or even attempt to put their thoughts into written words. Knowing these things makes me treasure my own simple abilities to read and write and encourages me to work harder to preserve them.
Thankfully, they went a lot better than I expected.
I wonder if I'm going to miss this??
One aspect of this class that I have particularly enjoyed has been noting its relevence to my life and connecting the material to areas outside the English classroom. On more than one occasion I was able to think about topics I was learning about in my Sociology class in terms of the information I was learning in this English class, and vice versa. Both classes, for example, discussed how the media and technology affect our society, particularly our education system. In this class, we noted how the internet has in some ways made us dumber, and learned from Chris Hedges the dangers of illiteracy. In my Sociology class however, I learned about a study concerning cell phone technology and its effects on literacy. Surprisingly, the study found that those who use "text language" actually do better in English classes. Apparently being able to make abbreviations and phonetically shorten words proves a deep understanding of the English language. So, from both courses, I was able to learn about both the good and bad effects of technology.
I have also found that this class has subtley changed the way I read and write on the internet. Before, I would never go to the web to seek out news. Actually, I wouldn't really go much of anywhere to seek out the news. Now however, I am a regular reader of the New York Times and The Daily Dish and I like it. It feels good to have some useful knowledge and to be up to date on some local, national, and even global issues. Reading online, like writing online, is not as difficult as I thought it would be.
Finally, as corny as it sounds, I think I have gained a new appreciation for writing and reading. I have learned that not everyone values these things anymore. There are many people who no longer even take the time to fully digest a text or even attempt to put their thoughts into written words. Knowing these things makes me treasure my own simple abilities to read and write and encourages me to work harder to preserve them.
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