My thanks to Susan Bernstein (4.23.13)

This semester as we have read Developmental Writing, I've gained exposure to different and new literature. In my own growth as a writer, I have seen my struggles and three moments that I've overcome them. Susan Bernstein is definitely a new inspiration to me.

Her visit to our class was not only informational, but necessary. To have read her collection of various experiences in the world of basic writing, and then to experience her in real life places many things into perspective. Many times we read and know the work, but I really appreciate those times when I read the work, but meet the author and get a chance to discover the brain behind the book.

Susan's visit definitely sets me up in a different place when I read her work. I hope to have future opportunities to engage with more writers.

A Memory in a Moment: Where the Narrative Became Mine (Literacy Narrative)

I had never given much thought about my personal writing development. Sitting in my Basic Writing Theory and Pedagogy class forced me to do so. My professor, Dr. Gleason assigned the class a literacy narrative, and I was challenged with two things—first, what is a literacy narrative, and secondly, how do I write one? At first prompt nothing immediately jumped out at me when posed with the question “how did you learn to write” or as directly assigned, this narrative was to “focus on one key event” that affected our development as a reader or writer. The most obvious answer would have been through my formal K-12 schooling and my time spent in my undergrad.

There were important moments in time that I learned new brainstorming methods, new ways to phrase my sentences, and even learning to write very objective, research-based papers. That was my writing career; aside from a few short poems scrawled inconsistently into a spiral-bound notebook that I dare not call a journal. This was the extent of my writing exploration, and otherwise my only and extremely vague memory was in my freshman composition class where I wrote prompted argumentative essays for good grades.

The first draft of my literacy narrative, in my opinion, was fairly terrible. I wrote about the aforementioned freshman composition class, and I felt like I was reaching for some long lost memory, and attempting to revitalize it into this masterpiece. I had a very low level of confidence in this particular writing, and for the first time, I felt legitimate shame for turning in a paper. I’ve had difficulties writing essays before, but never had I suffered so much over ink on paper. And my feelings were confirmed (or so I thought) upon receiving my paper back from Dr. Gleason.

Immediately I looked that number of circled phrases and words on the first page. Each circle drew me more and more into a state of worry and humiliation. No longer was I focused on the actual points Dr. Gleason had written in the margins about this essay, but I concentrated on my lack of effort and thought when writing this attempt at a literacy narrative. Although the SmartBoard projector screen centered on the front wall was brightly lit, I only sensed the darkness of the pencil markings blanketing my essay. As I turned through my paper, there was the hope that somehow I had redeemed myself by the end of this four page debacle. Quickly, that hope was dashed, and the reality of the situation settled even more—this paper was subpar, and there was little likelihood for me to save it.

Although I became stuck in that moment, the class was moving forward. With our desks aligned in some shape that resembled a horseshoe, we moved on to talk about some of our experiences with writing this essay. I began to look at the expressions of my classmates around me and judged their papers according to the smiles or grimaces that sat plastered on their faces indefinitely. According to some of my peers’ faces, I saw that maybe I was not the only one who was pretty disappointed with the turnout of my essay. There was that hint of a possibility that I was better off than others. Although I did quite know what to do, or even how to proceed with my literacy narrative, I quickly realized what I shouldn’t have done—exactly what got me in this position in the first place.

So as my classmates continued to discuss their difficulties, or their ease with writing their literacy narratives, I tried to pinpoint what I had done wrong. My mind ran repetitively over and over this forlorn excuse of a paper. Some people seemed as if their literacy narratives were written long before prompted by Dr. Gleason, and that they had distinct memories of these profound moments where they greatly developed their reading and writing. We reviewed one classmate’s paper about her path to learning English through radio, and thus resulting in her literacy. Others shared their experiences in certain classes throughout their education, or even experiences with reading non-English texts. I had nothing, and my thoughts about having nothing is what I shared. I described how I didn’t remember much about my freshman writing class, but I knew that it played a significant part in my writing career (which was the only reason I had the first draft of the literacy narrative). To me, this lack of memory was a curse, or possibly a blessing in the moment.

As I was sharing with the class how my basis of writing was always centered on a very objective topic, I received my first of several ah-hah moments. I was no longer trying to relay already researched and tired information. I was not trying to create a new story, or relay a tale passed along over the centuries.  This was the opposite. I was the story. The literacy narrative was not about some stranger who learned to read or write, but it was about me and my development in becoming a better, more aware writer. This was Mark sitting in this trash-speckled classroom attempting to wrap his mind around his scriptural failure. This moment was my literacy narrative (my second ah-hah). This was my big memory in the making that forever changed the way I understood writing. I was living in that moment, half way watching myself go from disappointed and confused to literarily-enlightened.

This was my break in the clouds; my light at the end of a self-perpetuated tunnel. Dr. Gleason’s words earlier that night about taking the writer from the writing had never meant so much as in this time. Although my paper was no masterpiece, but a piece of dung, I wasn’t! I wasn’t defined by the markings and circles formed on my paper. I was now a newly enlightened writer.

From there, I began writing furiously all over the pages, adding to the already pencil-damaged text that lined the white sheets. I was being smart, and I wrote down every thought that came to mind about my new literacy narrative. I couldn’t leave it to my feeble memory to recall this great moment in time where not only I got my idea for a paper, but also my entire perspective on writing, and even greater, my writing changed.

My class continued to share their emotions and experiences with writing their literacy narratives, and I secretly wrote about my class, for they did not know that every minute we spent talking, they were becoming part of my own narrative. Every detail shared was evolving into this memory of how Mark Jamison went from not being able to write a literacy narrative, to not being able to write down everything he wanted to include in his literacy narrative. The pale walls were no longer so pale, the dreary room after a long day began to lighten again, reflecting the still brightly-burning SmartBoard centered on the front wall of the room.

I had been defined by my writer’s block. I had been attempting to find this great story, relative to what I would have deemed as epic. But instead, I found no story in my life that was my personal Odyssey. There was no hero to swoop in and write my story for me. No, the story found me. I was situated in the midst of an already happening event, and my development came in making that event my own.

That night, our class talked about linear versus episodic writing. Linear was based on a timeline, and in sequential order, and episodic was likened to a crime show where we see the victim die, then we fill in the story. How I wrote this paper was in the most linear method possible, but my final ah-hah moment was in my realization that the entity that is this paper represented the victim, and the words on the page told the story. This literacy narrative is my opening scene; the product of struggle, hurt, humiliation, and confusion. And these closing words are my finality. They are the smile on my face. They are my experience, regardless of the grade I’ll receive. This was no longer writing for a pat on the back or a sticker with a smiley face. This was me painting this particular moment in my life on the canvas named Microsoft Word. This was Mark Jamison writing his literacy narrative. But like I stated before, I had never given much thought about my personal writing development. 

My Literacy Narrative Experience- A Reflection of Writing a Literacy Narrative

When writing my literacy narrative, I was really faced with a challenge. I don't recall a time before this that I've had to write my own personal story with such detail, especially with the prompt of a literacy experience. That led to me writing about this very situation. It was tough to really put so much vivid detail and ideas onto paper. I felt like there were so few aspects of my literacy growth that I remembered, and to recall something enough to write a paper on them was a pretty futile attempt. This was exhibited in the first draft of my literacy  narrative.

But my new literacy narrative showed a big difference, not only in my understanding of how to write a literacy narrative, but how my writing and my perspective on writing subjectively changed when writing in general. As I mentioned in my narrative, I never was one to write subjectively. Maybe a few poems over the course of education, but most things were very objective and research based. I was able to really take the moment when I realized how to write my narrative and put it back on paper. I felt as if the words were flowing more easily than before, and the that my narrative really described how I felt at that moment.

This experience definitely changed my writing for the future.

Digital literacy- Moving away from the Writing Process with a closer Reading/Writing relationship- Response Three to "Shimmering Literacies" (3.19.13- 4.5.13)

"... the practices of textual poaching and mosaic blur the distinctions between reading and writing." (p. 87)

I believe that reading and writing have become more closely linked that ever before. The uptick in the amount of technology and the daily interactions has allowed reading and writing to take on a more instantaneous form. No longer do we have to read all of the text before we respond. With media like Facebook Chat and Google Chat, conversations are immediate and quick.

Many times as we are typing and processing our thoughts, more messages may appear, along with pictures, videos and other media content. All of these things are changing the process of how we write. I see less of the writing process, and more of the instantaneous reactions. This is a benefit for important conversations, and quick interactions between two parties, but the negative side is that it can eliminate the importance of brainstorming, revising, and editing what you want to say before you send the message.

Response Two to "Shimmering Literacies" I wonder about the development of identity and pop culture-(3.19.13-4.5.13)

"...we must understand that identity considerations have alaready influenced who is reading and writing there and that, in turn, influences who is reading and writing there..." (59)

Identity is shaped heavily by the people you interact with, and the environment in which you are located. The internet and social media has heavily influenced the digital identities of the many people who use it everyday.

Identity and national popular culture have become more and more tied together with the growth of digital communications. Pop culture is no longer solely within your community or domain, but can now be transnational. It interests me to see how pop culture will develop over the next couple of years as many countries are becoming more developed and more countries have technology.

A Digital Argument- Response to "Shimmering Literacies" (3.19.13-4.5.13)

While reading Shimmering Literacies, I began to think on what Bronwyn T. Williams says about the growing ideas on forums. On page 42, Bronwyn says that "the forums are not just a place where opinions are posted, but where ideas grow from the contact and tension with other ideas." This brings to mind the reasons to why these ideas and discussions can be spurred so easily online, but it takes so much effort in our classrooms.

I partake in discussions in both arenas, yet I feel much more at ease when discussing online. I feel less pressure to perfect in grammar and speech, and I see myself thinking more, and more openly pointing out disparities in someone's argument when I am online. When I am in class, I feel like what I say goes deeper, but I have difficulties formulating my thoughts into clear sentences.

With these online tensions, it may be that students can more easily access information, and verify their information by simply opening a new tab, where as in class, the pressure to be completely correct is much higher, and the immediate access to proof can sometimes be difficult to find.