1-6:
Ethnography 1:
The conventions in which I write on social media and for my academics are significantly different. Take my Instagram account for example, this is where I post to the world to show them what I am currently doing. I caption my photos dumb things such as “on top of the world” or “cheers to my girls.” In contrast to the papers I write for my classes, if someone were to judge me based solely off of my social media, they would think I was incapable of forming an actual sentence.
The aim of my posts are purely just a flex of what I am doing. Social media is actually very pointless in my opinion, yet I still hypocritically use it often. I suppose in the end, it is a way to bond and communicate with other people in my generation. But to relate back to my original point, proper sentence structure simply does not exist when you are posing and smiling at your best angles.
I do not know if this is just a factor that I should merely accept, but it is something I often notice. I became more aware of this when I went to college. When you first meet a person, this is commonly one of the first things they ask for. It has become part of my age group’s language. The ways in which we communicate have drastically changed, and I am guilty of it too.
I find that I feel better when I am writing about something I care about in an environment that is healthy. My habits of taking mental notes when I hear something important have increased significantly. The nature and beauty of writing should not be dumbed down when it comes to posting on social media.
Endography 2
There are multiple different conventions in which I write, but I feel as if the one that differs most is my verbal communication (assuming that speaking is also a type of language). For example, the way that I talk to my professor is significantly different from the way I speak to my friends. The things I discuss, the words I choose to use, and the context in which I talk are all immensely different. In fact, the way I am writing this paper is not how I would choose to regularly talk to my friends. This proves that the intended audience affects my writing.
The feedback I will receive from this will also affect not only my future pieces that I compose, but it will bend my writing voice too. This is because the reader enhancing my work is very respected and is aiming for my own personal growth. I became aware of this very drastic difference when I started to think about this assignment. I believe that highlighting and acknowledging this will allow me to think even more critically.
Not only do the people that I am aiming to talk to matter, but the environment I surround myself with has a massive impact on the outcome of my writing. I have realized throughout completing these many RWD’s and reading summaries that who and what I surround myself with is very crucial to the quality of my work. For example, my beginning assignments were completed at a local Starbucks with friends, my second assignments were completed at my desk at home. The results were very different. When I am alone, I do much better work.
Ethnography 3:
I have found more recently that when I take notes during our classes, I can apply what we say better to our upcoming assignments and writings. In my previous endography, I mentioned that who you are writing towards makes a great impact on the outcome of your words. But, I thoroughly enjoy this class because I believe it pushes my creativity to the limits. I often find myself asking, “So what?” or “Why does this matter?” By questioning the importance of the text, it helps me to fully understand better. I now feel as if I can convey my messages more clearly and effectively.
To further this idea, I would say that I write in two different ways. The first way is to write for myself and my personal knowledge. I find that when I enjoy what I write, it is much better. In contrast, when I try to write to complete the assignment, I am not gaining anything from it, therefore proving it to be a waste of time. Although I realize I am not going to always enjoy what I write, asking myself why I am doing what I am doing always helps me to advance further.
Another way that helps me to improve is to be outside. The nature and fresh air helps to clear my mind and flow my creativity. When I started writing outside, I often found comparisons between the assigned pieces and everyday life. For example, I now look at things and question if other people see them the same way, this is from the writing Getting Rid of the Appearance- Reality Distinction by Richard Rorty.
Ethnography 4:
I have started to realize big changes in my essay writings. I used to write sentences that sounded a lot like the demos we now correct in class. I believe that the result of my growth is from the many activities we are required to do. Along with sentence structure, I have learned the importance of organization and accessibility to the reader. One good example of easy access would be linking. I used to not link because I did not know where to put it, but after taking the time to understand, I realized how helpful links can be to the audience the passage is intended for.
Writing an essay used to be a task that I dreaded, but now I feel as if I have so many more useful things I can apply in order to achieve the point I am trying to convey. Although exercises have most definitely contributed to my success, I also feel as if my work environment had an impact too. I recently moved home for the holidays (I used to be in D.C., and now I am in Nebraska) and I have noticed my ambition drive is up. This could be the result of my parents driving me crazy, or the absence of my new college friends. Either way, the background in which I sit down to write an essay for sure has an effect on my outcome. In fact, I prefer to be in my living room at the desk, with no distractions.
Ethnography 5:
Recently, this weekend in fact, I had to prepare a slideshow to present to my French class. I started fairly early on it, because I was nervous about speaking in front of my peers. I am in beginning French, so this was our first independent talking time alone. To prepare, I made a slideshow filled with pictures and aesthetically pleasing transitions to the eye. I noticed while creating this slideshow that I was aiming my sentences for the professor, with the intention that he would enjoy what I was talking about.This seems to be a common issue when completing homework, considering your grade is at stake.
My slideshow aimed to show off the beautiful Switzerland. Talking about its culture, habits, and food, this was not easy information to type in a different language. This reminds me of Anne Curzan’s writings, in which she made her opinion, English is not the superior language and should have rules that can be challenged, evident through many of her personal experiences and writings. After beginning to learn a new language, I have found a new appreciation for it and all others as well.
The response I was wishing for did indeed happen, as I think (fingers crossed) that I aced my presentation! Everyone in my class was nice and no one made fun of me. This gave me the confidence I needed in order to continue speaking and writing French. In any language that you write in, it is important to be confident, this gives you the power to write in your voice and to your best ability.
Ethnography 6:
For my government class, we are required to write posts on a community app called “Yellowdig.” The goal is that you reach a certain amount of points each week while discussing current politics and engaging with your fellow peers. I wish to evaluate this process for my last observational piece.
To begin, the intended audience is for my professor, classmates, and TA’s. These posts cannot just be nonsense, because then you will be embarrassed. I actually believe this is a great way to stay involved with what is happening, and it also allows students to learn to work together in groups better. The responses you get on each paragraph challenge you to rethink your ideas, as well as persuade others to think how you think.
The purpose of posting these is clearly to stay updated on the current politics happening. It is also relevant to see new perspectives and things you did not know of prior. I have found recently that I have been applying many different forms of writing I have learned in this class to my postings. By being clear and to the point, more people will want to read what I have to say, which is the purpose of writing it in the first place. I have also applied hyperlinks to my postings so others can view the articles I am referring to. By staying organized and giving the audience what they want (easier ways to understand the point I am trying to make) it is beneficial for everyone.
