As someone who is constantly on the go it is difficult to find time to catch up on current events. Luckily, with the amount of time I spend on the road between school, work, and home, the radio is available as my main source of news. Granted, most of the stations I listen to are filled with celebrity news and pop culture updates, when they feature actual news, the story is worthwhile and to the point.
Another main form of my news gathering includes the conversations my friends and I have. If one of us hears an interesting scoop about current or pop culture news we share and pick it apart until every fine detail has been discussed. You would be surprised about how your personal view of a topic can change by looking at it the way your friends interpret it. Of course, if all else fails, my mother would certainly never allow me to be left in the dark about top story news. If she believes for one second that I may not have heard about the story yet, she is sure to inform me.
The only time I will really sit down and read any part of the paper is on Sundays, this just happens to be the day when the Courier Journal is the fullest, making it worthwhile to look at. When I do this it is normally just skimming headlines, leads, and pictures with captions until something interesting comes up. Most of the news is either related to sports or local news; seeing as most international news has already been spread and I know the gist of the situation.
10.18.2009
10.01.2009
9.28.2009
Rocking the Foundation
Here is my first draft. It is by no means finished, as you can see by the length. But, it is all i could get out before the writers block set in and i started searching for an outside article that didn't pale in comparison to those we had already read.
If you edit on the document please do so in a differnt color or font. Thanks.
If you edit on the document please do so in a differnt color or font. Thanks.
9.27.2009
Personal Growth
The once underestimated web writing has helped me grow as a writer. I have a new found respect for both web reading and writing. I did not understand how difficult it was to write the first thoughts, reactions, and emotions that came to mind until I was placed in the shoes of a blogger. The free form spontaneity is both awe-inspiring and a challenge. I used to not like writing because I thought the process of completing an "academic paper" was arduous. I know find that there is a comfort in the structure of writing for educational purposes and that spontaneous web writing is almost stressful.
I have started to notice that the change of how I read, write, and process information on the computer is actually affecting my everyday reading and writing. I find myself taking notes more frequently and much more carefully then I had in the past. Since having to take notes on articles for our blog posts I have found myself reading other pieces on the internet that I would have ordinarily just skimmed. I am now very much interested in the blogging community, though it is unlikely that I will create a personal blog. Now that I have looked at blogging from a different view point, I admit that I much prefer online information updates as opposed to that of newsprint.
All and all I must say that blogging has positively changed my views of internet reading and writing. While this change is taking some time to get used to I believe that it will help me in the future. The challenge of adapting my writing style to fit that of the fast paced blogging community is worth it, in my opinion.
I have started to notice that the change of how I read, write, and process information on the computer is actually affecting my everyday reading and writing. I find myself taking notes more frequently and much more carefully then I had in the past. Since having to take notes on articles for our blog posts I have found myself reading other pieces on the internet that I would have ordinarily just skimmed. I am now very much interested in the blogging community, though it is unlikely that I will create a personal blog. Now that I have looked at blogging from a different view point, I admit that I much prefer online information updates as opposed to that of newsprint.
All and all I must say that blogging has positively changed my views of internet reading and writing. While this change is taking some time to get used to I believe that it will help me in the future. The challenge of adapting my writing style to fit that of the fast paced blogging community is worth it, in my opinion.
9.25.2009
Stepping Beyond Wikipedia
I found the article stepping beyond interesting because it talks, mostly, about how to search the internet through search resources, such as Wikipedia. It also mentions learning new literacy and reading techniques by aquiring the proper knowledge of how to use the internet.
9.19.2009
Newsflash
Through his article "Bad Days for Newsrooms" Chris Hedges argues it cannot be inferred that the internet is completely to blame for the decline of newsprint. A major reason for cut back in newsrooms is the lack of "public responsibility". When it comes to uncovering stories and gathering all of the necessary entities to produce and spread news, news staffs have almost become too lazy. When considering all of the expenses it takes to print just one edition of a newspaper it is almost not worth the minimal profit, especially when the staff is not willing to put in the effort to make a sensational newspaper. The rising corporate power houses are also to blame for the decline of print news. The population has become less amused with actual news events and have turned to more entertaining shows such as, TMZ which gathers information about current social events.
The major difference between Hedge's article and Clive Thompson's "Clive Thompson on New Literacy" is that Thompson argues the new forms of communication through internet technology have revolutionized modern writing and language. People of today's generation are beginning to write outside of school, where in previous years writing rarely occurred without a school based reason. Both Thompson and Hedges attempt to show that writing is now done mostly for entertainment. Most of today's society is using internet writing as a means of communication and to spread information quickly and efficiently.
Advances of modern technology have helped to improve language and writing. With proper teaching any student can learn the difference between "text talk" and formal writing language. I personally believe that if there is no reason to write out full words and phrases that short hand is acceptable to make life easier. Why would you make writing and communicating more difficult than necessary?
The major difference between Hedge's article and Clive Thompson's "Clive Thompson on New Literacy" is that Thompson argues the new forms of communication through internet technology have revolutionized modern writing and language. People of today's generation are beginning to write outside of school, where in previous years writing rarely occurred without a school based reason. Both Thompson and Hedges attempt to show that writing is now done mostly for entertainment. Most of today's society is using internet writing as a means of communication and to spread information quickly and efficiently.
Advances of modern technology have helped to improve language and writing. With proper teaching any student can learn the difference between "text talk" and formal writing language. I personally believe that if there is no reason to write out full words and phrases that short hand is acceptable to make life easier. Why would you make writing and communicating more difficult than necessary?
9.16.2009
A Watered Down Culture
At first, the ideas presented in Chris Hedges America the Illiterate brought about feelings of complete shock. The idea that the majority of our modern society, with its complex computers and other technological advances, could be descending to the mindset of a 10 year-old was almost unfathomable. Then I considered the other advaces our society has made, mainly in the genre of entertainment. With the ever updating means of technology comes the capability of spreading entertainment farther at a much faster pace.
Even with this new view on literacy, the rising statistics of the illiterate remained staggering. It is almost impossible to grasp the concept that about one third of America's population survives day to day on familiar brand names and image filled restaurants alone; most of them capable of serving only fellow illiterates. I would personally be lost if I did not have the ability to help myself with daily tasks such as, paperwork, driving, and being able to determine the dosage for medicine. Presidential candidates have started to "dumb down" their speeches to appeal to the illiterate of our population.
Americans have traded in their once highly valued knowledge and education for entertainment. As if this fact were not disturbing enough, it is something politicians are preying on. They use the weaknesses of those that cannot serve themselves to get ahead in polls and elections. With user friendly images and slogans they can sway the vote of the illiterates without much effort. Hedges uses an example that, after doing the math, is quite an eye opener. The election debate between Lincoln and Douglas was presented at an average grade level of 11.6. The 2000 debate between Bush and Gore was only a 7.2 grade level average. I personally would not want a president that presented himself at 4.4 grade levels less than that of previous presidents.
America needs to bring back the valued days of education and use these great technological advances for the betterment of human kind. Educating instead of catering to the needs of the illiterate could completely reshape not only America, but the world as a whole.
Even with this new view on literacy, the rising statistics of the illiterate remained staggering. It is almost impossible to grasp the concept that about one third of America's population survives day to day on familiar brand names and image filled restaurants alone; most of them capable of serving only fellow illiterates. I would personally be lost if I did not have the ability to help myself with daily tasks such as, paperwork, driving, and being able to determine the dosage for medicine. Presidential candidates have started to "dumb down" their speeches to appeal to the illiterate of our population.
Americans have traded in their once highly valued knowledge and education for entertainment. As if this fact were not disturbing enough, it is something politicians are preying on. They use the weaknesses of those that cannot serve themselves to get ahead in polls and elections. With user friendly images and slogans they can sway the vote of the illiterates without much effort. Hedges uses an example that, after doing the math, is quite an eye opener. The election debate between Lincoln and Douglas was presented at an average grade level of 11.6. The 2000 debate between Bush and Gore was only a 7.2 grade level average. I personally would not want a president that presented himself at 4.4 grade levels less than that of previous presidents.
America needs to bring back the valued days of education and use these great technological advances for the betterment of human kind. Educating instead of catering to the needs of the illiterate could completely reshape not only America, but the world as a whole.
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