Today is my first day of graduate school. And I am doing what is perhaps the coolest thing I've ever done as a student-- I'm creating a blog for class in class.
I feel a bit like a kid with a new toy... or better, a new idea. I had honestly never considered that something so informal, so public and so common (at least, to this generation) as blogs could be used as a means and even an end for literacy education. I feel a little embarrassed that I hadn't thought of it before -- but, I suppose every good idea leaves people thinking "of course! I shoulda thought of that...."
The brilliance of blogging -- especially as a tool -- is that it is such an intimate experience. Writers, students, and student writers (such as myself) can write what weighs heavy with us with the buffer of anonymity, if we so choose, and distance from our readers. But, I have to admit that for me, the intimacy has been exactly why I dislike it. In my whimsical moments, I often catch myself disclosing more in the first publishing than that with which I am later comfortable (as is true with this post). I would be curious to see if that is simply a peculiarity of mine or if writing in the informal blogosphere is conducive to that kind of literary approach.
I think blogs are a really useful tool too, particularly for those of us who have lousy handwriting. I'd like to learn how to make sure I don't make it as boring as the paper version of journals.
ReplyDeleteI am curious about the long-term impact of the blogosphere. I am yet to see it contribute meaningful dialogue on a regular basis. I agree with your assessment: it is a quick and accessible way to express emotion. Very little meaningful dialogue occurs in a forum tailored for rapid-response. It is much easier to misinterpret emotions behind written words than in a face-to-face conversation. It is much easier to express vitriolic comments with the protection of anonymity. Ultimately, I wonder what this kind of environment does for our students' perceptions of community.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about disclosing a little bit too much online than I later wish I had. When I express my views in a written format, it is easy for me to go back and revise so that I sound more organized or informed, which is why typing or hand-writing is excellent. However, it is obviously easier to press backspace a few times or copy/delete something rather than erasing or having to start over from scratch on an entirely new sheet of paper. I guess what I am saying is that using blogs for writing is great for convenience sake and efficiency of time; however, call me old-fashioned, but I prefer expressing my personal ideas using pen and paper. I think most of us feel that way because that's how we grew up. However, nowadays, kids are growing up, not with pen and paper, but with keyboards and computer monitors. And maybe sixty years from now, instead of computers, we will have little microchips in our brains that do all the thinking and writing for us :)
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