Blogging in Many Modes

Inspired by my last post, I created the following webtext on the problem of “the public” in blogging.  I share the experiences of two bloggers:  myself and a seventh grade homeschool study that I teach.  The URL:  http://youngwritersblogging.wordpress.com/.

The Blogging Self

Since I began this Composition & Rhetoric-inspired blog in February 2009, I have received zero comments from viewers.  I rarely post in response to the comments/feedback of others, though the genre of the blog encourages such interaction.  What I’ve come to discover lately is that: 

For me, blogging is not about actual circulation.  Rather, it is about self-actualization–a kind of identity-building medium where my writing responds more to an external representation of my self rather than actual human correspondents.

[I haven't ironed all of this out just yet... Let's take a journey, shall we?]

If you’re reading this post, you must find it odd that I seem to pretend you don’t exist, dear reader!  The strangeness of the blog seems to be just that:  I write to a reader that I am unable to define.  The fact that I’m unable to know exactly who my readers are makes this blog more like a series of personal journal entries.  If you were to ask me, “Hey there, Katie.  Why do you blog?”  I would respond:

I blog because I type faster than I handwrite.  Because I am eased by the blogger’s ability to include photos, drawings, word docs, videos, radio programs, web links, and (well, not yet) comments.  When words cannot convey my meaning, there are at least five other mediums through which I can compose/explain it. 

Know why else?  I blog because it is a kind of self-forming.  When I post work I am proud of (often work I submit for a class presentation or exercise), I create an identity that is more seemless than “real life.”  What do I mean?  Coursework is often abandoned.  Placed in a folder or archive, untouched for years.  This blog has become a virtual record of my progression, my interests, my life as a graduate student.  [Oh one day, I'll look back!]  Who I am or will be in this field is taking shape before my eyes, offering me a more whole “gaze” at myself as a composer.  In essence, paths are traveled and retraveled.  Writing is written and rewritten.  Responded to and extended.

Even if it’s just between me and… well, me.

Playing with Visual Arrangement

One of my current projects is to explore how young writers can use digital visual arrangement to compose “texts.”  Check out my project proposal at www.playingwithvisualarrangement.wordpress.com. 

My project is inspired by Susan H. Delagrange’s Kairos article, “Wunderkammer, Cornell, and the Visual Canon of Arrangement” (2009).

“Made Not Only in Words”

The handout I created for the 7th Annual Ohio First Year Summit. Inspired by Kathleen Blake Yancey's "Made Not Only in Words" (2004).

Most Anxious Moments as a Writer

Oh Listener, My Listener

My freshman composition students reflect on the writing process via radio podcasting.  Inspired by Ira Glass’ “This American Life.”  Accepted to the 2010 Conference on College Composition and Communication.

Embodied Writing Processes

Something amazing happened this Tuesday, and I’m dying to share!  I showed parts of my video, “A Composition in Film” to Olivia, my seventh grade homeschool student.  I drew her attention to those scenes where Heather and I attempted to embody the Mozartian or Beethovian writers’ (or is there such a thing!?) process.  If you watch our video (posted below), you know that our embodied movements are odd and binary.

After showing this to Olivia and holding a brief conversation with her about the potential (and normal!) messiness of writing, she did something absolutely incredible:  she brainstormed ideas for a writing project physically.  She asked if we could move around the house to brainstorm her ideas, strangely warping ourselves into different shapes and taking on the personas of people she wanted to write about.  By moving up, down, twisting and contorting, we felt comfortable acting the parts of her “characters” and soon found ourselves speaking in dialogue with one another about the topics that conflicted “us” (aka, her characters).

Although this moment occurred nearly two hours after I showed Liv our video, I can’t help but wonder if one inspired the other.  Do writers know/think to use their bodies in the process?  What’s the benefit of using movement when brainstorming and drafting?  How can movement affect the revision process?

Website Reflections 08-09 Year

Last year, I reflected on my teaching in website-format.  I liked this method of reflection because it allowed me to use images and a unique organizational approach.  Here is my 08-09 academic year website:  http://homepages.uc.edu/~trauthke/midterm/index.htm

The World Without Us

Young Writers Blogging

On Tuesdays, I teach Olivia, a local seventh grade homeschool student, writing, rhetoric, theatre, movement, and gymnastics (not every subject, every week!). After reading Romeo and Juliet together, I asked Olivia to write an essay about how Juliet changes/matures throughout the play. In her second draft, she made a connection between Juliet and the character Bella from the wildly popular novel, Twilight. The connection so inspired her thoughts that I suggested she focus her entire essay on that topic. We took a long walk, talking out the many similarities and differences in the two female characters. After the walk, I told Olivia about blogging and asked if she would like to try writing about the connection via a blog. She said yes. What resulted was an incredibly engaging learning experience wherein we both excitedly entered a circle of blogging-and-commenting. I taught Liv to upload her brainstorming drawings, walk-reflections, first and second drafts, and interesting links to her blog. While at first, blogging seemed to affect the tone of her writing in a less-helpful way (i.e. she wrote very informally and quickly), after time, it became an incredibly interactive venue. I’m curious: How did her perceptions of writing change after her creation of the blog? How did her perceptions of teacher-student interaction change? The problem with these questions is: I have little hard evidence of her perceptions of writing pre-blog. Solutions: I can ask her to reflect post-blog about how her perceptions have changed. Can this be considered evidence? Any thoughts? Any other experiences with young writers and blogging out there???

Check out Olivia’s Blog:  http://julietnbella.wordpress.com/about/.

Olivia draws her writing process.

Composing in Film

The weekend of Oct. 3-Oct.5th, 2009 was incredibly draining, fun, and fulfilling.  Fellow English graduate student, Heather Trahan, and I created the following video in response to readings in our Topics in Composition course:

“A Composition in Film”:  http://www.vimeo.com/6901730

Bloopers Reel:  http://vimeo.com/6969746

Inspired by Janet Emig’s book, “The Web of Meaning.”    Our aim:  to embody competing approaches to composing through language and film.  Accepted to the 2010 CCCC Computer Connection.

The Web of Meaning by Janet Emig

Works Cited:
Emig, Janet. The Web of Meaning: Essays on Writing, Teaching, Learning, and Thinking. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1983.