Katie Couric talks About Internet Slang

Those darn kids and their slang!

Favorite internet videos: 2 and 1

My favorite genre of video is "Crazy People." The age of YouTube and ubiquitous personal cameras has lead to a proliferation of people acting batshit crazy videos. I love being able to watch these people without actually being present, some of these people are terrifying.


Crazy lady screaming at skateboarders


Yes, she does accuse these people of peeing on her. She also accuses them of "illegal photography" in a parking lot that she has no association with. There is something immensely hysterical about a woman screaming at people for no reason, and then demanding that they call the police.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a Rogue Helicopter Pilot


My absolute favorite video ever; nonstop and unadulterated crazy. I can't really add any commentary that would make it any better. Watch it all!

Favorite internet videos: 4 and 3

Cautionary Tales of Swords


"Swords will cut your fucking throat wide open" - Trip Frisk. This is a lowbudget internet show that is amazing and hilarious.

Darth Vader being a smartass


This may only make you laugh if you are a Star Wars nerd like myself.

Top ten internet videos: 5

This video is from the "Animals" genre. Be glad that I didn't post more of these, I am a sucker for cute birds.



Snowball has better rhythm than I do.

Top ten internet videos: 7 and 6

These two videos can be classified as "Internet videos that mock the internet."

Lasagna Cat: Geocities Page


The premise of Lasagna Cat is simple, yet genius. The creators take Garfield comic strips, reenact them, and then create a music video that incorporates the original strip. This particular clip is mocking second generation websites, such as those that could be found on geocities in the 90s. If you have time, click on this video and watch every single Lasagna Cat video on YouTube.

How is Babby Formed?


This flash animation was created to mock Yahoo Answers thread. For those of you unfamiliar with Yahoo Answers, picture Wikipedia with less strenuous academic standards. Users can post a question, and anyone can post an answer. Some of the answers (such as this one) are incomprehensible.

Top ten favorite internet videos: 10, 9 and 8

I decided to compile a list of my favorite internet videos. I imposed the limit of ten, which meant I had to take out a lot of videos that I really love, but I didn't want to list to be too long. I've also tried to present videos that I feel represent their genres. Except for the number one video, this list isn't really in order; I have attempted to group the videos based on their types.

The following videos can be classified as "People hurting themselves." The timeless glee of schadenfreude has found a fruitful home on the internet; sites such as Youtube are full of videos in this vein.


Katana Slip-up


The accident shown in this clip inspired another one of my top ten list, the internet TV show "Cautionary Tales of Swords." This isn't the only video that features a QVC host injuring themselves, two other videos highlight ladder accidents. Ladder accident 1. Accident 2.

Kid falls off a Bridge


This video is a lot funnier if you understand some Spanish. Google pinche pendejo if you want. I love the cameraman in this one, "Te bañaste!" means "You took a bath!"



My favorite people getting hurt video, mainly because I have no sympathy for the asshats who are injured. Really, what possible alternative outcome could have resulted from jumping off a roof? Once again, the cameraman adds to the overall video, with his asinine inquiry of "You guys ok?"

The Remix Video

A trend that has become popular on YouTube in the past few years is that of the remix video. A remix video takes fragments of a popular video or audio meme, and sets them to music, usually a techno beat. Remix videos usually appear with surprising speed after the initial video has become popular, the following two remix videos appeared in a matter of days after the original videos surfaced.



In this video from the early 90s, a young(er) Bill O'Reilly (then on Inside Edition) expresses his displeasure with the studio's teleprompter.



The amazing remix followup. I think it's pretty catchy.



This video is very long, the most amusing parts occur near the end. I'm a big fan of randomly taped crazy people; however, this one is not my favorite.



The resulting remix video. It is really good, but we must consider the fact that the source material lent itself to a musical endeavor.

Response to 5/5 readings

Composition at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century
Richard Fulkerson

When I started reading this, I assumed that Fulkerson would take a pretty gloomy view on the state of composition pedagogy, and the debate thereof. In his introduction, he expresses the motivation behind writing this was “frustration”.

However, after this initial negativity, Fulkerson appears to refrain from pessimistic language when chronicling the past decade’s developments in composition. One quote from Fulkerson that I thought odd was his statement that “It’s important to emphasize that in CSS the course aim is not ‘improved writing’ but ‘liberation’ from dominant discourse” (Fulkerson 660) Uh, why can’t we do both? Does liberation from dominant discourse necessarily mean that the resulting writing will be bad?

Contemporary Composition: The Major Pedagogical Theories
James Berlin

Berlin’s essay was incredibly helpful in understanding the origins and applications of composition pedagogy. Berlin describes Neo-Aristotelians (Classicists), Positivist (Current-Traditionalists), Neo-Platonists (Expressionists) and New Rhetoricians. Seems like everything is new and shiny, eh?

One of the reasons I love Berlin so much is his honesty. He comes right out and says “My reasons for presenting this analysis are not altogether disinterested. I am convinced that the pedagogical approach of the New Rhetoricians is the most intelligent and most practical alternative available, serving in every way the best interests of our students” (Berlin 766)

Neo-Aristotelians believe that truth is inherent from the senses; the main issue is communicating this through the limits of language. Positivists hide beneath the shield of “scientific truth”, which reminded me of earlier readings discussing how research defined fields of learning. Unlike neo-Aristotelians, neo-Platonists do not believe that truth is inherent from the senses, as the world is undependable. Instead, they seek the truth inside, a truth that cannot be communicated or taught. New Rhetoricians rely on communication and discourse to discover truth.

Post-Process “Pedagogy”
Lee-Ann M. Kastman Breuch

Breuch writes that“[p]ost process scholarship is shortchanged by the continued emphasis on process in that the broader implications of post-process theory have very little to do with process […] That is, process as it is cast by post-process scholarship is the scapegoat in an argument to forward postmodern and anti-foundationalist perspectives that are critical to post-process theory” (Breuch 98)

One of Breuch’s main points is that post-process theorists are undermining their own efforts by defining themselves in opposition to the process theory. Of all the post-process theorists that Breuch discusses, I found Thomas Kent to be the most persuasive, in certain respects. As Breuch says, “Kent suggests that writing is not a system or process and therefore cannot be taught as such. Consequently, he does not suggest that teaching writing is impossible; he suggests that teaching writing as a system is impossible” (Breuch 101). I also liked Irene Ward’s functional dialogism, which seems to correlate with Berlin’s much loved New Rhetoricians.

Douglas Downs and Elizabeth Wardle

Downs and Wardle envision a freshman writing course that focuses on “improving students’ understanding of writing, rhetoric, language, and literacy” (552). Although I have yet to teach ENG 101 or 102, I will be next semester. As a result, I found this article insightful and far-reaching in its ideas. As Downs and Wardle point out, “good” academic writing is not universal across various field, and what a student learns in ENG 101 and 102 may not transfer to other classes.

The authors’ pedagogy relating to FYC would seem to prepare a student better for writing in many different contexts. I think that this type of FYC would be much better suited for non-English majors, as well as being more feasible than having major specific required FYCs.

My website

Here is a link to my website draft. I had planned on doing more this weekend, but Staphylococcus aureus had other plans for me.

I wanted to create a website that reflected my professional and academic career (which is lacking in terms of teaching experience). Eventually, I would like to add relevant course information for my classes, much in the same way Dr. J adds information to our course blog.

In which I add content to YouTube

Response to 4/28 Readings

The Adult Literacy Process as Cultural Action for Freedom
Paulo Freire


Although Freire wrote his landmark article in a very different environment from both us and many of the authors who build on his writings, much of his advice and observations remain relevant. One aspect of this article in particular attracted my attention, in which Friere discusses methods of using culturally pertinent prompts in regards to writing. I feel that this is a wonderful way of getting students interested in what they are writing, and if my experience in the writing center is any indication, that is a tough task.

“Only someone with a mechanistic mentality, which Marx would call “grossly materialistic,” could reduce adult literacy learning to a purely technical action. Such a naïve approach would be incapable of perceiving that technique itself as an instrument of mean in their orientation in the world is not neutral.” (Freire 617) This profound statement can be applied to other areas of learning across the board, and even reminds me of the article we read that chastised those who refer to computers merely as “tools”, and not instruments of learning.

Rhetoric and Ideology in the Writing Class
James Berlin

Berlin points out an aspect of rhetoric and composition instruction that many other authors have noted “any examination of a rhetoric must first consider the ways its very discursive structure can be read so as to favor one version of economic, social and political arrangements over other versions […]A rhetoric can never be innocent, can never be a disinterested arbiter of the ideological claims of other because it is always already serving certain ideological claims.” (717-718)

It follows then, that no professor can be completely impartial, a fact that I’m sure we can all attest to. The question then, is what type of rhetoric to use? Berlin discusses three types of rhetoric: cognitive psychology, expressionism and social-epistemic. Of the three, I think a hybrid of expressionism and social-epistemic would be the best approach, as they both acknowledge biases, and provide strategies for overcoming them.

Response to 4/21 Readings

Protean Shapes in Literacy Events: Ever-Shifting Oral and Literate Traditions
Shirley Brice Heath

Shirley Brice Heath begins her essay by cautioning readers against relying on literacy theories. She goes on to define what a literacy event is; any occasion in which a piece of writing is integral to the nature of participant’s interactions and their interpretive processes. Heath takes this theory, and investigates its veracity in the context of a particular community, Trackton.

In exploring the applications of literacy in Trackton, Heath lists the following as purposes for writing in Trackton: instrumental, interactional, news-related, confirmation, provision of permanent records, memory supportive and as substitutes for oral messages. Most of these purposes are supplemented by oral actions.

Heath also notes that “individuals saw literacy as an occasion for social interaction.” (Heath 451) ; she provides ample examples of this, from church activities to porch discussions. Even the usually literary act of completing paperwork for school or work is intertwined with social discussions, as townsfolk share information.

I liked Heath’s example of the written version of a prayer verses the oral result. I saw a few devices that reminded me of oral epics, such as the use of formulaic voices, and expression of personal involvement.


Hearing Other Voices: A Critical Assessment of Popular Views on Literacy and Work
Glynda Hull

I think that Hull does an excellent job debunking current myths and views surrounding worker illiteracy. Hull questions both the relevancy of literacy in specific work situations, and the burden that is shifted onto the worker, rather than the employer. My favorite example that she gives is “[t]he years of picky hiring are over. Vicious competition for all sorts of workers – entry-level, skilled, seasoned – has begun. Employers must look to the nonmale, the nonwhite, the nonyoung. There may be a push for non-citizens as well: over the next 10 years …only 15% of work force entrants will be native-born white males.” Aw, poor native-born white males! Whatever will they do?

I found the personal accounts that Hull uses a sad indicator of current government programs. Jackie was trying her hardest to get off government assistance, but it seems to me that the government provides little assistance or incentive to do so. In addition to this, as Hull points out, some of the programs that involve workplace training are merely training for tests that have little or nothing to do with actual tasks.

As I had previously been unfamiliar with Taylorism (it is a pity that it is so negative), I read Hull’s section relating the effects of Taylorism with great interest. As anyone who has worked in retail, manufacturing, or many other fields knows, workers are still accorded very little trust, with most of the responsibility and training given to managers. However, workers still seem to be given a fair share of the blame when something goes wrong.


Sponsors of Literacy
Deborah Brandt

I though Brandt’s essay does an adequate job explaining the discrepancies between teaching methods used and methods that work, and the underlying politics motivating those choices. Brandt looks at the sponsors of literacy programs, and investigates their intentions. I have to admit, I had never considered the politics behind academic programs such as literacy, this article really made me think.

Brandt looks at the reasons people seek literary education, the foremost motivation being upward mobility. She does this by looking at two specific individuals, Raymond and Dora. Raymond enjoyed a childhood full of technological advantages, while Dora grew up as a bilingual minority in a Midwest town. Although Dora and Raymond find themselves in very different literacy environments, they both have the desire to learn more.

I appreciated the amount of real life examples Brandt uses in her essay, I found most of them relevant, and all of them interesting to read. Given the examples, there is a great deal of truth in Brandt’s statement that “the course of an ordinary person’s literacy learning – its occasions, materials, applications, potentials – follows the transformations going on within sponsoring institutions as those institutions fight for economic and ideological position.” (Brandt 177)

Strangers in Strange Lands: Student Writing Across Curriculum
Lucille Parkinson McCarthy

McCarthy’s introduction to “Strangers in Strange Lands” is an accurate portrayal of advice that I myself have been guilty of giving: write to your professor. I often tell students in the Writing Center “Well, I personally think this…but you need to check with your professor”, or something similar.

McCarthy draws from the works of two noted sociolinguists, yet another indication of the connections between composition, writing pedagogy, and linguistics. McCarthy does an adequate job explaining her data, but I felt that she should have given more contextual information. I did like the quote from Dave, where he explains that he sees writing as a tool. I felt that this highlights many students view of writing not as a learning process, but as a tool to be acquired and wielded. This mindset parallels Dave’s desire to find on “right” interpretation of a poem for his poetics class. McCarthy call this being “tied to the concrete material”, a problem that many students face.

By looking at what classes Dave does well in, McCarthy construes Dave’s intent and perceived benefits from each class. In classes that he sees as vital to his career and further academic success, he does better. In a class such as poetry, which is only tied to a grade, Dave doesn’t do as well. This may seem obvious, but I think it is important for instructors to keep in mind, so that they might find ways of linking a particular class to a students aspirations.

The truth behind the McCain girls

So it ends up the McCain girls were a comedic hoax all along! This news article has some pretty good quotes about it, I think the most telling one is:

"That video recorded more than 1.6 million views and earned mentions on CNN and on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” with people alternately mocking it and wondering who was responsible. The singers seemed intentionally bad, which led many bloggers and YouTube commenters to assume that it was meant to insult Mr. McCain. The liberal blog Eschaton put it this way: “I believe the YouTube era begins the age when it is impossible to tell parody/irony/performance art from completely sincere product."

Apparently it was created to mock the candidate video phenomena, they did a good job making it look home made. I love the fact that they went to the lengths to do a response to the haters video too.

Walk it Out: Assemblage?

This video is a 1960s dance number by Fosse set to a modern rap song. It is eerie and humorous how well the two sync up; would this be considered assemblage?

Here is the original version for anyone who is curious.

Texting practices on cellular phones and in online instant messaging

“Wat r u doing?”
Texting practices on cellular phones and in online instant messaging

Over the past decade, the popularity of cellular phones has increased dramatically. At the same time, in developed nations, computers now exist in the majority of both home and educational environments. During this time period, text messaging has evolved from a lingo used by a minority to a dialect used worldwide. As our society becomes more technologically saturated, it is important to understand the text making practices that constitute text messaging, as well as the cultural and educational impacts.

In my paper, I propose to first examine the various methods text messagers utilize when composing messages. These include: spelling variations, creative acronyms, abbreviations, and alternative grammar. Although it may seem like an unstructured form of communication, text messages actually follow rules and conventions, which I believe qualifies it as a dialect.

In addition to looking at the mechanics of text messaging, I will also look at the cultural impact, as well as implications in educational settings. Cell phones have become an integral part of everyday life in many countries, and text messaging is one of the preferred methods of communication among youths. The response in the media to texting lingo has been largely negative, as Carmen K. M. Lee notes in his article “Text-making practices beyond the classroom context: Private instant messaging in Hong Kong.” The response in regards to education has been mixed; some educators feel it sullies student’s academic writing, while others maintain that students can code-switch between text speak and scholarly language. Lee argues that some students have constructed methods of learning via online instant messaging through the use of code-mixing. As distance education becomes more commonplace, instant messaging may find a more secure footing in the academic realm. Therefore, it is important to understand the forces behind students’ composition process, as well as recognizing the validity of text practices.

Response to 4/14 readings

Taking Control of the Page: Electronic Writing and Word Publishing
Patricia Sullivan

As it was written in 1991, Patricia Sullivan’s chapter “Taking Control of the Page: Electronic Writing and Word Publishing” provides a glimpse into early reactions and expectations in regards to technology and writing. I absolutely love articles like this, especially when they foresee developments, as Sullivan does.

Sullivan asks, “What will happen in the 90s as the gap between the manuscript and the printed page closes in new and interesting ways?” (Sullivan 44) From our vantage point of over a decade later, we can answer that question, and ascertain whether or not Sullivan predictions are correct.

One aspect of Sullivan’s article that I found both insightful and ahead of its time was her implorations for composition instructors and researchers to integrate computers into their writing studies and pedagogies. We tend to take the presence of computers for granted in our technology satiated society, but this was written in a time when many people viewed computers with fear or mistrust.

Sullivan notes that "[w]riting theories, by and large, have not embraced the computer and woven it into their conception of writing and its teaching." (45) Luckily the majority of universities presently have classes (such as Technical Writing) that do weave writing and computers together; I am sure that a large amount of this is due to the efforts of scholars such as Sullivan.

Throughout her essay, Sullivan integrates composition theory with burgeoning technologies. Her sections on visual aesthetics in electronically composed documents are still relevant, as are her observations on pictures and photographs taking a more active role in persuasive arguments in text.



The politics of the program: ms word as the invisible grammarian
Tim McGee and Patricia Ericsson

Based on the title and subject matter, I really thought I was going to enjoy this article. However, McGee and Ericsson’s condescending attitudes towards technology and computational linguistics really irritated and angered me.

I do agree with many points McGee and Ericsson bring up, such as MS Word’s ubiquity making it an omnipresent grammar instructor, and the fact that many aspects of its programming are flawed. However, I think they belittle computational linguists, many of whom have had years of linguistic and writing courses before focusing on programming.

There was one quote in particular that made me question the research put into the technological and societal aspects of this piece. “Although some users may have doubts about artificial intelligence after seeing the Spielberg/Kubrick film, AI, the intelligence built into the MSGC isn’t nearly as ominous as that in the movie, but does lend another invisible force to the program.” (McGee and Ericsson 462) Ominous? What the hell are they talking about? Have they even seen this film? Humanity is the villain in this case, not artificial intelligence. A more apt movie to name would be 2001: A Space Odyssey; perhaps the authors feared such a reference would date them, and imply they were technophobic old people. Or maybe they just did a google search for “ai and film”, and AI was the obvious result.



The Internet-Based Composition Classroom: A Study in Pedagogy
Leslie D. Harris and Cynthia A. Wambeam

This article was amazing, reading it brought me back to when I was twelve, and the internet seemed immense, and full of many incredible opportunities. Leslie D. Harris and Cynthia A. Wambeam strike me as way ahead of their time, many of the ideas they implemented in their classroom have appeared in online classrooms such as WebCT.

In regards to them using MOOs as online classrooms, I thought that was fantastic. When I was ten, my brother introduced me to MUDs and MOOs. I loved the vividly described rooms and environments, the sense of actually moving around in a physical location, and of course, the social interaction. Although the MUDs I partook in were all games, they still taught me a lot about programming, typing, social interactions in a non-verbal environment and processing text.

I would be interested to see how the authors would react to an application such as Second Life. Although I have played many MMORPGs (Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Games), I had avoided Second Life because I associated it with fetishists (I won’t go into detail here, but I might mention some of them in class.) After reading this article, I logged onto a couple MUDs that I had characters on, as well as LAMBDA MOO. Sadly there are not that many users on anymore, I believe that many instead log onto MMORPGs or Second Life.

In regards to the article, I loved the fact that students were more interested in writing as a result of their interactions. I also enjoyed the addition of guest speakers, and other opportunities that a brick and mortar classroom would not be afforded. This article has made me rethink my opinion of Second Life, I am currently looking at pedagogy research in regards to this environment as an online classroom.

Undistributing Work Through Writing: How Technical Writers Manage Texts in Complex Information Environments
Shaun Slattery

In this article, researcher Shaun Slattery explores and describes the various methods technical writers use to complete projects. These projects use information garnered from various sources; the article highlights the complexity and variety of techniques employed.

Many of the techniques mentioned in this article reminded me of the assemblage essay we read last week. Tech writers often use multiple sources (many of which were created for completely different motives), and must manipulate the information into a coherent form.

I thought the amount of messages and text generated in regards to these project was incredible, fifteen years ago we would have been unable to send constant notifications and updates. My favorite part of this article was the humorous anecdote regarding an item that everyone involved in the project should have been knowledgeable about. Instead, they cannot agree on the simplest of facts, such as the number of cables contained in the box. This really highlighted the hazards of using multiple authors, much like the game of telephone, vital original information may be obscured or lost.

Here comes McCain again

This video was thoughtfully put up by the user "mccaineatsdick". I'm not sure how long it will last on YouTube, given the amount of time the previous one was up. The last minute or so is the best part; it features a ghostly McCain apparition floating around.

More fun from the McCain Girls

Videos made in response to "haters" have a long and venerable history on media sharing websites such as YouTube. These videos are typically created by the original poster as a reaction to negative comments and feedback on a particular video. Some common features include: frequent use of obscenities, questioning why the "haters" are wasting their time posting comments, asserting that said comments have not affected or upset the original poster at all, and on occasion threats.




Here is a "response to haters" video from one of the McCain girls!


I had intended to post the newest McCain girls video, "Here Comes McCain Again", which is set to the tune of (you guessed it) "Here Comes the Rain Again", but it has been removed due to copyright violations! Luckily I had a chance to watch it before it was removed; it was just as good as the last McCain girls video. So instead I will post McCain's reaction to the McCain girls:

Response to 4/7 Readings

This is the spoof trailer referred to in "Plagiarism, originality, assemblage."

“Plagiarism, originality, assemblage”
Johndan Johnson-Eilola, Stuart A. Selber

In their article Eilol and Selber fight for a change in attitude regarding what constitutes plagiarism, arguing that a new context should be defined. They begin their paper by discussing remixing and assemblage, and “the ways that composition might adopt remixing practices common in areas such as music and architecture.” (Eilola and Selber 376)

Eilol and Selber look at commonly held attitudes in the composition field concerning remixing. They believe that instructors look down upon papers that use too many quotes and outside material, which in turn may lead to students hiding their sources. The authors seek to “dispel the romantic image of the writer as a solitary genius.” (Ibid 378)

The anecdote regarding the 2006 CCCC convention made me laugh; I’m sure we’ve all noticed that the same plagiarism warning gets reused year after year. These were used as examples of “ethical plagiarism”, and the presenter, John Porter, “argued for an ethical middle ground that promotes filesharing and fair use rather than surveillance and policing behaviors.” (Ibid 378)

I really enjoyed the section regarding electronic assemblage. I had actually seen (and laughed at) the video they reference. I have to admit, a good portion of scholarly articles dealing with the internet and new technology that I’ve come across while researching seem out of touch. This article was refreshing in that I actually believe the authors understand trends and practices on the internet. In other words, they didn’t sound like aging baby boomers trying desperately to stay relevant.

Another segment of this article that really interested me is the section pertaining to assemblage communities. I am a member of several of these on the internet, or at least I would consider them assemblage communities. Many news websites on the internet either never or rarely write their own news stories, instead they gather related stories from numerous sources.

I agree with Eilol and Selber’s methods and attitudes regarding assemblage, I think that the ability to integrate and synthesize material and information from numerous sources is essential to forming vital critical thinking skills. I also believe that given the ease of accessing information in today’s society, and the different social structure found on the internet, composition courses today need to evolve based on this.

Intertexuality and the Discourse Community
James E. Porter

When I started reading this, and noted the author’s name, I realized that it was the same author (or maybe someone with an identical name) referenced in “Plagiarism, originality, assemblage”, the one who had noted plagiarism is rampant in plagiarism warnings. So when I started reading this, I already liked the author.

Porter’s paper discusses the fact that all texts rely on previous texts, and indeed, that all text is interrelated in some way. As Porter puts it “[t]he traditional notion of the text as the single work of a given author, and even the very notions of author and reader, are regarded as simply convenient fictions for domesticating discourse.” (Porter 35)

Porter separates intertextuality into two types: iterability and presupposition. Iterability includes allusions, quotations, clichés and traditions. Presupposition is the conjectures that a text or author makes in regard to the readers.

The segment regarding “discourse communities” interested me, and I saw many new areas it could be applied to. Internet forums and blog communities came to mind immediately after I read this section. Internet forums have very specific (and often times unstated) rules of conduct that new users have to ascertain through trial and error. Older forums and communities often ignore “unqualified” new users, that is until they have established they possession the knowledge necessary to converse in that particular discourse community.

"The Writer's Audience Is Always a Fiction"
Walter J. Ong

I was happy to see we had another Ong article to read this week, I learned a lot from the assigned article last week. In "The Writer's Audience Is Always a Fiction", Ong addresses the common advice given to students, to write for their audience.

Much like in "Writing Is a Technology that Restructures Thought", Ong's article that we read last week, Ong shows his immense range of historical knowledge. As before, Ong spends a large portion of his essay looking at oral traditions, and chronicling the evolution of both written and spoken rhetoric.

Ong outlines the differences between writing and speaking, the foremost being that "[f]or the speaker, the audience is in front of him. For the writer, the audience is simply further away, in time or space or both." (Ong 57) He notes that often, success in writing is due to the writer’s ability to fictionalize his/her audience. I thought Ong’s section on Hemmingway’s writing style was relevant by outlining methods of creating a close relationship between reader and writer.

I wonder how Ong might revise his statement “[w]ritten or printed narrative is not two-way, at least in the short run. Readers reactions are remote and initially conjectural [..]” (Ong 66), given the blogs and message boards of today. Comments tend to be almost instantaneous, and authors can immediately revise their writings.

“Collaborative Learning and the ‘Conversation of Mankind’”
Kenneth A. Bruffee

Bruffee discusses the effectiveness of using collaboration as a learning tool. He argues that it “engage[s] students more deeply with the text […]” (Bruffee 415). Bruffee discusses various methods of collaborative learning, and lists peer tutoring as one of the most effective methods.

One of the aspects of this article that I found applied to my current work at the writing center was the segment concerning mandated programs. Recently, the lab coordinator for the Biology 100 labs made it compulsory for all of the students in the labs to attend the writing center twice. Many of the students who are forced to attend have been unresponsive and rushed through the session. In addition to this (although it is unrelated to the topic at hand), we do not have the manpower to service all these students (over 250 students, attending twice, over the span of three weeks); many of them who are unable to make an appointment are bitter and facing a grade lowered by 30%.

Another area that Bruffee addresses is that of the academic communities. He maintains that collaborative learning teaches students the methods and practices they will need, should they enter academia, or a scientific community. I agree with this, as social discourse and appropriate interactions are a vital part of the community.



Consensus and Difference in Collaborative Learning
John Trimbur


Although I found this article somewhat verbose, it definitely does a great job summarizing both conflicting and agreeing schools of though in collaboration. Trimbur investigates two schools of thought regarding consensus in collaboration: those who argue it is dangerous (and fascist apparently?), and those who believe it produces and validates knowledge.

One aspect of Trimbur’s argument that I agree with is that of “organizing students non-hierarchally so that all discursive roles are available to all the participants in a group […]” (Trimbur 476). Although I have yet to teach a class, as a student I have often seen domineering personalities in group exercises take control, all the while insisting that only they have the correct answer or viewpoint.

Response to 3/31 readings

“Writing Is a Technology that Restructures Thought.”
Walter S.J. Ong

I really enjoyed this article, especially the section pertaining to oral traditions. Ong’s paper has numerous ideas that are new to me; I look forward to discussing them in class.

Ong maintains that writing is immensely more complex than the mechanical skill many people make it out to be. As Ongs says “[t]he fact that we do not commonly feel the influence of writing on our thoughts shows that we have interiorized the technology of writing so deeply that without tremendous effort we cannot separate it from ourselves or even recognize its presence and influence.” (Ong 19) Ong follows this significant statement by giving examples and historical situations.

In his section discussing oral tradition, Ong surprised me with his extensive knowledge of mnemonic techniques in oral epics. After giving historically relevant data, Ong goes on to describe situations in which writing separates and divides. Among them are: logic and rhetoric, dialect from standard language, the past from the present, and academic learning from “wisdom." This last reason echoes the “gatekeeper” mentality we have read so much about.

I found Ong’s section on print and electronic relevant to my interests, as well as insightful. Ong contrasts the act of writing with the complex processes a computer undertakes even when performing a seemingly simple action. It is unfortunate that Ong ends his paper before fully exploring how the effects of electronic composition varies from those of writing. He hints at the distance imposed by computers, and the possible impact on the human thought process.

“A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing”
Linda Flower and John Hayes

In their essay, “A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing”, Flower and Hayes seek to tear down the commonly held theory that “composing process as a series of decisions and choices” (Flower 273). Flower and Hayes attempt to construct their own model; one not based on stages, but instead a process model.

Using “thinking outloud protocol,” Flower and Hayes attempt to scrutinize the methods writer use when approaching a task. Given that this essay was written in 1981, I can’t help but wonder what changes or improvements computers and technology has contributed to these types of research. Would a writer’s typed “thoughts” be as accurate as those spoken out loud? Does the act of typing rather than speaking cause self editing?

Flower and Hayes present their model as a “tool for researchers to think with” (Flower 284). I would be interested to read more studies using this tool, especially current studies.

Although I feel that Flower and Hayes certainly outline and describe their model in great depth, I’m still not convinced of its usefulness. Before I make my decision, I would like to see more evidence supporting “thinking outloud protocol” as a genuine representation of thought.


"Cognition, Convention, and Certainty: What We Need to Know about Writing."
Patricia Bizzel

Patricia Bizzel investigates the link between writing problems and thinking problems, and argues that a writing problem is a thinking problem. Bizzel looks at how composition specialists regard both writing problems and composition itself. She separates these specialists into two camps, inner and outer-directed theorists.

According to Bizzel, inner-directed theorists believe that there are writing processes “that are so fundamental as to be universal” (Bizzel 389) It would appear that this school of thought shares a lot with Chomsky’s linguistic theories of universal grammar. Inner-directed theorists also hope to isolate these processes in a context devoid of societal influences.

On the other hand, outer-directed theorists do not believe that these structures “can never occur free of a social context that conditions them” (Bizzel 390). Although I tend to agree to some extent with both of these schools of though, I think that Bizzel is correct when she draws from both theories; her ability to integrate these two seemingly incongruous theories is impressive. Bizzel's model strikes me as more accurate than the Flower/Hayes model, I am interested in what everyone else thinks about it.

"Distributed Cognition at Work"
Patrick Dias, et al

According to Dias, et al, distributed cognition is the intellectual interaction between numerous people; more specifically, the fact that "people appear to think conjunction or partnership with others and with the help of culturally provided tools and implements" (Dias 136).

Dias, et al, provides an example in the form of the Bank of Canada. One aspect of this paper I found interesting was the different distributions of intellectual contributions. In some hierarchical situations, such as school, the contribution is skewered, yet in the workplace it is not.

I found this article insulting in its implication for universities. According to Dias, et al, a university's goal is to prepare students for "real" jobs. Their assertions that demand should skewer writing also irritated me.

Barack Obama-sistible!

This is how to make a tongue in cheek campaign music video. That McCain monstrosity had it all wrong. If elections were won based on the awesomeness of a candidate's music videos, then Obama will be our next president for sure.

Annotated Bibliography

Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. 2nd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

In his The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, David Crystal has a chapter dealing entirely with electronic variations of the English language. Crystal examines both text messaging and instant messaging in depth. He includes graphs comparing “netspeak” to speech and writing, and examines where they diverge, and the reasons behind these divergences. Crystal also details the history behind text and the internet, and how it has evolved. He also looks at historical precedents and attitudes towards new technologies in writing, such as the printing press and telegraphs.

Although this chapter may not be providing any new research on text practices, it does provide ample data relevant to my paper, such as attitudes towards texting, and its relation to written and spoken language.


Lewis, Cynthia, Bettina Fabos, "Instant Messaging, Literacies, and Social Identities." Reading Research Quarterly 40(2005): 470-501.

This study investigates digital literacy and instant message use in seven teenagers. In addition to this, Lewis and Fabos investigate the social expectations and ramifications of instant messaging, especially among youths. The authors analyze how the participants change word choice, tones and subject matter, depending on the recipients of the message. Lewis and Fabos realize the importance of researching instant messaging, stating that it is an important aspect of youth literacy.

The research in this study is relevant in many ways to my paper. It examines both social and technical aspects of instant messaging, and looks at other factors that influence IMing.


Lee, Carmen K.M.. "Text-making practices beyond the classroom context: Private instant messaging in Hong Kong." Computers and Composition 24(2007): 285-301.

Lee’s article looks at different ways in which instant message texts are produced by a group of college students in Hong Kong. Although a large portion of Lee’s study focuses on multilingual aspects of instant messaging, he also looks at the text-making practices associated with the use of instant messaging. Lee’s article finishing by stating that the ability to produce IM texts is a different process from that of language learning in the classroom. Lee makes frequent references to code-switching and code-mixing. Furthermore, like many of the articles I am using in my research, he examines social attitudes towards text and instant messages.

Even though Lee may focus on the particulars of instant messaging in a diversely multilingual culture (Hong Kong), he still contributes to overall studies of instant message practices, which I believe will be helpful in my paper.

Hagood, Margaret C.. "New Media and Online Literacies: No Age Left Behind." Reading Research Quarterly 38(2003): 387-391.

Margaret Hagood’s article discussed many concepts and theories relevant to instant and text messaging practices. One of these concepts is active audiencing, which “call into question transmission models that position readers as passive receivers of information and meaning marketed towards particular audience.” (388) Hagood looks at both the role of the audience in messaging, and the reception messaging has received by the media and schools.

Hagood’s integration of multidisciplinary concepts with new media studies will be helpful in my analysis of text and instant messaging.

Bernhardt , Stephen. "The Shape of Text to Come: The Texture of Print on Screens." College Composition and Communication 44(1993): 151-175.

Bernhardt’s essay, although only written 15 years ago, displays many antiquated views towards technological text practices. However, he does have some relevant data, including the differences displayed in readers between printed text and electronic text.

Although Bernhardt’s paper predates much of the texting and messaging I will be researching, he provides an early source in regards to attitudes and research practices.

Lee, Carmen K. M.. "Affordances and Text-Making Practices in Online Instant Messaging." Written Communication 24(2007): 223-249.

While I was researching articles for my paper, the name of Carmen Lee often appeared in regards to instant messaging. In this particular study, Lee investigates the various factors that may influence a user’s choice of language and script in instant messaging. Lee states that studies of instant messaging practices have moved from identifying linguistic features to investigating the social issues that surround them. Lee himself does a combination of the two in this article, and also implores other researchers to look beyond simply English language instant messaging. In his other article that I have listed, "Text-making practices beyond the classroom context: Private instant messaging in Hong Kong.", Lee looks at instant messaging practices in Hong Kong.

Lee’s article will be useful to me in many ways, he both outlines text making practices in IMs, and also explores societal pressures and implication in regard to them.

Response to 3/24 Readings

Narrowing the Mind and Page: Remedial Writers and Cognitive Reductionism
Mike Rose

In his essay, Narrowing the Mind and Page, Mike Rose catalogues interdisciplinary studies of cognition, as well as investigating their usefulness in teaching remedial writers. Rose discusses the theories and areas of field dependence/independence, hemisphericity, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, oral-literacy, literacy and society, literacy and cognition, and literacy and language.

Out of these theories, it is clear that Rose finds Piaget’s the most relevant. I found the section dealing with training interesting, as students who were weak in formal-operational tasks showed improvement after training.

Although Rose may not believe that orality-literacy theory holds as much relevance as Piaget’s theory, I found it insightful and interesting. The similarities and differences between oral and written language are fascinating to me, and this field in particular interests me. Rose’s most insightful statement in this segment is that “[w]riting transforms human cognition." (368) As in much his discussion of theories, Rose goes on to caution that racist and biased assumptions have distorted this theory, which seems to be a common theme and occurrence in Rose’s article


The Language of Exclusion: Writing Instruction at the University
Mike Rose

In his second article in this textbook, Mike Rose looks at both attitudes towards remedial composition/students, and the motivation for these attitudes. Rose begins his essay by quoting numerous memos and reports from California that deal with remedial English courses. As Rose points out, many of these quotes contain thoughts commonly held in regards to writing, including that “[w]riting ability is judged in terms of the presence of error and can this be quantified [and that] [w]riting is a skill or a tool rather than a discipline.” (547) These are assumption that have often appeared in our previous readings, aside from the older ones (such as those in the Harvard era), the articles we have read have disregarded such views. So why do non-composition professors and the public still believe that they valid?

Rose goes on to look at current attitudes towards “remedial” writing courses in general; among them is the belief that they are eroding the boundary between secondary schools and college. Throughout his article, Rose gives numerous other examples of the negative attitude towards composition courses, while highlighting the dichotomy between these beliefs and the demand for improved writers in all academic fields.

One of the more revealing parts of Rose’s article deals with a chemist’s reaction to composition studies. The chemist in question dismisses composition studies, thinking that it is merely “ a transcription skill” (555) This is an attitude I commonly encounter, an alarming number of people don’t realize the complexity of writing.

Inventing the University
David Bartholomae

In his paper, David Bartholomae looks at the various obstacles new students face when attending college. He begins by saying that a “student has to learn to speak our language […]to write, for example, as a literary critic one day and as an experimental psychologist the next […]” (624). Bartholomae argues that this, and an inexperienced writer’s difficulty with transitioning between “writer-based” and “reader-based” papers.

Bartholomae insists that when he assigns students a paper entailing literary criticism, he doesn’t expect his students to be literary critics; rather, he expects them to invent themselves as literary critics. I have a problem with this, Bartholomae seems to desire students to simply imitate, and not come up with new ideas of their own.

I did find Bartholomae’s examples of student writing insightful and appropriate, as they did illustrate the very issues that student writers face. I also found his ideas on “commonplaces” relevant, as he did provide numerous examples in the student essays. Bartholomae notes that higher ranking essays are “framed and completed by a commonplace” (640).

Coherence, Cohesion and Writing Quality
Stephen P. Witte and Lester Faigley

Stephen P. Witte and Lester Faigley’s article scrutinizes both the research and methods used in writing instruction. Witte and Faigley mainly look at the two “approaches to this question, examining errors and syntactic features” (235), and note that most of the research doesn’t examine coherence in writing that extends beyond the surface level.

Similarly to what we have seen in numerous other articles, this focus on errors does little to improve student writing. Witte and Faigley cite research that shows this focus doesn’t help, and go on to state that cross-field research shows that cohesive ties determine the quality of a paper.

Witte and Faigley define a cohesive tie as “a semantic relation between an element in a text and some other element that is crucial to the interpretation of it” (236). They go on to list five classes of cohesive ties, and many subclasses (and sub-subclasses). The classes are as follows: substitution, ellipses, conjunction, and lexical reiteration and collocation.

After outlining the five cohesive ties, Witte and Faigley discuss reference cohesion, conjunctive cohesion, and lexical cohesion in regards to how the effect overall coherence in papers. The cohesive ties born out of these different forms of cohesion play an important role in Witte and Faigley’s analysis; they state that “the high rated essays are much more dense in cohesion than the low-rated essays.” (243)

Witte and Faigley end by imploring that more research in cohesion be undertaken. Interestingly enough, they mention that sentence combining offers “much [practice in forming cohesive ties” (249), which would correlate to Hillock’s study of effective composition instruction practices.

Although Witte and Faigley don’t delve too deeply into methods of teaching students cohesion, they do make a very good case for its importance in writing. During a time when the composition field is examining (incorrect) teaching methods long used, research like this is vital in the evolution of composition instruction.

It's Rainin' McCain

This is the newest entry in my presidential candidates music video saga. This is the best anti-viral video I have ever seen. This is even more unhip than Hillary and the band.

Response to 3/10 Readings

Mechanical Correctness as a Focus in Composition Instruction
By Robert J. Connors

In his essay, Robert J. Connors details the historical events and pressures that lead to the restructuring of “rhetoric” to “composition”. As all the papers we are reading this week deal with the popularity of relying on grammar in composition, I felt that a historical context was appropriate. Before the Civil War, written rhetoric classes hearkened back to an ancient tradition, from the 1860s on, written rhetoric dealt mainly with finding grammatical errors and correcting them.

Connors gives several reasons for this reliance on error hunting. The foremost of these reasons is that early professors had to grade an absurd amount of papers. It would be impossible to actually read and comment on this amount of papers, so teachers opted for the quicker route.

Another factor that contributed to this error correcting attitude was the current sociolinguistic climate of the United States. As Connors says, “the deterioration of English at the hands of uneducated frontiersmen was what these Easterners excoriated most violently, building a linguistic base for class distinctions.” (Connors 63-64) Thank you very much east coast (I’m looking at you Dr. J).

I thought that this essay gave pertinent information and context in regards to the development of the modern rhetoric and composition classroom. Recent trends have us moving away from this seemingly anal retentive method of teaching, but I believe we still have a long way to go.


Reflections on Academic Discourse: How It Relates to Freshmen and Colleagues
Peter Elbow
Elbow writes about the types of writing that college students are expected to produce. He argues that students should be taught how to write in more than just an academic style. One of the methods of writing Elbow argues for is that of relaying about their own experiences, according to Elbow this will in turn lead to improved academic writing.

One segment in particular stood out to me, "Thus, although we may be unsatisfied unless students can write about what they are learning in the professional discourse of the field-majors, anyway-we should be equally unsatisfied unless they can write about it not using the lingo of the discipline." (Elbow 137) Although I agree with this to a certain extent, there are some cases in which it is impossible to avoid using highly specialized language. For example, physicists can't be expected to write lab reports in a style that would be comprehensible to the average person. On the other hand, I believe that certain types of scientists (such as doctors) should be able to communicate to their audience (such as patients) details and risks, in a way that the reader understands. As always, a writer should be mindful of her audience.

Another part of Elbow's essay that I enjoyed was his list of discourses. His description of the "genial slightly talky British tradition" made me laugh, and although his list is far from complete, it still gives a good overview of discourse. Elbow also highlights specific techniques used in academic discourse, saying that "[d]ouble negatives and irony are both ways of saying something without saying it." (Elbow 145)


Responding to Student Writing
By Nancy Sommers
Nancy Sommers investigates both the methods teachers employ when writing responses to student’s papers and the effectiveness of these responses. Sommers gives an examples of a response a student may find confusing; she also looks at what comments students are most likely to response to.
The part of Sommers article that intrigued me the most dealt with the use of a “Writer’s Workbench” program. Having never used this program, I would be interested in how accurate it is. My personal experience with the grammar feature of Microsoft Word fills me with apprehension as to the effectiveness of “Writer’s Workbench”, but I would still like to see it in action. I thought Sommers’ jab at composition instructors was humorous, as she says, “the calm, reasonable language of the computer provided quite a contrast to the hostility and mean-spiritedness of most of the teachers' comments.” (Sommers 149) I would love for the “mean-spirited” (not my initial choice of words) teachers of the world to be replaced with artificial intelligences.

Grammar, Grammars, and the Teaching of Grammar
By Patrick Hartwell

Patrick Hartwell thoroughly catalogs almost everything relating to grammar and the teaching of it. Hartwell draws from numerous disciplines to explain the different meanings associated with grammar, and provides three definitions for grammar, taken from another essay, early in his essay. Grammar can be “the set of formal patterns in which the words of a language are arranged in order to convey larger meanings”, “the branch of linguistic science which is concerned with the description, analysis and formulization of formal language patterns”, and lastly, “linguistic etiquette” (Hartwell 206-207)

Hartwell observes differences in sentence construction among native and non-native speakers. Hartwell seems to adopt Seliger’s opinion that “[r]ules are of no use […] but some people think they are, and for these people, assuming that they have internalized the rules, even inadequate rules are of heuristic value, for they allow them to access the internal rules they actually use” (Hartwell 220). Hartwell links this to teacher’s overuse of grammatical rules, even though there is abundant evidence that this method of instruction doesn’t work.

Viva Obama

Now this is an awesome candidate music video.

Monty Python - All-England Summarize Proust Competition

Response to 3/3 Readings

Donald M. Murray’s paper “Teach Writing as Process Not Product” packs a lot of information and advice into a three page paper. Murray lists the three stages of the writing process: prewriting, writing and rewriting. I particularly enjoyed his advice on how to get students to rewrite “by shutting up” (Murray 5). Out of Murray’s ten implications, I found number six, mechanics come last, to be the most useful. Students often fret over minor surface errors when they have yet to construct a coherent paper.

Janet Emig’s essay “Writing as a Mode of Learning” operates under the assumption writing is vital to the learning process, and that “higher cognitive functions, such as analysis and synthesis, seem to develop most fully only with the support system of verbal language – particularly, it seems, of written language.” (Emig 7) Emig uses evidence from numerous fields, ranging from psychology to linguistics, to assert that writing is a vital part of the learning process, one that reinforces knowledge, and helps students to create connections between concepts.

Sondra Perl’s essay “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers” analyzes a study of college writers. I believe that this study answered the three questions posed at the beginning, “(1) How do unskilled writers write? (2) Can their writing processes be analyzed in a systematic, replicable manner? And (3) What does an increased understanding of their processes suggest about the nature of composing in general and the manner in which writing is taught in schools?” (Perl 17)

I thought the code that Perl uses was adequate for recording the student’s composition process; however, it took a lot of flipping back and forth for me to decipher what was going on during Tony’s composition session. In regards to the miscue section, I recognized a lot of these mistakes from sessions at the Writing Centers. We encourage students to read their papers out loud in order to spot mistakes, for example, many students will “read in” articles, markers and vocabulary that is missing.

Given the time this was written (1979), what effect would composing on computers have on their research? With the advent of personal computers and word processing programs, revisions can be nearly instant, and in many cases never recorded. On a side note, I would be interested to read about how computers have revolutionized composition and writing in general.

Nancy Sommer’s article “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers” complements Perl’s essay. One aspect I found insightful was Sommer’s assertion that “the linear model bases itself on speech” (Sommer 44). Sommer goes on to talk about the five parts of a discourse that we studied last week, pointing out that the last two, memoria and pronuntiatio, don’t apply to composition at all.

I thought that some of the student terminology was adorable, “scratch it out and do over again” and “slashing and throwing out” (Sommers 46) were my favorites. However, these terms all give a keen insight as to the revision process of the students. One quote that I found especially interesting was “I throw things out and say they are not good. I like to write like Fitzgerald did by inspiration, and if I feel inspired then I don’t need to slash and throw much out.” (Sommers 46) This reminded me of the composition as an art or a science debate that we went over a few weeks ago.

The segment that talked about students focusing on repetition and vocabulary choice interested me, many of the students (especially ESL) I help at the Writing Center cite this as something they would like to work on. With the use of computers, and Microsoft Word in particular, this sometimes has a humorous result. ESL students will use the thesaurus and pick the biggest, most intelligent sounding word, not realizing that it either doesn’t apply, or that it is ridiculously archaic.

According to Sommer and the quotes from experienced writer that she has collected, experienced writers focus less on local issues, such as vocabulary, and more on global issues, including organization and audience.

Although they may be more difficult to read than our other assigned articles, I like the scientific research papers we read in this class. Maybe I am reverting back to the late 19th century viewpoint that “valuable” fields have quantifiable data, but I still like seeing data backed up by numbers and graphs.

I found the results of Hillocks meta-analysis to be extremely telling. The fact that the study of grammar “has no effect on raiding the quality of student writing” (Hillocks 160) is profound in its implications. For most of my primary and secondary education, grammar was heavily featured in my English classes. Hillocks advise that “[t]eachers concerned with teaching standard usage and typographical conventions should teach them in the context of real writing problems” (Hillocks 160), and I would have to agree. Out of all the methods investigated by Hillocks, sentence combining and inquiry seem to be the most useful and easily integrated into teaching curriculum.

Dissonance Blog

When I first started looking at possibilities for my paper, I found it hard to narrow my topic. I found that both my interests and the range of areas composition encompasses are extensive. Although I find the numerous roles new and changing technologies play in regards to how we compose and process information compelling. I also find myself interested in new methods of composition instruction in today’s multilingual world.

In regards to recent technological developments, there are many reasons why I am interested in this particular field of research. While I was growing up, I saw the internet evolve from the early days of Usenet to the complex World Wide Web we use today. Discourse has developed from primitive message boards to the complex and varied formats found on blogs, social networking sites (such as Friendster, Myspace, and Facebook), online news sites and journals, and instant messaging services. The amount of users accessing the internet has grown from thousands to over a billion (1), resulting in a wide variety cultures contributing to dialogue on the internet.

The means by which news is reported has changed dramatically in the past decade. A recent poll (2) shows almost half of Americans view the internet as their primary news source. Other interesting aspects of this study include: very few Americans consider blogs reliable, three in four Americans believe the internet has improved the quality of journalism, and 69% of Americans believe that media companies have become too large and powerful to allow for competition. I find it interesting that although many people are looking to the internet for reliable news, most of them do not trust blogs. Given that many news websites are run by the same media companies who broadcast, I find it very interesting that people believe news websites to be more reliable. Is it because it is written, as opposed to being read by plastic haired anchormen? Or is it the seemingly “independent” nature of the internet itself?

Another aspect of technology I am interested in is the numerous changes brought about by advancements in the internet, both in the manner and the speed information is processed. The progress and growth of online games can be attributed to this. The first multiplayer role-playing games were simple text based games known as MUDS. These games usually utilized the Telnet application, and consisted of worlds described in written text. Users would type in commands and dialogue, all the while exploring the world. With high speed internet came graphic games, such as Ultima Online, and the extremely popular World of Warcraft. These games have their own vocabularies, full of acronyms and slang. I thought about looking at the new dialect that is developing; it occurred to me that it may be linked to internet (and youth) slang in general.

Similarly, The Las Vegas Review Journal article “Dis maks my teacha cry” (3) interested me with its treatment of an emerging written vernacular. Although the educators interviewed in the article agree that the practice of using text speak in academic writing isn’t widespread, I would be curious as to if it will become more common in the future. Furthermore, I wonder if there is a discernable difference in the results a written vernacular (such as those found in online games and text messaging) has on student’s writings. Would the fact it is written influence them more or less? One segment of the article that I found especially revealing was the fact that “under the pressure of taking the timed English portion of the state exams, students may accidentally revert to the conventions of textspeak even when they know it's not appropriate.” This, in addition to the fact that teachers have noted freshman tend to revert to textspeak more often than older students, suggests to me that this is the beginning of a trend.

Although the issue of nonstandard dialects rises from different foundations than texting and internet vernaculars, they share some features in common. In “Students struggle to leave dialects at home”(4), the issue of teaching students who use nonstandard dialects at home is discussed. As someone who is interested in applied linguistics, I would like to focus on methods identifying problems and features in these students’ writings, and techniques for teaching these students. I am also interested in how nonstandard spoken and written dialects can relate to written dialects (such as textspeak and others).





1. Internet World Stats, http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
2. Zogby Poll: 67% View Traditional Journalism as "Out of Touch", http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1454
3. “Dis maks my teacha cry”, http://www.lvrj.com/living/15833917.html
4. Students struggle to leave dialects at home, http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_8294134

An awesome blog here on blogspot

I think this blog is hilarious. They take user submitted photos of signs that have misplaced quotation marks, and comment on them. It made me think of Gina, and her campaign against bad grammar and spelling in signs.

The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks

"Hillary and the Band"

Hillary attempts to reach out to young voters, and fails miserably. The interesting thing about this video is that there are two identical copies of it on YouTube. One copy was put up by Hillary's campaign, the other was put up by a "neutral" third party. Comments on the campaign video are heavily censored, anything that mocks or is negative towards Clinton is immediately deleted.

Some comments from the campaign version:

Jonno04
Great ad! excellent viral!

VivianeAnjelica
OMG, WIN! That was awesome. *now wants to see Hillary play Rock Band*

mariandelochs
Hilarious video, and energising! Go, Hillary!

Comments from the non-censored version:

Subbers

This is Grandpa Simpson riding by on a motorcycle, yelling "I'M GOIN' TO LOLLAPALOOZA!": as dated, as out-of-touch and just as hilariously insulting.

The difference is that The Simpsons was JOKING. Jesus Christ, politicians.

becket03

I thought it was a parody right up til it said she paid for it. Wow...even if it's tongue-in-cheek, how pathetic is it for her and her people to think kids see her as a rock star!

She's a dowdy, aging matron, getting noticeably dowdier by the day. Leave it to a baby boomer to delude herself into believing that she's forever cool.

everybodysayyeah

"the blogs were going crazy" LOL

this is lame beyond words....

she might as well campaign through the halls of a public high school in hightops a leather jacket and dark sunglasses to "connect with the youth"

and if she has so much money couldn't she have hired better writers?? sounds like it was written by parents at a PTA meeting.

Response to 2/25 Readings

The four articles we have read this week vary widely in the time periods they discuss, some focus on ancient and post-Civil War rhetoric, some are contemporary, and others talk about both. Many of the articles focus on how composition and rhetoric was taught in the past, and how they have both changed and still affects our programs today.

The Rise and Fall of the Modes of Discourse
Robert J. Connors
Robert J Connors’ essay “The Rise and Fall of the Modes of Discourse” gives a thorough history of a method of teaching composition that was popular for many years. This method involved teaching students “modes”, listed as Narration, Description, Exposition, and Argument. Although these modes were in existence before George Campbell and Alexander Bain wrote about them, most short histories accredit them to these authors.

Although these modes weren’t especially useful, they were immensely popular for many decades. Connors points out that "a fascination with categories […] became one of the hallmarks of the rigidly formalized rhetoric of the late nineteenth century." (Connors 445) Other reasons that these classifications became widely popular include the fact that Bain used them to organize his book. The changing atmosphere of education was another reason for their popularity.
Bain classified his modes in the following way Description, Narration and Exposition (have the objective of informing), and Persuasion (the means of influencing the will). Different authors gave the four modes various names, but all seemed to place persuasion on the lowest rung. For many decades the modes reigned supreme, but as both culture and composition changed (another author mentions that changes in culture and rhetoric usually go hand in hand), the fall of the modes was imminent.

The various modes were delegated to numerous departments, narration and description to creative writing, and argumentation went to the Speech department. Exposition remained a staple in composition courses.

My favorite two quotes from Connor's paper would have to be "The weakness of the modes of discourse as a practical tool in the writing class was that they did not really help students to learn to write" (Connor 454) and "For years the fact that this schema did not help students learn to write better was not a concern […] we need always to be on guard against systems that seem convenient to teachers but that ignore the way writing is actually done" (Connor 455) Although it may seem that he is stating the obvious, it is important to remember that what is “good” (or easy) for the instructor is not always in the student’s best interest.


Current- Traditional Rhetoric
James Berlin
In this chapter, Berlin outlines the changes in rhetoric that occurred after the Civil War. Both rhetoric and colleges in general were facing new changes, instead of the old aristocratic model, "[t]he new college was to serve the middle class, was to become an agent of upward social mobility" (Berlin 60) Much like Connor's article, Berlin discusses the different modes in composition. Persuasion is removed from composition, as it is assumed that one can only use persuasion in oratory acts.
A part that I found very relevant to contemporary issues is that of the pressure on secondary schools to better prepare students for college. I especially like the quote "[a]s has become the custom in America during such tempests, the schools were ordered to do a better job, but were given neither the money nor the techniques to do so." (Berlin 61) This reminds me of the current controversy over the "No Child Left Behind" act, which holds schools to increased standards, but provides little or no additional funds to help achieve this.
Much like Connor's article, Berlin discusses the different modes in composition. Persuasion is removed from composition, as it is assumed that one can only use persuasion in oratory acts.


Introduction Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student
Edward Corbett
I really enjoyed Corbett's use of both modern and ancient examples. By using an advertisement to illustrate rhetorical analysis, Corbett is providing an example that modern students will be familiar with. Corbett segues from this into an analysis of Odysseus' plea to Achilles in The Iliad. I liked this segment of his chapter, and Corbett does an excellent job providing contemporary examples of the methods both Odysseys and Achilles employ.

Corbett spends the majority of this chapter discussing the five cannons of rhetoric.
Inventio literally means invention or discover. It is the act of finding an argument that will support the speaker's case. According to Aristotle, there are two types of persuasion that can be used, the non-artistic and the artistic. The artistic proof includes rational, emotional and ethical appeal. Once again, I found these ways of classification still relevant to modern rhetoric, although they have more recently been delegated to the realm of philosophy classes.
Dispotio deals with the arrangement of an argument, which involves methods still used today; I’m sure we all remember the five paragraph essays assigned in high school.
Elocutio means style; the following paragraphs on it are somewhat vague. I did like the three levels of style discussed, especially since the words are all cognates of modern day terms such as mediocre and subtle.
Memoria is the act of memorizing speeches, and much like the books Corbett discusses, he gives it little attention.
Much like memoria, pronuntiatio is neglected in its description, even though it is one of the most important aspects of oration.

The Basic Aims of Discourse
James L. Kinneavy

Without his handy diagrams, I probably wouldn’t have found Kinneavy’s essay quite as enlightening as I did. As it stands, Kinneavy, much like Corbett, does a fantastic job tying together ancient and contemporary theories of rhetoric. I think Kinneavy effectively draws from numerous academic fields (such as linguistics and psychology).

Although I agreed with most of Kinneavy’s examples and statements concerning the peril when only one form of rhetoric is taught at the expense of other, I found one of his statements to be condescending and unfounded, until I realized the time period in which he had written the article. “[T]he neglect of expressionism, as a reaction to progressive education, has stifled self-expression in the student and partially, at least, is a cause of the unorthodox and extreme forms of deviant self-expression now indulged in by college students on many campuses today” (Kinneavy 137)

I was irritated at this sentence, until I saw the date of publication, December 1969. If this had been a more recent article, I would have pointed out that college students have been engaging in “deviant self-expression” for many decades, but as one can make the argument that this time period was the beginning of this trend, I decided against it. I am interested to see how my other classmates reacted to this segment of the article, especially those who were alive during this time period.

Mitt Romney Tries his Hand at Code Meshing

He fails.

A Latin Lesson

Response for 2/11

Note: I am having some problems formatting this blog entry, hopefully I'll have it worked out before class.

All of the readings for this week share a common theme; they either discuss or mention issues related to the internet and composition. In addition to this, they investigate the changing role of teachers and English departments in general, and how technology and understanding of our current world can affect us.

In “The Place of World Englishes in Composition: Pluralization Continued, Canagarajah discusses the spread of “World English” (later referred to as WE), and the place it can and will take beside “Metropolitan English (or ME.) Canagarajah makes some good points, such as suggesting the terms “novice” and “expert” replace the frequently used “native” and “non-native”. Furthermore, Canagarajah cites reports that non-native (excuse me, novice) speakers will outnumber native speakers in the coming decades. Canagarajah implores educators to take this into account, and to begin integrating WE into their curriculum.

Canagarajah sees the use of WE in classrooms as beneficial, stating that "[v]ernacular is an asset in the learning of mainstream languages" (Canagarajah 592) Canagarajah talks about the CCCC sponsored Student's Right to Their Own Language. As per Canagarajah’s suggestion, I looked this statement up:

"We affirm the students' right to their own patterns and varieties of
language -- the dialects of their nurture or whatever dialects in which they
find their own identity and style. Language scholars long ago denied that
the myth of a standard American dialect has any validity. The claim that
any one dialect is unacceptable amounts to an attempt of one social group
to exert its dominance over another. Such a claim leads to false advice for
speakers and writers, and immoral advice for humans. A nation proud of
its diverse heritage and its cultural and racial variety will preserve its
heritage of dialects. We affirm strongly that teachers must have the
experiences and training that will enable them to respect diversity and
uphold the right of students to their own language."

Although respect of diversity and an understanding of our multicultural society is important, I find the rest of this to be a somewhat unrealistic expectation for modern classrooms. With our current state of overcrowding and a lack of qualified teachers, I don’t think sparse resources should be used on encouraging students to write in AAVE or other dialects.

Another method that Canagarajah introduced that I found interesting was “code meshing.” While similar to code switching (the practice of switching from a non-standard dialect to a standard one or vice versa, depending on the situation), code meshing involves using non-standard vocabulary in multilingual situations. Canagarajah points out that “Though code-meshing was used in classical rhetoric as a high-brow activity (i.e. inserting Greek or Latin without translation into English texts), I am presenting this notion as a popular communicative strategy in multilingual communities, and developing it even for cases outside such elite bilingualism.” (598 Canagarajah)

I found this idea very interesting; using what was a formally elite activity as modern rhetorical strategy involving non-standard dialects. My only issue would be comprehension, just as I get somewhat frustrated when forced to look up Latin, Greek or French translations (thanks Henry James…at least you provide endnotes), I feel that not everyone would be able to understand all of the vocabulary from AAVE or another dialect.

Sometimes, we have a moment.

No, I’m not going to do this throughout my response. I promise. Kathleen Blake Yancey, the author of “Made Not Only in Words: Composition in a New Key” makes frequent use of repetition in her article, such as the oft repeated “We have a moment.”

I thought that Yancey made many good points, although I found her to be longwinded in some parts of her essay. I enjoyed her parallels between the modern digital revolution that is taking place, and the increased literacy that occurred in the 19^th century. In regards to increased composition on the internet, I didn’t share her continued shock that THIS WAS TAKING PLACE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. Yancey seems flabbergasted that students would be interested in writing when no grades or requirements are forcing them.

Throughout her essay, Yancey advises English teachers at all levels to integrate technology, and warns of what may happen if they fail to. She cautions against anachronistic English departments, and cites statistics that suggest the departments are shrinking and in some cases disappearing (perhaps it is aliens). She follows this data with the statement “the number of tenure-line jobs in English continues its now altogether-too-familiar decline (which makes the continuing increase in tenure-line jobs in rhetoric and composition all the more remarkable). (Yancey 303) I have to admit, the statement in parenthesis there made me perk up. It also made me wonder what state the English department will be in ten or twenty years from now. Will there be less focus on literary theory and literature in general, and a shift towards composition and rhetoric? Or will there be little change at all? And how will English classes change? Should freshmen composition classes use blogs, as this next article suggests? (Note: I must have Microsoft Word 2003, because it shows blog and blogs as being misspelled. So much has changed in the last few years!)

Given the structure of our class, I found “Moving to the Public: Weblogs in the Writing Classroom” to be a relevant read. Charles Lowe and Terra Williams discuss the difference between a controlled online discussion, such as in WebCT or Blackboard, and the freedom of a blog, a situation in which a member of the public can comment on a students writing. I honestly hope someone stumbles across our blogs, and has comments to add. To be honest, I’ve contemplated linking them on a message board I frequent, but I decided against it.

Lowe and Williams go on to list the advantages blogs hold over other online projects; the two main advantages being that they are easier to create and readers can leave comments. In my experience so far, I have found blogs to be more fun than the traditional online classroom software. I enjoy leaving comments on other students blogs, and feel that our blogs have a more personal touch than merely posting on Blackboard.

I found “Writing Into the 21st Century: An Overview of Research on Writing, 1999 to 2004” to be a much dryer read than the other articles. I liked the fact it was a research article though, especially given our discussion last week about research in the composition and rhetoric field. I have to admit, I was somewhat let down, after reading that “[o]ur research team included six members with diverse interests, including expertise in deaf education (Dimling and Wolbers)” (Juzwik et al 458), I expected (and was looking forward to) there to be some information about deaf students and composition, I found none.

I think this article did a good job highlighting a deficit in composition research, mainly that “early practices and acquisition of writing in childhood and youth” (Juzwik et all 471) are neglected in research.

Corporations in the Age of the Internet

I recently read an article in the New York Times that I thought might interest some of my classmates. It deals with the importance of blogs to our modern society, and the fact that many corporations may need to reconsider their policies to adapt.

To sum up the article, a blogger found an image that Target used for advertising to be offensive to women. The blogger, Amy Jussel, emailed Target with her concerns, and was told "Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets."

Bloggers all over the internet (I hate using the word blogosphere) were pretty peeved at this. Target responded to this by issuing the following statement "[W]e are reviewing the policy and may adjust it."

My personal take on this article is two part. Firstly, I think that the initial anger over the ad is completely ridiculous. As you can see, it is not just the woman's crotch in the bullseye, it is most of her torso and upper legs. As a woman, I in no way associate this symbol with any sort of degradation to my gender. It is a pretty cheesy ad, but hey, most Target ads are. At least the store themselves look nicer than Wal-Mart, and the clothing sold there is slightly nicer, but that has nothing to do with this article.

Moving on, in response to the second part of this article, I think Target has shown a lot of ignorance when it comes to dealing with new media. Remember a couple months ago when it came out that Target was bribing members of Facebook and Myspace to shill their wares? That probably wouldn't have had such a bad effect if a ham fisted Target hadn't told participants to "keep it a secret." One look at the application page for "Target Rounders" shows that it seeks to recruit students who are popular both online and in real life.

Although Target shows some awareness as to the importance of media and word of mouth on the internet, they still exhibit blatant ignorance when it comes to not pissing people off. People in general don't like being belittled or lied to (even if their complaint is somewhat inane in the first place.) I will be curious to see if Target does indeed update their policy in regards to blogs, and if they will show any savvy when it comes to dealing with the internet.