The Process of Writing - Pro Blog 3

I have always found self reflections difficult to write, and this post is no different as it is a reflection of one's own writing or writing process and I am not sure how my process differs from others' process as each person has a different way of writing or working through a problem. The problem in this case, is the writing process ... I know that does not make much sense, but it does to me. And now I am ranting ... anywho.

I guess my writing process starts with trying to figure out a topic that I want to write about. For example, in my history class this semester, we have to write a research paper, but we get to choose the topic as long as it relates to the class. In this class and another class, we also get to pick a topic, given this class and the other are projects, but to me, projects and writing are the same. It all boils to the topic. Once a topic is chosen, I then need to conduct research and figure out which quotes I want to use. Once I have the quotes (in a separate note document), I can then begin writing. I differ because I do not use outlines or graphic organizers. I just write. I am not sure if this would be classified as pre-writing, as this is just a way to get ideas to flow, and I cannot skip around. I have to start with a title, intro, body, and conclusion. A lot of people have told me to just start with the body, but in my mind, I cannot, and the title, intro, and conclusion have always been my weak spot. This is the same process for projects, minus the quotes. A project needs a topic, research done on the topic, and if the project is being presented, an intro, body, and conclusion, and the project itself may change and be edited. One idea may not work and so the entire project needs to be revised.

Once I have my 'pre-write' written, I then use this document as well as my notes document to write the rough draft that will be edited and submitted as a final. However, as Flower & Hayes state: "We may call the second draft a “final,” but this is a misnomer, one that leads to a misguided sense of how real-world revision works. It is almost impossible, unless you get very, very lucky, unless your topic has been living in your head for a long, long while, to go from first thinking to working draft in just two tries. A writer may rework a draft for publication three or four times, put it away for a while, and then rework it three or four more. Sometimes, this process goes through several cycles, each of them a combination of rehearsing, drafting, and revision" ("The 9 Rights of Every Writer A Guide for Teachers" 68). I realize this is a long quote, but it provides an explanation for the thought that a piece of writing is never truly complete. A piece of writing can always be worked on or edited or revised.

The articles https://writing.ku.edu/writing-process and

https://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/resources/writers/writing-process/#:~:text=Writing%20is%20a%20process%20that,develop%20and%20expand%20your%20ideas. explain the processes of writing in a summarization as well what each step means. There is one difference between what step 2 should be, which is if research is needed. Other than that, step 1 is prewriting, step 2 (research if needed) otherwise drafting, step 3 is revising, and the last step is editing.

I was going to provide a picture of the documents themselves, but as these were written for a class, I decided to just take a picture of my saved files, as I did not want to break any Academic Conduct rules. But in Essay One notes are quotes as well as the questions that needed to be addressed in the Essay. Using Essay 1 notes, I was able to write Essay 1 without having to go back and fourth between the texts, as I had already picked out the possible quotes. That does not mean I used all the quotes in my notes, it just means I had an abundance of ideas and I was able to write my paper in a way that incorporated the quotations I had found.

A Biography About MY Experiences - Pro Blog 2

Hello All! My name is Krystine Rabe and I am an Undergraduate at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. I am currently studying English Education as well as Classics (specifically ancient civilizations). If I am being honest, I am not a huge fan of reading and writing. With that being said, I thoroughly enjoy writing creative stories and researching about other cultures and the various myths associated with them. The trick for me personally is finding a topic I can really connect with. For example, I have written about how archaeology provides information on ancient cultures and how certain individuals may have been treated, and most of this information comes from burial sites. It is truly fascinating what one can learn and how similar ancient cultures were to one another. My reading interests are the same as my writing interests: Fantasy and myths.

My reading and writing experiences mainly come from school experiences. I have read and given feedback on papers written by my peers, and I have received feedback from my peers as well as my instructors, which was a personal challenge. As an introvert and over thinker, I feel like going to an instructor during office hours or before or after class feels like I am imposing on them, which is not the case. Instructors and teachers are there to help and after going to a few of my instructors for additional help, I felt more at ease with my writing and what they would be looking for on future papers. The best I advice I can give to those reading this blog is to go to an instructor if you are struggling. While they will not tell you what to write, they will give you questions to ponder and do not be afraid to bring in a rough draft for them to look over. A rough draft is not the final piece that will be turned in, and there is so much a writer can improve on from a rough draft to the final draft of turn in.

Other than loving to learn about other cultures, I also have a degree in Information Technology Network Administration, and I served as a United States Marine doing and learning about Supply Chain Management. I also have two tattoos: a yin/yang with a dragon in the middle, and my other tattoo is of a dragon holding a twenty side die with a straw hat on its head.

In my free time, I love to watch Netflix, Disney + (I love Disney movies), Hulu, and Amazon Prime with my cat. I love to watch: fantasy, adventure, mystery (even though I can never figure out who did it), and romantic comedies, as well as anime. A few of my favorite shows and movies include: Mulan (animated version), Legally Blonde (both one and two), Fuller House, Knives Out, Frozen (the second one), and most recently Sing Two. I also love to play video games, board games, and card games with friends and family. As for future plans, I hope to travel to Ireland, Scotland, England, Japan, and all over Europe.

If anyone wants to know more, please feel free to ask in the comments!

I have also included an article for those who find it difficult to read, such as myself: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2xTPv88xR0nt1GVhQZRKt1L/want-to-read-more-books-ten-tips-to-help-you-turn-over-a-new-leaf. The articles lists a few tips, such as joining a book club, listening to audiobooks, and don't be afraid to give up on books you're not enjoying. The last tip I mentioned is probably the hardest tip to accomplish, as sometimes it feels like an obligation to finish a book that was started. I just want to reiterate this: If you rent a book from the library, and you just cannot get into the book, please return it and search for a different book. Do not try to force yourself to read a book you do not like (unless it is a requirement for a class, in which case talk to the instructor to see if there is an alternate book you could read).

Technology: Where has it been? Where is it going? - Pro Blog 1

Even though computers and technology were fairly new when I was growing up, I remember always having a computer in the house. My dad was a computer programmer or data base administrator, so we needed one for when he was on call for work, but mainly we used the computers for computer games. Given, our internet was using Dial-Up back then, so connections and downloads were slow, not to mention this was a time where households only had landlines and with Dial-Up, you could either be on the internet OR on the phone, but not both at the same time. The funny thing is that while I am older than Google, Youtube, Tiktok, Snapchat, Facebook, etc, I do not remember much of what it was like without these social media applications. There was one assignment when I was in first or second grade, and I had to look up definitions for vocabulary words we were learning. I remember using a dictionary my dad kept on his desk, whereas now, one just needs to go to Google or Dictionary.com to look up a word. In addition, for most of my group projects, we use Google Docs so the group members can access the information and complete their portion when they have the time to do so as long as it is completed by the deadline provided. Google docs enables cooperation between group members without having to find time to meet in person. If someone has a question, they can post a comment or write the question in the document and then someone else will be able to answer the question in a timely manner, or if there are two people accessing the document at once, the updates are live. It is truly amazing and terrifying at how far technology has come.

I never used Myspace, which was the same concept as Facebook, but I am always on Facebook and another app called Discord. As a gamer, I tend to come across a lot of friends online from all over the world, and Discord allows us to text, voice, or video call without giving and real information. However, Facebook is nice to stay in contact with family and friends that do not live nearby and messenger is a lot faster than sending a handwritten letter. Facebook is also beneficial to me personally as my brother is in the Army National Guard and he sometimes has access to social media when he is deployed.

Jenkins (2006) "Executive Sumamry, Needed Skills & Participation" (pgs. 3-11), Haddix & Sealey-Ruiz (2012) "Digital Literacies for Urban Youth," and DeJaynes & Curmil-Hall (2019) "Critical Inquiry & Civic Engagement" touch on how technology and digital media have been affecting students and teachers in general. With technology never going away, many teachers are faced with how do they keep up with technology, without leaving students behind? Many English teachers require papers to be either turned in online, or printed out and turned in. This is an issue as not all students can afford access to the internet if research is required, or the student may not have access to a computer at all. Another issue that arises with the use of technology is that the teacher cannot control what website(s) the student goes to. This was an issue that occurred during the shutdown with Covid and I saw it first hand with my niece (now 9) and nephew (now 8). There were times when they would have to attend zoom meetings and they would be on a different tab playing a game or closing the video. My best friend could only do so much to make them pay attention. With the class being online, the teacher did not have much authority and there was little she could do.

While technology can be a double edge sword, it is convenient:  https://www.waldenu.edu/programs/education/resource/top-five-benefits-of-technology-in-the-classroom is an article that explains why technology is important to integrate into the classrooms. Technology can be used to access materials, incorporates different learning styles, and prepares children for the future. Technology is never going away and is constantly improving.