Blog writing was definitely new to me at the beginning of this quarter. I had never blogged before, though I had read some friend's blogs. It wasn't that I had never been interested in blogging, I just never took the steps to do it and I really had no idea what I would write about. By no means am I a creative writer, so I wasn't sure what people blogged about aside from their own pieces of work (and my writing doesn't deserve any kind of attention).
I was relieved when I found out that the blog we were doing in this class was going to be academically based. If I was forced to free write on whatever I wanted the class would be way too informed about my favorite tv shows or my favorite foods. Needless to say I really enjoyed having articles or movies to base my writing off of.
When we first started blogging I was definitely nervous that the class would read my work. I was a little self conscious that I would write something that just wasn't right or didn't make any sense. After getting through the first assignment "She had some Horses" I felt much better about that. My writing was different for the most part, but the comments that we all gave each other were positive and constructive. That poem was strange and luckily everyone felt that way, but it was good to get all of our weird thoughts out there and then discuss them.
I think discussing our posts was the most beneficial learning experience for me. Discussing them kind of gave each person a second chance. If they didn't get their wording right or if something was off they could explain and then if you were confused about that blog it was all cleared up. Also I learned so much more about each story or journal or poem from reading other people's thoughts. I would see something in a different way and then get to compare those completely opposite thoughts, and neither of us would be wrong, just different.
The most beneficial blog in my opinion was the blog we wrote about Gloria Bird's Decolonization. That text was interesting to read, but it was kind of difficult as well. I did a horrible summary and was able to get feedback on it before I had to turn in the Summary/Application that it was a part of. It was helpful because we went through the entire journal step by step in order to understand everything and then we tried to summarize it. That was very difficult for me and the blog was like an informal, unofficial draft that could be easily fixed. It was so easy for me to compare the comments right below it. I found the blog so useful for assignments like that.
Overall the blog has been a wonderful tool for me. I am never that comfortable sharing my writing, but no one is telling you to your face "wow this is really weird." Everyone sits down and finds the exceptional parts of your writing and the parts that can be worked on and it is done in such an informal way that it takes the pressure off of the writer. I am so much more comfortable even sharing thoughts in class now that I am able to share writing as well. The blog is something that I would enjoy doing for every class, but not in a busy work type of way. Just to share concerns, thoughts, and feelings about these unfamiliar pieces we are working with.
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