Digital writing changes the way that we communicate because in some forms it is halfway between speaking and writing. It can take on a much more relaxed tone and intend to mimic real conversation. Take for instance the ways in which I can choose to post on this blog. I can type out my response in the "Post a comment" box, as I am drafting, thinking and typing at the same time - as if I were saying what is on my mind. OR I could choose to draft in a word document, which gives me more control of the polish I want to present. I could write like I am writing a paper or could write in a more conversational tone. In other ways, the immediacy of communication is always present. It makes me think of email - especially at school. Communication between parents and teachers is much more immediate because of email.
Digital writing influences the way we think about communication because it introduces the concept of the unknown audience. In traditional writing formats, the writer often knows exactly who the audience he/she is writing for is and what the audience wants to hear. Blogs and social media engage digital writers with many more perspectives and opinions than we can plan for and therefore offers a more varied scope of communication.
This question makes me think very hard. It's so complicated! The alternatives multiply tremendously. I guess this is one reason why it is so important to understand the rhetoric of digital writing (as argued in the digirhet.com document we read) and be aware of the possibilities, the limits, and the implications of the different alternatives available to the writer. As you bloggers mentioned, issues of register, language, audience, time... change dramatically depending on the medium chosen
I agree with all of the above points. Without a doubt digital writing is changing the ways writers think about communication - whether in email, blog, wiki, etc. form. What's exciting is there are soon to be even more digital writing outlets in our future!
I am really enjoying these readings and this discussion although I have to admit it is not comfortable for me. I stated in a previous post that I felt that I was facile with "new technology" and after playing around with Prezi and exploring the other tools that I have been introduced to this semester, I realize this statement is ignorant. So much of what I have read so far really just resonates with me as being "good teaching or practice" and yet I am not practicing it in the digital realm.
I was struck by the line in the DigiRhetorg. article where writing is described as a "living entity". Digital writing requires students to think about the multiple audiences and formats for communications and to tailor there language according and I agree "requires a deep attention to context, audience, and meaning making across multiple tools and media available to us as writers". It requires students to engage in critical thinking and enact cognitive processes like planning, adapting, organizing, and evaluating.
Alessia: "issues of register, language, audience, time change dramatically depending on the medium chosen" is well said. It is important that we equip students with experiences that will help them acquire the skills to do so. Your comment made me think of the section in the rhetoric article where they mention the debate in the class regarding text messaging as code switching or bilingualism, which I then connected with our discussion in class about bi- literacy, bilingualism and pluriliteracy.
I really like Michelle's comment that in digital spaces the audience is often unknown - this certianly changes the ways in which composition choices are made. The idea of being public can very intimidating.
Digital writing opens up the world for different and sometimes more effective communication. For example, think of the child who has processing issues. This is the child who has wonderful ideas and can organize this or her thinking inside the head but it gets lost in translation when it moves onto a traditional piece of paper. Think of the student who might have some trouble with words--but wonderful insight into images. How can this child be served by incorporating digital writing. Any one of these children might experience failure or a poor assessment or suffer feelings of lowered self-worth if written work is returned with a less than satisfactory grade--But what could these children do with a voice thread or a collage on wordle, and his or her voice, and the ability to upload music and images and speak their voices. Who says that they have to write essays to show knowledge? There is much to gain by thinking about these new technologies in education and way too much to lose if we dont
Digital writing changes the way that we communicate because in some forms it is halfway between speaking and writing. It can take on a much more relaxed tone and intend to mimic real conversation. Take for instance the ways in which I can choose to post on this blog. I can type out my response in the "Post a comment" box, as I am drafting, thinking and typing at the same time - as if I were saying what is on my mind. OR I could choose to draft in a word document, which gives me more control of the polish I want to present. I could write like I am writing a paper or could write in a more conversational tone.
ReplyDeleteIn other ways, the immediacy of communication is always present. It makes me think of email - especially at school. Communication between parents and teachers is much more immediate because of email.
Digital writing influences the way we think about communication because it introduces the concept of the unknown audience. In traditional writing formats, the writer often knows exactly who the audience he/she is writing for is and what the audience wants to hear. Blogs and social media engage digital writers with many more perspectives and opinions than we can plan for and therefore offers a more varied scope of communication.
ReplyDeleteThis question makes me think very hard. It's so complicated! The alternatives multiply tremendously. I guess this is one reason why it is so important to understand the rhetoric of digital writing (as argued in the digirhet.com document we read) and be aware of the possibilities, the limits, and the implications of the different alternatives available to the writer. As you bloggers mentioned, issues of register, language, audience, time... change dramatically depending on the medium chosen
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the above points. Without a doubt digital writing is changing the ways writers think about communication - whether in email, blog, wiki, etc. form. What's exciting is there are soon to be even more digital writing outlets in our future!
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying these readings and this discussion although I have to admit it is not comfortable for me. I stated in a previous post that I felt that I was facile with "new technology" and after playing around with Prezi and exploring the other tools that I have been introduced to this semester, I realize this statement is ignorant. So much of what I have read so far really just resonates with me as being "good teaching or practice" and yet I am not practicing it in the digital realm.
ReplyDeleteI was struck by the line in the DigiRhetorg. article where writing is described as a "living entity". Digital writing requires students to think about the multiple audiences and formats for communications and to tailor there language according and I agree "requires a deep attention to context, audience, and meaning making across multiple tools and media available to us as writers". It requires students to engage in critical thinking and enact cognitive processes like planning, adapting, organizing, and evaluating.
Alessia: "issues of register, language, audience, time change dramatically depending on the medium chosen" is well said. It is important that we equip students with experiences that will help them acquire the skills to do so. Your comment made me think of the section in the rhetoric article where they mention the debate in the class regarding text messaging as code switching or bilingualism, which I then connected with our discussion in class about bi- literacy, bilingualism and pluriliteracy.
I really like Michelle's comment that in digital spaces the audience is often unknown - this certianly changes the ways in which composition choices are made. The idea of being public can very intimidating.
ReplyDeleteDigital writing opens up the world for different and sometimes more effective communication. For example, think of the child who has processing issues. This is the child who has wonderful ideas and can organize this or her thinking inside the head but it gets lost in translation when it moves onto a traditional piece of paper. Think of the student who might have some trouble with words--but wonderful insight into images. How can this child be served by incorporating digital writing. Any one of these children might experience failure or a poor assessment or suffer feelings of lowered self-worth if written work is returned with a less than satisfactory grade--But what could these children do with a voice thread or a collage on wordle, and his or her voice, and the ability to upload music and images and speak their voices. Who says that they have to write essays to show knowledge? There is much to gain by thinking about these new technologies in education and way too much to lose if we dont
ReplyDelete