Writer’s Journal #20 – Reflecting on Reflective Writing

OVERVIEW

By this point in the semester, it should be abundantly clear that reflection is greatly valued by writers. Different writers may have different reasons and goals associated with reflection, but they tend to share their reliance on--and trust in the productivity of--reflection.

DIRECTIONS

In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to continue thinking about reflective writing and your relationship to it. This Writer’s Journal will involve three steps.

Step 1
If you have not already, please read “Reflective Writing and the Revision Process: What Were You Thinking?” by Sandra Giles.

Step 2
After reading, please answer the following question from the reading (from page 203 of the reading):

- Why does reflective writing help a student learn and develop as a better writer? How does it work?

In answering this question, please draw upon both Giles’ reading and your experiences in our class so far. Be sure to be as detailed and thorough as possible.


I believe true learning involves reflection in any contexts inluding writing. While I write something, I can practice new mothods, technics and stratgies, but true learning happens when I reflect what I wrote and find out what could be better and what progress I made. In this sense, I think we should put more emphasize on reflective writing than developing intial draft in order to grow as a better writer. 

 

Writer’s Journal #19 – Writing Project #2: Reflection

OVERVIEW

Congratulations! You have now worked through Writing Project #2. A you probably have learned from our course so far, reflecting after a long writing project can provide writers with insights about their writing, thinking, and composing practices and processes. Writers can then leverage these insights in future writing projects.

DIRECTIONS

In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the process of completing your second major writing project for English 101. To help you in this reflection, please respond to the following questions:

- What did you find most unexpected or surprising about the process of composing Writing Project #2 compared to your process of composing Writing Project #1? Why do you think this was unexpected or surprising?

It was surprising because composing WP #2 was a lot easier than that of WP #1. Maybe that is partially because describing a community is relatively easier than reflecting myself.
  
- What did you find most challenging, confusing, or frustrating about the process of composing Writing Project #2? How did the assignment itself contribute to these challenges, confusions, or frustrations?

The most challenging part of composing WP #2 was interview process. It was hard to find proper interviewees and preparing right questions.

- Now that you have worked through two major projects, what—for you—seems to be the most critical or important part of the writing process and why?

Developing a right topic is most critical and important part of the writing process. Because if I choose the right topic then next step will be much easier.

- After you completed Writing Project #1, you were asked the following question: “If you were invited to teach someone else something about writing tomorrow, what would it be and why?” If you were to answer that question now, would your response be the same? Why or why not?

I answered like this : I think the most important part of writing is thinking itself. If thinking is not clear and then writing simply refelcts that unclear thought. Therefore, I would like to emphasize the importance of thinking clearly with a structure.

I don't think I would change my answer as it still seems most important for me.  


- Why do you think the WPA Outcomes (under “Processes”) and this course seem to value reflection and reflective writing? After all, we continue to ask you to reflect on the writing you do. Do you think reflection is a task that is separate from writing, or do you think that reflection is an essential part of writing?

Writing is a way of express our thinking, and reflection is a way of thinking that makes things more meaningful. Therefore I think reflection is a crucial part of writing.

PART II: Writer’s Journal # 18 Proofing, Formatting, and Producing

DIRECTIONS

After you make your initial discussion post, be sure to read at least 2-3 of your peers’ posts. Then, consider (i) what we have learned this week so far, (ii) your answers to the questions in the discussion thread, and (iii) your peers’ responses to the questions above. With this in mind, please answer the following question:

- What consequences might arise if different readers and writers think of proofing, formatting, and producing final pieces of writing differently? What kind of problems or opportunities might arise?

I think such situation will be a dispointment for at least one party. If writers cannot meet the standard of readers, readers would be very dispointed because they cannot see what they expected. On the other hand, if readers have no sense of proofing and formatting, then writers are wasting their time without no proper reason.

PART II: Writer’s Journal #17 - Revision

After you make your initial discussion post, be sure to read at least 2-3 of your peers’ posts. Then, consider (i) what we have learned this week so far, (ii) your answers to the questions in the discussion thread, and (iii) your peers’ responses to the questions above. With this in mind, please answer the following question:

- What do you think about your peers’ responses to revision? How is your sense of the goals, purposes, and benefits of revision similar and/or different from your peers’? Why is this significant?

I think most of the people leap benefits from revision process. As we follow our thinking and subconscious, we tend to be distracted by insignificant details or issues and put lots of effort to describe them. Later on, when we get back to our work with freshier mind, we often find out such irrelevant distractions and want to remove or revise them. Therefore, revision process is more than just correcting spelling errors or grammers.

Writer’s Journal #16 – Interviewing
OVERVIEW
As part of Writing Project #2, you are responsible for conducting an interview regarding your chosen “phenomenon” with someone who is associated with that phenomenon. In this Writer’s Journal, you will generate the materials, conduct the interview, and record your results. This Writer’s Journal has a number of steps.
DIRECTIONS
Step One
Based on the readings and videos this week, create your preliminary interview questions. Remember to build in some flexibility. In a document, record these questions and why you want to ask these particular questions.
Step Two
Meet with your interviewee. Be sure to explain the assignment you are completing before you begin your interview. Take detailed notes while you conduct the interview. While you should try to get answers for each of your questions, remember to pay attention to what your interviewee wants to talk about, and remember that you can ask unplanned questions if it seems appropriate.
Step Three
After your interview, go through your notes, and write them out in full sentences.

Writer’s Journal #15 – Fieldnotes Practice

OVERVIEW

As part of Writing Project #2, you will need to take detailed observations and fieldnotes of the ritual, practice, behavior, or habit (what we will generically refer to as a cultural phenomenon) that you will be exploring. Observation is essential in many types of research, and in an ethnography careful observation is critical.

DIRECTIONS

In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to begin to gather observations for Writing Project #2 and to work on fieldnotes about those observations. To that end, be sure to review the course materials on making observations and fieldnotes. Then, go to the place where you can observe the phenomenon that will be the focus of your ethnography. Be sure to bring something to write with (pen & paper, computer, etc.).

Step 1
Take notes using the questions below to help guide you (be sure not to make judgments—take notes only on what you observe). Remember that you will first need to take observation notes and then later turn them into fieldnotes (via the questions below):

- What do you see? Describe the objects, colors, shapes, patterns of movement.
- What do you hear? Describe sounds, music, and any patterns you can hear.
- What do you smell? Describe any food or environmental smells.
- What do you touch? Describe what physical parts of the environment you are in contact with and how they feel.
- What do you taste? Is there anything in the environment that you can (or should taste)? If so, what does it taste like?

Step 2
Next, turn your observations to the people and their actions (being sure not to make judgments):

- How do people move through the place? How do they help to define the space?
- Describe the actions of the people in the place. What are they doing?
- Do you observe any special patterns of behavior among the people you observe? Do people seem to be doing certain actions in certain ways at certain times or in certain specific places?
- Do you notice any special patterns of speech? Are people saying certain things over and over? Are they greeting each other in particular ways?
- What else jumps out at you as you observe people in this space?

Be sure to be as detailed and thorough as possible as you are you taking observational notes, and use examples where possible when writing out your fieldnotes.

Writer’s Journal #14 – Observation and Description Practice

OVERVIEW

Observation is a critical skill for writers, thinkers, and researchers. It is skill, and like all skills, it requires practice. Also like all skills, proper practice will result in improvement and a deepening sense of how the skill works.

DIRECTIONS

In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to practice and hone your observational skills. To that end, select one of the photographs of a bedroom in Mollison’s Where Children Sleep: http://jamesmollison.com/books/where-children-sleep/

As you explore your chosen photograph please do the following:

- Write down everything you can observe in as much detail as possible. What do you see? Describe the objects, colors, shapes, arrangement. (These will be notes, so they don’t need to be polished writing.)
- Do NOT makes judgments. Do NOT try to analyze why things are the way they are. Your only job is to try and describe what you see in as much detail as possible. Reflection and analysis happen later.

Be as detailed and thorough as possible.

one side of Kaya's room is a closet full of fluppy dolls and cute dresses. Many of the dolls are fluppy rabbits which are adored by Kaya, the owner of the room. Red and pink and cream colors are the most distinctive colors in the room. As colors are mixed up with dots and ribbons, overall atmostphere in the room is sweet like cotton candy. The floor is displayed with toys such as a pink phone with pastel color dial buttons and a doll house with mini furnitures, cute small accessaries and hair ties, etc. 

Writer’s Journal #13 – Practicing Ethnography

OVERVIEW

Developing an “ethnographic eye” (learning to read spaces like an ethnographer) is a skill that ethnographers develop over a lifetime. Like all skills, practicing to see with an “ethnographic eye” makes one better at observing the world in this way.

DIRECTIONS

In this Writer’s Journal, you will begin to develop an “ethnographic eye.” In order to do so, please complete the following activities and respond to the questions for each activity:

- Select a space: Identify a public space in your community that you often frequent (e.g., a market, a park, a shopping mall, a restaurant, coffee shop, university/college). Take your research notebook and visit that space. Your purpose is to merely observe objects, actions, and language used in this space.
- Read the space: What do you notice? Who is present? Who is absent? What language is spoken? What characteristics do you notice about the people in the space (gender, age, dress)? What objects are in the space? How are they used? Are there flags, statues, books, technology? Only write what you can see. Try not to make any value judgments. Description is the object of this practice exercise.
- Analyze the Space: Who is not allowed in the space and why? What does the dress of the people “say” about them? Why do they use the space in the particular ways you observed? Who would likely feel uncomfortable in the space? Who would stand out in this environment? Who would blend in in this environment? Why? What cultural values are represented in the objects, people, and/or purpose of the space? What story does this space tell about your culture or community?

Be sure to be as detailed and thorough as possible, and use examples to help explain your responses.

Space: A kids' playground in my apartment complex

1) Who is not allowed in the space and why?
As the place is in the apartment complex, the place is open to residents only. Yet, there is no walls or fence around the place.

2) What does the dress of the people “say” about them?
People are wearing casual, training pants and ball caps, easy  t shirts and jeans, and leggings, etc.

3) Why do they use the space in the particular ways you observed?
Parents or babysitters with kids. Adults are watching their kids playing absent mindedly and kids are doing their duty : playing.

4) Who would likely feel uncomfortable in the space? 
A few daddies who apparently do not seem to have many babysitting experience before.

5) Who would stand out in this environment?
No one stands out while I am observing.

6) Who would blend in in this environment? Why?
Kids. This place is built for their fun.

7) What cultural values are represented in the objects, people, and/or purpose of the space? What story does this space tell about your culture or community?
I can think of many cultural values and stories as I can see there are patterns in the people who are babysitting kids. The majority of residents are young double income family with one or two kids so that grandparents or babysitters are taking care of kids during weekdays. On the other hand, busy parents are taking care of kids during weekends. I could observe many fathers spending precious weekends with their kids in the playground. In addition, I could see a plenty of mothers gathered and exchanging kids related information.

Writer’s Journal #12 – Reflecting on Space and Place

OVERVIEW

Thinking about and working with space and place can be both confusing and deeply illuminating. Trying to get a sense of where we are physically can lead us to discoveries about our locations in broader, deeper senses.

DIRECTIONS

In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to explore your relationship to place and space. This Writer’s Journal will include two parts.

Part I

Please consider the following questions, and take notes on your thoughts:

- How is your position in your community (e.g., youth, leader, worker) influenced by the place where you live, work, relax?
- Are there places/spaces you are not allowed to enter or participate? Why?
- Do your friends, family, and co-workers have access to different places than you?
- What spaces are private and what spaces are public?

Part II

Based on your thoughts about the questions from Part I, choose one of the following tasks to complete:

- Design a collage or draw images reflective of your position within the community.
- Using a smartphone app, design a photo collage reflective of your position within the community.
- Make a video that is reflective of your position within the community.

Writer’s Journal #11 – Writing Project #1: Reflection

OVERVIEW

Congratulations! You have now worked through Writing Project #1. In the course of working through a writing project, writers often learn much about their subject matter, just as you undoubtedly learned much about your identity and culture. However, reflective writers also have the opportunity to learn much from the act or process of writing. Being attentive to, and learning from, how we put pieces of writing together can teach us about how we work and how we might approach more writing projects in the future.

DIRECTIONS

In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the process of completing your first major writing project for English 101. To help you in this reflection, please respond to the following questions:

- What did you find most unexpected or surprising about the process of composing Writing Project #1? Why do you think this was unexpected or surprising? What does this tell you about your previous notions of the writing process?

    I think it was the first time having peers review as to my writing. This gave me somewhat confidence and lessons about readers' view.

- What did you find most challenging, confusing, or frustrating about the process of composing Writing Project #1? How might this become less challenging, confusing, or frustrating in future projects?

    It was hard to find a proper topic which can address the tasks required by the project. As long as I can find the proper topic, then remaining process was easier than previous one.

- What—for you—seems to be the most critical or important part of the writing process at this point? Where do you feel you learned the most about your own writing process? Was it before you wrote the project, while you were writing the sentences and paragraphs, or was it in the post-writing revision practices?

    It is hard to tell which part of process was the most educational. I have learned various aspects of writing from all the process. Anyway, the most improved part was post-writing revision practices as I wasn't familiar about revision before.

- If you were invited to teach someone else something about writing tomorrow, what would it be and why?

    I think the most important part of writing is thinking itself. If thinking is not clear and then writing simply refelcts that unclear thought. Therefore, I would like to emphasize the importance of thinking clearly with a structure. 

- Why do you think the WPA Outcomes (under “Processes”) and this course seem to value reflection and reflective writing?

    In order to be improved in the next writing!

Be sure to be as detailed and thorough as possible, and use examples to help explain your response.