I do not know if I have a specific theory on writing, and reading articles on writing proves that composition is complex. Recently, in my life I have noticed that I have become analytical when writing emails, text messages, and assignments. Specifically, I have noticed that I instantaneously and naturally know how to write rhetorically when addressing a specific person, and how communicate with them through text. For instance, I have noticed that I naturally think about the rhetorical situation before composing a piece of written work.

• I think about my audience. (Who am I addressing, how should I address them, and will this seem formal, casual, or appropriate?)
• How am I addressing the issue (through verbal communication, in written context or public speech?)
• What is the exigence? (What am I communicating to my target audience specifically? (What do they know or don’t know this far? What issue or problem am I addressing?)

Observing my literary practices this past week helped me understand that I use the rhetorical situation in everything I create. In the chapter “Metaconcept: Writing is an Activity and a Subject of Study,” Wardle and Adler, communicates “Understanding the rhetorical work of writing is essential if writers are to make informed, productive decisions about which genres to employ, which languages to act with, which text to reference, and so on” (19). The article solidifies the importance of rhetoric and how the continuous use of rhetorical situations will enhance a students writing. Using rhetorical methods, actually enhances my life and creates awareness on how to compose argument or simple emails.

Kassandra mentioned that she liked that the article stated, “the idea that writing is not only an activity in which people engage but also a subject of study” (15) helped me understand the importance of studying composition. I absolutely agree and believe that writing is more that an activity or skill. The acquisition of writing is difficult to frame as a “basic skill” and places a negative cogitation on the subject of writing. This is important to think about and cannot wait to finish the article this weekend.

Ruben Mendoza

 

Ruben Mendoza

My name is Ruben Mendoza, and I am twenty-seven years old, probably one of the oldest students in our class (Laughing out Loud). This past fall, I transferred to California State University, Chico from De Anza Community College, and became the first person in my family to attend a major University (a huge accomplishment in my opinion). I come from a poverty stricken background, my family’s is considered to have, “ a low socioeconomic status,” and I never had access to education or sponsorship throughout my entire adolescents. Living in an impoverished environment, amid limited access to recourses, and having an unsupportive parent (a single mother), resulted in not graduating high school.

Entering community college, my intentions were to access enough education to pass the GED. However, as I started my academic career in 2009, I slowly started to realize education’s importance and became fascinated in General Education courses, specifically communications and English. As time continued, I became interested in Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy.

During our course, my intentions and hopes are to have a concise understanding on how to provide sponsorship to real students, understand their multimodalities and assist them to translate that into written composition. I hope this course provides an essential amount of insight that will develop my skills, and provide the ability, for myself, to really understand composition in a broader and engaging way.

A day in my literate life is reading or responding to emails, reading the New Yorker, College text, and communicating daily through social media to interact with friends or family members. The insight for daily writing is broad and too difficult to simplify the meaning. Writing is a major form of communication in my life, communicating through text messaging, emailing, social media, and my physical weekly planner, is the written culture that partakes in my daily life.

Szwed’s academic journal is relative to Brian Street’s academic journal on Autonomous and Ideological methods of literacy. Understanding writing practices is needed and incorporating ideological methods, students or academic instructors will know the significant impacts by incorporating cultural representation or cultural literacy practices into the educational institution in specific regional areas.

For instance,

• Szwed argues against providing an autonomous approach to literacy or forcing the educational methods to poverty stricken third world countries, which excludes cultural sensitive material, and reinforces western civilizations methods of standardize-testing, values, and etc. Autonomous defenders believe these methods will provide a “hypothetical” abundance of wealth and potentially increase or enhance an individual’s socioeconomic status. However, studies continue to show that American institutions are failing to meet literacy requirements, which ultimately proves this method is insufficient in providing proper literacy practices to pupils.

• Szwed’s compelling argument on incorporating an ideological literacy environment, will allow students to become engaged with cultural material, which enhances their chances to succeed in reading and writing.

The article presents an outlook on writing and reading that I have understood for a period of time. And, I do believe that a providing cultural relative curriculum into an institution will enhance student’s capabilities of being focused, engaged, and interested. Allowing creative and diverse material will enhance student’s capabilities and further them in academic success.

I hope everyone enjoys this course and cannot wait to start my internship next week and get the ball rolling!