6) Reflection

This semester I have completed many assignments which all contributed to the Multigenre Research Project. Below is  a reflection of the work I have done over the last 15 weeks. 

Declarative Knowledge

   I created a weblog which is something I had never done. It was very simple, but the site that we used caused me quite a bit of aggravation and is not one that I would recommend to others. It was used to post weekly assignments and the MRP.

   I chose my own topic and created a research question and chose foundation questions which are basically questions that I need to answer in order to answer the essential question. By choosing my own topic, something that I was interested in, it made the project more important to me.

   There was an outline given of things to look for to be sure that a site is reliable and that the information found there can be trusted. I learned the important things to look for and used them throughout the semester as I searched for information pertaining to my project.

   Through doing a search on my last name and changing the capitalization or slightly changing the spelling I can get different results. I have experienced this in the past by accidental misspellings.

   I researched types of digital literacies this semester and realized that I already knew of and used them, I just didn’t know there was a name for them. The types are branching literacy (the ability to keep oriented while searching through hyperspace), reproduction literacy(the ability to take information found on the world wide web, or elsewhere, and break it down, manipulate it, and reproduce it to make it my own), socio-emotional literacy (the way we interact with others and use our judgement to do and use things online), information literacy (the ability to recognize a need for information, identify information sources, be able to access that information, be sure the information is credible, organize the information, and use it), and photo-visual literacy (interpreting and using symbols and pictures rather than the written word).

   I learned that revising contains four basic steps (substituting, cutting, adding, rearranging) and that by trying to address all of them I can make my work much better.

   I joined a mailing list which was very time consuming. The purpose was to converse, or learn from, people who have a personal connection to my topic. I found that a mailing list can be a great source of support and information if you have time to keep up with it.

   I learned that making a podcast is very simple, but is still not something I’m interested in doing in the future. It is simply a recording of my voice made available to everyone online. 

   I commented on my peer’s work and became quite comfortable doing so. It’s very beneficial to get someone else’s point of view on assignments because many times I do things in a hurry or I know what I’m trying to convey when I write something but don’t realize that I’m not being very clear. The peer responses were helpful in that aspect.

Procedural Knowledge

   To create a web blog I had to visit wordpress.com and create an account. Then, I was able to customize the page to make it more my style.

   To choose a topic and essential question, I first made a list of 10 areas of interest and then chose one of them (dementia) and listed the issues of importance, I then wrote a question containing the issues of importance making sure that the question was researchable, specific, leading to more knowledge and a deeper understanding, and of interest to a broad community.

   By checking the reliability of a source I am confirming that what I’m reading or using for an assignment is accurate information from a knowledgeable source. There are certain things that I can look for such as the copyright date or date of last modification, references or sources that site has listed, information about the author or organization publishing the site, and more.

   When searching for information on a specific topic it’s important to use more than one search engine and to add words that may give me more specific hits, such as adding “causes of” to a search for dementia. It’s a specific area of concern for the topic dementia and will result in less hits to sort though. It is also very important to spell the word(s) correctly and capitalize letters that need it. Different spelling and capitalization can generate results that are not what we’re looking for. I visited three different search engines and used different spellings and capitalizations for the word dementia and for my last name, Bellomy.

   In order to write about the literacies I had to research them on the internet. My writing was supposed to include reactions to the idea of certain skills involved in each literacy, how it will change education, and examples of my own experiences. I tried to visit several sites for each type before writing about them. 

   The revision method that I used is known as SCAR revising. The S stands for substituting, C cutting, A for adding, and R for rearranging. By addressing each one, a piece of work can become more powerful or more clear. I think that I basically do this without thinking about it, but when I had to reflect on it and write about how I changed my genre I realized that I should keep these in mind every time I revise to make sure that I’m doing everything I can to improve my work.

   I went to Net Communications in Communication Disorders, chose a topic interesting to me, and sent an e-mail to the link provided. I waited for an e-mail from them and replied to it with the word accept. They then sent me another e-mail confirming my subscription. It was very simple.

   To make a podcast I wrote out the dialogue in a page on my blog, called the podcasting phone number and read it over the phone, and within minutes it was on my g-cast home page. I then created a link on my blog to the g-cast site so that others can listen to it. It was simple and quick!

   On the comment section on each of my group members’ pages I answered these questions: Whose voice is the piece in? Who is the piece written for? What is the author saying? What did I like about it? What could be improved? I enjoyed reading the comments that my group members left me and I hope they felt the same way about my comments to them.

Conditional Knowledge

   It is beneficial to me to learn how to create a web page, or blog, in order to share information with others in the future. It will allow me to publish information that I have learned or work that I am proud of. I can’t say that I plan to create another blog, but at least I know how if I want to.

   Not many times in my college career have I been able to come up with my own topic and essential question to research, but I now know the characteristics that make up a good research question and I’ll be able to use that knowledge if I’m given the chance in the future.

   I will be able to use what I’ve learned about how to check the reliability of a source for the rest of my life. I could use it for personal reasons if I am searching for information and just want to make sure that what I’m finding is accurate. It will definitely help me now. There are always papers to write for every class, so now I can make sure what I’m turning in is good and true information.

   It’s important to know how to search for information. There is so much information available to us and so many different ways to find it. I’m sure I’ll be using that skill for the rest of my life whether it be for personal, recreational, or work related issues.

   I searched and wrote about several types of literacies this semester and I have realized that the skills that accompany them are skills that I need to be a better digital user. These skills are skills that I will use in school, in my career, and in my personal life as I use the computer.

   I will use the SCAR revising method for anything I write. Whether it be a personal writing, formal, research paper, etc. I can improve it by addressing those four areas.

   By lurking on the mailing list that I joined I realized how close these people, who have never met, are. At this point in my life I don’t e-mail much and I don’t want to sit at the computer to check my mail, but I am glad that I know how to join a mailing list and know that there is a way that I can communicate with other people who have the same concerns that I do (whatever they may be). I would recommend a mailing list to someone else, if they are a “computer” person, and maybe even if they aren’t.

   Podcasting is something that I’ll probably never do again, but I feel more up to date just knowing how. I think it’s important to keep up with the changes that are being made in the world.

   I think that learning how to comment effectively on others’ work is something we should all learn how to do. It can be very helpful and appreciated if it is delivered well in every area of life.