Copy and Paste

The two entries before this one are what I said in a Composition Pedagogies class in response to a prompt. It wont make a lot of sense to everyone, but I figured why not.

More about Composition Pedagogies

Memories of Five Paragraph Essays and Essay Prompts came flooding into my mind when reading the notes and the chapter. “Describe your first pet,” or “Compare and contrast two characters from .”
When I started classes at Edison College in Florida, the English class was very different from what I had in high school. When I started over and took an English class at OSU-OKC, it was even more different. I’ve always enjoyed English classes, wishing I could take more of them instead of the difficult math classes we all had to take. However, my first degree was in Business because I didn’t realize I loved English until too far into my business program.
When I showed up at UCO, and started taking higher level English classes, bingo, I knew it was something I had a passion for (and I like ending sentences with prepositions). Now that I have started the Composition and Rhetoric graduate program, people are constantly asking me what Rhetoric is. “The field of written rhetoric, which came to be called ‘composition’” (2) makes my head swim. Rhetoric is very difficult to define to non-English majors, and I’ve been saying, “composition is more like the structure, and rhetoric is the style,” but this is untrue.
The three paragraphs above show my writing process very well. I went way off topic, but am now trying to reel it back in by referring to the above digression as an example of the topic at hand. Ok, here we go.
I was exposed to the Modes of Discourse throughout middle school and high school. In the later years of high school we were taught the Five Paragraph Essay. When I started taking English classes in college, I noticed a shift to the Process Approach, and I really liked it. I am, without a doubt, a much better writer because of the Process Approach. Flaws exist, obviously, unfortunately, but an improvement is an improvement, and let’s not kid ourselves by trying to be old school and saying the error-focus was better because kids today just don’t get it.
“It is clear that the process movement has not solved every problem” (22). The biggest flaw I see with the Process Approach is the lack of focus on the audience. “Writing is an act of communication between writer and audience” (7). I am guilty of writing without purpose, i.e. writing in a journal or writing a short story that is not to be read by anyone other than me, myself, and maybe my wife if she asks nicely. However, there is no need to teach students how to write in their diaries.
“The importance of students being able to ‘express’ their thoughts and feelings through writing” (13) is important. However, what good does it do to teach these students to express things to themselves? If said students would like to take the elective “Composition for Emos,” great, but college should be more about cultivating young people into productive and employable people. Please don’t misunderstand me, “essays concerned with personal experience and self-reflection” (13) do have value. However, we need to make sure the student is writing it for an audience.
I agree with Social Constructionism in that “writers are not autonomous individuals, distinct and removed from culture… writing is socially constructed because it both reflects and shapes thinking” (14,15). Writing should also be shared socially. This chapter, these notes, make me think students are increasingly becoming introverted writers – not wanting to share their work with the class because of embarrassment or shyness. This is a shame, because, as I quoted earlier, “writing is an act of communication between writer and audience” (7). Without the audience, students are only learning to be their own psychiatrist.

I Composed About Composing Behaviors

Even when we got a Super Nintendo, and sold the original Nintendo to some lady at a Flea Market, my older brother continued to use the index and middle finger of his hand instead of his thumb to press the X, Y, A, and B buttons. I was the normal kid that used the thumbs on both hands: left hand’s thumb for directional pad and right hand’s thumb for buttons.
When it was time to include our younger brother in games like Super Mario Kart, we both taught him how to play. My older brother would get mad when he’d see him using my technique, and I’d get mad when he wasn’t using both of his thumbs as I and the Lord God intended.
After reading about Composition Behaviors, I’ve come to understand that my older brother’s dumb technique may have had some value. Like the chapter says, “teachers tend to teach their own composing behaviors in the classroom and are thus in danger… of imposing their… approaches on students” (68). If it weren’t for our close-minded and ignorant attempts at teaching our younger brother the importance of Star Fox, he may have grown up to be ambidextrous or the champion of Halo. We didn’t understand “the pedagogical implications of dealing with individual differences” (56).
I’ll drop the goofy allegorical metaphor, and will resort to similes, but the point remains the same: students are like snowflakes. We tend to think that one way is better than the other, and it makes logical sense to think “that revision can improve writing” (52). However, “studies of revision do not provide the conclusive picture that we need in order to assert that we should continue coaxing our students into writing multiple drafts” (53). If that quote doesn’t convince you, another “study demonstrated that the most extensively revised papers ‘received a range of quality ratings from the top to the bottom of the scale’” (53). This shows that “the amount of redrafting often bears little relation to the overall quality of completed texts” (53). Another study showed that “more extensive use of pre-text doesn’t automatically lead to better written text” (54).
I initially decided that I was a one-drafter. After a few pages I was then convinced that I was a multi-drafter. After finishing the reading and starting on this writing assignment, which you are now reading, I have decided that I am a hybrid. I’m willing to bet that most writers are hybrids. The extremes of one-drafters and multi-drafters have set characteristics, but I have some characteristics of both.
Like a one-drafter, I “need to clarify [my] thinking prior to beginning to write” (59). I have to “have a focus and organization in mind” (59). Are my thoughts as highly organized as the extreme example of one-drafters? No. I am sometimes even like a multi-drafter who likes to start with “‘something small that can grow and grow’” (59). However, I can’t be like Pam the multi-drafter: “Pam too expressed her resistance to knowing her topic and direction beforehand in terms of how boring it would be” (59).
When looking at the limiting options vs. open-ended exploring portion of the list of differences between the extremes, I did the same thing. I kept finding that I shared attributes with both sides. “The one-drafters move quickly to decisions while composing” (63), and I do as well. Sometimes. Other times I worry and fret and pace around the room whilst I am deciding on whether I should use “whilst” or “while,” for example.
One-drafters and multi-drafters are starting to remind me of astrological signs of the Zodiac. Everyone shares at least one trait with a Sagittarius. I’m even like at least one of the generalizations of a Libra every now and then. However, no one ever wholly matches the description of their assigned crab or bull or scorpion or siamese twin; no one can say they don’t relate with a different sign either.
The main thing I’ve learned from this is that we cannot force these snowflakes into molds. Well, we could, but within the molds the pressure would increase, and therefore so would the temperature – this I learned in a physical science class – and the snowflakes would then melt. This melting would cause the beauty of each snowflake to be lost. The differences would be gone, and we’d be left with boring water. Instead, we need to understand that students deserve to be shown multiple ways of writing.

A-Swim-At-Two-Birds

I haven’t read the whole story yet, so I don’t know how much I’m going to like it once it is all said and done. Who knows, the ending could be terrible.
Anyway, I really enjoyed Brighton Rock, and I’m really enjoying this story, A-Swim-At-Two-Birds by Flann O’Brien.
It starts off a little confusing, but then you realize we are learning about the writer and the story in pseudo-realtime. It is almost like a journal. Well, the journal of someone who only has one notebook to write in and wants to keep a diary at the same time he also writes a story or two.
It actually reminds me of my one notebook in my book bag. There are notes in there from Linguistics, from Physics, and there is even bits and pieces of a short story about zombies.
Anyway, A-Swim-At-Two-Birds is one of those books that gives you a story in a way you’re not used to. In a lot of cases, this is a bad thing. In this case, it is an interesting breath of fresh air.

Brighton Rock – by Graham Greene

As an English major (and this applies to any major), I see quite a diversity of people graduating with an English degree. Not everyone that graduates with an English degree is an expert in grammar. Some are, though. Not all of them are experts in spelling. Not all are super literary critics. We all graduate with different strengths and weaknesses.
I compared it to a MMO type game earlier today: there are “tanks,” “healers,” etc. Just like English majors, some people are better at the reading, some at the writing, some at the researching, etc. I know, terrible analogy.
I was surprised to see that most of my English major friends, that are going on to their graduate degrees, are pursuing a literature focus. I’m doing the Comp and Rhet path.
I say all that to say this: I love Brighton Rock.
One major reason I’m not doing a literature focused grad degree is because a majority of the readings we have to read are not enjoyable to me. Mrs. Dalloway, for example, was not as tortuous as I expected, but it was still a chore. I really enjoyed Chaucer’s stuff, and about half of the short stories in my World Literature class, but too much of everything was not my cup o’ tea.
Again, I say all that to say this: I love Brighton Rock.
If half of what I’d be reading for a literature focused grad degree was half as entertaining and enthralling as Brighton Rock, I’d choose that path.
Maybe.
I don’t really want to talk about the story at all, because I don’t want to give anything away. Everyone should read this book. However, it reminded me why I enjoyed to read when I was convinced I only really enjoyed the writing part of English.

Stream of Consciousness <- Not My Favorite

Well, just to talk a bit about a popular narration technique used in a lot of the novels we’re reading in class, I hate it. Hate may be too strong of a word, but this technique gives me headaches and confuses me. It also takes out all the fun of reading a story.
I like to read stories. I like reading novels and short stories and anything in between. The stream of consciousness technique makes me think the protagonist is psychotic. He notices the green of the leaves, or the gurgling noise of the water rushing down the drain. Who consciously thinks about colors around them unless they’re asked to (I won’t go into drugs)?
It is also difficult to follow the story because it jumps around like our brains do. While I understand being creative with the way we tell stories, this is not a way of telling stories in which I find any enjoyment. Other people will, of course, disagree with me and say they love this style, and that’s alright with me.

Doh!

Wow, I’m an idiot! I don’t know what happened, but I completely forgot about this required blog for my class. Ugh. Well, there goes my grade.

I went ahead and put two sticky notes on my computer that read, “BLOG.” I just hope I don’t look at it tomorrow, after reading more of this week’s assigned novel (more on that tomorrow), and think that I’m supposed to Build Layers Of Glue or Blow Little Ornate Glass.

Stream of Consciousness

I’m having a hard time with the first three stories we’ve read so far. This whole stream of consciousness style reallt confuses the poop out of me. I am now convinced that a mind reader would go mad if they followed the same person for more than five minutes.

I love the concept of it, but I think it was intentionally done in certain works to confuse the reader. This does not bode well for me. If I did not have to read these stories for a class, I don’t think I’d have the willpower to continue after page ten. Sure, after a while you start to get a feel for the stream, but even towards the end, I have to read very carefully and pay too close attention in order to understand what’s going on.

Here’s my attempt at a quick stream of consciousness for what I’ll be doing in five minutes:

He placed another application in my inbox. I’ve already done three this morning. No doubt it’ll miss a key point of information. FEINs are needed for partnerships, or any business type if it has employees. They don’t understand this, refuse to understand this. I need to know what the business does, and “repairs” isn’t enough for a proper class code. “Thanks,” I say.

I know what is going on in that paragraph above, but 99% of readers won’t. If you continue to read, you would have a decent chance at figuring out that I write quotes for workers’ compensation, but by that time you’ve already forgot what was said here, and it served no concrete purpose in developing the character. I’m glad writing styles have gotten away from this.

British Novels

This blog has taken many forms throughout its life. Just look at some of the past postings, and you’ll see that different classes has had me write about different subjects.

Now I’m taking British Novels: 1900-1940. I’ll be reading things like Mrs. Darroway. I’ll be talking about them here, and will welcome any feedback. This is my last semester before graduating with a BA in English, but I am planning to jump straight into an MA English program.

The Boredom Fork

I’ve always been a bored person. If I don’t have some sort of brain stimulation, I get bored. As a teenager, I found myself to be a lazy bastard.

Teachers tried to get me to take advanced placement classes. I refused. I’d fill my extra time with video games and goofing around with friends. Plus, if it was the right time of year, there was football to be a part of. Other than that, count me out.

I quickly found myself bored more and more. I joined the military and was bored all the time. Sure, I had things to accomplish, but they were boring tasks.

I don’t know exactly when I realized it, but boredom is a fork. Some people get bored and lazy. Some people get bored and decide to throw themselves into everything they can fit into their lives.

I used to be the first one, but have found myself to be the crazy person who works a full-time job, goes to school ful-time, has two kids and a wife, and tries to donate time to charities and hobbies. I find myself needing more hours in a day, and boredom rarely finds me.

The worst part is that time between semesters. Working 40 hours a week leaves far too many hours for watching boring television shows. This summer, thankfully, I have a Shakespeare correspondence course to work through. I also need to study for the GMAT, but there is only so much of each one can do in a day.

A few people have tried to convince me to take a break before starting on graduate school, but the impending boredom that would ensue keeps from considering it. Plus, the sooner I’m done the better, but I have a hard time thinking I could ever be truly done.

My parents told me that they, and my wife, worry that I’ll go crazy once I’m done with school. I worry about it, too, but I’ve already thought about starting a business I could do in the evenings. Then again, I could dedicate my extra time to working on my writing.

Either way, I’m just glad that I’ve changed from the lazy bored guy to the bored guy with too much to do.