Mixed Media

I like the idea of this website. The pictures lead you into a different world. It's like the pictures are a gateway, and what you read is determined by what you saw. You choose the ones that are appealing to your eye and then read what goes along with that picture. Once you actually start to look at the media there are so many different kinds of media. There is a poem called Faith that using music and sound and color and visual effects to represent what it is actually saying. There are short movies that are meant for children. All of the media seems so complex and so much more than i feel like i ever learned how to do on the computer. I look at them and think about how i can barely make a power point. I think these e literature things represent where literacy is going in the near future and i think it is a sign that we can either jump on the band wagon and go along witht he changes that society are making or we can be left in the dust. All of these multi media projects are reading, they are learning children and adults can gain something by looking at them and that is literacy. Technology is changing and with it comes change in our daily lives, what we read, how we read it, and where we read it are going to change too.

sweet stuff

This is a very unique website. It is a compilation of several different artistic methods. Movies, books, pictures, etc. I think this is a cool and interesting way of giving this information. I never would have come up with it, I am definitely not that creative. It's a different way to express your views and opinions on several different topics. I just watched a little bit of the "star wars" link and that seemed kind of stupid. I didnt understand anything really, i guess it was kind of funny and different but it still seemed pointless to me. Inanimate Alice was a really cool link. It was user friendly adn made the reader/listener/participant active. This is a really cool way of getting students involved in reading or other activities which may usually be boring. I would like to learn how to do some of the animation like that because it would really come in handy when im doing projects....just like the one in this class! I like how it combines a lot of things: you have to read, you must watch, and you must think (for some) in order to get through the story/movie. Overall i think this is a really cool website full of interesting strategies of learning. If i was a teacher i would definitely try to figure out a way to incorporate this into my lesson plans.

compostion

I think this website is pretty sweet and extremely original. I have never really come across anything like this before it’s almost like a collogue but its different. It seems like a gathering of different of minds and different methods of expression through one common medium. This website seems like it is a place to post and express really unique mixtures of art and literature that are on the web. It’s like a search engine for different types of genres. I’m not very web savvy and prefer to stick to recommendations and hard copies but this looks like something that would pretty cool to explore further if I ever have nothing to do and get bored. It seems like a cool place to look something up and then experiment with a new writing style or doing something creative instead of just the same old mundane writing that we’ve all become so accustomed to I think its definitely something that I’m going to have to explore further in the future. I think the bottomless pitt one is really cool, its like a bunch of flashes and words that go to prove a point and it seems really creative and original and would definitely earn an A for a presentation which is always good.

Composition

Yes I consider this a composition, simply because it is combining parts to make a whole. My Body-a wunderkammer, looks interesting to me. I think that it is cool how you can select body parts and then then information is revealed. I also think RedRidinghood by Donna Leishman is interesting, I found it neat how she told this well known story from a feminist perspective. All of these programs interactively tell stories using images. I think that this is sometimes a lot more engaging then just reading a story with text. This website gave me a few ideas for the final presentation. 

composition!?!??!

I definitely believe that this website falls into the category of composition, although not traditional composition. The website is a collection bunch of different stories, some interactive, other's not. One is just a bunch of words with changing colors and movement to emphasize other words. Another is a story about a girl named Alice, which is somewhat interactive.  These are compositions, different from what we usually see, but I think they are more interesting. I am more likely to sit and look through all of those compositions than read books assigned for class. I read a lot for pleasure, but I hate being forced to read boring books; whereas these multimedia compositions are generally more interesting than The Grapes of Wrath (sorry if you like that book). I honestly think that in the future more classes will be taught implementing multimedia composition. It will be a way for people to learn composition through technology which is becoming a bigger part of our lives each day. I would personally rather do a multimedia project than a paper, or have a homework assignment on typography instead of reading. But that’s just me, and I know a lot of people would rather stick to the traditional forms of composition. I also think it’s rather interesting to see all sorts of different techniques, sort of like abstract art, in viewing all of these compositions. It’s not just pen to paper, printer ink to paper, now it encompasses moviemaker, power points, paint, and other creative outlets. I love creativity and I would like to see more of it incorporated into the school system, rather than all be expected to perform the same on SATs and similar tests. 

composition

It looks like a group of stories and movies with descriptions composed together to form one site. I personally do not like the website. It rather interesting, but if I were to do a report a report on this site itself, I would be pretty pissed. It is 100% composition. It’s filled with information and educational material. It’s definitely a very unique website. I like how it describes the video before I waste my time watching it. I also think some of the videos and more educational than others. The ones that are entertaining seem to be the ones that are more enjoyable and educational. This website makes it very clear that we do not need classrooms, books, pens, etc. to learn and use composition. My personal favorite was Animate Alice. I just found myself legitimately concerned about the wellbeing of her dad. All it is was a simple slide show of stick figures but the music combined with the text and the visual just had such an impression. Landscapes is my least favorite. I could even figure out how to read the poem. I could go on and on all day about my likes and dislikes about the website. That’s exactly why I like and hate the site. To make a long story short, I personally do believe it is a very interesting, yet solid piece of composition.

Composition

This website appears to be a collection of interactive stories and movies. Each link that you click on leads you to a different location with its own story or movie. Some of the stories that the links lead you to be stories that are composed into a movie. One of the stories that is presented kind of in a movie is also interactive. You get to click on various bits and pieces of the movie and it triggers the next part of the story to begin. The movie puts you into the place of the character that is telling the story. The story itself is presented in a very creepy and ominous way, but it has a happy ending. Many of the stories and movies on this website are interactive. I like that they are interactive, it makes the stories and movies much more interesting and fun. I find that when material is interactive, it is easier to remember and enjoy. The movies that are on this website look really complicated to make. I don’t think that I would be able to make these movies, unless someone took a great deal of time to teach me exactly how to make them. But, I would love to learn how to make them. This website is a perfect example of composition.

who cares about pen & paper?

Personally, I loved the website. It was odd, but one of the most creative examples of writing that I have seen in a long time. Granted, I could not view all of the "compositions," but the ones I did were extremely interesting, especially the ways that the authors came up their ideas in the first place.

I believe that some people tend to have an extreme aversion to any type of composition that is not printed directly onto paper. We are surrounded by such a virtual / tech based society that it is hard not to broaden our minds to what composition is or could be. To me, a composition can just be the way someone decided to get their idea out into the world. If someone wants to break free of classic concrete poetry, make a flash animation with letters and words moving in weaving on a webpage and call it “dreamlife of letters”… who’s to stop them? Composition has become art for words. Whether it is written in calligraphy on a scroll 800 years ago or a bird’s outline created by words that flies across the screen. In my opinion, it’s not any different than the 60s movement when Andy Warhol painted a Brillo box and called it art. A writer has a right to express his or her idea in any form they want to. Composition is defined as “the act of combining parts or elements to form a whole.” I think it make a work or idea so much more interesting if it is made up of elements that are beyond just the standard pen and paper.

Hmm?

After our class discussion I took into consideration some of the things that the other students said and I found myself being a lot more open to the idea of different forms of literature or the different ways that they can be accessed. So before that talk I would have probably said no, this is not composition, this is just somebody playing around with pictures and passing it off as a story. A part of me is thinking that the goal of this website was to create a place online where an author could combine graphics with their story in a way that would have more of a an impact on the reader then to just have it written out with a few pics slapped on the bottom. I definitely do respect the artistic value. Im an artist myself (im a little rusty right now but i am!) so I can appreciate the value of trying to relay a message to others especially in such a uniqe way. I also love to right so I like that they attempt to combine the two with technology since it is obviously such a huge and growing part of our culture. When I think of composing I think simply "creating". That doesnt have to be strictly with pen or pencil because when we think about it we compose in a hundred different ways on a daily basis event though we dont notice. For example I consider putting an outfit together composing because through our choice of what we wear we are expressing to the world who we are as a person even though its not blatant writing.I really do like the creativity of this website and if our class where to tweak it to our own personal styles I feel we could really express ourselves in a whole other light.

Creativity

This website was very strange. Now, on the computer I am using I could not view all of the sections but the ones I did were very amusing or maybe amusing was not the word for it maybe more… intriguing. The few that I looked at were very vibrant and vivacious. Things were always popping out at me whether they were words, pictures, or objects. The music was also very canny. It all just went along with each other in a type of flow. I do believe that these were all a form of composition, a rather innovative form of composition, but a form of composition none the less. Personally I feel that composition is like ethnicities and even down to fingerprints. There are a countless number of ethnicities throughout the world even mixed ones. There are also countless forms of composition throughout literature even ones that are mixed. As far as finger prints go no two sets are exactly the same and there are no compositions that are exactly the same. Observing these compositions on this website there was some physical interaction I had to take place in and sometimes I only had to sit back and watch. I consider these forms of composition because they were only vocalized and/or provided with imagery. There was a lot of symbolism contained in the images and the way they moved or did not move as well as the lyrical content, and the musical content involved within each peace. I strongly feel that these were literature.

strange yet unique compositions

When I think of composition I think of anything that is a work of art, music, literature and the way something is structured and put together. I think the works on this website are creative versions of composition in their own way. Even though they’re not structured like a book, they have some kind of message in them, directly or indirectly. One of them however, The Code Movie 1, I guess you could call it a composition, but it was only comprised of random numbers and letters. But with music and interesting graphics added it became a work of art. Another work though, called Project for Tachistoscope [Bottomless Pit] really gave me a headache. It was a continuous scroll of words with pictures behind them, going so fast you could barely read them. But within this rapid text were subliminal pictures and shows a connection between words and text, even if they don’t make sense. Overall I thought this website was out of the ordinary and gives you a different perspective on the types of composition that are out there. Yes, some of the works were extremely bizarre and didn’t make sense to me, like Landscapes by Bill Marsh. But most of the ones I looked at were very unique. Not your typical compositions at all.

Composition

Of course this is composition! It is a modern day collaboration of different people's compositions. I love it! I like how they have little square pictures that are linked to their pieces. I think it makes reading more interesting for today's society. It also leads today's society to these pieces of literature easier by having access to them over the web. By having access to these on the web and putting them into a form that most kids will read, increases the opportunity and chance that youth will want to read. I read blogs and online notes more than books so I know if I saw this I would have more of an interest in reading them compared to if you just handed all these compositions to me in a packet full of papers.

composition is composition is composition

These animations, videos, and interactive presentations can and should serve as legitamate forms of compositions. I think they could be used in the classroom, at the discretion of the teacher to get kids involved an interested in the subject at hand because it presents an idea in a way such that the attention of the viewer is held and the visuals facilitate comprehension. I have watched youtube videos filmed entirely from cellphone video recorders and collage type media presentations and I prefer them. Giving the presenter the control and the choice in every aspect of the composition allows him/her more tools to best convey the message or information. It is a more effective means of communication but I dont think it should be standard. I think when choosing a medium to express a view or information the audience should be kept in mind. You don't present medical research findings to a Harvard university panel through this means. But the general population may find it a more interesting take on somthing they previously thought was a dry topic.

Composition

I think that this website serves as a form of composition. The compositions, though, are very creative and not like your everyday book or paper essay. They are more diverse and visual compositions that require you to think deeply or outside the box. For example, the Oulipoems are interactive which requires the reader to relate to the work. These types of composition, I think, could develop into something very beneficial to our population. It requires the reader to interact and get involved which means that the reader will fully understand the text. The composition titled Inanimate Alice, on the other hand, was a more traditional and carefully constructed piece. The compositions are very diverse and come together to make the website interesting and full of different types of literature. I find it interesting to view so many different people’s ideas and view their different ways of writing and how they like to convey their idea and thoughts to an audience. Therefore, I do think that anything that is telling a story is composition and it is up to the author to decide how to tell their story. More creative ways of telling often makes a bigger impact on the reader than the traditional story telling.

Is it really "Composition"?

The works of people on this website were very interesting and very amusing to me. I do consider them to be compositions and very creative compositions at that. However, I would not consider some of them as valid forms of written text as compared to a book or a story. However, the piece labeled Inanimate Alice, Episode 1: China seemed to me like a very well written and well thought out piece of literature and creativity. The whole story was very easy to understand and the addition of visual and sound effects made the viewer/reader feel like they were in the story. The mysterious music made me feel worried and scared to see what was going to happen next.
Another piece that stood out to me was I, You, We by Dan Waber and Jason Pimble. The creativity of this piece was actually left for the reader to configure for his or herself. The words I, You and We were put on a set of three dimensional X, Y, and Z axis with many other words which were mostly verbs and the words rotated and moved around so that the reader could make out his own sets of words. In that sense, the reader was also part composer and was able to choose which words to pair up with which verbs. Although this piece was very interesting and entertaining, I still would not consider the piece as a form of written text in comparison to a paragraph or and form of published text.

What does literacy mean to your community?

Literacy is a very opinion based concept because literacy is defined by society. For example someone can be literate one of the smartest people in his third world country, but when put in a community that’s in an area such as MIT area or something like that the person could be considered completely illiterate. On the subject of whether or not English courses constitute as teaching students to be literate they do and they don’t. English courses are there to provide one with basic knowledge of literacy, it’s primarily up to the student to read books and newspapers and build off of those things that the courses teach you. One class can’t teach you how to be literate. The individual learns it from his surroundings using the knowledge he has gained from his teachings. I also believe that English classes are biased, in a sense, to what they teach. This is because they teach you how to be literate in their society. I can’t say how many times I’ve walked in a history course and they’ve told me to forget everything English teachers have taught me on writing, because to their courses English teachers teach you how to write like an actual novelist instead of actual research papers where you just state your argument and argue it. In others our history teachers don’t believe we’re in college to write books, but instead how to write essays. But literacy is a funny thing and I believe as long as one is literate to their community they’ll make it in life.

different composition?

To say a person is literate is literally saying a person is able to read and write, having or showing knowledge of literature. To me, an FSU student, the word “literacy” represents the idea a person understands, comprehends, and uses literature and writing throughout their everyday life. I think the English classroom should adventure outside the realm of text-based writing to other forms of composition but still continue the usual educational techniques as well. It is, and always will be important to study text based writing such as encyclopedias and text books, but is it really that out of line to study documentary movies, audio, or maps? Of course it is practical to rely on the traditional genres of academic and scholarly writing, we have been for years. I think as long as we keep doing that, we can also use other compositions of your choice. It does not behoove me to learn composition in other genres, I think it would be rather interesting. Although it is important to properly research data, it is simply no fun. I think using documentary, magazines, or any other type would be a nice change from the traditional ways of studying. I think the English class is a perfect place to experiment with frivolous methods of composition, where else would one do so? I may not suggest performing such methods in a Harvard English major’s classroom, but rather find a base level and see what happens.

more than just paper

As much as it pains to admit it, I have to say that..I am not very computer literate. I try to stay up with the times, but some of it is just too advance for me. I think it is important for the english classes here at FSU and other universities to incorporate some different forms of literacy, like computer literacy. Honestly without the classes we took up to this point in our lives, how would we have learned about reading and about writing. The classes we take shape the knowledge we have, without them we wouldnt know half the things we do. I know that if i had not been forced to read Macbeth in my senior year english class then i never would have read it and therefore never would have been exposed to that style of writing anf language. The same is true for computers and technology. Without a class and a teacher to teach me I would never be able to keep up with technology. Technology will continue to change and upgrade and the jobs we are trying to get are going to require that we know how to use that technology. We need to be taught how to use it so we can get the jobs.

read, write, think, speak

To me literacy is the ability to understand the world around us through the English language in  different mediums, whether that be thought, speech, writing, hand signals, whatever.

Literacy as an FSU student in the 21st century falls far beyond what literacy would have mean to a student in the 18th and 19th centuries. Back then the English language did not encompass as many words, nor were there many means of communication. Today not only do we have to understand the English language, but also its slang counterpart in instant messaging. Literacy means that I need to be able to process many different ways of conveying the English language. Also, literacy now not only means understanding the English language but understanding how other things work. For example, today if we understand how to use a computer, we are considered computer literate. I strongly believe that the English classroom should definitely take a look at different forms of composition. If we have to give an oral presentation, maybe we could make a youtube clip about it, with typography. We should take a look at audio pieces, not only on tapes but also in person. Instead of reading plays, we should see them performed, the emotion is conveyed much better than way. Instead of writing a paper, maybe we should write a screenplay. We should try to focus on more creative types of expression of literacy, even for "stuffy" research papers. Show that we fully understand our language. The English classroom is probably not the best place to experiment with some alternative composition forms. For example, if we wanted to show our literacy and understanding of the emotion of one of Shakespeare's plays through acting, an English professor lacking background in drama would not be able to assist us in "blossoming to our full potential". Same goes for making a film. But, the English classroom is the best place to help us understand the English language, which would enable us to understand the raw emotions that go on in a story line. 

The real literacy: Does Literacy = Cultured?

Literacy to me really doesn’t mean what it once meant to me. I once believed literacy was the ability to speak, read, and write a language properly and scholastically. Today, many people that are considered literate seem to posses no actual mental capacity. Some of our past presidents and political figures would not meet my old standard of minimal literacy. I feel that a literate person should be a person that would be able to contribute something worth wild to any conversation with any topic. I believe that a literate person should always have something interesting and intellectual to say on any matter, even if the topic of discussion is unfamiliar to him or her. The fact that a person can learn from a conversation, (and when I say conversation, I mean a conversation about something worth talking about which could include world issues, scholastic articles, current events, or even a good book) and can appreciate the actual topic of discussion, makes a person not only literate but very interesting.
However, if you look at the literal meaning of the word "literacy" you could say that a literate person is one that can read and write. But in today’s era, this term is also transitioning into a meaning of technological literacy. But lets say a person is able to read, write, and navigate the web; what would that do for a person if he or she can not think critically about the subject being read about? Therefore, I go back to the point that a person whom is literate is not only that, but he must be a person who possesses some sort of intellectual ability in order to articulate the items being read.

Literacy

Personally I feel that literacy means the taking in, learning, observing, acquiring knowledge from writings and readings as well as creating writings and readings. So, basically I feel that literacy is a form of cultural expression that helps in the forward movement as far as intelligence and creativity goes. As an FSU student I feel that literacy is over stressed in the sense that in most areas of learning it is not made as interesting as it should be. Students should not feel like they have work to do education should be more interesting. Now, I am not saying everything can be taught with flare but lectures can be turned into something more interesting by adding stories like my Comparative Government teacher added relevance to our everyday lives by referencing “The Dark Knight” in his lecture this past Tuesday. Usually I have a difficult time grasping the concepts in his class but when he did that it aided me greatly. By providing this example I have probably already answered the next question and it is yes I do think that the English classroom should adventure outside the realm of text-based writing to other forms of composition. Maybe there could even be a mixture. Having the student get involved in writing themselves or observing pictures and putting words to them; things along those lines can enhance the learning process. Variation is key. Not every person learns the exact same way. Sure, some people can read a book or write a few essays and absorb an great deal of information from that but others learn visually, aurally, or through interaction and in the English classroom sometimes these students can have a difficult time especially if the course it text based. I feel that experimentation is very important. Putting a student in the shoes of a different author and different genres can help them to understand the value more and how difficult it is to create such works that some people even call art.

What literacy means to me

I would simply define literacy as the ability to read or write, or use these abilities as language. For someone my age and who is going through college, I think literacy is really important and is really put to the test during these years. Countless essays, papers, critical analyses, comprehension, and all those boring books. If we are not very literate, we wouldn’t be here. Literacy has definitely changed though. It used to only be books, journals, etc. but has evolved into a technological way of reading, and writing is now typing. I think that today’s English courses should have a mix of both paper and paperless. Old and new traditions. It is good to still have experience and knowledge of academic and scholarly writing because it will always be reliable, as oppsed to online blogs. However, with technology growing at a rapid pace, it is beneficial for our generation to keep moving forward with it. Personally, I like to have the best of both worlds. Although it’s sometimes extremely boring reading something like Hamlet because I’m forced to for a particular class, it’s not to say I don’t enjoy reading a good book once in awhile. At the same time I spend hours every day on my computer because it allows you to have a new kind of language and sharing of information. It is definitely more exciting too.

Let it be.

Literacy is simply being able to read and comprehend what you’ve read. As a student, I have to analytically read novels, articles, and textbooks. I also have to do research on the web and understand how to find the information I need, how to use it, and most importantly, how to write about it. I believe English shouldn’t venture off very much because if certain subjects are not taught in the classroom, they will be lost. If it weren’t for English, I never would have read Ethan Frome, 1984, or numerous other great texts. Learning how to read different kinds of books and write different kinds of essays is an important asset that cannot be taught anywhere else. If there needs to be education that ventures “outside the realm of text-based writing,” maybe it could be only touched on, or another class could teach it. I believe the English classroom has more than enough on its plate, too much to add something as substantial as online text. In every English class I took in high school, the curriculum was always rushed. We were always behind, simply because there was so much information to cover in such a short amount of time. The teachers not only have to expose students to as many different kinds of literature, poetry, prose, plays, etc, but they also have to teach students how to analyze what they read. And on top of that they have to teach students how to write! There are SO MANY different kinds of writing styles. There are argumentative, compare/contrast, persuasion, and informative essays. If anything, these topics should be divided into different classes.

IDK. Go Google It.

I define literacy as the ability to read and comprehend what you are reading. But to me, that doesn’t always mean reading a book, magazine, or other printed materials. So much of my world as a student involves being literate in the online and virtual setting. I need to be able to read really, really, long, boring psychology textbooks one minute and navigating the internet for a 10-page research paper the next. I think there needs to be a balance between text-based and other forms of writing. We’re in a society that is so far beyond what it was in technology 50 years ago that we have no idea what it is going to be like for our kids in 20. I think it’s important for a student to know how to interpret writings that a critic might have written on Shakespeare 100 years ago; but also when reading a less formal form of composition, like a blog, that may not be as in-depth. I’ve never been much of a blog writer; I like structure. But you need to be able to compose in all different forms because you never know what a school assignment, or even a boss, might ask you to do. The English language has expanded into so much more than just stuffy old men cooped up in libraries writing about boring topics. There are blogs, journals, research papers, websites, etc, etc, etc. English classrooms should learn to expand too. I read a book almost every day, and spend – god knows – how many hours on my laptop looking up research for classes. There’s a balance. And personally, I love Google. I Google all the time. =]

Literacy

To me the word literacy can mean several the understanding or comprehension in a number of areas. First and foremost to me literacy means being able to read and write. Especially for us college students in the 21st century this interpretation applies. We have to be able to read and write leaps and bounds better than other students that are our age, otherwise we would not have gotten into the Florida State University in the first place. Then once we get here we have to read and write extensive amounts of material for class that we are enrolled in. The grades that we receive in these classes reflect how literate we are. The more literate a student is the better they can learn and retain information taught to them in class. College students in the 21st century also have to be literate in other ways too. They have to also be literate when it comes to computers. When I first came to Florida State the amount of online material and work that we had to do completely caught me off guard. Of course in high school we did work on the computer too, but not as much as in college. Some of the classes here have been totally and completely online. Some of the other classes, such as this English class, have some of the work submitted via computer. For this last paper we have to be literate on the computer to make our websites, movies, or whatever multimedia the group decides to pursue. The English classroom should definitely venture outside the realm of text based composition because the world beyond college is becoming so advanced nowadays and people will have to be literate in as many areas as possible. They will have to be literate in more areas than just text based composition. It is good that college nowadays tries to prepare us for the advanced world out there.

literacy

The traditional definition for being literate means that you have the ability to read and to write. However there is some fog in this debate because this generic definition does not go into the how specialized one must be to be considered literate. A 3rd grader can read and can write but obviously not at the level of a journalist or author. Personally I believe that in order to be considered literate they have to be able to read and write at least at a high school level. I say this because to have an intelligent dialogue seems to me the point of being literate and without that I don’t think I could honestly call someone literate. But as far as the English room is concerned and schooling, I think it is not only beneficial to learn scholarly texts and writing in a scholarly manner but I think it’s absolutely necessary for a well rounded education. Learning these different areas and divulging into the depths of literacy really expands ones capabilities and develops the individual mind into something formidable. Even if the students were to never use these things again once they reach out into the working world it is still beneficial because of how these things expand the capacity of the students.

yo yo yo im literate yo fa sho yo Yo YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My definition of literacy is the ability to read, write and comprehend meaning from language. It's important for children to read books in the classroom because they need to be instructed in the different styles and tones of english, as well as what style of writing is expected when writing a letter/or published article. Its important for them to know the standard of acceptable writing and in what context certain language is used. You would not write an article for the news paper the same way you would an email to your grandma or friend. It is important for kids to learn this when they are educated.

The internet is the future and competantcy using the internet is paramount to a child's success. It is important for kids to be able to use the internet, but it is more important that they learn from an early age what information can be trusted, and where to find objective information. Growing up using the internet on a daily basis can dull daily life, because it lacks the glitz and glamour and action that the internet provides at the touch of the button which is why I believe that although use of the internet is paramount, we still need to focus on traditional forms of classroom education.

Literacy 101

I would say literacy is the ability to read and write. I think it is the ability to discern the difference between things in any form whether they be pictures or words. I definitely believe English should branch out from just text books. America is branching out from just letters and snail mail for work, so English needs to branch out by teaching students the methods used by their futures. Understanding how to work excel, powerpoint, word, or even information found on the web will be helpful in our careers in the future. Reading books isn't going to get us far, it will help but the world is changing and so our methods of learning need to change with it. I think English is the best subject to practice new ways of composition. You can do so much more on a computer than you can with a book or a typewriter.

Literacy

Literacy is the ability to read and write and to be able to comprehend what you read. In college your literacy helps you with every aspect in school. From writing a research paper for english to studying for my race and ethnicity test, I use my literacy skills often. In fact I am using them right now, while writing this blog post. I believe that for effective learning, english classrooms should venture away from traditional genres of writing and reading. All though out high school we would read traditional writing's, for example Shakespeare's work. After we read his novels, we would then write papers about the stories. In my english classes in college we ventured away from "traditional writing." We used crot writing style, which is extremely different from your typical paper. The research paper we completed in college was completely different to what I was used to writing in high school. In  both english courses I completed in college, we used online interaction. For ENC 1102 we complete these blog posts and for ENC 1101 we actually had a Facebook group, where my classmates and I would discuss and analyze our readings. College courses seem to rear away from traditional literacy styles. I believe that this is a lot more effective, especially in this generation. We as students are so used to technology and the internet, so why not incorporate that into the way we learn? I believe the use of technology and internet keeps us interested and therefore is a lot more effective. However after reading the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", I had to agree with a lot of the things mentioned in it. For example when Bowman said that it was a lot more difficult to read long passages and books simply because we are now used to direct answers from our friendly website Google. I'll admit it, I look up absolutely anything and everything on Google. I would even say that it is a hobby for some people now in days. I believe that english classrooms should "experiment" with other sources of literacy (like blog posts) but however should not entirely get rid of traditional reading and writing with pen and paper. 

Literacy

Literacy to me means the ability to read and comprehend the written English Language. Literacy means to me as an FSU student in the 21st century, the ability to use your reading skills to help you in every subject of study, not just English class. It is necessary in our current day to be literate in order to succeed in life, especially college. I think it is not necessary for the English class to adventure out of the realm of text base writing because the class is an opportunity for students to perfect their reading and writing skills before they must enter their major. I do think it would be appropriate though to create another class specifically for roaming the different types of literacy composition. I think that the ENC classes should be based on scholarly writing and reading because those types of literary education is necessary to be successful throughout college, no matter what class it is. I think that it wouldn’t hurt to learn different types of composition; I actually think it would be beneficial because it would expand our literacy education horizon. But I think it is not the place for the basic English class but instead maybe a class titled the Exploration of Composition.

Gang Communities

Now I know this community isn’t original, but I consider this community one of the scariest. Gang communities. Gang communities are one of the scariest communities out there, in my opinion, and one of the most dangerous communities out there. They scare me because I’ve seen what they can do and I’ve heard even worse. Gang’s, I believe, thrive off fear even though the reason most of the member’s joined was out of some fear from some situation. If you fear them then they’ll make you fear them more by doing some harm to you or damaging something that belongs to you. They live under no laws, and they have no respect for anybody else, but themselves. If that doesn’t scare someone then I don’t know what will. What keep communities safe are laws, whether we agree with them or not they still keep us from being barbaric and out of control. A world without laws would be complete chaos and full of anarchy. That’s why this community is so scary to me. They’re uncontrollable and the cops arrest one gang member while the gang initiates another person.

gypsies

soooooooooo i was watching the movie snatch which is a Guy Ritchie film and in short is awesome. While iw as watching this movie a community popped up that i had no clue still existed. That community was gypsies and right off the bat i was really intrigued. I remember hearing about gypsies in history class as one of the groups the nazi's targeted and aimed to destroy but i never really thought to much about the types of people they were. In the movie snatch brad pitt plays a gypsy bare knuckle boxer and maybe its just bradd pitt being the awesome actor he is or something else but i got really drawn in by the gypsy characters that were in this film. They talked really weird and no one could really understand them and they also did a lot of trading and always threw in dogs in with the deal. Another cool thing was they moved around all the time and lived in caravans of trailers. It seemed really cool that a group of people could live outside of normal society like that and just do their own thing. So I think this would be a really cool group to investigate and really find out more about how they live and their lifestyles.

Naked People

Amongst the odd, weird, strange and elusive communities our beautiful rock we call earth hosts, I think naked people stand out the most. they are after all, naked. they are by far at this in my life the most interesting community. Nudist colonies are something I know pretty much nothing about. Other than the fact that their naked and they live together. What are their customs? What is acceptable? How do they deal with sexuality? When happens if someone is arroused? Do they share a religion? What kind of people decide one day that they want to be naked? hahahaha. ok. umm. Aside from that I think it would be interesting to explore the lives of the homeless. There system of bartering, bumfights, drugs, respect, food,shelter, clothes acts of kindness they recieve or unkindness ect... I'd also like to explore the cigar community. The people that make them, how to choose which tobacco plants to mix, the cigar cultures lingo, who buys them, who lobbies for them in washington, what climate tobacco grows best in, health effects, people affected by them how much we make in tariffs because of them. We could also discuss the counterculture community, people that expose what the mainstream media doesn't show. I would be willing to do this, but I'm hesitant because I know how scary this topic would be. Did you know that legally fox news can knowlingly lie? Did you know you can pantent a seed? Did you know you can patent a gene? What is interesting about that is that nobody voted on weather you can patent life. That is a decision that one court made for a coporation and now all things that follow will refer to that ruling. Life is evolving, in all living things, that means that whatever that living thing evolves into you have the patent on as well. And isnt owning a living thing like slavery? Owning the patent to genes! Those are the fundamental building blocks of human life, what happens when somone gets gene therapy or has a gene transplant and they replace your genes with ones a company made then what? Can they charge you anything they want? Do they make it so that the gene only activates if you take a special shot? Have you read up about september 11th or about fluoride in our water? What about the steriods and antibiotics in our food? What about genetically engineered plants and foods? The problem with this topic is that its hard to decide what information is exaggerated, or biased. The cold hard facts are hard to come by and alot of the information out there is scary. Its hard to know who to trust when your knee deep in information that tells you everything is a lie. Have you seen blood diamond? Farenheight 9/11? Lord of war? The future of food? Zeitgeist? (these are movies) Honestly how can you participate in society if you accept what the alternative news is showing you? Anyways. If your interested in this go to sprword.com and the future of food can be checked out at the library and zeitgeist can be watched online for free.

I am not saying any of the above is true or not true. I am merely saying that these things exist in the counterculture. Please don't come to class ready to fight with me about any of this. If you do, I will dump chocolate pudding on your head and quietly exit the room. Outside of the room there will be a broom which I will use to fend you off in case you follow me. Then I will skateboard to get some lunch at the union and laugh to myself about the pudding all over you. After calling my brother to tell him what happend, I will go to chinese class.

Paranormal Community

There are vast populations of communities out there ready to be explored. Right now I want to venture into the community in which paranormal investigators belong to. Growing up we hear about so many careers people want to make for themselves. We hear about our friends and peers wanting to become athletes, doctors, lawyers, military personnel, police officers, television personalities, writers, chefs, and so many other careers but how often do we hear one of our friends say I want to make a career out of investigating the paranormal? How many people even believe there is such thing as the paranormal? Sure, the show X-Files delves into the subject fairly well but television shows are a form of media and are quite often fictional. Questions arise like “Are there really psychics?” and “Do ghosts exist?” People are fascinated by these things; or at least some people are. Others, others are too afraid to admit there may be a possibility of such things just like there is a possibility of life outside our planet there may be the chance of “life” after death. The community of the paranormal and the paranormal investigations is unique in the sense that not many people explore it in depth alone but they think about it because it is a good source of entertainment for none other than the media of course with movies like The Ring and Resident Evil which is a different form of paranormal all together. This relates to me yet again personally because I feel that I have had paranormal experiences both visually and physically so it makes the topic all the more interesting to research. “Are these things real?” “Has there been research done to prove that verdict?” “If they are real has there been research conducted to determine why such things occur?”

Models

For a strange and uncommon community, I find the models to be a good example. Not just any models though, just the emaciated ones that are literally skin and bone. True, it is a prominent one that we see regularly, but what really goes on inside the community? What are the motivational factors that lead up to this trend for thinness? I would also like to look into the very hot debate that is currently going on about these models and whether they should have a weight minimum, because we all know there must be a maximum. How do eating disorders play into models and their thinness? And of the ones that suffer from eating disorders, did they have an eating disorder and then get so much attention for being thin that they decided to become a model? Or were they already thin and then acquire an eating disorder after being told that they need to be thinner? There is a lot to look into within this community and I hope to specialize on the eating disorder aspect of it should I find a group that likes this topic. It amazes me the lengths that some people will go for appearance. Also, the age-old question must be asked: What kind of affect is this having on society?

Yet Another Research Paper

So here we are on the verge of the third paper for this english class. An lucky us its a research paper. Actually im not that worried about it. I think i learned a lot from the last one so i think this one will be great! I have always been fascinated by polygamy and the mormons. The fact that it got publicist recently just fuels my fire to learn more. I am a catholic and this idea of multiple wives and christianity going together is just strange to me and i want to know more. its kind of like a car accident, you know its wrong to stare but you cant help but be curious as to what is going on. I started watching a show on HBO called big love about polygamy and the religion that these people follow. i have only seen a few episodes but i am so drawn to it. on the show the people dress "normal" for our time, unlike all the polygamists in the news recently who are really old fashioned dresed like amish people. i wonder if they dress like that in all polygamists sects or just the one in Texas. There are questions i want answered and what better way to get them answered than to do a paper on it and get a good grade on it! Hope everyone has a great time doing this paper!!

Strange Communities

The second paper really did scare me because I had no idea how to complete a research paper. But now that I know what go's into a research paper and how to complete one, I am actually excited for this third paper. I think that it is going to be very interesting and I am anxious to learn about something completely foreign to me. When this paper was first introduced to us in class last Thursday, I started to think about what groups I was interested in learning about. The first one I thought of was the Amish. I am intrigued with their way of life, and I barely know anything about them. I know that they do not use electricity and live an old fashion way of life style. I also have heard that they are extremely religious. I would like to research all the aspects of these people. I have so many questions and wonders about this community. My neighbor actually visited an Amish community and has told me all about it. She bought me a pillow that they made, and also brought back a book all about them. This was the start of my interest with these people.

Unknown Communities

For our final paper, we have to explore groups/communities that we do not have very much information or knowledge on. I have to admit that at first I was a little brain dead. But then I began to do some brainstorming. I have always wondered about Amish people and the community that they live in. They are depicted in the media and things like that but I really would like to know if those stereotypes are accurate. They are shown as really isolated and removed from the rest of the world. To me it seems like whenever they are portrayed on the television, they all have unique hats on and their hair is really long and uncut. They also have very long unkempt beards. To me it also seems like the media shows the Amish man much more than the Amish female. Amish people are also usually portrayed to be very religious, and interpret the Bible very literally. I wonder if all these things that are shown about Amish people are true. It seems too often like stereotypes that are used in the media are incorrect about groups of people. One of the other ideas that I had about what communities to write about was the “hate” groups like the Ku Klux Klan or the Neo Nazis. The KKK used to be much more widespread than it is today, but even still they persist. They used to be really quite violent in the past and I wonder if they are just as bad today, as they were back then. As far as the Neo Nazis go, all I really know about them is that they are very Anti Semitic. I also understand that they are somewhat against all minorities. These hate groups are not well known about because people fear them, I would like to explore and try to remove some of the fear caused by these organizations.

A few community ideas

This paper could go in many directions. I have many ideas of the types of communities I would be interested in researching, all of them different from each other. I started off brainstorming and this is what I came up with. One culture that is still prevalent in the world, but one that you don’t hear too much about is the Australian Aborigines. The Australian Outback is such a dangerous place to live, so desolate and dry, and yet this community of people are a living tradition here. It’s not necessarily the group of people that I am frightened by, but almost bewildered by, that they are able to thrive as a culture in the Outback. Another idea I was thinking about (and also discussing with another classmate) was focusing a paper on a group of socialites such as The Real Housewives of Orange County. We love to envy them, but is there an underlying truth about their lives in reality? We only know what we’ve seen on television and the tabloids, and this can be related back to our last paper discussing stereotypes. My last idea is to possibly explore a darker community, such as Neo-Nazis or White Supremists in America. It seems as though discrimination has died down, yet groups like these are everywhere. You may not see them on the streets, but are they still killing?

Rastas and other ideas

I have been thinking about what I could possibly write about and I have narrowed my possibilities to a few. Through reading DarLetha’s blog post, it came to me how fascinating secret societies were. An example of these can be seen through the movie The Skulls. It is rumored that many high class Ivy League schools continue this tradition in secret. I would like to see what exactly the difference is between secret societies and fraternities are. Another group that interests me was people who consider themselves Atheists. I would like to know what they think happens to them after death. I would also like to know what their explanation for the beginning of time and mankind is. Do they view interpret death the same way as portrayed in Dane Cook’s comedy show? Do they believe they will die and become ficus trees? Another group of people who interested me were Priests. As weird as it sounds, I want to see why they decided to dedicate their whole life to a certain cause. I want to see if they consider their church to be hypocritical or not. Also, I want to investigate why some priests decide to take advantage of children. My fourth option that I thought would be interesting to write about is the Rastafarian religion/belief. I find this ideology to be fascinating and quite appealing. I want to see whether this form of ideology is just practiced in Jamaica and the Caribbean Islands or if this lifestyle originated somewhere else.