Analytic Reflection

Before I started writing this sci/tech blog I was pretty nervous. When I hear the word science I completely black out. I loathe science. I was pretty bummed out when I found out that this class had anything to do with science but since it was combined with writing I found it manageable. After I realized that I had no other choice but to complete the sci/tech blog my main concern was understanding the concept of the assignment. If I didn’t understand the assignment, I knew I wouldn’t be confident enough to write my own sci/tech blog. So, I decided to choose a genre sample that I could relate to so it would be easier to blog about.

Prior to writing the blog I though about Jonah Lehrer’s blog. For both of my short assignments I chose to blog about Lehrer. I was pretty bummed out that his blogs weren’t true because I related so closely to them.  Throughout my blog I often referenced Jill Rettberg’s “Blogging”.  Rettberg’s reading basically showcases that everyone has access to a blog so this was my chance to be that ‘citizen journalist’ Retterg states, “Blogs are part of a fundamental shift in how we communicate” (Rettberg, 32).  I wanted my blog to communicate my opinion but also showcase facts. I wanted to be a credible source.  I made sure to use quotes from articles that backed up or went against my opinion. I also used some of my personal observations and experiences throughout my blog.

I chose to use “Tech-savviness’ Meets Multiteracies: Exploring Adolescent Girls’ Technology-Mediated Practices” by Kelly Chandler-Olcott and Donna Mahar as my genre sample for my sci/tech blog. This genre sample seemed more relevant to my life. Also, it was the sample that I found more interesting. I’m all about the advancement of technology so this genre sample was perfect for me. In my blog I wrote about how technology is taking over the world one moment at a time. This made me think about kairos a term that is used in Carolyn R. Miller and Dawn Shepherd’s essay, “Blogging as a Social Action: A Genre Analysis of the Weblog.” “We characterize the cultural kairos in which blogs arose and developed rhetorical power. We attempt to establish the central tendencies and range of variation of discourse that is identified as blogs and examine their generically recognized substance, form, and rhetorical action” (Miller and Shepherd). This is why I chose this topic because technology is always changing. I wrote about an issue that is relevant today as well and can constantly be updated over time. I wanted both my peers and professor to relate to my blog.

Creating my sci/tech blog wasn’t as bad as I assumed. The hardest process in creating this blog was finding the right genre sample that was relevant to my life. Once I selected the sample the next thing was to find sources that were up to date with my views on this sample. I chose two NY Times articles since it’s such a credible source. I searched on Google for technology and educational articles so my search would stay focused on what I found interesting. Since my mom is a teacher she does constant research about the use of technology for younger children under the age of ten I was quite familiar with blogger, Anne Collier. I knew her blogs would definitely help me with my sci/tech blog. I wanted my readers to gain my opinion while backed up facts. I enjoyed writing this blog and I loved the fact that writing this sci/tech blog wasn’t as imitating as I thought it would be.

Works Cited

Miller, Carolyn R., and Dawn Shepherd. "Blogging As Social Action: A Genre Analysis of the Weblog." Into the Blogosphere: Rhetoric, Community, and the Culture of Weblogs. Ed. Laura J. Gurak, Smiljana Antonijevic, Laurie Johnson, Clancy Ratliff, and Jessican Reyman. June 2004.

Rettberg, Jill Walker. Blogging. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2008. Excerpts from "What Is a Blog?", "Citizen Journalists," and "Blogging as Narrative." 4-30, 84-110, 111-126.

Chandler-Olcott, Kelly, and Donna Mahar. "Tech-savviness’ Meets Multiliteracies: Exploring Adolescent Girls’ Technology-Mediated Practices." Reading Research Quarterly. 38.3 (2003) : 356-385. Online.