The Future of Literacy

This is a very interesting reading because we can all relate to it.  I feel that our generation uses computers and technology to their full potential.  The reading promotes the usage of our new technologies by giving examples of how they have helped us with literacy.  We don't always have to learn literacy through big text books with small print.  Think about how much you use technology today for your school work and social life.  Now imagine not having access to any technology.  Do you think you would be more or less educated?  

This reading is promoting the new upcoming technologies that our society is adapting to.  Although some people think that technology has had a negative effect on our new generation, this reading proves otherwise.  The writers argue that we “compose meaning not only with words by also with digitized bits of video, sound, photographs, still images, words, and animations” (183).  This means that the millions of programs offered through electronic devices can influence literacy positively just as much as reading from an old paperback book.  Although learning from the computer is much different from learning in a classroom it can be argued to have a better outcome.  For example, Brittney, a middle class girl in a Catholic family, shares that she feels her experience from the computer has taught her more than what her school has taught her.  She explains that since she genuinely enjoyed using the computer it gave her a bigger motivation to learn from it.  She used the search engines on the web to give her fast information about topics she needed research on.  Brittney took advantage of the new technologies, which could be the cause of her success in school. 

            The writers also argued that Danielle, who lived in a middle class, midwestern family, learned literacy skills such as “visual, kinesthetic, and interactive components of gaming” through playing computer games.  I agree with this statement.  Computer games can have a positive effect on learning skills, if played at a reasonable amount.  There are small skills needed to succeed at computer games such as strong hand eye coordination which can somewhat help you with life today in our society.  Since our population is beginning to adapt with the new technologies they are important to learn in order to fit in with reality.  What’s the harm? 

Introduction

Welcome to my blog! I decided to make my blog a bright pink because it is my favorite color.  I intend to share my writing journals to my friends back home in Jacksonville showcase what I am learning in my ENC 1102 class.  I hope to gain feedback from others and improve my writing and analysis skills.  By posting my work online I hope to present my writing and myself in a positive way to everyone who accesses it.  Enjoy! 

Writing of College Students

My audience is again my friends back home in Jacksonville attending different colleges.  This was my favorite reading so far!  It is easy to relate to because we could have been the ones taking the survey, since it was college students.  It discusses the types of writing college students do, what they favor and what they value.  It proves that, from the students taking the survey, texting is the most used type of writing of college students.  Big surprise!  Although texting is the most used, academic papers and lecture are valued as important.  Think about the types of writing you mostly do and what writing you value.  Maybe you need to begin valuing school writing more than what you type on your phone and social medias. (: 

This was the easiest reading for my to relate to, because the people being surveyed were college students.  I found it interesting that I both agreed and disagreed with some of the results.  The survey proved that text messages were the most frequent written genres.  I can definitely say that data agrees with my most written genres.  The results said that students use their phones for academics as well, however, I mostly use my phone to communicate with others.  I disagree that texting should not be valued because I feel it keeps relationships.  Without a phone it would be harder to connect with others and talk to parents, which I find important.  I was surprised at how low email was on the most used and most valued graphs.  I use email frequently to connect with professors, obtain information from groups I belong to, hear news, and ask questions.  I would assume college students would take advantage of using email for fast communication.  The last thing I can relate to is the fact that academic papers are valued yet not done as frequently.  I enjoy writing on social medias more than writing for school, however, I do value school more. 

            The reading claimed that students do not value their writing on Facebook but the reason why is unclear.  This could potentially become a research topic.  Students who use Facebook frequently could be questioned as to why they do not value Facebook writing as much as academic writing.  The issue is that they use Facebook more but don’t seem to value it.  It is also interesting to me how many students value working alone much more than working with other students.  Research could be done as to why this is true.  Students could be studied in groups and alone and see what situation is the most productive. 

Malcolm X's Literacy Sponsors

Again, my audience now is my friends back home in Jacksonville attending different colleges. This reading is about Malcolm X's literacy sponsors.  Malcolm X is a Muslim minister and human rights activist.  In the first reading I learned that a literacy sponsor was a person who motivated your literacy, however, Malcolm X's sponsors were not mostly humans.  He was in prison when he began reading and didn't have access to certain positive literacy sponsors that we do.  Instead Malcolm X turned to book, mostly negative ones.  He read mostly about race and segregation which caused him to "misappropriate" their intentions.  Think about a time when you "misappropriated" your literacy sponsors intentions and reflect.

Malcolm X had many literacy sponsors but they were much different than most peoples.  The major reason for his differences is because he learned to read while in prison.  This gave him to have a shortage of sponsors, which caused him to turn to alternatives.  His main literacy sponsor was the dictionary.   He copied every word and definitions to learn as many words as he could to help him better understand books.  Once he memorized many words he was able to use books and readings as his sponsors.  Since he read so much it became easier after time and he was able to grasp harder topics.  There were a few human sponsors Malcolm had including a man, named Bimbi, who he met in prison, who inspired Malcolm’s passion to learn.  There were also instructors in the prison who taught classes in the prison. 

            While learning from his sponsors, Malcolm X did sometimes misappropriate their intentions.  He seemed to ready mostly negative books about segregation.  I feel it gave him a negative outlook on life causing him to make bad decisions.  Without the help of more human sponsors he wasn’t able to get the positive outlook on literacy. 

            A time that I misappropriated one of my literacy sponsors intentions was in one of my high school writing classes.  I realized, after taking my ENC 1101 class that I used writing rules to strictly.  My literacy sponsors in high school taught many rules that I should use in my writing, however, I thought of them to often which hindered my writing creativity.  After learning that I shouldn’t focus so much on writing rules I knew that I took what my high school sponsors were saying to seriously.  I began to improve my writing after I focused more on creativity rather than the rules.  

Literacy Sponsors

This is my first brainstorming journal for my ENC 1101 class.  My audience while writing the journal was my ENC 1101 professor but now on my blog my audience is my friends back home in Jacksonville FL also taking a composition class but in another college.  I want to be able to share with my friends what I am learning at UCF.  Hopefully they can relate to what I am discussing because they are learning similar topics.  My first reading was about literacy sponsors by Dr. Deborah Brandt.  A literacy sponsor is basically whoever teaches or influences your literacy throughout your life.  A sponsor can be your parents, teachers, professors, teachers, peers, etc.  In my journal I talk about how Brandt defines a literacy sponsor, what they have to gain from sponsorship, how a sponsor can be "misappropriated" and examples.  Enjoy! 


Brandt believes that sponsors of literacy start to connect literacy as an individual growth to literacy as an economic growth.  She defines them as “…any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy—and gain advantage by it in some way.”  After reading the article, I consider of them as mentors to literacy students.  Every sponsor has certain characteristics, which include gaining benefits in someway.  Most of the sponsors of literacy talked about in the article were older, and more prestigious than who they were teaching. 

Brandt claimed that sponsors gain advantage from their sponsorship, “whether by direct repayment or, indirectly, by credit of association.”  This means that all of the sponsors of literacy she researched have always made some sort of profit from their work and accomplishments.  The motivation from the profit the sponsers will receive has to do with Brandt’s finding that a sponsors teaching can sometimes be “misappropriated” by the sponsored.  An inexperienced and uneducated sponsor can “misappropriate” knowledge to a learner just to gain a certain advantage from it.  

One example of how a sponsor can gain from their sponsorship is in the workplace.  For instance, an intern for a magazine company is there to learn the specific literacy of the different genres used and once they master the literacy they can add to the company.  The sponsor teaching the intern gains a knowledgeable employ.  Another example could be a parent teaching their child how to talk.  In this situation you could call the parent a sponsor of the child and the parent receives happiness from their child’s ability to speak.  From my experience I have been both the sponsor and the sponsored.  My teachers have been my literacy sponsors throughout the years which they receive payment.  Furthermore, in high school I was a Co-Captain on my dance team, which made me a sponsor to the other dancers.  I would help the younger dancers learn the certain literacy of the genres dealt with in the position I held.  I am very passionate about the team and once I left I gained pride and happiness knowing that I left the team with knowledgeable dancers to lead the team.