In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to practice and hone your observational skills. To that end, select one of the photographs of a bedroom in Mollison’s "Where Children Sleep." As you explore your chosen photograph please do the following:
Tzvika's bedroom has three beds with blue bed sheets, and they open up like drawers, forming a kind of stairs that lead to the higher bed. On the right side of the room, a picture of an oasis into a desert is hung up on a green wall. On the left, the whole wall is covered by a combination of long white closets and blue drawers. The white tiles of the pavement have the same color as the ceiling.
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In this Writer’s Journal, you will begin to develop an “ethnographic eye.” In order to do so, please complete the following activities and respond to the questions for each activity:
I am going to visit the cafeteria for a drink or the restaurant for dinner at Marathon Lake. I will get back with my drawings, pictures, videos, notes, artifacts, observations, and interviews!
Part I Please consider the following questions, and take notes on your thoughts: How is your position in your community (e.g., youth, leader, worker) influenced by the place where you live, work, relax? My position in the community as an online teacher and student allows me to live, work and relax in places close to the lake, the sea, and the mountains, away from the center of Athens. These places have helped me cope with the workload of my job and the coursework of my studies, when, for example, I have the opportunity to de-stress myself with a walk after a long day. I don't think that I could enjoy this activity in the noisy streets of the city center. Are there places/spaces you are not allowed to enter or participate? Why? When I visit Marathon Lake, I am not allowed to reach the lake's shore, as this area is restricted to the employees of the water company whose property is the lake. Do your friends, family, and co-workers have access to different places than you? I think that different access depends on the working environment of my friends, family, and colleagues. What spaces are private and what spaces are public? What is private and public depends on the occasion. Although an airport is considered public, some areas are private or with limited access. One of my friends, for instance, who works at the airport, has access to spaces that I can visit only when traveling with the airplane.
What did you find most unexpected or surprising about the process of composing Writing Project #1? Why do you think this was unexpected or surprising? What does this tell you about your previous notions of the writing process?
The most unexpected thing in the course of composing Writing Project #1 was the content of the first draft that we had to write. In the past, I had never prepared a written project following this procedure; therefore, I didn't know what to expect. I had the impression that in this draft all we had to do was only an initial sketch, but a few hours before the end of the deadline I realized that I had to create the whole work. I stayed up all night to create my piece, but I was not truly satisfied with my writing. The good thing, though, was that it was just a rough draft, it didn't have to be perfect! I appreciated this way of writing, and I confirmed that writing is not a one-action process, as I thought. What did you find most challenging, confusing, or frustrating about the process of composing Writing Project #1? How might this become less challenging, confusing, or frustrating in future projects? I think that the revision of our first draft was the most demanding part of the project. Utilizing the review of our peers was not easy, as we had to evaluate it and at some points, I could not decide if I should follow my peers' suggestions or stick to my initial plan. In the end, I did both, selecting what to change and what to leave as it was. I hope that practice will help me do it easier in the future. What—for you—seems to be the most critical or important part of the writing process at this point? Where do you feel you learned the most about your own writing process? Was it before you wrote the project, while you were writing the sentences and paragraphs, or was it in the post-writing revision practices? I believe that the most critical part of the writing process is the revision. On one hand, you have finished a big part of your work, and this is very satisfying and motivating. On the other hand, you still have to complete your piece. At the beginning of my revision, I didn't know how to start, and I couldn't find something to change. As I began to polish my text, I discovered that some parts would be better in a different order and I moved text and photos to create a flow. I also added a hyperlink for those who want to find out more about a place I described, and I substituted a picture with a short video. This way, I tried to make every piece of information in my project not only cohesive but also meaningful. The whole writing project helped me learn how to write in a more structured way and why this is so important. If you were invited to teach someone else something about writing tomorrow, what would it be and why? Being a foreign languages teacher, I would like to teach my students that writing is a multiple-step activity and help them understand the importance of practices like drafting and reflection. Why do you think the WPA Outcomes (under “Processes”) and this course seem to value reflection and reflective writing? I believe that the WPA Outcomes and this course consider reflection and reflective writing of great value. A reflective learner can be a successful learner as there is always space for progress. In my opinion, success is not just a goal to reach; it is a state we should aim to have at all times. When we reflect, we are open to evaluating, rethinking and we have an ample view that might lead us to better writing decisions and, hopefully, success. What does the discussion forum on drafting reveal to you about the ways in which different people approach drafting? Why are these differences important?
In the forum on drafting, we discussed writing and drafting methods we use, and we shared our points of view. We all have similar opinions about what drafting is and why it is essential for the work we aim to present. However, we make use of different writing strategies. For example, there are those who prefer to split the workload into sections and revisit it in different moments and those who prefer to work on their piece as a whole, in a more concentrated way. These differences are significant for our growth, as they help us practice openness and creativity by trying new methods and considering other perspectives. The idea, for instance, I was given, to develop a writing in separate sections at different times, it was something simple, but it had not crossed my mind earlier. |
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