Blogging

When first assigned to keep up a blog for my English class, I really wasn't looking forward to it. I hated writing and I just thought it would take up too much time and I wouldn't have much to say. I was thinking I would just do what was required and leave it at that. I was wrong.

I actually like the blog. I haven't had a hard time writing about any topic. Basically I just figured I will write what ever comes to mind but try and keep a structure. I have noticed that I am starting to like a writing a little bit more. Having the option to have free writes almost half the time, makes it a lot more of a personal assignment than a homework assignment. I think my writing has improved. I know that when writing the Literacy Inquiry I felt like I was able to write more fluently than I used to. The blog has also indirectly taught me to not worry so much about grammar because even in the writing process that is the last thing that is revised. It's more important to have a clear idea and a point. Another reason I like the blogging is that it is all my opinion and I can't be wrong. Even though there is a word requirement it doesn't bother me. I find it pretty easy to write at least 250 words because I just say what is on my mind.

So in general, I was surprised how much I like the blog. It doesn't feel like a typical English class homework assignment because even in the assigned topics, it's your opinion and you're just sharing it.

Review of Peer Review

When I first heard we were to do peer reviews, I wasn't really worried about that at all because I have done it all through high school. But this is not the same type of peer review. In high school it was just looking for a grammar and now it's about how the whole paper is structured and what each sentence means. It definantly was hard to make the transition. I would be reading my peers paper and spot grammatical errors with ease. I learned I really had to slow down and re-read a few times to make sure I understand exactly what they meant in each sentence, paragraph, and how it related to the rest of the paper. 

I really prefer this over what I did in high school. Yes, it is more work, but I'm not one to complain about that. It really helps make the paper stronger. I am also really glad we read that article about how to do it because it made the transition from high school peer review to real peer review a lot easier. The part I really like is that we are allowed to leave whatever kind of comment we want as long as it is relevant to the paper. We can praise our peer or suggest a correction or both in one comment. 

In high school I dreaded getting my papers back from my peers and especially my teacher. The amount of red ink just made me feel like the paper was awful and usually I just corrected the grammar and left it at that. I already look forward to getting my peer reviews back because it is so much more helpful and I know my peers took a good amount of time to make suggestions and comments.