Paula Giordano

Reflecting on Writing, Research & Technology

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I must start out by saying that I have learned the importance of my writing process during the course of this semester.  Process and product are intertwined.  I've become aware of this through my own experiences in this course.  Observing, tweeting, interviewing, analyzing, collaborating, reflecting, and presenting my process and product through my Weebly site have built my skills as a writer.  I've come to understand that information, thoughts, and feelings can be expressed in a multitude of ways.  Participating in these methods of expression has fostered my confidence and made me a more powerful writer.  
  

Weebly

 In the beginning of the semester I wrote:

 " I’m quickly learning that I’m not aware of half the technology I have at my fingertips.  One of my goals is to try to stay current on which technologies could be beneficial to my academic career in the Elementary Education/Writing Arts Program."

I'm happy to say that I used my Weebly account to create a Web site for another writing class.  I have enjoyed posting my work on Weebly.  The combination of artwork, blogs, and finished products on my site has given me the ability to give readers a better idea of who I am as a writer and a person.  In addition, I've learned about myself.  I've learned that I'm a better reflective writer than I initially thought.  I've also learned that I am not as technologically savvy as I initially thought. 

I had very little experience with blogging prior to the start of this course.  Blogging created a place of reflection, which strengthened my writing.  In terms of this course, I quickly realized how my blog posts were beneficial to class discussions and projects.  Many times I have struggled with an idea or concept, but it became clear once I blogged about it.

I never imagined that I could have my own Web site.  I've decided that I will continue to use Weebly for future assignments and to document the milestones in my own personal life. 

Twitterive

I experienced something unique as I worked on my Twitterive assignment.  Unique to me, anyway.  I came into the Writing Arts program at Rowan as a busy working mom.  Last semester I took a class on writing children's stories, and the professor used to tell us, "Writing should be enjoyable.  Take the time to enjoy your process."  I wondered how I could enjoy my writing process when I barely had time to write a first draft much less work on revisions.  This assignment was a  remedy for that problem.  I did enjoy the project, and I had time to create pieces that I did not even use in my final product.

I began tweeting about three weeks before I was due to present the Twitterive.  I had a lot of time to look back at my tweets to try to decide what themes were emerging.  Without realizing it, I was in the beginning stages of writing my narrative.  Even more amazing, the writing pieces that I did not use in my final product were still  important.  I created a postcard and an email that led to the pieces that eventually went into the Twitterive.  In the past, I would not have dreamed of creating a piece that I didn't plan on presenting as part of my final product.  My process changed for the better as a result of using Twitter.

Using Weebly to post my project was sometimes frustrating, but mostly it helped me to develop ideas.  Weebly provided a place for me to organize my thoughts and ideas and have access to them whenever I wanted.  In addition, the process of designing my site gave me ideas about how I wanted my Twitterive to look. Weebly made me think beyond the 8 1/2 X 11 page.

I've never been a detail oriented person.  I have trouble remembering names.  I have trouble reversing my steps  to leave a building I'm not familiar with.  I almost never remember where I've parked my car.  I still check my schedule two months into a new semester to make sure I'm going to the correct buildings for my classes.  Does this sound annoying and perhaps unsafe to you?  Well, it is!  This one is weird : I don't recognize cars.  I appear to be rude when I pass friends waving from their vehicles, and I drive right past not even acknowledging them.

As I tweeted for my Twitterive assignment I was forced to pay attention to detail.  Part of this attention to detail happened naturally as I visited places and asked myself why I was there and what I could gain from being there.  Another part was me coaching myself to be more mindful of my surroundings.  My notes from the first week of my Writing, Research & Technology course stress the importance of specificity and detail.  "Focus on the little stuff- the big stuff will follow - pay attention."  I know my writing will improve if I can become more detail oriented.

In the past couple of months my newly acquired attention to detail manifested itself as I walked through a cornfield maze with my family.  My husband thought I was crazy as I took pictures of the purple flowers that grew on the cornstalks.  They were beautiful.  How could I have never noticed that before?  

The Twitterive assignment has given me an opportunity to reflect on and improve my writing process.  I'm going to continue to tweet because I think it will help me to be more mindful of my surroundings.

Creative Non-Fiction

I was thrilled when my friends, Keith and Michele, agreed to grant me interviews about their experiences in Mexico during Hurricane Wilma.  They were the first people I thought of when we began talking in class about topics for the Oral History/Creative Non-Fiction assignment.  I am far from having the skills of a professional interviewer, but I found it rewarding to formulate questions that I thought would illuminate the important aspects of their experiences during the hurricane.  I was also honored that Keith and Michele trusted me enough to open up about an experience that was emotional for them both.   Their trust empowers me as a student, and I feel obligated to them, myself, and Professor Mangini to produce an interesting and accurate piece of creative nonfiction.

As I was interviewing both Keith and Michele, I became aware of how conversational the interviews were sounding.  On one hand, I think our comfort levels as friends make for a more open and honest interview.  On the other hand, a conversation between friends can be too casual.  I realized I was finishing their thoughts, and at times we were speaking at the same time.  I made a mental note to remain quiet while Keith and Michele were talking, but when I listened to the audio from the interviews, I clearly intervened and spoke over them at different times throughout the interviews.  I don't think I would have been as comfortable doing that had my interviewees been individuals I was not as closely connected to.  Because Keith and Michele are friends, it was easy to lose sight of the purpose of our interviews.
 

In the beginning of the semester I wrote:

I enjoy conducting personal interviews because the information I am ascertaining is usually accompanied by a point of view. 

I did not enjoy conducting the interviews as much as I thought I would.  I think this may be because I was concerned about inconveniencing my interviewees.  I will remember this the next time I have to conduct an interview.  I should probably choose subjects with whom I have no personal ties.  This will alleviate any feelings of guilt that stand in the way of my interview process. 

Collaborative Research

I am very happy with the composition of the collaborative research paper that I worked on with Lisa, Taylor, and Madeline. 
I began thinking about a topic for this assignment in September at the start of the fall semester.  I was unsure of who my research partners would be, but I considered proposing research on Temple Grandin and her quest for the humane treatment of farm animals or investigating the health effects of artificial sweeteners.  

A few weeks before the due date of the collaborative research paper, my group came together and made a decision about the topic of our research.  We watched the film, Food, Inc., during class; it's impossible to not take a research idea (or 100) away from that documentary.  A member of our group suggested that we research the irony of treating beef with ammonia.  We all agreed that was a good topic, but before committing we each conducted some research to be sure that adequate information was available.

Within a week we decided to run with this idea, and two of my research partners put together outlines of the information they believed should be covered within our paper.  This was very helpful; we were then able to decide how to divide the work.  We spent about a half hour during class disussing the framework, and we very quickly chose our parts.

My section of the research revolved around alternatives to ammonia treatment.  As I conducted online research, I began to make a list.  When I gathered enough information, I began searching for the cohesive theme within my research.  I identified what I thought was important, but before writing, I ran my ideas past my research partners.

It turned out that all of our research was connecting nicely.  We began composing our paper on Google Documents; in this way we could communicate and work simultaneously.  Within two week of the project's due date, all of our sections were up on Google Docs.  We updated each other through text and informed each other of the sources we planned on citing in the annotated bibliography.  In the meantime, we began perfecting our sections of the draft.    

At about the half way point, one of my research partners suggested that we interview friends and family about their knowledge of ammonia treatment and include our finding in the paper.  Everyone quickly conducted their interviews and sent the information to her.  She then created a pie graph that adds a little flavor to our research paper. 

I did experience some anxiety during the composition of this paper.  My research partners are excellent writers and students, and I worried they would not be happy with my contributions to the paper; however, I decided I had to trust my skills and trust my partners to tell me if they were concerned with my work.  After all, I would have told them if I had concerns.  As it turns out, our styles complemented each other, and we made a great research and writing team. 

My brain usually turns itself off the second I see the word "abstract."  I know that it will be followed by tons of boring information and statistics.  However, I am very pleased by the finished product of our collaborative research product.  Maybe that is because I was invested in the research, but I don't think so.  The subject, ammonia treatment of beef, is relative to almost everyone, and our paper is interspersed with visuals including a graph, video, and hyperlinks.