2-22 Blogging

I see many connections in the blogging instructions and the activities we do in class. Perhaps the biggest connection is working in small groups. While discussing a piece of literature in small groups we are engaging texts with ourselves and with others. This is much like blogging because in blogging we interact with the text in our own way just as we do when we share in the small groups. We also get feedback and opinions from others which is similar to reading the blog posts of others which is a requirement for every Friday. And just as we must comment on our classmates' blogs we also respond to our group members' comments and interpretations of the literature. I also see connections with the ideas about reading we've discussed in class. For example, when we read the poem The Traveling Onion we also discussed methods of interpreting this poem and finding its meaning. We also go through this process as we are writing our blog post.
Blogging does a great job in extending the reading process because it forces me to actually analyze the text and search for its meaning. If we did not have to do a blog post I may simply read the text and not go much further than that but since I know I have to do a post I make sure to engage in the text as I'm reading by writing comments and making connections to other literature I've read. I also reread some passages sometimes if I feel I didn't quite get what the author was trying to say. This has worked really well for me. Even though it requires a lot more work and time it is very beneficial and I am able to learn so much more. It is also a big help knowing that Professor Corrigan is not looking for "perfection." Through participating in the blog posting I have learned that "writing is a process" as Professor Corrigan says in his Guide to Blogging. Seeing this has also helped me to engage my ideas better because I know that all my posts and ideas don't have to be perfectly explained and argued.