Tuesday's discussion about the pitfalls of student blogging assignments really got my gears grinding. Looking at the comments from professors regarding the problems they found with student posts raised several flags in my mind. Assignment. Beat. Required. Minimum. Those were the worst motivations to write anything that would be interesting or help me to develop better writing skills. Something came to mind about excitement and creating a freshness in anything you are assigned to write. The photo above is from 1989. I was a Junior working on the Brown Deer High School newspaper, The Falcon. I'm the one on the right, trying to look professional with a notebook and pen. It was student media day with the Milwaukee Admirals and we really just went to stare at the players. Hockey is fun to watch, but I wasn't a sports fan. What I could be was a good journalist and find a way to make the subject worth writing about. Why had I forgotten that?
Over the years friends have suggested I write a blog. Funny stories about my Mom are the biggest request. (She's Korean and intense - but that's a whole other story.) Once in a great while I've posted some rants on Facebook. I love making lists and used to post them. The commitment of a blog was a little more responsibility that I felt ready for. Professionally, I use blogs all the time to stay current on techniques, technology and business. Forums are another tool I depend on. Before I wrench on my Jeep, I consult the JeepForum and post questions or let others know if their advice worked out. All of these things are what I should have been using to motivate my blog for class with perspective and enthusiasm.
The problem is that calling it "student blogging" implies less authority. Is a lower level of writing acceptable because it's from a student? No. Bloggers have a responsibility to the Internet as a whole. Not just their classmates and instructors. Change the mindset, improve the quality.
After identifying my faulty logic, a couple other things became clear. Having assigned subject matter shouldn't be stifling. It's an opportunity to demonstrate your creativity in how you approach your topic and the different ways you can incorporate your knowledge. Thank goodness for due dates! Structure is hard to create on your own. The time I set aside to write my obligatory post should really be a chance to share something insightful with others.
Success! The whole reason I signed up for #JOUR4953 was to improve my writing and become more productive overall. I was curious to see if I would make any progress over the course of the semester. Mission accomplished.
Over the years friends have suggested I write a blog. Funny stories about my Mom are the biggest request. (She's Korean and intense - but that's a whole other story.) Once in a great while I've posted some rants on Facebook. I love making lists and used to post them. The commitment of a blog was a little more responsibility that I felt ready for. Professionally, I use blogs all the time to stay current on techniques, technology and business. Forums are another tool I depend on. Before I wrench on my Jeep, I consult the JeepForum and post questions or let others know if their advice worked out. All of these things are what I should have been using to motivate my blog for class with perspective and enthusiasm.
The problem is that calling it "student blogging" implies less authority. Is a lower level of writing acceptable because it's from a student? No. Bloggers have a responsibility to the Internet as a whole. Not just their classmates and instructors. Change the mindset, improve the quality.
After identifying my faulty logic, a couple other things became clear. Having assigned subject matter shouldn't be stifling. It's an opportunity to demonstrate your creativity in how you approach your topic and the different ways you can incorporate your knowledge. Thank goodness for due dates! Structure is hard to create on your own. The time I set aside to write my obligatory post should really be a chance to share something insightful with others.
Success! The whole reason I signed up for #JOUR4953 was to improve my writing and become more productive overall. I was curious to see if I would make any progress over the course of the semester. Mission accomplished.
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