Free Write 9/14/11

In today’s society we often use digital literacy. Most people throughout their normal day communicate digitally. People definitely read print and digital texts differently. Digital texts are read differently from normal print because people often use slang or shorten words. People also do not use punctuation correctly. When people communicate digitally it is hard to read the persons emotions. When we read print, we read it how it should be read and it is more proper.

There is a difference between acting as a participant of digital realm versus being active, critical, and digitally literate. People, who just act as a participant, have the social networks such as Facebook, twitter, blogs, email, and texting. They may have these things but have no idea how to use them. They also may not use these things very often. On the other hand, people who are actively using these social networks are considered digitally literate.

Anderson uses “contribution, distribution, and consumption” to describe Facebook. I do all three of these things almost every time I go on Facebook. I contribute by making statuses, writing on my friend’s walls, commenting on statuses and pictures, and liking people’s statuses and pictures. I distribute by posting statuses and pictures I want to share with others. I consume information on Facebook as well. Facebook allows people to become more social and share ideas.

Digital literacy and textual literacy are both very similar and relate to one another. Both require you to analyze, distribute, consume, and communicate information. People must be literate before they become digitally literate. 

Literacy Timeline

• ·    · Listened to people talk        
• ·      Constantly repeated words from my parents
• ·      Listened to people read me stories
• ·      Watch children shows (Barney, Blues Clues, etc.)
• ·      Shout out names of stores while I was in the car
• ·      Learned the alphabet/numbers
• ·      Learned how to spell my name through a song
• ·      Drawing pictures
• ·      Watched movies
• ·      Learned how to pronounce letters
• ·      Writing the alphabet over and over again
• ·      Put letters together to make short words
• ·      Learned how to pronounce short words that sounded similar
• ·      Read short books
• ·      Listened to my parents tell stories
• ·      Tell jokes
• ·      Listened to older friends/cousins talk, and picked up slang
• ·      Started to play sports and learned the language of those sports
• ·      Started to write short stories in elementary school
• ·      Learned how to spell bigger words
• ·      Learned cursive handwriting
• ·      Started to learn some structure to writing and learn grammar rules
• ·      Read chapter books
• ·      Read out loud to the class
• ·      Write essays
• ·      Previous teachers shaped the way I write because they taught me how to write papers

Why is Writing Important?

     No matter what career path one chooses in life, writing will always be used and a necessity. The career path that I would like to go into is the health field. Writing will always be used in the health field because you would be required to write notes, letters, and reports. Patients or other healthcare workers will view the majority of uses of writing in the medical field. Patients will expect the healthcare worker to sound knowledgeable and professional when they read their writing. It is vital for healthcare workers to have the basic writing skills because their writing reflects who they are as a person. In order for me to be a better writer I will have to continue practicing writing and communicating with others.