Digital Reflection 3

I thought it was really funny that I stumbled on this quote because it seemed very fitting to post after Thursday's class discussion. I think Mark Twain was so accurate when he said this because we can all sit in the classroom and list classic pieces of literature. But how many of us have actually read all of these books? How many of us have even read half of them? Personally, I feel that I haven't read close to enough.

Personal Image 3

I picked The Diary of a Young Girl for my classic piece of literature. I think this is a book that everyone needs to read at some point in their life. In fact, when I was telling my grandmother that I was planning on reading it, she was shocked that I haven't read it already. I know Anne Frank's story is truly incredible and I'm excited to read a touching story about World War II from her perspective.

Literacy Journey

As I was rushing from 6 a.m. practice to my first class of the day (8 a.m), most people were still groggy and sleepy because they had just rolled out of bed, hadn't eaten breakfast, and weren't quite ready to start their day. At this point, I had already been up for hours, eaten breakfast (some mornings two), and had my cup of coffee ready to go. Most people wouldn't be too fond of this schedule. In fact, I probably wouldn't either if I wasn't going to a class that I enjoyed. Luckily, this 8 a.m. class was a writing class that I quickly fell in love with. I would show up most mornings sweaty in my smelly practice clothes but people soon learned to expect this. At first, I didn't think anything of this class. I was only taking it because I was trying to get my writing requirements out of the way. But, it soon became the highlight of my days. My teacher was great. She constantly challenged me to think outside of box, better my writing, and participate in class discussions. I can vividly remember our discussion one morning about technology and the article we read by Nicholas Carr titled, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" I remember leading this class discussion and feeling so inspired and passionate about the ideas throughout the entire class. After this discussion, I went back to my room and worked on my paper based on this topic. I sat there and wrote until I felt not just satisfied, but confident with my paper. It's moments and people like these that make such a strong impact on our experiences with writing, classes, and how much creativity and thought we're willing to put into certain ideas. Yes, some mornings I was absolutely exhausted in class, but it proved to be well worth it. It left a very positive mark on my writing experience and left me wanting more.

Orality and Literacy: Theorems

Technology will lead to a new and higher level of literacy

There is new technology being discovered every day. This technology is increasing our ability to learn and will give us the ability to further expand our knowledge. Technology is allowing us to document history every single day. Our access to information is getting easier and easier as each year passes. This is going to continue to grow with future generations and higher levels of technology. People will be able to find everything they need to know faster and more efficiently and hopefully with this, there will be personal desire to increase literacy. Ong says, “Language and thought for the ancient Greeks grew out of memory….we cannot do away with texts, which shape our thought processes (166).” This quote is important because it emphasizes the importance of text and this technology gives us the power to create this text. We can write every event that happens and make it public so that the entire world can see it. Nothing will be forgotten in the future and people will be able to learn about every event – big and small.

Technology and social media is helping to expanding our orality and literacy

There are endless forms of communication in this day and age that allow us to connect with one another. Whether it’s emails, text messages, or snapchats, there is always a way to reach someone. This is helping maintain orality in ways that that the past generations did not get to experience. It’s a way to ensure that orality will live on. People are able to communicate while they are not together and without actually speaking to one another. I experience this on a daily basis; I am constantly communicating with my friends and family through my phone and my computer. This in turn allows me to keep expand my own orality. Ong said, “Both orality and the growth of literacy out of orality are necessary for the evolution of consciousness…The shift from orality to writing intimately interrelates with more psychic and social developments than we have yet noted (172).” These shifts affect our everyday lives but in positive ways. Like I said earlier, we can use this shift to expand our knowledge and keep track of history.


Orality and Literacy are going to continue to change – some may believe it’s for the better and some may argue for the worse

Let’s face it..Orality and Literacy are two concepts that are ever changing. They are never going to be quite the same as they were historically. With new generations, new minds, and new creativity, we are constantly coming up with new forms of orality and literacy. Even certain phrases come and go with different generations. I think Ong would agree with this theory. It can be argued both ways depending on who you ask and I don’t think that will ever change. Ong argues that “Willingness to live with the ‘media’ model of communication shows chirographic conditioning (173).” This is true, however, the coming generations are indeed conditioned to live with this. It is the new normal.

Orality and literacy are two complex concepts. They do in fact change as the years pass. Those who do not believe in the media model of communication look at the current generations with bitterness and distaste. However, some embrace the change and love where the future is headed. I think we need to find balance. We need to move forward but while holding on and maintaing the traditions of the past. Ong concludes the book by saying, “Orality-literacy dynamics enter integrally into the modern evolution of consciousness toward both greater interiorization and greater openness (176).” This quote ties my theorems and the book together perfectly. We need to remain open to change.

Personal Image 2

For my personal image this week, I decided to post a picture with my sister. Like I mentioned on the first day of class, my sister is my motivation when it comes to writing. She's a beautiful writer who never fails to give me advice on how I can better my own writing in every aspect of my life. Whether it's composing emails, papers, or pleasure writing, she's always pushing my limits and allowing my creativity and knowledge to grow.

Digital Reflection 2

This is a picture that I took when I was in Boulder recently. This man was creating a scene and telling a story through his artwork. He did not speak; he simply sat there and worked. He was using water to stick leaves onto the wall and create a truly remarkable image. It was incredibly fascinating to watch him work. He didn't pay attention to any of the commotion on the streets and was completely invested in his artwork. I thought this image was perfect for our class given the different cultures of orality we've been learning about. This man did not need to speak to get his story across. By simply watching him work, I could make assumptions about both him and his culture. I'm sure this type of artwork has played a major role in who he is and what he values in life. It's his way to communicate through self expression.

A Tour of DU

Primary Orality:

DU is a great school in the best city. Let me show you around campus so you can get a feel for the school.

**Walking and touring campus while talking

Personally, I think the school is the perfect size. It’s not too small but it’s also not too big. You’re always seeing both new and familiar faces. Academically, it’s really nice because you get the opportunity to form relationships with your professors. This is huge because it gives you such a different experience when it comes to classes. The campus is also not too big so it doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to get to the farthest building.

**Arrives outside Sturm Hall

This is where almost all of the arts and humanities classes will be. There are a couple different floors and the numbers of the rooms are ridiculously confusing so I would definitely get here early on the first day if you have a class here. Guaranteed you’re going to need extra time to find the room.

**Walks to library section of campus

This is the library on the left and the Daniels College of Business straight ahead. If you’re thinking about going into business, then you will be spending a lot of time over there. There’s also a bagel shop in there.

**Finishes tour

Overall, DU would be a great fit for you if you like small classes, great academics, phenomenal sports teams, the mountains, and a very healthy and laid back Colorado-type lifestyle. There’s so much to do around here from skiing to hiking and the weather is truly hard to beat.

Secondary Orality:

DU is a great school in the best city. Let me show you around campus and give you more information so you can get a feel for the school. Here’s a little pamphlet and school map in case you want to read more information on the school.  

**Walking and touring campus while talking

Personally, I think the school is the perfect size. It’s not too small but it’s also not too big. You’re always seeing both new and familiar faces. Academically, it’s really nice because you get the opportunity to form relationships with your professors. This is huge because it gives you such a different experience when it comes to classes. The campus is also not too big so it doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to get to the farthest building.

**Arrives outside Sturm Hall

This is where almost all of the arts and humanities classes will be. There are a couple different floors and the numbers of the rooms are ridiculously confusing so I would definitely get here early on the first day if you have a class here. Guaranteed you’re going to need extra time to find the room. In my experience, I’ve always had a lot of textbook readings in all my classes in Sturm so prepare for that.

**Walks to library section of campus

This is the library on the left and the Daniels College of Business straight ahead. The library is a great place to do your homework. It’s my favorite place to read because it’s always quiet and I don’t get distracted. They also have lots of books that you can check out as well as a writing center. If you’re thinking about going into business, then you will be spending a lot of time straight ahead in DCB. There’s also a bagel shop in there which does not take your meal plan so bring $.

**Finishes tour

Overall, DU would be a great fit for you if you like small classes, great academics, phenomenal sports teams, the mountains, and a very healthy and laid back Colorado-type lifestyle. There’s so much to do around here from skiing to hiking and the weather is truly hard to beat.

Reflection:

It would definitely be easier for someone who has been exposed to academics - including reading and writing - to be familiar with the idea of college. However, when writing my tour, I did not seem to change what I would have said that drastically. Giving a general tour of the school does not require too much literate culture. It's fairly easy to show someone around and explain what the school itself is like. According to Ong, primary orality is a culture in which there is no literacy. This means no reading, writing, texting, etc. Every form of communication and every method of gaining knowledge is all done orally. On the other hand, secondary orality is a culture which has been exposed to literacy and does indeed know about reading and writing. In my tour, I did not go into detail about what you learn in college or how you learn it. If I had done so, it would've been much more complicated for the individual with primary orality versus the individual with secondary orality. In secondary orality, it's assumed that the individual knows he or she will be required to read many books throughout their education. However, someone who has never been exposed to written culture would probably assume that they would be taught everything orally. The thought of using any other tool or device would not even strike them. It's crazy that the concept of literacy is foreign to some. I have grown up with literacy my entire life so I cannot imagine my world without it. Reading and writing is happening constantly throughout my days. Going even further beyond reading and writing, there is technology. Ong argues that these devices, such as computers, are unnatural. But, many of us rely on these devices every single day as a critical component of our oral culture. Nowadays, we can't even come to college without a computer (an idea that would be completely foreign and absurd to the individual with primary orality). I'm not sure how I would try to explain this to them ...

Orality and Literacy

Orality and literacy are two concepts that have been engrained in my head since I was born. I can't imagine a life without orality or literacy. It's crazy to think that literacy is completely foreign to some cultures. According to Ong, only about 106 different languages have ever produced literature. 106 out of about three thousand languages around the world. Yes, literacy is a privilege. However, even those who are not privileged in my culture are still familiar with the idea of reading and writing.
I think orality and literacy are equally as important but in two drastically different ways. Speaking orally is a way of life. Yes, it's critical to be able to address peers, family members, teachers, co-workers, etc, but orality extends far beyond that. Speaking is a way to pass information from generation to generation. A way to express your thoughts and feelings. A story heard orally takes on a completely different life than a story that is read.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have literacy. Literacy allows us to speak without actually speaking. It's is a way to communicate without seeing the recipient of your words. If someone sarcastically says out loud, "You look like shit", it's easy to be able to pick up on the sarcasm. Tone of voice is a game changer. On the other hand, if someone sends a text message that says, "You look like shit", the person receiving the text may have no idea that it's supposed to be sarcastic. There is a lot more room for freedom when speaking orally. You can get a good sense of who you're talking to, their personality, and what might be appropriate or inappropriate.
Ong argues that primary oral culture today seems to be fading and losing it's prominence. I think this is largely due to the technology that consumes this generation. Every year it seems to get worse. They are constantly coming out with new technology and it gets easier and easier to hide behind these new devices. Some kids are having a hard time having a simple conversation with their peers because they genuinely don't know how to socialize. All of their interactions are done through some form of technology. I think Ong would agree that it's crucial for future generations to be able to maintain the oral traditions that are slowly slipping past us.

Digital Reflection 1

I chose this image because I think it is incredibly relevant to what we have been discussing. Ong touches on the many different forms of communication and literacy in this day and age, many of which are written above. Writing and literacy can be expressed in numerous different ways. However, all of the things listed above require some form of orality or literacy.






This is one of my favorite quotes about writing and it seemed very fitting for this class. Writing should not be a chore; writing should be something that's appreciated. Yes, it is a very important life skill to have, as is walking and talking. However, it is also a form of expression and a way to make your thoughts and ideas heard. There is so much beauty in the writing and it should not be taken for granted.

Not a Cosmic Convergence Reflection

(1) The overall piece was definitely still confusing the second time around. Like we discussed in class, it was difficult to follow because it wasn’t the same format that we were taught to read. It was all over the place and all over the page which is not what any of us are used to. However, it was tremendously helpful to hear it spoken out loud with different voices. Initially, I read the entire piece in my head. It was easy to let the different sections and colors melt into each other which made the author’s message much harder to figure out. By reading it out loud and dividing up the different colors, it was easier to hear the patterns in the writing.

(2) I think if I were to have done the previous homework assignment after reading the text in class, I might have approached it differently. I probably would have added parts for different speakers and more conversation. I also would’ve added more stage commands such as “cue house lights.”

(3) Oral culture is incredibly different from written culture. In my opinion and experience, written culture is much easier to participate in than oral culture. It’s easier for many people to put on a false front and make comments on paper that they wouldn’t necessarily say in person. This is especially prominent in my generation with technology. Technology aids written culture. Many people today are much more comfortable with written culture than with oral culture because they can hide behind devices such as phones or computers. However, I do think there are still remnants of oral culture in today’s society. This form of communication may not be as popular but it’s still an incredibly important aspect of certain cultures. Some people place a strong emphasis on the preservation of their culture through folktales, songs, stories, and may other oral forms of communication. It’s a way to pass along information from generation to generation. It’s a completely different experience to hear a story firsthand than it is to read it on a piece of paper. It adds character, personality, and detail that paper might not otherwise capture.