Personal Journal: Project Proposal

My Journal is kind of all over the place (much like my life) so it was kind of tricky brainstorming ideas to go along with a constant theme.

The first Idea
Draw My Journal Entries?

I used to love watching "Draw My Life" youtube videos because I'm a very visual person. Seeing someones life drawn out seems pretty cool too. So I was thinking of doing a "Draw My Life" video but instead of a timeline of my whole life I would just start from my first journal entry to my latest and use my journal entries to narrate the film. I wasn't sure if this was going to be very practical sense I don't have experince making videos but I found a site that helps you put together "Draw My Life" videos so it's totally a doable option.

Here are some examples:

https://youtu.be/8QTaTK7xyt8

https://youtu.be/05KqZEqQJ40


The Second Idea
Map?

Most of my journal entries describe the place where I am and what it looks like and what happened there during that day. I was thinking I could make kind of like a map of Santa Barbara and add in journal entries and pictures for different locations throughout SB.

The Third Idea

Photo Story 

For my third idea I was thinking of something more simplistic like a photo collage or a story book. 

 Ex:

310: Thesis Statements

1.     For a competitive industry, a unique flair, and eye-catching verses is what captivates an audience.

2.     Working as a DJ, writing styles don’t always need to be professional and serious, sometimes what works best is a little comedic relief.

3.      The “laid back” approach is a great writing style in this profession, but when it comes to scheduling clients, clear and concise communication is key.

Interview Questions (Draft)

How do you hope the people who read these artifacts will respond/ react?

You provide many different services through your company, how does your writing style differ when targeting a specific group? (weddings, company events etc.) 

How would you classify your writing style?

What emotions do you hope to create from the viewer? 

What is your writing process like?

I've noticed the placement of humor in advertisements that most companies typically take seriously (ex. wedding ads) what is your strategy/ reasoning behind this choice?

How did you choose the pictures on the homepage of your website?

How do you hook your customers in through your writing style? 

Do you find it more difficult to write for a specific group rather than another?

How do you let your viewers know you are credible and dependable?

Who is your main audience?

Is there any kind of writing style you typically avoid? 

Academic Writing: Reading Reaction

How to Read Like Writer:
As I began reading this passage, I quickly remembered and I had read this a couple weeks prior for the Personal Journal class. I went ahead and read it again anyways because it’s always good to refresh your memory and possible gain a different perspective.

Reading this the second time I tried to focus in on something that maybe didn’t stand out to me a couple of weeks ago.  Personally, I always just dive right into whatever I’m reading, it never really occurred to me to ask question about what I’m reading before I even start. It’s important to ask these questions to create awareness of the writer’s style and whom they might be trying to target, also to be more inquisitive of what the reading actually is. 

Ch 11 I take your Point — Entering Class Discussions:
I hadn’t realized this before but I am totally guilty of—during class discussions—stating what is on my mind instead of connecting with what the person before me had said. It’s always out of eagerness because I lose train of thought quite often.

 After reading Chapter 11 of “They Say, I Say” It has already created me to become more mindful of my bad habits. Class discussions are so valuable and I have personally gained new aspects from my peers during these discussions so reading this section I feel like will help me become more attributing throughout these dialogues.

Ch 9Ain’t So/Is Not:
Its easy to struggle with finding your own voice while also writing academically (or at least it is for me) this chapter really opened my eyes to a whole new style of writing. I liked how this passage noted that informal writing sometimes could help you better connect with the reader. I agree with this 100%. 

When you find something in a reading that you can easily relate and understand it makes you feel more connected and leaves you with a desire to read more.

Personal Journal: Reading Reaction

Putting Ethnographic Writing in Context:

I found it interesting that Ethnographic— participant observation research—could actually help expand writing techniques. I found the ethics of representation section to be very informative. It’s important to always show a participant that has been interview the notes, drafts, and transcripts so they can make for certain that everything is accurate. 

“We’re expecting you to learn a lot more about the culture you study than you could by reading about it, or listening to somebody else talk about it.”I really respect active learning styles, like the kinds this passage explains.  Personally for me, having a hands-on experience is the best way that I can learn.  “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”-Benjamin Franklin

Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method:

What really stood out to me in this reading was the “Why Use Observation to Collect Data?” section.  Observations are such an important key in so many different aspects. Picking up on the smallest thing—like a nonverbal cue—can really open up a whole new dimension in your research and give a paper more depth and detail.When observing situations it can be very difficult to figure out what is an important observation and what is unworkable.  From this reading I learned that a way to narrow down and focus in on what is an important observation is to ask yourself questions, like “what is happening and why?” this can be very helpful to make the best use of the opportunity presented.

I found the “Ethics” section to be very essential. Anonymity is an extremely serious thing because what is written or observed can theoretically hurt an individual’s personal or professional reputation. By giving to specific of details can potentially point out who a person is in a community, even if the actually name of the person is not mentioned. I understood this to be an important take-away for myself because I have a pattern of giving lots of details about things in my writing to really paint a picture for the reader, which is ok in certain circumstances, but it is imperative to know which situations specific details are ok in.