Deans Genres

Throughout the Explaining Genre Theory, Dean talks about what genres are whenever it comes to writing. Most of us think that a genre is used to describe a certain style of writing but Dean describes it as the type of literacy that emphasizes the idea behind writing. This makes genre sometimes a difficult term to understand. I have always been taught to use genres as a way to describe a certain type of book or way of writing. Therefore, whenever Dean states that genres are not about the description of the text, it makes me ask, why? It also makes me wonder about what is behind the type of genre that I am reading. I find this a very confusing way to look at genres. I have never looked behind the genre of what I am reading. When someone asks me what genre I am looking for, descriptions such as fiction, non-fiction, horror, or drama come to my mind. I have never described a genre by what is within the writing and how it is emphasized.

Although I can go deeper into the writing and learn how it is being emphasized, I also do not see how genres are social. How do social experiences create genres? When it comes to genres everyone has their own opinion on what the writing is. Therefore I feel that if genres are created socially, the description behind the text can be inaccurate due to others opinions. However I do understand how genres can be brought up within social situations. Social experience can help a genre grow and become more emphasized amongst others.

One subject that I did understand was the Ideological genre. This helps me see how different genres can be developed within different groups. Everyone within his or her group can reflect on what is within the writing. This can also influence others views about what is happening within todays society.

Though I understand how some genres or more than forms, I have a lot to learn. Deans article confuses me in multiple ways but I can agree with many of her views. However, I need to look more into genres and how others can share their views within them.

Community Impacts Who We Are

In todays society we all can agree that others play a part in what we know and how we speak of it. Our experience throughout education allows us to learn from others how to use literacy the right way. It also shows us how not to use literacy. The community that you interact with impacts yourself and makes you become who you are. I come from a farm town where literacy is not a common thing to speak of. Even throughout high school, my English class never spoke of the correct way to use literacy. Everyone in my community lacked the skill of proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and every other correct way to use literacy. Whenever I came to college, that all changed. I have been challenged to use literacy in a professional way rather than speak like a country boy.

Bartholomae and Harris stated that “we write not as isolated individuals but as members of communities whose beliefs, concerns, and practices both instigate and constrain, at least in part of the things we say.” This states that you, yourself write as an individual because of what you were taught by and what impacted you to speak the way you speak. You didn’t just randomly learn how to speak within your community. Someone once taught you how to use literacy, or even spoke a certain way, which you learned from and began to use. People establish these values by associating within their community throughout their hobbies, common goals, currency, and gender. These topics are viewed different from each individual, leaving them to be influenced by what they are surrounded by.

When it comes to discourse communities everyone writes in the language that they are taught within their community. We also share the common goals influenced by everyone, which causes us to proceed to what we learn from each other. The idea of a discourse community seems to interact with Bartholomae and Harris and also shows that not everyone is himself or herself. Everyone interacts within their community to learn how to speak with others. Within our discourse writing community we use our blogs to view each other’s ideas of their way to speak. Along with our “genres’ we can learn what to say from others and how to proceed with it. However throughout our lives we interact with different communities, which can change our views on what we speak of and how we write about it. You might be taught in school that some of the influences of literacy from your community are wrong, yet they still make you who you are today. Your surrounding communities will always impact you.

Literacy and Good Writing

Joseph Dixon

What is Good Writing?

To be literate means that a person is capable of reading and writing, as well as understanding the context and purpose. Being literate does not necessarily include the comprehension and depth of the work that is needed in order to be “good” writing. “Good” writing is the ability to utilize the available effort and organizational tactics put forth by the author. Your Good writing completes thoughts and demonstrates a point/goal while having captivating characteristics. Qualities of good writing include correct grammar, interesting points, and efficiency. With these qualities of good writing, you have a high chance of successfully communicating with others allowing them to understand what you are saying. By having the ability to write good, the audience to who you are speaking to are more likely to stay in touch with what you are saying and make connections with who you are speaking to.

When you are writing it is always recommended to stay focused on the topic you are speaking about. Not being able to stay focused on your topic is considered a bad quality of writing. This would confuse the audience and not allow them to focus on what you are trying to write about. You must also use to correct grammar, along with punctuation and spelling in order for the audience to understand. The lack of these traits can cause you to sound unprofessional leaving you unable to get the correct message out.

One thing that tends to grind my gears when it comes to writing is when people do not understand how to use the correct spelling of the word your or you’re. Another thing that tends to get me irritated is when people type sentences without using periods or when they using abbreviations for certain words. Without a period at the end of a sentence I tend to hard time paying attention to the subject. The use of abbreviations irritates me because I never know what the abbreviation is trying to talk about. If anyone is trying to type something to me, I prefer him or her to use proper grammar and the right punctuation so I can understand them well.

I do agree with the teaching as unteaching article. My teachers in high school were never strict on the thesis statements or the punctuations as the professors are now in college. I feel that if you stay on topic and allow your audience to understand what you are speaking your paper will be fine. But now in college it is different and I still have lots of things to learn from my professors to become a better writer.