Victoria’s Blog

I will start out by saying that when I first saw the length of the article, I was crushed. The first thing I thought to myself was, “how will I ever finish this?”. In the end, I did finish it. After reading the article I found myself very impressed with how well the author persuaded me to believe that blogs were really not such a bad thing after all. I was glad to have been given a variety of positive outcomes that can be formed inside the world of blogging. This is because my first reaction to creating my own blog was negative.

Aside from constructing my own personal opinions, I was also able to make connections between the article and my English class. Both were extremely clear about the set-up of  a blog, the customization options, and how a blog can become a social gateway for thousands, if not millions of people. Both resources also taught me the kind of freedom one has while blogging. There are no restrictions on length, topics, or format. I believe that this will lead students to become more successful with their writing because they will have no limitations. The article and the discussions that take place in English class have been very helpful in my understanding of the world of blogging.

Tis article also taught me a lot about the many different aspects writing can bring to the table. A key takeaway from the article is that thinking about what you are going to write about is the most difficult step, the rest is easy. After getting a good start on your writing, the words will begin to flow. Writing can also be an escape for many people, a way to pour their thoughts and feelings out into the world. It can bring people’s imaginations to life, and allow them to share those with a variety of audiences. The most passionate writers can turn their hobby into a proffestion with the right amount of work and dedication. They can go on to publish novels, newspapers, poems, etc. Even if you do not enjoy writing, it will still help you develops skills that will last you a lifetime. Finally, writing has become a primary source for expressing ideas, teaching new concepts, and entertaining society. For example, a blog allows users to read what others around them think and feel about another topic. Another example is you could go to your public library and find a biography on a person you want to learn more about. Last example, you could borrow a book such as “The Hunger Games”, and read it for only the purpose of enjoyment.

To summarize, this article was very useful to me. I learned the meaning of blogging, the positives that come with, and how it opens a door to a whole new level of writing. I know that blogging brings an experience to people that cannot be found elsewhere. I am pleased to say that I truly support the idea of blogging now, and I look forward to doing it more in the future.

Summary:

• It takes around 10,000 hours of dedication to a certain task to be considered an expert/professional at it.
• Writing provides students with skills that will help them succeed in almost any future career they find themselves in.
• A blog provides the opportunity to explore and develop your writing.
• 3 questions to ask yourself before you begin to write: 1) Who is your audience? 2) What is your purpose? 3) What genre are you writing?
• 4 elements of autonomy (task, technique, time, and team).
• Choosing a topic to write about may very well be the most difficult part of writing.
• 5 forces that inspire you to write: 1) Urgency to the topic. 2) Important purpose. 3) Feeling knowledgeable to write about a certain subject. 4) Personal interest. 5) Positive audience and feedback.
• Blogging brings a sense of independence for the writer.
• Blogs allow your work to live on forever.
• Your blog posts can be short, long, formal, informal, etc…
• If someone wanted to start a blog, most websites have simple (easy to understand) directions.
• Your blog can include pictures, videos, podcasts, almost any kind of media.
• You can customize dozens of features that your blog includes.
• You can filter out unwanted comments on your blog.
• The main point of blogging is to write/share your interests with others on the web.
• As a blogger, set goals for yourself (post once a day, comment on another blog, explore new ideas from other blogs, etc).

Key Terms/Main Ideas:

The main idea of this article is to express the benefits of blogging, and to inform people how simple and entertaining managing a blog can be.

Intrinsic Motivation: Behavior that is driven by internal rewards.

Extrinsic Motivation: Behavior that is driven by external rewards (money, praise, fame, etc).

Autonomy: Freedom from external control, and influence. Independence.

Blogosphere: Blogs existing as a community/connection.

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) Feed: A file that updates every time you post something new. Also allows others to connect with your blog.

Commentary:

When I was first introduced to the idea of a blog, I was unhappy. I have always been content and comfortable with the idea of simply writing by hand onto a piece of paper. After reading this article my perspective changed. Turns out there are many benefits to having a blog. I found myself agreeing with almost everything the author had to say about blogging. I loved the idea of independence with blogging. Your post could be the length of a book, or simply one sentence that gets straight to the point. You could blog in the morning, the afternoon, or the evening. You could write about anything that comes to mind, and share your opinion with the rest of the world. I was also very pleased with how well the author explained the blog set up, and all the different options that are available for bloggers. For someone like me, who is new to blogging, the author led me to believe that managing a blog is not as complicated as it may seem to be. This left me with a positive outlook on blogging. In conclusion, the author did a wonderful job expressing the positive experience blogging can bring to people all around the globe. Thanks to Alex Reid, (author) I can now welcome the idea of blogging in my English class.

While setting up my blog, I discovered many things that went well. The steps were very easy to follow and understand, there were a variety of choices for the blog (theme, fonts, headings), and it did not take a lot of time to do. Overall the set-up was very simple.

I only faced a couple problems while setting up the blog. First, I was a little confused  with the widgets, but after watching a video it made sense to me. Second, navigating the blog took me a while to figure out. I would say I felt more curious than frustrated with the issues I encountered. Other than that, everything went fine for me.

My thinking was more focused while setting up the blog. I made sure to pay close attention to what was expected from me during the set-up process. This was because blogs were almost like a foreign concept to me. I have never run my own blog, or thought about it. The type of thought I experienced during the blog set-up was the same kind of thought I had when I first picked up a basketball. These compare because they were both new to me at the time, and I had to learn about them. Finally, while writing these posts my thinking level was very high. I believe this is because I want my posts to be good quality for the people that read them.

My name is Victoria (Tori) Gateno. I am a junior at John Marshall High School, and a part-time PSEO student at RCTC. My extracurricular activities include basketball and being part of the National Honor Society. My hobbies outside of school are hanging out with my friends, watching movies, and going on outdoor adventures. I also love to travel, and because my family is from all around the world, I have been to many different countries. I am an only child and live with both of my parents, and my pet bunny (Eddie). After I graduate high school, I hope to study nursing. My plan is to attend college somewhere in, or near Minnesota. Finally, some simple facts about me! My favorite food is mac and cheese, and Chipotle. I love all music. I enjoy English class, but my favorite is history!