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In both readings 7 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about Accessibility and Accessibility guidelines for UX Design, the importance of accessibility for all people no matter their disability was brought to light and really focused on because sometimes those with disabilities like colorblindness are not always thought of when something is digitally made. There are many ways to make a website accessible to all people like using icons to show that maybe something is missing as well as just using more visuals in general and color can be used as a highlight is desired. Another thing that can be done to make a website more accessible would be to make everything on the website visible so that those who use keyboard assistance are able to use all aspects of the website.

In a world that is trying to focus on being more inclusive and considerate of those that may have different needs than others, I believe that it is important to make everything that is used accessible to the best of the creators abilities for those who may suffer with different disabilities. As someone who has worked with children with different disabilities, it can be heartbreaking to know that these children do not get to experience things the same way as their peers who do not have disabilities would because of their disability. In making sure that everything is more accessible, those with disabilities are not missing out on as much as well as being able to understand what their peers may be speaking about when talking about a website.

In today’s society, everyone is pretty much hooked to their smartphone which is basically a tiny computer in our hands; we have access to so much information with the touch of a finger on our screen yet we do not always stop to think about who is watching us and if they are influencing what we see. While social media and the internet in general is a place to interact with people, advertise different things that you want out there and get information, it can also be the root of many of our issues. Big companies are able to spread lies and how we will believe them because we are so consumed in social media. Sustaining Critical Literacies in the Digital Information Age: The Rhetoric of Sharing, Prosumerism, and Digital Algorithmic Surveillance showed me something I already knew: we are basically being listened to and manipulated. In the video, Danah Boyd speaks about how the people who manipulate media can easily put it out there and twist it and cause doubt in the audience that can be used for their gain. This can be dangerous because people who pay for advertising can begin to put their own message out there and persuade people to think a certain way or to maybe do something they would not have thought to do before seeing this advertising on social media. Especially in the younger population with growing up with social media, they may think they know what they are viewing and who they are talking to and do not think that they are being persuaded in any way when in reality, all of their thoughts and opinions do not come from genuine sources and they can be misinformed.

In past experiences with professor conferences, I have found that in the moment they are very helpful but once I walk out of the office and sit down to make the revisions necessary, I completely forget everything they say to do and I am back to where I started before I spoke to the professor. I try to take as many notes as possible to help me remember what was said in the conference but only so much can be written down to help me remember what needs to be fixed. To fix this issue I have considered recording the conference but never have actually done it but I think it might need to be something I do for this assignment just because I have already struggled a bit getting a grasp on this assignment. With peer review sessions, my experience is that they can either be a great thing that can help me improve my writing or can be the worst thing because whoever is looking at my paper either does not know what to look for to correct or do not feel like correcting anything or they overcorrect because they do not want to look like they did nothing or think they are completely right and know everything and want to show off. Peer reviews are also a good thing because when you actually have a good partner, you can bounce off ideas with them as someone who is doing the assignment just like you and knows where your confusion is coming from and can help get you on the path you need to be just by talking back and forth and sharing your ideas.

When I begin to do research for a paper I am writing, I can get off topic pretty easily and quickly. I also will usually read maybe a few paragraphs and begin writing but then get either confused, forget where I was going with a sentence or a thought or just completely blank and need to reread the article. When this all starts to happen, I start reading and as I am reading I will take notes on things I think are key points of the article and make a type of outline for myself so I have an idea of where I am trying to go with my paper, gather my thoughts and have them organized in front of me which can make my process easier and it can also show me if my research is good and will give me enough to go off of to write my paper or if I need to find more information to make sure there is enough evidence to back up any claims that I am stating. For this assignment, it was definitely more difficult than I thought it would be to find sources so I had to expand what I was going to be researching and add some subheadings under my main question. I will also give myself more time to get what needs to be done for the deadlines as I usually do not always give myself enough time because I do procrastinate when I feel as though I have enough time just to find out that I am cutting it close and begin to stress myself out more than necessary. For this assignment, I will still use my tools that I use normally which is writing down the information I find important along with where I got the information from so it is easier to site in the moment instead of having to search for where the information initially came from.

For this post, the modes I used were linguistic and visual. I used linguistic in my paragraphs speaking about how I usually do research, what my downfalls are and what I plan on doing for our current assignment. I used visual in my gif of Cher thinking because I feel as though when I’m trying to put my thoughts together it takes a bit more to organize them which takes more thought. 

For this journal entry, we had to read What is Rhetorical about Digital Rhetoric? Perspectives and Definitions of Digital Rhetoric which spoke about digital rhetoric and the definition (or lack of) that we have. Although the term digital rhotic has been around since 1993, many scholars still struggle to define it; we know that it is a thing many positions that are available and terms that are used are “multimodal composing,” “digital writing,” “new media studies,” “digital media,” “digital humanities,” “computers and composition,” and “computers and writing.” The author mentioned that when he was hired as a digital rhetoric, these other positions that I previously listed were more known as used to hire people but as time has passed and we have learned more, digital rhetoric is now a more prevalent position than it was back then. Even with discussions happening all the time by scholars, there is no set definition. In the video attached to the article, scholars were asked to define digital rhetoric and some answers were “ I have no idea” or “I wish you would’ve asked me about my pen” proving how difficult it is to define it and that there is no one set definition because the term is ever evolving as well as a very complex topic that I myself cannot seem to wrap my head around no matter how many times we discuss it or read about it. 

In chapter 9 of Writing in Knowledge Societies, we see the topic of rhetoric and scientific knowledge and if they are related in anyway. Graves states, “the role of rhetoric in the creation of scientific knowledge and the ways in which one rhetorical figure in particular—metonymy—creates meaning.” which to me sounds like in science, rhetoric is necessary because it is how scientists can convince others in their community of their findings as well asl explain what they have found and why they believe they are true. Rhetoric is how scientists argue their points as well as come up with new ideas for their studies; rhetoric helps spark knowledge in the way that it sometimes can make you think but the issue with saying that can be that we are replacing the actual science with rhetoric saying that it is the sole reason scientists invent what they do on the daily. The reading goes on to distinguish the difference between metaphor and metonymy which is that  a metonymy has two ideas from one place while a metaphor has two ideas that come from two different places. Metonymy is something that theoretical scientists can use to persuade readers that things do exist. Rhetoric is all around us and is used all the time to explain things as well as make us see things the way others want them to be seen. I know that when there are things I’m trying to explain, I use rhetoric to try and explain them in a way that I want them to be perceived like grades, how life is etc. 

From the two readings, On Multimodal Composing and Women, Rhetoric, and Politics on Pinterest, different places and ways people used to composed were spoken about as well as where they are posted and put into the world. In On Multimodal Composing, the employees shown do their work in different places whether it be in the office, at home or a gym, they have their own processes on how to compose their writings. This reading also focuses on how these compositions are put into the world whether it be online communities or to crowds in person, their compositions are getting out and into the world. The other reading Women, Rhetoric, and Politics on Pinterest focuses on how many women use painters to discuss politics. With Pinterest being another social media platform where you can make different boards. it is interesting that these conversations would happen on this platform because for me personally, I use Pinterest for ideas for hairstyles or how to dress for different events. It is interesting to think how many ways there are to compose as well as get your compositions out into the world. Something that made me think from On Multimodal Composing is when the author said that composing is always happening whether we think it is or not; our brains never really stop working and we do not always realize it. Writing is different for everyone which we saw in On Multimodal Composing because their writers were working in many different spaces with different factors that can be a distraction to some. I know that personally I have to be in a space that has a desk and usually cannot be around many people otherwise I can get very distracted and not get done what I need to get done. Both of these writings show different ways composing is done.

In this reading Multiliteracies for a Digital Age, the use of technology was focused on very heavily and it did not take long to realize that was the theme of this wiring. Our generation grew up with technology and the advancements it has taken and will continue to take. While the older generation may not know much about the technology today, they have a basic understanding but did not have it while they were in school like we are fortunate to have today. Technology makes research easier as well as keeping in touch with professors and even classmates if need be; it makes doing class work easier and for some is a vital way for studying and note taking. But because we have a basic understanding, the older generation seems to think that we are pros with it which is something I feel like we experience in the classroom a lot. This point brings me to a quote that stuck out to me by Noble saying, “The technical focus shifts attention away from social questions and portrays computers as something to learn rather than something to think about.” Because computers are used so much, students need to find the fastest way to understand how to  complete an assignment using the technology meaning that we learn how to do specific things on the computers but are not always learning the millions of other things they can do or even think about all the things that they can do. ESU obviously offers us D2L which is an easy way for us to submit assignments and take quizzes yet has more to offer that many do not know about because it is not really taught by professors or the university. While many classrooms allow the use of technology, there are still some that do not and I believe that that needs to change because of how advanced technology is today it can be very beneficial with academics; some professors may see it as a distraction instead of a blessing not realizing that it can be the main way some people take down notes. The younger generations are the ones that need to advocate for the changes needed to understand technology in its entirety and not just to the extent that it is needed because it is ever changing.

When I first began to read Primary Care Clinic as Writing Space, I instantly thought of two things: Grey’s Anatomy and my actual major. The connection I made between both Grey’s Anatomy and my major with this article was charting; you see the doctors in Grey’s walking around with charts as well as writing in them and every day we have to do a version of charting called SOAP notes which is where a patient’s history is written as well as anything else that is wrong with them. These notes are also used for easier communication between other healthcare providers as well as patients so little to no miscommunication can happen. This reading wrote that chronic illnesses are responsible for 70% of deaths in the United States and to attempt to limit the deaths related to chronic illness, a new model called the health literate care model was created to help make difficult communication much easier when it comes to chronic illness because it helps with “patient-provider shared decision making, patient self-management, and evidence-based clinical practice” (Opel, D. S., & Hart-Davidson, W. (n.d.). Written Communication). Charting is a form of writing just like writing a paper; there are guidelines that need to be followed but it is the same as me writing my tumblr post about the article. 

During my reading, I also read about a study that was done with two work spaces: the “bench” and the “office”. The “bench” side looks just like a science lab would while the “office” side looks exactly like an office. When the observer looked around, it is found that all the work is done on the desk on the office side where there are stacks of papers; this is where the composing and revising takes place. It is found that the “bench” side is almost like a manic state with the writers being compulsive but their writing still gets done. This study proves that anywhere can be a writing place; you do not just have to write at a desk like many think. I found this interesting because growing up my mom would yell at me to do my homework at the desk we had in our living room as opposed to on the couch because she claimed that I would get nothing done while sitting on the couch.

After reading our first reading, Spaces for Writing, I started to think about what I do when I ever have to write a paper, essay or really anything that has to be turned in. My thoughts can be very scattered at times (especially when I am stressed) and the comic spoke about how jotting down ideas while writing anything is helpful because it can help to declutter your thoughts. I also enjoyed the fact that actual pictures of the authors were included because if you were to just be skimming through the comic that would draw your attention and bring you back in. This coming book spoke on there being many other ways to communicate what you want to get across like many people think. 

Another part of this reading that I enjoyed was when it began to get into the history that included Plato. This was a section I was about to skip until I saw the orange headings (yet again the visuals brought me back in) which made me stop and begin reading because I enjoy history; especially ancient Greek history. This section touched on Plato not wanting people to learn to write the same way parents today do not want their kids on social media: you never know what is being said at all times without physically seeing it and messing up the way people would communicate and be able to still tell the truth (just like people today). Plato basically believed that rhetoric was bad and should not be used like today how people think that rhetorical questions can end and argument or how often it is used in politics today which interested me because things that were going on back them still seem relevant.