Retrospective

In the past 15 weeks whilst in Writing 140, I've learned a vast amount of writing tools and information through the tied class, Black Social Movements. I've learned how to deeply research a topic or issue not just on the surface, but how to distinguish sources from each other so that I may find sources like first-hand accounts or an academic journal on the topic instead of a second-hand article that has been passed down over the years through word-of-mouth. A simple overview of a topic is no longer enough– it is up to me as the researcher to find unique factoids of information and connect my discoveries to my knowledge on the topic to make my own formatted essay on the topic, as compared to following the format of another's overview online. Through the process of blogging, as well as writing different styles of essays, I have learned the different voices a writer can hold that come out depending on the type of writing he is encountering. Blogging is very much a personal style of writing that is not as focused on the logistics of one's writing but the emotions and opinions that one holds. I believe this style, blogging, is what I will be using the most in my future as a journalist, but it is also very important that I keep articles as bias-free and grammatically correct as possible, and that is where my techniques that I've learned in Writing 140 will come in handy. It is possible that my career will require me to be a blogger of some sorts, and the tools I've learned in this class will certainly help me further explore the world of blogging.