How did knowing you’d have to write a Review on the blog change the way you read our books? How did it change the way you prepared for class?
I definitely think knowing I’d have to write a review affected the way I read each book, and how closely I read it. I had to go into it with the mindset of, “Okay, what do I have to pull out of this that would be relevant to a review?” and spend the book really looking more for key points and flaws rather than reading for enjoyment. However, it’s reading for class, so that aspect isn’t necessarily a problem.
How did writing in this format affect your writing process and writing style? I’m really interested to hear how writing in a blog format was different from writing you’ve done in other classes, whether English classes with more traditional papers, other courses with online writing (blog, discussion board, etc.) or otherwise. Did the possibility of a wider audience – your classmates, or anyone who stumbled upon our blog – change the way you wrote?
I typically find when writing for other classes that I have a tendency to be long winded. I found more and more consistently with the blog that I had to be punchier and I had to make my points more succinctly. My screenwriting class uses the discussion board format where every week someone submits their script for critique online and everyone must post on the discussion board what they thought. I think I prefer this method because it gives me more opportunities to write creatively
How often did you read the Reviews posted by your classmates? Did you gravitate towards reading particular writers?
Not as often as I should have, but I did try to read a handful every week. I tended to gravitate toward Bobby’s reviews because I think his writing style is very fun, and we seem to have similar tastes as far as literature goes.
Did knowing that you had to post on the blog affect the way you read (and watched) stuff unrelated to the course readings?
Not really, because I wasn’t approaching them from an angle of having to review them. When I read for pleasure I consume it as I would a film or television show and just experience it viscerally without necessarily analyzing it. At least not at first.
I’d be excited to hear you reflect on whether and/or how your experience with and attitude towards the blog changed over the course of the semester. Did it live up to its promise? Was the blog element of the course better or worse than you hoped or feared?
I didn’t really have any negative attitudes toward the blog at the beginning of the semester. I thought it was a cool idea, and it turned out to be a very engaging teaching tool.
Finally, if you’d like, reflect upon the possibility that the work you’ve posted on the blog is now available for anyone to read, even now that the course is over. Do you think this blog could be a useful resource for future readers curious about the topic?
I do! Given that cli-fi has not quite reached the mainstream in a big way, I think it’s good to provide people with a wealth of opinions on the matter from a host of different sources. None of us feel the same way about cli-fi or climate change in general and it would only serve to make someone’s view more rounded by intently looking at our blog. In that sense, I definitely believe the blog can be used as a useful teaching tool.
