Thlog - Week 1

This week in class we mostly covered the topics of genre and convention, and the relationships they share with not only each other, but with writing as a whole. A large portion of class was spent on understanding how different genres were made up of different conventions and yet, certain conventions could span in similar genres. The readings also covered this, and another main idea stated in Genres and Convetinons, was about how if we can understand what a genre is used for, it can help make people accomplish goals. The article also stated that you should change your approach and plan according to the necessary conventions of that genre, in order to better your writing. Class also taught me how to expand my ideas of genres and see how small parts of our daily lives can fit into a genre all on their own. For example, the many genres that make up Photography, such as black and white or panorama are not genres many people focus on. But if you take a step back and realize what makes a certain genre itself, you begin to see the conventions that make up various genres and how they can sometimes relate. Finally, we covered an essay written by Peter Elbow that focused on two different types of thinking called First-Order Thinking and Second-Order Thinking. First-Order Thinking is the process of allowing your ideas to flow and be as creative as possible with very little restrictions and censorship. Second-Order Thinking is the process of critically analyzing your thoughts, so that they may follow a direction, and are more controlled than First-Order thoughts. The most significant part of these two ways of thinking results from the fact that each process of thinking plays off the other and they help to make a better paper. First-Order allows you to write down as much information as possible, while Second-Order sorts the information and helps create a more concise, and better-written paper.

Hello, my name is Joseph Najera and I am a second year student at the University of California, Santa Barbara. My major at the moment is Math, but I’m trying to pursue at least a minor in Computer Science as well. After UCSB, I would like to either enter the Peace Corps, or a program called Teach for America. If all else fails, my backup plan is to just travel the world and try to see as many places and cultures as possible. In my spare time, I really like to hike and surf, and if I’m not doing either of those, then I’m probably taking pictures of whatever I feel looks cool, even though its probably not. I very recently discovered rock climbing and it has become one of my new favorite hobbies. Sports are also a huge part of my life, as I absolutely love the Dodgers and Raiders. In the end, I just like to try new things, and any outdoor activity is heaven for me.