sure do hope this works... final essay.

here is the link... i think...

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AYUopT0KUpNHZDVzOWhwOF81YzZ4djh0ZHQ&hl=en

the end...

I would have to say that the most memorable thing I learned this semester has been just how powerful and influential the internet can actually be to literacy and writing. As I will admit in previous posts, blogging never really appealed to me, and I never gave blogs any credit for being anything of worth. However, as we continued through the class and incorporated blogging and internet literacy into our classroom discussions and assignments, I started to appreciate what people can post on blogs and what can be written online. I always understood that the internet was a prime source for communication via email or social networks. I now know – thanks to this class – that the internet is also very powerful in the exchange of ideas, the promotion of discussion, and the growth and spread of information and stories all over the world. A specific event I remember talking about in class that demonstrates how the internet promoted discussion and the growth of a story involved the class of children that sang a song about Obama. This story made news all across the nation and turned into a topic of controversy and haste. Sadly, the video possibly could have just started out as a post on YouTube by a boasting and proud parent, but with the big powerful internet, or at least the users of, the children were being seen on televisions all across America… ha, they are famous now!

I guess that also goes to show how my views on reading and writing on the internet has changed as well. It is powerful and can be effective. I no longer view it as just postings by any ole’ person online who just wants to post something – these people actually know what they are talking about and present good points. My reading and writing in general has changed by being able to write something on the spot with a short amount of time and actually have it mean something. Before, it would take me hours to come up with an idea, and days or weeks to really get down on paper (or Microsoft word, haha) what I wanted to say. Now, through this blogging, I am able to have an idea, organize my thoughts rather quickly, and write. I try not to accredit this to my procrastination and being forced to come up with a decent post at 10:45 in the morning, but whatever works I guess!