Situating Narrative Inquiry did not draw me in as much. Though I thought they had some useful advice, the article was much more point blank and offered more definitions and straightforward terms than analytical thinking. 

A recognition that capturing the particular and local rather than insisting on the development and validity of a “grand narrative” of a culture is a worthy goal (Geertz, 1983)

People tend to make such a big deal lately out of the culture that I feel like they have started to forget the individual. Especially in my teaching classes lately, we have been discussing respecting culture and multiculturalism repeatably. Though I wouldn't call this lesson useless, I definitely think it's overemphasized. As teachers, we shouldn't be so distracted by someone's culture, so why are we making it such a big deal? We should be able to look at the whole person no matter what and see what exactly it is that makes them a true individual. We put such a focus on these seemingly big things, but I think the little things, the particulars, the local, matter just as much if not more. These are the things that need to be recognized, so I definitely find this a "worthy goal."

Such a stance assumes that time is real and static rather than constructed or influenced by culture or individual human interaction (Slife, 1993).

Time is always moving. However, time is not influenced by a person, the person is influenced by time. So many people live their lives trying to race against the clock whether it is for sport or simply a part of their daily lives. They have to make the best of it and use time to their advantage. Time will always be there. Though it is constantly changing, this is still a static reality. No one can change or stop time. Individuals and cultures need to realize that they are still control over time in their own lives. No one can dictate for another what to do with it, but we all hope we make use of it. We are the influencing factor on time, not the other way around.

A turn toward acceptance of multiple ways of knowing the world is a turn toward establishing findings through authenticity, resonance, or trustworthiness (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Denzin & Lincoln, 1994).

This was probably my favorite quote throughout the selection. Everyone has a different view of the world. They feel differently about different subjects and different people, but this does not make their view wrong if you do not agree with it. This is that person’s absolute truth, their knowledge of the world based off their own experiences. Just because you cannot know their same world does not make it any less authentic or real. It is still real to them and understanding that can only make you a more researched and trustworthy person overall.

How has technology affected your writing in class?
I never really found a use for Twitter before this class. I had to make an account for my Intro to Writing Arts Class, but I didn't have it on my phone and rarely remembered to use it except for when we were reminded to in class. I definitely found more of a use for it in this class. As for our class blog, I have blogged before for various other classes, so this wasn't as new to me. For the website, I found myself intrigued, but a little unsure how to approach it. I like posting here and trying to express myself on the page, knowing that any visitors to my site will only have that to define me by. For that reason, I find that my writing is most professional here. I would never think to use texting language or acronysms in a forum like this, but try to show the best version of myself and my best writing. I definitely find myself writing for the genre in this class. My blog posts are obviously much more thought-provoking than my tweets. I would say though that my tweets are more personal, at least at surface value as they are usually spuratic thoughts, but they are still more condensed. I still prefer writing for a blog over Twitter though.

How has technology connected or made you mindful of your writing and place?
I used to think that I did my best writing on pen and paper. There was a written draft for just about everything, but lately I have been doing less of this and using the computer as a primary tool as well. I have done my blog posts straight on this forum, sometimes saving my pieces as drafts first and coming back to them, but usually making minimal changes. I don't think I ever completely let technology in as Theodora Stites did in "Rock My Network." I could never imagine being in so many networks as she is over having identities online just for the forum. "We love personal information; Internet communities are a popularity contest, and it is no longer chic to be mysterious." This comment particularly struck me. I actually won’t add a lot of people on Facebook because I think it’s mysterious that strangers want to be “friends.” I would definitely lose the popularity contest she's referring to. I don't want people to be able to just stare at my page or my friends. The page is personal to me and I use it to connect to people I can't be in daily contact with anymore; it's not simply a count for me. I feel like I am just the opposite of Stites. While she said, "I honestly don't know why anyone wants to socialize in person anymore. It's so difficult to concentrate on talking to just one person at a time. Eye contact isn't all it's cracked up to be, and facial expressions are so hard to control," I find that these are some of the exact reasons why I love talking in person or on the phone. It's much more personal to hear a voice or see a face; you're there, in the moment and in the same place, no doubt about it. A text or facebook chat does not guarantee this. All of my best relationships are ones that do not rely on these tools.

How has technology impacted your identity construction?
I would have to agree that I am a different person for in each medium. I reflect myself differently in class than I do in writing. In class, I don't present myself as strongly as I do through writing. I am quieter and more reserved, and quite honestly a little more tired in my first class of the morning so my brain is not exactly at its peak. When I sit down to write after class, I reflect a lot more of myself. My mind is more alert, and I have also been stronger on paper than speech. My tweets, though slightly more forced since I feel like I should be doing them, are usually personal talking about what I'm doing or what I want to be doing. My blogs are more analytical and display my true thoughts about the articles, also interweaving my own opinions about the topic. Though this isn't all necessarily shown in class, I get the opprotunity to redeem myself through my technology use. However, someone who already knows me on a personal level that I am close to might disagree. Just last week my friend said in response to someone's comment that I'm quiet, "You've never seen or heard her really get started then. Then you can't get her to stop." Though this is true and I prefer more personal conversations and connections, my writing is my most expressive. A facebook page won't share facts about me for the world, but a blog or paper I consider personal absolutely will.