Blog Entry #11 - Final Words

Hello Bloggers and future bloggers! (:

Do you remember that first day of school and that that nerve-wrecking feeling of not knowing where anything is or who anyone was? You just hope to find a familiar face somewhere in the crowd and hope to fit in with some group of kids that were hopefully like you. And once you arrive to this new surrounding without any knowledge of anything beside your classes for the year. Then, out of nowhere this person walks up to you and greets your with a warm inviting smile saying "Hi My name is" and helps guide you in the right direction until you familiarize yourself with this new surrounding. Well, consider me that person. Hi, My name is Mariah, and i'm here to let you in on a few tips for those of you that are new to blogging. At first I thought this whole new experience would be extremely confusing and difficult due to the fact that i'm not at all good with technology.

Luckily, I really enjoyed using Blogger. I was very excited to start blogging since i've always had the thought of sharing my writing with other people and follow fellow bloggers for insight. So, yes you could say I took this whole experience seriously and I was a loyal follower to many other bloggers. It's great to be able to communicate with fellow bloggers and share ideas with one another.

To my benefit, blogging allowed me to share my opinion in a light that both engaged other readers while also being mindful, and interesting. However, there will be some challenges you will face when using blogger. Mine just happened to be figuring out what topic I would write about some points throughout the semester. Another one was trying to engage my readers and development in my posts because often times I was very brief in my entries. Also keep in mind to include closing thoughts in your entries and leave your audience with support and lead-in context.

Just by blogging all this semester I learned to be rhetorically aware in my entries and with my audiences. I also learned how to be more engaging in my posts and provide relatable life happenings that many people consider or address in everyday life. Blogs don't always have to be personal and constantly about yourself. There's a difference when it comes to posting personal blogs and casually professional blog entries.

Blogs not only change the whole view of communication, but it also helps analyze fellow bloggers and get a first hand glance at who they are as a person. I know just by following some of my peer's blog entries in class helped me relate in some form, whether it was from content they had blogged about or stuff we shared in common. Now I know what you're thinking. Why make friends online and not in person. Truth is, that sort of thing that be difficult especially in a hybrid course where people already know those who were in the class before your entrance into the class. But blogging did open my eyes on how technology has come such a long was in forms of communication.

Which leads to blogging being a useful tool in the classroom. It helps practice rhetoric, grammar, and overall communication skills when dealing with a wide range of audiences. You begin to learn what to say and what shouldn't be said and that helps writers in the long run. You're not only bettering yourself as a writer, but you're also opening new outlets in writing other than books, and verbal communication.

 I found Blogger to be very useful in my academic endeavors in English. I recommend all writers to take a stab at blogging and widen your horizon. Who knows, you may enjoy it. And with that information, I leave you to embark on your new journey and hope to read some of your entries in the near future. (: