Writing about Literature in the Digital Age

Today in class, we were assigned to read the digital E-book, Writing about Literature in the Digital Age. This explores the topic of how blogging, instead of long research papers can introduce new ways of connecting to the things we are reading. I read 2 chapters, A Letter from Hell: Screwtape on the Digital Age as well as Jane Eyre and Social Technology: Changing the Learning Process. 

Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne is one of my favorite books. While I typically like longer books than this one, this novel has such a wide range of settings with a new adventure in each one, that this book of 122 pages is more exciting than most 500 page books I have read. Most importantly, this book is very applicable to how Literature is being changed by the Digital Age. 

We begin with the character of Phileas Fogg, who is a very proper, well regulated, British Gentleman. He does the same thing every day at precisely the same time in precisely the same way. Then out of the blue, a friend challenges an idea of Mr. Foggs's, that with the new impressive traveling routes, a person could make it around the world in a mere 80 days. Taking the bet, Mr. Fogg decided to leave that very afternoon, along with his servant, to prove that one could travel the world in such a short period of time. On his travels, Mr. Fogg doesn't always stick to his route, and he meets new people and becomes acquainted with new ideas. 

This reminds me in many ways of the "new traveling routes" of experiencing literature that are available due to many new digital resources. While many scholars want to stay within defined, regulated standards of learning, if we take a step outside of the world we are used to living in and explore, we can discover many new ideas and ways of relating to literature.  

BYU-I Learning Model

Well, to begin with, my name is Makenna Phillips. This blog is the beginning  of an interesting concept for my Writing Literary Analysis class, about how the world is changing due to the internet and advanced online resources. These new resources disrupt the traditional approach to learning about literature. But before I delve more into this topic, it is important to go over the learning model for this class. The BYU-I learning model is made up of three parts:

1. Prepare

2. Teach one another

3. Ponder/prove

One can prepare in many ways for a class. I believe that in order to be fully prepared, you have to do more than just doing the assigned work and showing up. You have to look at learning as more than just information you are trying to memorize. I try to become engaged in the subject I am studying, to seek additional information so that I might actively participate and have more ideas than those that were just handed to me in the book. I have found that when I try to become excited about a subject, I am more prepared for class by actually caring about what we are discussing. 

As for teaching one another, I have had many opportunities to work in groups and one on one within classrooms. I have found that when you get to know your peers, it is easier for me to participate  in discussions. I am on the shy side, so speaking my opinion in front of a foreign audience is nearly impossible. Once I get to know my fellow students, it becomes much easier to talk without turning a bright shade of red! Even if I completely understand the subject, by teaching someone else and having to explain everything, it reinforces the things I have learned so that I understand the subject on a new level. 

It is important not to just memorize information and regurgitate it on a test, then promptly forget whatever it was you just memorized, but to ponder the things you learn then prove them. To me, proving means that you take the knowledge you gained and apply it to your life. I have found that the things I learn about in books change the way I think and view many ideas. When I am interested in the subject, a piece of literature can effect how I see everything. However, I have found that more and more lately I have been immediately forgetting the things I read instead of trying to apply my new knowledge. I hope that this learning model will inspire me to become more prepared and dedicated to the English Language so that I might be able to effectively communicate my ideas with my fellow classmates.