Blogging Around

So I was reading Kara's blog and I was amazed by the rich insight it provided on writing for yourself rather that for the people around you, and how you should let your voice flow through your writing rather than allowing our voices to sound like an insipid mosaic rather that the insightful ones that we dream of having. Below is my comment to her post:

"Hey Kara!
I'm literally in love with this post because of the truth ringing throughout it. Remember the days before Academy back in middle school? There were strict rules that turned us into aliens; so much to the point that you couldn't tell apart my paper from yours. I don't think they meant to do this, but similar to "Plato's Cave Allegory" our voices and independent thoughts were to be hidden and chained up behind words that we didn't really mean. We were forced to look at the images going across the cave wall projector telling us how we should write. And if we didn't an F would prevail. Like King Lear we were blinded over with our grades. But sooner or later our perspectives would have to be altered by our own thoughts that we have never realized ever! Blogging was the way for me, personally, to put out all my ideas and learn from my own ideas I never knew had existed in the first place.
I think Mr. Morgan helped us transition from middle school writing to higher writing and Mt. Allen helped us get into deeper water. Every teacher has their own personal writing style but similar to Orlando, I think we all learned to toss the outside world into the garbage and throw out that fake, glossed over writing and tell the world what I've been itching to say. And I think that for people that are naturally introverted or if there is a comment that they don't want to say in class, this is the perfect thing to do to let everything out.
Also, according to some psychologists there's more security in writing something that saying it. But anyways I love this and I can completely relate. Unleash your voice and actually have fun with writing and forget about the grades for a second. It all comes down to thee question: Is learning more important or grades?
Chao!"

I then commented on Sebastion's post about how writing his final drafts of poetry seemed to be a drag for him after the first few drafts, but yet he thought that he deserved to receive an A. Below is my comment to that:

"Sebas I can relate.

For my first three drafts I was like "Hahah this is easy! I don't know what everyone is complaining about!" But I spoke to quickly. It soon became this vicious cycle in which I tried extremely hard on each draft but they still wouldn't be good enough. But those drafts did give me something: They allowed true metacognition to occur. By analyzing my thought process every time I wrote a new poem I was able to see the strengths, weaknesses, norms, and peculiarities that my brain would go through. It was probably the most stressful thing I had ever written, my brain always trying to push itself until it could do no more.
For me there's a true difference between learning and a grade. This poetry process taught me how to use my brain, taught me how to manage my time, taught me about the path to poetry. So what if I may have not gotten the grade I wanted? So what if I got the grade I did want? School isn't about get the grades colleges want to see (though it's manifested itself into our brains as being that way). It's about learning, don't ever forget that.
But yup I believe that if it was determined on effort, all of us would be A-worthy. and I agree with Rich above. IF it is in your eyes and it's the best you believe you can possibly do, then by all means it is the best, don't let petty grades tell you otherwise."

I think that both of these were extremely good posts and just expanded on them a little. 

Bye!