First, describe your presence in this class. Did you know you were signing up for a hybrid writing class? What do you expect from a hybrid class? Have you taken one before? What questions do you have as we begin? What does “good participation” in a class mean to you in a hybrid context?

One of the requirements at Baruch is to take an English 2100 and an English 2150 course. After having taken the traditional face-to-face class last semester for English 2100, a friend suggested that I try the hybrid course for the 2150 level. I was immediately intrigued by the leniency of the schedule. Signing up for the hybrid would mean that I would not have to be present in a classroom setting, and rather have that freed up time to work or do other things. I didn’t really know what to expect from a hybrid course, especially an English one, but I did presume that the work load and demands may be somewhat similar (there’s no easy way out!). “Good participation” in a hybrid context would mean completing assignments on time and submitting insightful responses to reading assignments. This is my first time taking a hybrid course, and interestingly enough I am also taking a fully online micro economics course so I’m hoping for the best! So far I don’t have any questions, but I’m sure I will be in touch with you once the need arises!

Next, tell me about you as a writer and a reader. What types/genres of writing do you enjoy? What forms of digital writing do you encounter in your everyday life and for what purposes?What programs and/or technologies enable these forms of composing? Try to think widely here (email, social media, texting, word processing apps such as Google Docs, Microsoft Word, etc.). What is your prior experience with composing using multiple forms of media? What is your method for reading analysis? Do you take notes? Do you read online, on your phone, etc? Do you prefer to have a tangible text?

In terms of reading, I wouldn’t necessarily classify myself as an avid book reader. I will read books occasionally, whether for class or for enjoyment, but I think it would be more accurate to describe myself as an aware and conscious “reader” meaning that I am constantly aware of “reading” my surroundings—whether it be titles of newspapers, plaques describing an ice cream shop’s (like Ben and Jerry’s) road to establishment, researching various and inspiring people, reading the jokes on a stick of gum, or really anything in between. I am always just constantly reading and learning more about wherever I may be. I encounter many forms of writing— most of which have become digitally available and easily accessible. Depending on what I need to compose, I may use any of those email, social media, texting or word processing platforms.

When it comes to reading analysis, I usually like to have a print-out of the document. I still prefer taking notes the traditional way (highlighter and pencil), as opposed to typing up notes in the sidelines. I feel like I grasp the material better when I hand-write it, but that’s just my personal preference!

Finally, what is your earliest memory of writing? How has “writing” changed for you since that memory? What are your strengths as a writer and/or composer of digital/online texts? Recall a past experience when you felt proud of your writing and digital composing: Who was the audience? Where did this piece of work circulate? What are your current views about writing?

When I think of my first writing experiences, I will always remember the writing exercises I had in first grade. However, this was mainly just a physical activity, without much personal, or thoughtful analysis. I remember fifth grade as the grade where I wrote more thoughtfully. Since then, my writing has improved and developed a great deal. One of my most proud “writing” experiences was when there was an article published in a newspaper about my gap year experience in Israel. I put writing in quotes, because I didn’t write the full article, but was rather interviewed and quoted for it (making me somewhat of an author!). The newspaper was distributed to the counties in Northern New Jersey, and the article spoke mostly about my experience volunteering as a teacher’s assistant in an elementary school in Jerusalem, Israel.

My current views about writing is that it is a very personal and reflective activity. Writing does not come easily to me. It takes me lots of time to think of how I would like to say what’s on my mind. I tend to have a very analytical approach, but I must work really hard to make sure it is delivered as well as I can imagine it in my mind. Overall, I am very pleased with my writing, but I am always open for suggestions and looking for where I can improve.