Welcome to the Reading-Writing 544 (Spring 2016) class blog!

You are encouraged to use this blog as a place to keep notes, to present your ideas and opinions, or to start a discussion about a topic that you think is interesting or important.

Here is a basic truth about writing:

The more you write in different contexts and situations, and the more time you spend writing, the faster your writing improves! However, if you don't do a minimum of writing, your writing skills will actually deteriorate!! 

Much like learning to play the piano or play a sport, writing is a physical process; more than most people realize! Consequently, the more you write, the more comfortable you'll feel about writing in English, and when you get more comfortable, you can concentrate on improving specific skills, like paying more attention to word choices, or finding different ways of developing an idea, as well as learning how to find your own grammar and syntax problems.

Writing is also the best way to get a deeper understanding of the complexities and flexibilities of a language. Further, writing can help you organize your thoughts. Writing a first draft helps you realize what you actually think about an issue. Once you have a first rough draft, further revising and re-writing can help you organize and explain your thoughts and ideas even better.  

Writing also has other benefits. For example, writing in a personal journal lets you think through difficult situations you don't feel comfortable discussing with others. At other times, when you feel inspired, you can even create alternate realities in writing. 

Some writers claim that you don't really know what you think about something until you write about it. So, use writing to find out what you think about different issues and things you learn and experience. 

Best wishes to everybody, and I hope we will have a great learning experience this quarter!