Rhymes of History, as explained by Dr. Thornburg, "While evolution may be taking place the affect or impact of a new development rekindle something from the distant past" (Laureate, n.d.) An example of a piece of technology that "rekindles" or represents a piece of history would be blogs or the act of blogging. The mere act of blogging represents one person putting forth ideas, documenting events, sharing information, or interests for a wider audience. Once presented it is possible for the public to react or respond back in written form. Exchanging and recording information in an informal way has been taking place in the form of journals for as long as history has been recorded. Blogs are described by Wikipedia as regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video which are usually maintained by an individual. "Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries." (Wikipedia, 2010) In the technological age the act of blogging brings back the sharing and recording of information through journals into the digital and searchable form of writing, making it possible for future generations to search, read, and learn more about their families’ history or genealogy. Writers and readers are able to form a special bond with the journals because it is in those words that a person’s emotions are shared in a way that is only second to actually speaking in person. The connection grows as the writer shares a part of themselves with the reader, giving a glimpse into their life at the time of the entry. Canadian Family (n.d.) Clipart retrieved from http://www.canadianfamily.ca/articles/article/teens-and-blogging/
Creative Journaling (2010). A brief history of journaling and diaries. Retrieved from http://www.creative-journaling.com/history-of-journaling.html
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer) (n.d.) Rhymes of history. [Podcast] featuring Dr. David Thornburg. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4433411&Survey=1&47=3931272&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
NY Times (1981) Diary writing turns a new leaf. NY Times Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/08/magazine/diary-writing-turns-a-new-leaf.html?pagewanted=3
Wikipedia (2010). Blog. Retrieved from http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Erika--I totally agree with your example! My mother sent me a box of material from my high school days that she had cleaned out of various drawers at home, and included were some journal entries of mine that were written for Mrs. Sharp's English class my Senior year. I took this assignment seriously, and wrote rather extensively on a variety of subjects that were near and dear to me.
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful that Mrs. Sharp was a very open-minded and slightly subversive teacher, as her encouragement and kind words about my bizarre adolescent thoughts gave me hope and the self-confidence to leave my home town and pursue bigger dreams and visions elsewhere the next year (and ever since).
Although Mrs. Sharp is no longer with us, I did have the chance to thank her shortly before her final illness. She was a friend of my parents (but NEVER shared my thoughts with them!), and through them she kept tabs on my progress in the big world out there, but was a bit surprised that I remembered a joke that she had made in class and shared it back with her in the form of a greeting card some 20 years later.
Reading over these early blog posts made me laugh, cry, and reminded me of not only how far I'd come, but how much I had learned since the time I felt that I had all the answers, if the world would just bother to ask me the right questions!
Every child should have at least one teacher like Mrs. Sharp--if this were the case, our schools would be far better places! In the mean time, everyone should blog, journal, or otherwise keep a record they can revisit many years later--what a long, strange trip we take!