Wardle

Before You Read:

I would have to say that my identity has definitely changed since I arrived at OU. I knew that I had to really start focusing on studying habits and my grades. In high school, I was able to get by without doing hardly any work. I didn't study at all and was still able to get good grades, but I knew that as soon as I got to college that my habits would have to change. I know that I now have a stronger work ethic and strive to get good grades.

Summary:

In Wardle's article, "Authority, Identity and Learning to Write in New Workplaces"she explains how the only way for someone to really join a discourse community, that person or  neophyte must learn to conform to a community's conventions, codes, and genres. In the article Wardle mentions Alan (a computer support specialist), who has trouble conforming/joining the discourse community of his workplace. Alan doesn't accept the identity of the people at the computer lab and decides to keep his authority, this keeps him from finding his niche in the discourse community.

Synthesis:

When reading this, I was able to relate this to Swales and how people should try and follow the rules of a discourse community when becoming involved with one/joining a new community. Another author that is similar to this is Brandt because Brandt explains ways to adjust to a new community. Another author that I could synthesize with would be McCloud because sometimes when people have a hard time adjusting or transitioning into a community, they will mask their true identity because they are afraid that it will prevent them from gaining acceptance.

Response	Quotation
I like this quote because Wardle basically says that by learning to write in different situations, we can grow as an individual. It is also a priceless trait.	“Learning to write in and for new situations and workplaces is complex in ways that go far beyond texts and cognitive abilities” (Wardle 521).
This is an instance in which I feel McCloud’s ideas can be applied. People often times choose to participate in certain events in which they feel comfortable. This is when they can use their masks.	“One way newcomers reconcile the competing demands of various communities is to choose to participate in some aspects of a new community and not others” (Wardle 525).
This is a significant quote because it shows how people’s opinions on who should be the authority in a community is always changing. It is a role that should always be negotiated.	“Authority (like identity) is continually negotiated within communities of practice” (Wardle 525)
Wardle explains that those who listen intently accept the speaker who he/she is. I just thought this was an interesting quote.	“Those listening accept the speaker’s pronouncement because the speaker is who she is.” (Wardle 526)
This quote really made me think of how complex the process of writing is. We learn bits and pieces from other people and cultures. It’s just a tool that is always growing. It’s just cool to think about I guess.	“If we understand writing as one tool among many through which knowledge, identity, and authority are continually negotiated, then we must view learning to write in new ways as a complex and often messy network of tool-mediated human relationships best explored in terms of the social and cultural practices that people bring to their uses of tools” (Wardle 526).

Questions for Discussion:

4.) I feel that most of the language we use is unconscious. When we speak we usually don't think of what we are going to say unless we are using new language or vocabulary, or when we are thinking about something that needs a careful choice of words. Most of what we do just comes to us, and is barely thought of. Technically our mind processes what we're going to say or write, but we don't deeply think about what we're doing.


Thoughts

This was a good article that helped me understand how people have to adapt to communities sometimes. I never really thought of applying it to something such as the workplace. Wardle does an excellent job of helping the reader understand the real life applications that the rules of discourse communities can apply to. People sometimes have to change how they are in order to fit in, such as a work environment.