Better Blogger, Better Writer?
In a recent issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, there was an article discussing whether blogging and other online forms of communication improve or deteriorate students’ writing skills. The topic is currently under study at several universities, including Stanford University and Michigan State, where students’ blogs, Tweets, and even text messages are undergoing intensive examination for their contribution to developing writing skills. Some say that these alternative forms of the written word aid in effective communication within today’s world; others argue that they are counterproductive in the process of learning to write. To a certain extent, I am inclined to agree with the latter position. I mean, really, how erudite can you get in a 140-character-or-less Tweet? However, keeping a blog does encourage me to think creatively and maintain coherent modes of expression on a daily basis. Thanks to my writing experiences at the Broccoli Hut, I can certainly see the value in adapting writing curriculi to an evolving world of communication. What do you think? Do you think that you have become a better writer as a result of blogging or other electronic forms of writing?
In other news, I had a loong day of test-taking and mind-numbing lab activities..I am ready to do something I truly enjoy, write and talk about food:)
Sunday
I whipped out my other YouShake sample last night, the Blended Bliss flavor. This variety features whey protein, plus organic strawberries and bananas. To be honest, I have never really been a whey protein fan; it’s no coincidence that I use hemp, pea, rice, and soy versions in my nightly shakes. This version, however, was quite palatable. Slight “whey-ish” aftertaste aside, I enjoyed the intense strawberry flavor (the banana flavor was rather unpronounced). Remember, if you’d like to try any of the YouBar products for yourself, Broccoli Hut readers get a 5% discount by simply using the “Broccoli” coupon code.
Blended Bliss YouShake
strawberry shake with soymilk, Blended Bliss YouShake, Acai Apple granola, & shredded coconut
Monday
After a lifetime of wonder why people make such a fuss about slow cookers, I now have a greater understanding of this enthusiasm. That’s right, I am a Crock Pot virgin no more. I woke up this morning to the wafting aromas of pumpkin pie oats, thanks to a little preparation last night. I’ll add the recipe to my recipe page soon. Do you have a slow cooker? What do you make with it?
McCann's Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal
Crock Pot Pumpkin Oats with hemp milk, walnuts, & raisins
Once again, due to circumstances beyond my control, I did not get to eat “lunch” until about 4PM today. I need food–fast! I ended up with a Quorn-corn (Corn squared?) salad.
I Heart 365 BBQ
BBQ Quorn/Corn Salad; plain yogurt with wheat germ, blackberries, & almonds
After about 15 minutes of flipping through cookbooks and general dithering, I finally just threw some ingredients into the pan to make dinner. I used some leftover coleslaw mix (without the dressing), zucchini, and pink beans, along with chili powder and garlic. Perfect makings for a wrap. I relied on summer’s produce bounty for the rest of the meal.
spicy bean-zucchini wrap; sliced tomato; avocado; fruit salad
Keep an eye out for my guest post on Healthy Living, One Day at a Time on Wednesday, June 17th!
Have a great evening, everyone!
Filed under: Recipe
Hello and welcome! I have created this blog for people who love food, especially healthful, vegetarian food.
I have just graduated from Duke University with degrees in English and psychology. I plan to pursue a master's degree in nutrition starting in Fall 2010. Ideally, I would like to combine my love of food and the written word someday as a health writer.
Actually, I sort of use my blog to PRACTICE my writing. which explains why it’s always so freaking wordy. lol. But I agree, how much writing skills can you display with devices like twitter and facebook?
I think it depends on one’s definition of “good writing”. Personally, I think concise writing is the best (and you have such a knack for finding very specific, well-placed words!) and each word should have its purpose or be eliminated. Twitter helps me become a better writer because it only gives me 140 chars to express whatever I need to say, so I am forced to be choosy with words. Then again, one could also argue that good writing is inherently embellished writing, that extra words are part of the art. Maybe I just like to approach things with a mind/eye for pragmatism.
Aside from twitter, I heard the best way to be a better writer is to read more. The blogging world provides me with an endless reading list, so I hope I’ve become a better writer by that means!
I like your deconstructed smoothie
the concept sounds so avant-garde, but it’s actually so simple!
hope your summer’s going well!
I’ve been blogging for a mere ~2 weeks now, and I think I’m actually getting better, but that may be because my last creative writing class was 5 years ago? It takes me a long time to write one post because I have to re-edit what I wrote so many times
. I used to detest writing, but discovered that it’s not bad if it’s about something you have a passion about.
We do have an old slow cooker, but only use it to make fresh batches of ginger tea, about once a week, since that’s what our slow cooker smells like. Lol, at the corn squared. Love nerdy math jokes!
I definitely think my writing has improved with my blogging- at least, it’s encouraged me to be a tighter writer (otherwise you start to lose your readers…)
Delish wrap! Love those throw-it-all-in-a-pan meals.
I think blogging is a great way to cultivate your writing skills, especially if you have no other outlet to do so. I graduated over a year ago with an English degree but have done very little writing since — which is precisely the reason I recently started a health-focused blog. This way I can chronicle my experiences and write about things that interest me, all while maintaining/ practicing some of the skills I spent my undergraduate career honing. So far it’s been fun!
Oh and I’m gonna have to try that WF BBQ sauce — I dig anything spicy. Thanks for the tip!
Steel cut oats=love!
I realized how bad my spelling got when I started blogging. I was horrified! I think the situation is getting better the more I write, though!
Eye thinc I hav bekum a much betr riyter.
-A
I believe I have become a better writer! I usually never write outside of school so it helps keep the skills up to date =)
I usually use my slow cooker for soups and stews, although I have made a roast in it once. I’ve never tried out crock pot oats, I think because I have a really large slow cooker, and it seems like it would make an awful lot that I would then need to freeze and remember to heat up!
I think that texting does not promote writing skills whatsoever, I don’t use twitter, so I can’t really comment on that, but blogging definitely forces you to develop your language skills to keep your audience engaged and to allow you to express exactly what you want to. Sure, it doesn’t always mean you use the proper punctuation, grammar, etc, and slang will always abound. But the whole act of writing more can only do more good than harm.
Since I was an elementary ed major for four years, grammar is something that was beat over the head for me. We would get points off of papers in almost EVERY professional class for errors.
That BBQ sauce sounds like a great find! Is it sweet and spicy?
Caroline! That wrap looks amazing! Yummm, I love the close-up shots!
And sometimes I feel like I am a better writer after having blogged for sometime, but I also feel like my style can be kind of sloppy/not very grammatically-correct as well (whether on purpose or not)…so it’s hard to say!