Friday Prewrite

"Any discourse, primary or secondary, is for most people most of the time only mastered through acquisition, not learning." -Gee
"Literacy is imperious."- Ong
"We are better at what we acquire, but we consciously know more about what we have learned."-Gee
"Without writing, the literate mind would not and could not think as it does, not only when engaged in writing but even when it is composing its thoughts in oral form."-Ong
"Since literacy is regarded as so unquestionably normative and normal, the deviancy of illiterates tends to be thought of as lack of a simple mechanical skill" -Ong

Literacy is almost common ground for everyone. It's a way to communicate and understand each other. Without literacy, we would all be on different pages. The world would be out of control. I'm currently enrolled in the journalism program at Mizzou, so for obvious reasons, communication and literacy (an understanding of each other) is extremely important. I agree with Gee in the way that he believes in discourses. For a majority of the students in the journalism program, we are all literate in a majority of the same discourses. Then Ong's view of literacy comes in to play, when we consider that you can be literate in many different ways (like different technologies), especially as a journalism student.

I agree with aspects of both Ong and Gee's views of what literacy is, and why it's important.

Do you agree with one more than the other? they had such different ideas that i find it hard to agree with both 100%. Discourses do make a lot of sense and I think that discourses are how we are all literate. I don't really believe in Ong's ideas and thoughts. Maybe you do though, i would like to hear your thoughts

Personally, I lean more to the Gee side of things. The two concepts/ideas of literacy contrast so greatly though that I think it would have benefited your post had you elaborated and shown specific quotes and examples of what you agreed with on either side. Saying that you agreed with both is pretty vague. Good quotes though.

Interesting take on the journalism part. I am in the journalism program as well and I know that is pretty similar to what my answer was. The variety of discourses needed to be a journalist is very important because of more you know and the better you can communicate with people, the better journalist and communicator you will be.

Mackenzie I like Gee more than Ong's views... partly because I understand them a lot more! That was my stance then, and it still is the same now.

You need to be certain which side you're going to argue because that can get confusing for the reader to not know if you're arguing for or against a specific topic. It's an easy fix just be sure you specify for the readers.