[stylist] Writing workshops

Wed Sep 21 00:14:47 UTC 2011

Hi Jaqueline

> gthank you for your reply.  I know writersdigest.com uses the platform 
> *blackboard* and they told me it would not work.  I know the local 
> branch of Kent State University has workforce and community 
> development courses but they use ed2go which is an online program.
>
> since my post, I have been given several suggestions:
> vu.ksurf.net (I entered vu.org) from Jim
> ed2go.com
> savvyauthors.com
>
> Atty from this list gave me the ed2go and savvy authors sites and said 
> the savvy authors site was a little tricky but she was able to manage 
> it.  Right now I'm considering the ed2go or vu.org classes.
>
> A community college in the next county has a writers conference every 
> March and I plan on going next year once I have some writing 
> completed.  Maybe I will connect with a group at that time.
>
> As Jim suggested, I googled "resources for writers" and found a whole 
> bunch of stuff.
>
> Now I have some accountability and will have to make a decision on a 
> course and progress in my writing from there.
>
> I am very grateful to everyone on this list and hope to have 2-way 
> contributions with this list.
>
>
>
> Brenda
>
>
>
> On 9/20/2011 6:53 PM, Jacqueline Williams wrote:
>> Dear Brenda,
>> Welcome to the group.
>> I also wanted to take an online course and succeeded in enrolling  in a
>> course about how to teach an on-line course. Like you, I could not get to a
>> class. My pitfall was that the Mesa Community College where I enrolled used
>> the Blackboard Learning Systems to do everything, on-line and off. It is
>> cumbersome and not JAWS friendly. I had a wonderful teacher who herself
>> could not find a Blackboard guide for JAWS, and mentioned that they were
>> changing over within a year to a more simple system. I tried everything to
>> do the lessons, but had so many technical problems that I was far behind.
>> The offer was made to let me continue into the next semester, but after one
>> experience trying to communicate many items to fellow classmates, and
>> finding that even the spell check worked entirely different and would not
>> read to me, I gave up. Perhaps others could say what systems were used in
>> their on-line courses. Some may be very accessible. But just be aware that
>> it may be key to your success.
>> Another idea is to call your Library for the Blind and order The Writer
>> Magazine on four-track tape. It comes monthly and covers every kind of
>> writing you can imagine. It is a free service. If you feel it gives you the
>> skills and knowledge you need, you can also get the magazine, have someone
>> cut out the articles you want to keep and scan those into your computer.
>> An example, I have scanned into my own about 25 articles called "Poet to
>> Poet" and have learned about the many forms of poetry.
>> It seems a long sometimes lonely way to go, but given your situation in a
>> rural community, it might be the way to start for you.
>> I was lucky to find a critique group within five miles, get discounted cab
>> coupons, and would agree with Bridget, that if at all possible, a group
>> sharing laughs, stimulation, and challenge is something to aim for.
>> Good luck,
>> Jacqueline Williams
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org  [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Brenda
>> Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 2:41 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Writing workshops
>>
>> Hi Bridget
>>
>> I realize the importance of human input and have considered local
>> classes and groups with no success.  For me the online approach is the
>> most feasible at this time.  Even if I were totally sighted, I would be
>> focusing on online options due to my family situation.  Since I am now
>> blind, I took the step to contact this list.
>>
>> I live in a rural area with no reliable means of public transportation.
>> Online classes is a way for me to adapt to my situation.  It is a
>> start.  I am in a household situation where I can develop the discipline
>> and grow to the point where the cumbersome travel to a local group or
>> class might be more acceptable.  Perhaps I might even meet people online
>> who would want to start a local group.
>>
>> A local group may be more problematic for me as usually participants
>> read their work to the group or maybe group members pass around their
>> work, not sure.  In my case, I never was taught Braille because high
>> partial sighted students were not given this opportunity.  Even if I
>> started learning Braille now, I would not be proficient enough to read
>> in a group setting nor would I be able to read selections of others.
>>
>> I do appreciate your comments and am very thankful for the links to
>> online courses list members have sent me.
>>
>> Brenda
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 9/19/2011 4:08 PM, Brigit Pollpeter wrote:
>>> Brenda,
>>>
>>> Online classes are helpful and beneficial, and many of our members can
>>> attest to this. The really great aspect of online courses is that you
>>> can enroll in classes at top institutions, or take from great
>>> authors/instructors, that aren't available locally.
>>>
>>> Have you ever considered taking writing classes at an academic
>>> institution or community learning center in your local area? If you live
>>> in a town or city, there usually are places like this where you can
>>> receive the instruction you're seeking.
>>>
>>> We can certainly learn and grow from online classes or reading books and
>>> other material, but there's nothing like being physically present in a
>>> classroom. Written communication is a great modern resource, and with
>>> the advent of the internet and social network sites, we have a plethora
>>> of ways in which we can connect and find information. Human interaction
>>> is still an important element to life, though, especially when it comes
>>> to learning.
>>>
>>> I attended a four year academic institution and graduated with a BFA in
>>> creative writing. Sitting in an actual workshop, giving and receiving
>>> live feedback and learning from peers and instructors who I could
>>> converse with and ask questions in person, was like no other experience.
>>> Before attending university, I'd studied writing by reading books- both
>>> literature and writing guides- and connecting with other writers, but
>>> for me, I learned the most once I entered the workshop environment in
>>> person.
>>>
>>> Now, before I get comments in rebuttal (giggle) I understand it's not
>>> necessary for everyone to learn in this type of setting. I'm simply
>>> offering another option for consideration, and extending my personal
>>> experience. What's good for me, may not be for others.
>>>
>>> A formal academic setting isn't always necessary either, and of course,
>>> there is the cost to consider. Writing classes and workshops exist,
>>> however, in many, many settings. I urge you to consider these options as
>>> well.
>>>
>>> And I'll say this: You say that discipline is one of your biggest
>>> problems when it comes to writing. Online classes of any subject require
>>> a lot of discipline. I've taken online courses, and you have to be
>>> focused, engaged and on the ball about assignments and any interaction
>>> required for the class or that may be beneficial. Whether academic or
>>> not, this type of dedication is necessary. If you're seeking structure
>>> and worried about your discipline, considering an in-person class may be
>>> an option you want to seriously ponder.
>>>
>>> Online classes are not necessarily cheaper either. Look into writing
>>> classes/workshops at local community colleges, learning centers,
>>> community groups/activities, etc. There may even be a local writers
>>> group that meets monthly you can participate with.
>>>
>>> Take this for what it's worth. I can only offer my personal experience
>>> and opinion, and I'd be willing to discuss this more off-list if you, or
>>> anyone, is interested and wants more info. In terms of accessibility,
>>> while we're still waiting for the online resources to become 100%
>>> accessible, we find more and more websites to be so, and many of us
>>> engage in online activities with little to no issues with accessibility.
>>> Attending a class/workshop in person, though, can often cut down on
>>> accessibility concerns.
>>>
>>> Again, take this for what it's worth, but I'm, for all intense and
>>> purposes, totally blind (I only mention this to underline the fact I
>>> require alternative means for everything in terms of reading/writing and
>>> other school-related aspects) and I required very few accommodations to
>>> accomplish what my peers did. I didn't find the in-person environment
>>> less inaccessible nor did I find it difficult to learn. I graduated at
>>> the top with few accommodations from my disability services office on
>>> campus, my state rehab agency for the blind or myself. I say all this
>>> merely to explain that, for me, I didn't find an in-person learning
>>> environment challenging in terms of accessibility, and I was able to
>>> "keep-up" with the rest of the class. It was an amazing experience that
>>> I recommend.
>>>
>>> Again, a four year institution may not be the route for everyone
>>> especially if you're just looking to just take a class/workshop here and
>>> there, but there are plenty of other ways to experience an in-person
>>> setting that provides feedback and instruction through actual human
>>> interaction. Online communities are great and bring people together from
>>> all over, but I think many of us would agree that if we could meet
>>> in-person, the experience would be even better.
>>>
>>> So, this is just another option to consider. Community colleges offer
>>> writing class and many have noncredit classes meant for people not
>>> pursuing a formal education. Many community centers will have similar
>>> workshops the public can participate in, and most communities have
>>> writing groups open to the public and meet monthly. Checking your local
>>> newspaper, or online, is a great way to find out about things like this.
>>>
>>> Regardless of what route you take, the members of Stylist are here to
>>> support and offer any advice we can. You can certainly pose questions
>>> right here on Stylist and receive responses from multiple people. Or
>>> post a sample of writing for constructive criticism and feedback. Good
>>> luck and keep us posted on your writing endeavors.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
>>> Read my blog for Live Well Nebraska.com at
>>> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>>>
>>> "History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
>>> The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan
>>>
>>> Message: 13
>>> Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:28:31 -0400
>>> From: Brenda<bjnite at windstream.net>
>>> To: "Homme, James"<james.homme at highmark.com>,stylist at nfbnet.org
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Using online workshop websites
>>> Message-ID:<4E776DAF.5010901 at windstream.net>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>>
>>> Hi Jim and List
>>>
>>> I think the concepts for Jaws and Window eyes are similar .  Perhaps you
>>>
>>> could help me figure out how to navigate the sites Atty gave me by
>>> trying them and seeing what you can do with Jaws.  If you can find
>>> things with Jaws, I probably can figure out how to do it with Window
>>> eyes.   I can read plenty on the net and want to read the book "on
>>> Writing" by Stephen King, but I need the interaction and structure of a
>>> class to help as well. I am especially concerned about the platform for
>>> the writing workshops.  The websites Atty gave me do not let you see a
>>> sample and there is no human phone contact which concerns me.  but if
>>> Atty did it I probably can too once I learn more about the sites. The
>>> sites I'm trying to navigate are:
>>>
>>> http://www.ed2go.com
>>> http://www.savvyauthors.com
>>> Remember, they don't give a sample of the workshop format as far as I
>>> can tell.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> robert sent me the info about joining the NFB writers group.  My first
>>> step in that direction is joining this list.  I will consider doing more
>>>
>>> as time goes on.
>>>
>>> I do thank folks on this list for their time and willingness to help me.
>>> Brenda
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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>>
>>