July 30, 2014 - 13:03
well, this conversation was quite awhile ago and i'm just finding it now (!) - it occurred while i was gone, and somehow i'd just missed that it was here. anyway, i'm of several minds about this categorical question (of course): i think the idea first appealed to me in thinking about our esem, and for first-year students this could be a cool way to scaffold and make visible the range of ways to respond/enter into a conversation, which would in turn be helpful in thinking about juxtaposing and building ideas in writing. then thought: oh it could be useful this way for other students...and for all of us. and then experienced it somewhat as anne has described - often not really knowing which category my thoughts will fit into. and in response to rebecca's point about categories helping us not let ideas ramble/stay more focused: but actually, that's one of the advantages, i think, in offering this kind of forum - inviting that kind of thinking-through-writing which may actually not go in the intended direction(s) but lead to fresh, interesting ideas...
so i don't know where this leaves us with the categories! i wrote this as unspecificied, then thought, i guess this is complexifying...but now i think it's weaving maybe, so am trying out that one...! and i guess the question is whether/how it might be helpful to go through that process... as ann says, otherwise we're back with regular posts. and i do think the visual relationships are different as a way of viewing connections than these categories. maybe we try them out, w/a caveat to treat them somewhat lightly, e.g. as directions for comments but not to get boxed into -- ?