Self Interview and 1st Evaluation

What is the purpose of this blog?

 - The purpose of this blog is to inform people about genetics and new advances in the field.  It also focuses on presented the information in an understanding and entertaining way.

Who is the imagined audience(s) of this blog?

- My classmates and also the general public.

Have my posts matched up with my purpose/audience?  What/who might I be overlooking in defining my purpose/audience this way?

- Yes, my posts inform as if the reader knows nothing of the subject.  I may be overlooking opening discussion up on genetics.

What can I do to encourage more reader participation with my blog?

- Ask questions at the end of my blog posts.

How can I expand my audience in this class?  Outside of this class?

- Tell some friends about it, and post it on Facebook, that will surely do the trick. Put links to it on other genetics blog comment section.

How would I characterize the tone of my blog?

- Engaging and sometimes light-hearted.

What do I hope to get out of writing this blog?

- I hope to raise my level of science communication skills, seeing as I'll probably be an engineer someday.

What would I like others to get out of it?

- I want others to be entertained and learn something they may not have known.

What are the strengths of my blog/my blogging?

- Its personable.  It focuses on a subject that is current and sometimes controversial.

What are the weaknesses?

- Its probably isn't stumbled upon by people outside this classroom. 

Have I used a deficit model in my writing, or something else?  How would I know?

- Sometimes I have used a deficit model, my first post may have been more like this with the intention of teaching people about DNA and genetics.   Other times my posts are conversational.

How have I characterized (implicitly or explicitly) science, engineering, and/or technology in my blog?  

- I have characterized it as interesting and something positive if it is understood correctly. 

How have I characterized myself?

-  As an individual with an interest in genetics and a desire to portray it accurately to the readers of my blog.

1st Evaluation

I'll start off with a few statistics:

• Personal blog posts: 7
• Comments on others blogs: about 10
• Time spent on my posts: 1-2 hrs each

I've also responded to every comment on any of my blogs, interacting with classmates comments.  Also, when someone comments on one of mine, I try to return the favor on their blog.

I spent a lot of time perfecting the design on my blog, switching backgrounds, colors, etc.  I still find minor things every now and then to fix up.  I also designed that sweet dinner plate with the double helix.

My blog posts have included pictures and video links, so as to make them more fun to read and visually stimulating.

I take care with grammar and wording, to make sure that what I'm trying to say is understood properly by the reader.

I've tried to let my voice come through in the blog at times, to make it more personable.  

I have a sincere interest in my blog topics, and I hope that it is felt through my writing.

My blog post titles are written in such a way that catches the eye of someone scrolling through the blog list.  I also write the body of the posts in a way that encourages discussion, as I really enjoy receiving comments.