I think my face to face encounters with my peers in the MA SIT graduate program were very informal compared to my online experiences with my peers. When I spoke face to face with my peers I was able to form a connection and a bond because I could see their facial expressions and simply be in their presence. In addition, I was able to spend time with them chatting about personal and professional life and the varying ways they overlap or intertwine. However, working online has been much more formal. I think because there is written documentation to show what was discussed. Also I view writing for professional or educational reasons as a very standard task in which I stay very much focused on completing the task in the most efficient and appropriate manner. Thus, I steer away from the idea of painting a picture with words or evoking certain feelings. These types of writing activities are usually void of emotions and rousing adjectives, instead they simply answer the question at hand.
Many people find communication through writing as a distant and less intimate form of communication. However, since I am an individual of few words I think of writing for pleasure as a form of artwork that is filled with hidden meanings and my most passionate form of expression. A story can take on a life of its own and spread to people near and far. A story has endless power because you can read it over and over and the significance changes just as life changes. In many instances I am not able to reflect on my spoken encounters with individuals until I take the time to write down my thoughts and feelings. Writing slows down the process and it forces people to take a deeper glance at things. It is my preferred style of learning because my thoughts catch up to my fingers and are forever embodied in my words.
W Wanderland 