"Living the Narrative Life" by Pagnucci and "The Collected Works of Billy the Kid" by Ondaatje both showed the presence of multi-genres, tone, and white space throughout the pieces.  While Pagnucci's piece was longer then Ondaatje's it was more interesting to read.  It held my attention a lot better then Ondaatje's piece.  What aspect held this attention was that Pagnucci broke down the story into different chapters or sections.  It allowed for my mind to make the transition from section to section smoother.  Pagnucci used the multiple genres by creating a reflective narrative with a poem in the closing.  Throughout his piece he uses a very creative tone.  He kept his piece from being written in an academic tone by using the language that he used throughout the piece.  There were white spaces before some of the different paragraphs.  These spaces allowed for my mind to wander a bit before I dove back into the reading.

Ondaatje's piece on the other hand was not a bad read either.  While he had the hint of an academic tone he balanced it out by using other tones (such as sympathetic, playful, etc.) when describing a scene.  Ondaatje's peice opened and closed with a poem.  It was a nice break from the typical narrative piece.  This piece had a lot of white space in different areas.  I believe that these spaces represented to give the writer time to process the material before going on.  

Multiple modes of communication has changed the way that people express themselves.  Instead of expressing themselves on the written page with a pencil, most are expressing themselves through the computer screen with a keyboard.  These forms of communication have allowed for people to express themselves in more creative ways then the traditional essay form.  

Most of these expressions are done through social media networks such as Facebook or Twitter.  Facebook allows a person to express how they are feeling through the use of a status.  Members can post on other member's walls instead of communicating with them through spoken words.  Twitter allows for its members to be more creative.  Members post "tweets" that can only be a maximum of 140 characters.  This allows for each post to be short and to the point.  Members must be creative in how they use their wording to ensure that their message is getting across within the 140 characters.  I check these social media networks multiple times throughout the day.  It allows for me to stay connected with my friends, family, and even celebrities by reading what they are posting.  When people meet someone new instead of asking them questions face-to-face we usually try to find their Facebook or Twitter and learn more about their lives on their pages.  

Technology is definitely a distraction when it comes to my studies.  I believe that this is because “Children raised with the computer ‘think differently from the rest of us.  They develop hypertext minds.  They leap around.  It’s as though their cognitive structures were parallel, not sequential.” (p. 3) I can’t sit and fully read an assignment all the way through I have to stop to mess with my radio or the volume on my TV.  If my cell phone goes off my concentration from my work is broken off and I get into the conversation I am having through text instead of working on the assignment at hand.  When typing up papers it always takes me longer then it should because of the Internet being opened to Facebook or Twitter.  I usually write a paragraph (sometimes a page) and then check both of the sites before finishing my work.  If I didn’t have technology to distract me when I work on homework I would get done it so much faster and would have time to do other more productive things.

Digital Native or Digital Immigrant?  Which one am I?  I believe that I fit into the digital native category.  According to Marc Prensky, digital natives like to receive their information fast, they like to multi-task and parallel process, and they would rather see a picture before seeing the text. (p.2).  This fits me to a tee.  I would rather get all the information from a professor at a fast pace instead of having a lecture that drags on.  It is easier for me to understand something if I parallel process it and multi task as I am learning it.  When I open a page to a textbook the first thing I look at is the picture to get a preview about what I am going to read.  Also I would be considered a digital native because of all the technology that I have been brought up around.  In my daily life I use laptops, desktops, cell phones, radios, TVs, and sometimes even gaming systems to entertain myself when I am bored.  It is easy to say that I am a Digital Native.