Going the Write Way

Demographics

My name is Ashley Morgan, and I was born at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio on February 28, 1985.  When I was born, I weighed 2 pounds, 10 ounces.  At the time, I was the second lowest birth weight to survive delivery at Good Samaritan Hospital.  As a result of my low birth weight, I had risks for cystic fibrosis, mental and physical disabilities, and vision problems. 

My immediate family consists of my father Jim (55), my mother Geneva (53), my brother Tom (36), my sister Lori (35), and my sister Mary (34).  My sister Lori is the only sibling that has lived in-state for the duration of my life while my brother Tom and sister Mary have lived out-of-state.  Both of my parents dropped out of school at young ages, but eventually returned for their G.E.D.'s.  They are currently both owners of a very successful welding and sheet metal fabricating shop Accufab.  I currently live with both of my parents in West Chester, Ohio.

Early Childhood Literacy

As a baby, my parents would read children's books to me.  When I was about one year old, I wrote on the wall in a spot about the size of a postage stamp.  My mother then went to an office supply store and bought a 2.5 x 3.5 foot chalkboard and hung it on the wall at about my height.  From then on, I would write on my chalkboard religiously. By the age of three, I could recognize and recite the alphabet and eventually write my name.  I recognized small words such as "dog" and "cat" at a very early age and began to read small words.  Once I learned to read, I would read to anyone who was near me, regardless of their age. The success of my early literacy practices are contributed to my mother, father, and Sesame Street.  

As a young child, my biggest heroes were my dad, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster.  I loved to read everything from Bernstein Bears to cereal boxes and road signs.  The first book that I read from was "Hickory Dickory Dock."  I would read my favorite books and then copy the story onto paper.  My parents were always buying me new books because I loved to read and write.  Once I entered elementary school, I began to check out books from the library and order books that interested me through book orders at school.  In second grade, my family discovered that I had vision problems.  As a result, I had to get glasses.  Luckily, my vision problems weren't a result of my premature birth;  instead, my optometrist revealed that my vision problems were a result of reading too often. 

Middle and Late Childhood Literacy

Throughout elementary school, I enjoyed reading series of books such as Goosebumps and Fear Street by R.L. Stein and The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin.  I had a floor to ceiling bookcase in my room that was always filled with books.  I credit my early love for reading for my grammar, language, and writing skills.  I also believe that reading fuels creativity and imagination.

My first experiences with computers were during elementary school.  Unlike nowadays where computers are in almost every classroom, practically all of the computers at school were in the computer lab.  My elementary school classes would take trips to the computer lab to work on short assignments or to play games.  I have very little memory of the Internet from elementary school, although it was invented in 1992 (while I was in second grade.)  Eventually, my technology-timid parents bought a computer for our home around seventh grade.

Adolescent Literacy

I attended junior high at Hopewell Junior and high school at Lakota West High School in West Chester, Ohio.  Throughout junior high and high school, I was placed in Honor's English and Advanced Composition classes.  Reading became less for pleasure, and more for academics.  My classes required that I read four or five books during the summer, complete with three to four page essays with each book.  I began to hate reading because I associated it with boring books that I was mandated to read for my classes. 

In Junior High, I took a computer class that taught students how to type on a computer keyboard without looking at the keys.  Although I had a computer at home, I spent very little time on it, except to write papers.  At the time, it seemed nearly impossible, but I have successfully continued to type with my fingers on the correct "home keys" since then.  I didn't get the Internet until around 8th or 9th grade, so I was a "little behind the times."  With the help of friends, I was able to quickly learn how to operate the Internet. 

During my Freshman year of High School, I made the Colorguard and Winterguard team.  The practice schedule was very demanding (often 16-20 hours a week) and my free time diminished greatly.  I began to develop time management skills, and most of my time was dedicated to academics and practice.  During the free time that I had, I spent catching up on sleep or with friends and family.  I spent very little of my fee time on the computer or pleasure reading.

I continued to participate in Honors English classes throughout Sophomore and Junior year of High School.  During my Senior year, I opted to take an Advanced Composition class rather than an Advanced Placement English class.  I decided that due to my time restrictions from my practice schedule, writing papers would take less time than reading books.  Towards the end of High School, my ancient computer was upgraded to a brand new laptop.

College Literacy

I am a Sophomore at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.  During my Freshman year of college, I took an English Composition class.  The class was extremely demanding;  as a result, I worked very hard and received an A.  I am currently taking Rhetoric and Literature and Moral Imagination (Violence Against Women) for my final English credits.  Most of the texts in my Literature and Moral Imagination class were written throughout history and serve as examples as to how ancient stereotypes affect the way in which women are perceived and treated in society today.  The majority of my writing and reading activities in college are based solely on academics due to my current schedule.  I am presently the Assistant Director of the Lakota West Colorguard program in addition to taking 18 credit hours of classes.

Throughout college, I use my computer almost daily to type papers, send e-mails, and chat on AOL Instant Messenger.   Every once in a while, I will post in my online journal.  Most of my friends have online journals themselves which we have interlinked to each other.  Throughout college, our online journals have served as an update as to how everyone is doing, despite locations all over the state of Ohio and the surrounding states.

Literacy History