Uptake Post 2

     In my previous blog post, I talked about uptake, what it is, and how it applies to my life. Today I am talking about CHAT. Now, what exactly *is* CHAT? The formal definition of CHAT is: Cultural-Historical Activity Theory. What does this mean entirely? 

Let's break it down.

 Activity theory part of CHAT is the idea that many things must come together in order to fulfill a specific objective. 

The cultural-historical part of CHAT is basically the fact that the resources we use to fulfill said objectives are reflective of our cultural values at a given time in history. For example, lets say I decided to eat ramen for lunch. I decided this because, at this time in history, it is a quick and cheap meal, it is not a scarce resource in our society, it is easy to come by, and it doesn't require much thought in order to make it. All of these reasons are affected by my cultural values and environment and therefore affect my end "product."

This part of CHAT is something that makes perfect sense to me. Of course many things go into making an end product. Its nearly impossible for an end product to be produced and perfected without the involvement of multiple different factors. 

    However, the specifications tend to confuse me a little bit. The process of CHAT is broken up into seven different sub-concepts. These concepts consist of production, distribution, reception, representation, ecology, activity, and socialization. Why is it broken up this way? I feel like it overcomplicates the process of creation. It honestly is a little exhausting thinking about ALL the factors that go into an end product. It makes you think about processes you wouldn't normally consider.

I honestly have no idea how I am going to end up using CHAT in this class yet, but I'm sure as I develop in my uptake journey, I will find many ways to apply this to my learning as an ever-changing writer.

Uptake Post 1

    After years of life and brain development, we make many snap decisions and often assumptions about the world and actions that take place around us. Oftentimes we don't even pay attention to all of the little conjectures we form on a day to day basis. They happen naturally. This especially applies to the way our brain works in learning environments. These ideas are why it is important to know and define the word uptake.

WHAT THE HECK IS UPTAKE?

From what I have gathered, uptake is the thought process behind making decisions based on prior, or antecedent, knowledge. 

So, how could this amount to anything important? Why is it important for us to know and understand uptake? 

We must understand it because it is a vital part of our waking lives. It is how we work to understand things, and it is extremely individualized. Uptake is different for everyone, and it is different in every situation.

FOR EXAMPLE:

I know for me personally, uptake applies to multiple situations in my life such as my feelings about my surroundings. If someone gives me a dirty look, my immediate assumption is something about me. Do I look bad? Did I accidentally look at them? Are they just an a-hole? 

In reality, maybe they were having a bad day and just happened to look at me. Maybe they just have resting b**** face. The point is: based on antecedent knowledge, I assumed that there was something wrong with me or them, even if that may not be the case. All of these explanations that I formed in my head were ways that helped me to better understand *why* this person may have given me a dirty look. This is exactly what uptake is all about. It is all about thinking about things until they make sense. In this case a bit of overthinking may have taken place, but even so. It was a process of rationalizing, which is the whole point of uptake. 

In conclusion: I wrote way too much, dear god.