DWRL Lesson Plans - Invention

Rhetorical Analysis of "Sugar Dating" Ads and Audience(s)

Wiedner — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 19:59:46 +0000

Author:

Image Credit:

http://nypost.com/2014/02/09/sugar-daddy-website-has-coeds-rationalizing...

Brief Assignment Overview:

Students work on argumentation techniques, rhetorical fallacies, and other concepts via reading a heavily-biased article from the New York Post discussing the relatively new but quickly growing phenomenon known as "sugar dating," which consists of web sites that pair older men (sugar daddies) who are willing to pay money for the company of young girls ("sugar babies"). The amount that any potential sugar daddy can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars.

While sugar dating sites seem to be happy to recruit young girls of all stripes, they are clearly most interested in attracting students, as evidenced in part by the fact that membership fees are waived for any potential sugar baby who registers with a .edu email address. The banner ad above is illustrative of most common underlying technique found on these sites. That is appealing to the fact that the typical undergraduate student is cash-strapped, and that being a sugar baby is an easy way to solve the problem. The titillating subject matter and the fact that half of the classroom are part of the demographic being so narrowly marketed towards caught everyone's attention from the get-go.

After they finish reading the article, displaying and bouncing through one of the sites on a projetor is great in a classroom that is equipped to do so, but it is by no means necessary.

The class is divided into two groups who assemble their respective arguments as to the propriety of selling such a product using the rhetorical appeals employed and the audience to which they are marketing (primary and otherwise); a loosely-moderated class debate/discussion ensues.

Type of Assignment:

Class Discussion

In-class Exercise

Homework Assignment

Assignment Length:

Single Class Period

One-Two Class Periods

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Pedagogical Goals - Literature:

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Collaboration

Social Media

Visualization

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

Increasing Classroom Participation, Building Rapport Between Students, Building Rapport Between Instructor and Individual Students, Building Rapport Between Instructor and Class as a Whole

Media Requirements:

No Classroom Technology Required

Adaptable For Use Without Classroom Technology

Required Materials:

Nothing other than copies of the article distributed by the instructor at the beginning of class.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Useful Anytime

Early in the Semester

Full Assignment Description:

The instructor distributes copies of an article taken from the web site of what is generally regarded as a reputable source for news. The class has no access to the article beforehand. The instructor asks the class if any of them are familiar with “Sugar Dating;” calling on student(s) with raised hands to explain what sugar dating generally refers to. The instructor then elaborates on the definition provided, paraphrasing points that might have been lost in the student’s explanation, adding any aspects of the concept that were not mentioned in the process. (5 minutes)

Students read the article individually. (5-10 minutes) phenomenon

The class then divides into two equally-sized groups, and discuss positive and negative aspects of the concept of sugar dating in general, along with the article’s presentation of the concept. One group is identified as the “pro” group, with the other identified as the “con.” However, the instructor does not articulate a specific question upon which they are taking sides. The two groups each work to flush out and organize what they believe to be their most salient points. (10-15 minutes)

An open discussion in a point/counterpoint format is the conducted, with the instructor keeping the discussion from straying to far afield, while casually interjecting to emphasize and elaborate upon the concepts that are relevant to rhetoric and/or law as they arise during the discussion. It is important that the instructor is as unobtrusive as possible throughout the ensuing discussing, to the extent that the collective “personality” of a particular class will allow. (30 minutes for a class meeting twice a week)

The instructor wraps up the debate and the class by highlighting some of the most important substantive points and the most effective argumentation techniques from each side of the discussion. Students are informed that there is a discussion prompt related to the day’s discussion; each student must submit one original posting, along with at least one response to another student’s original posting before the next class meeting. (5-10 minutes)

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

To prepare for the class, the instructor should spend time analyzing the specific article to be distributed to the class, composing a rough outline of considerations such as (1) the arguments (and counterarguments) most likely to be made by students, (2) the rhetorical concepts the instructor is most interested in covering, (3) questions that the class discussion might not touch upon.

The instructor should also do their due diligence in researching the subject in general. Visiting the actual sugar dating web sites is especially important. Students will have varying degrees of knowledge on the subject. Given the fact that these sites specifically target female college students, there is a strong likelihood that at least a couple of students will be well-versed on the subject; the instructor does not want to be learning about nuances of the sugar dating process, etc. from one of their students.

Instructions For Students:

As indicated above, instructions to be given to students are minimal (intentionally so). They're instructed to take about 10 minutes reading the article being contemporaneously distributed, with particular attention to tone, word choice, authorial bias, context, and visual rhetoric. They are then divided into two groups with opposing viewpoints, and are instructed to construct the most persuasive argument that they can, taking rough notes (to be submitted at the end of class) outlining the same.

They're reminded to consider likely arguments from the other side, and the best way to address/respond to them. Students then partake in a debate wherein the instructor guides them back on track if they are getting off-topic, overly emotional, or missing each other entirely (from a stasis theory standpoint).

At the end of the class, the students are given instructions to make a substanive blog posting responding to an instructor-provided prompt; the will seek to continue aspect(s) of the in-class discussion. Along with one original blog posting, students are instructed to post at least one response to the original posting of a classmate.

There is not any reading students are instructed to do in preparation for the class.

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

The article’s author has a clear bias from the title onward, so I ask for a show of hands as to who agrees with the author’s…unflattering…representation of sugar dating and their advertisement and recruitment techniques. To my surprise, about 18 of my 22 students said that they agreed with the author. To keep the group numbers equal, I (somewhat lightheartedly) pointed out that the pinnacle of achievement for any rhetorician is to be able to effectively argue a point with which they wholly disagree. As my class is entitled “Rhetoric of Law,” I pointed out that this skill is of particular importance to attorneys, given that they take an oath to be “zealous advocates” for their clients in court, even if those clients are individuals whom they might find repugnant on a personal level. I then split the class roughly in half, based only upon where they happened to be sitting (or standing) at that moment, and then moving individual students towards one of two camps in order to arrive at numerical parity. I did not give consideration as to what side any particular student chose during our initial show of hands.

This lesson plan is well-suited for developing familiarity between students, increasing student participation, and establishing rapport between the instructor and his students- both individually and as a class. For these reasons, the lesson plan might be particularly useful at the beginning of the semester, or later on if class participation begins lagging.

Course Type:

Advanced Writing Course

Intermediate Writing Course

Introductory Writing Course

Tags:

Practicing Visual Invention

Eatman — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 17:44:15 +0000

Author:

Megan Eatman

Image Credit:

Via SubmitInfographics.com

Brief Assignment Overview:

This in-class assignment asks students to construct a visual version of a written or spoken argument. By asking students to first translate an existing argument into a visual form, the assignment eases students into processes of visual invention to prepare them for a more substantive multimodal composition.

Type of Assignment:

In-class Exercise

Assignment Length:

Single Class Period

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Arrangement

Invention

Visual Rhetoric

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Invention

Pre-Writing

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

This exercise introduces students to the process of multimodal composition, asking them to begin thinking about how images can persuade a particular audience.

Media Requirements:

Adaptable For Use Without Classroom Technology

Media Console/Projector

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Ideal:

A projector and media console for the instructor
Computers for each student
Photoshop

This exercise could also be adapted to use pens and paper rather than Photoshop.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Mid-Semester

Full Assignment Description:

Students will read through a brief argument about an issue with which they are already familiar. I like to use opinion pieces from the Daily Texan, the University of Texas student newspaper, because they are short, simple, and do not require students to have a great deal of background knowledge. Students read through the piece, then, in small groups, use Photoshop to build a visual version of the argument. Depending on the piece, the visualization might be in the form of an infographic, a printed PSA, or a collection of related images. Groups then share their pieces with the class and discuss the choices they made.

While I was initially reluctant to ask students to translate an argument from one medium to another, I think that this activity, particularly early in a multimodal composition unit, helps students begin to understand how arguing in other media works differently than arguing in text. Asking them to think in images without having to generate an argument independently can both show the limits of translation and offer an opportunity to practice visual invention. Additionally, students have the opportunity to experiment collaboratively with Photoshop.

Prompt for Students

Read through the article and then, in groups, use Photoshop to produce a visual version of the author’s argument. This argument may contain a small amount of text, but should rely primarily on images, and should target the same audience (UT students) as the original argument. Be prepared to share what you have made and talk about your choices.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

This activity is designed for students who are already familiar with rhetorical analysis of alphabetic texts and, to some degree, visual and multimodal texts. Students should be able to describe how a written argument persuades its audience so that they can translate it more effectively. Additionally, it would be helpful if students had a brief introduction to Photoshop before beginning this exercise. The instructor could do a hands-on introduction for some or all of the previous class.

Instructions For Students:

In addition to the prompt above, I ask students to take turns "driving," or actually making the Photoshop edits, so that each student has time for hands-on practice.

Evaluation Suggestions:

For a course that has classwork grades, this exercise could be given a completion grade. Since the exercise is supposed to provide a safe space for experimenting with visual invention, I would not advise giving letter grades.

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

This exercise could be adapted for a classroom without technology if students were given pens or markers and paper and asked to translate an argument into a poster. Students have fewer options in this version (since they cannot alter images the way they could in Photoshop), but they would still have the opportunity to think in images.

Course Type:

Introductory Writing Course

Course Description:

RHE 309S, Critical Reading and Persuasive Writing, teaches students how to analyze and write arguments, but it also introduces students to rhetoric as a civic art, one that prepares them to write to and for specific publics. My version of this course asks students to look at arguments within and about online communities. The course is designed for students who have credit for the department's introductory Rhetoric and Writing course, but who still need or want a lower-division rhetoric and writing course.

Tags:

Visual Rhetoric

Invention

Photoshop

Writing Images as a Means to Writing with Images

Bohmann — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:08:08 +0000

Author:

Axel Bohmann

Image Credit:

M.C. Escher, Drawing Hands

Brief Assignment Overview:

Students work in the visual medium to explore dimensions of associative image logic they can use in their persuasive written compositions. Ideally, the outcome will be a guiding image which helps arrange and focus their composition.

Type of Assignment:

In-class Exercise

Assignment Length:

Single Class Period

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Invention

Visual Rhetoric

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Invention

Pre-Writing

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Multimodal

Remediation

Visualization

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

This assignment is geared towards getting students to think about metaphor, imagery and associative logic in crafting their persuasive compositions. Ideally, the outcome will be a guiding image which helps arrange and focus their composition.

Media Requirements:

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Every student should have access to a computer with Photoshop installed. Ideally, access should extend beyond the alotted classroom time (i.e. there should be an open computer lab available to students), but this is not strictly necessary.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Late in the Semester

Full Assignment Description:

In my 306 class, one option for the final short writing assignment of the semester is for students to briefly describe a guiding image they can use to make their case in the last major written assignment, a persuasive text arguing a position on a chosen controversy to an audience of their choosing. Ideally, this or a similar written assignment should be completed before conducting the exercise described here. At least, students should come to class with an image in mind that they can explore. Also, especially in a 50-minute class, it will be helpful if students have already had an introduction to Photoshop. Since the product of the assignment is not meant to be presented or published, copyright issues need not absolutely be discussed, but the assignment can definitely be turned into an occasion to discuss copyright, fair use and creative commons.

In the first part of the assignment, students spend time searching the web for digital pictures in line with the image they have selected to use for their writing. For instance, one of my student described the Internet as a nightclub and identified Google as the bouncer. This student would likely enter "bouncer" as a search term. Of course, very different images (actual photos, cartoons, memes with text, different color choices, etc.) will come up. This fact is not a problem but should be seen as a first steps in helping students refine their use of images: it exposes them to different connections and contexts in which their image can be used and may open up new ways of thinking about that image. The amount of choices can be a drawback, as students may feel overwhelmed and unsure about making a decision. Therefore you should give them some time to play around during the search process and also emphasize that this is a process-oriented exercise. It doesn't matter what the final product looks like as long as the exercise opens up new perspectives on image logic for them.

Next, have students import their picture into Photoshop and manipulate it to support the claim they want to make. Again, low-end, trashy-looking experiments are encouraged. Taking the example above, it may start with stuff as simple as imposing the Google logo onto the bouncer's jacket or re-naming the nightclub "www," etc. As students continue image-editing, you should encourage them to explore new dimensions of the image. In addition to the bouncer, students could include a line of people queueing to get in. What do these people look like? Do they look at the bouncer, and he at them? Do they talk to each other? etc.

As students progress, they are likely to run into a dead end where they don't know how to continue, and they will also have technical difficulties with Photoshop. You should definitely make yourself available for questions and also get those students who know Photoshop better than others to help their peers. Towards the end of the class period, or at the beginning of your next class, you can make some room for students to present their images. I would suggest making this voluntary. My experience is that students are quite eager to show their media products.

The exercise should conclude with a written reflection homework in which students describe where they were going with their image before and how working in Photoshop has changed and elaborated their image logic, and how they plan to use their chosen image in their persuasive paper. Alternatively, if you want to put more emphasis on multimedia writing, you can ask students to continue working on their Photoshop project outside of class and turn the product into a graded assignment. Just make sure every student has appropriate access to a computer with Photoshop outside of class.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

You should familiarize yourself with Photoshop enough to answer basic student questions. I don't think it's necessary that you are an expert by any standard, but if you have never worked with the program the exercise might turn into chaos. Also, don't be afraid to ask students to help their classmates (and you) with any questions that might come up.

Depending on the focus of the class, the extent of previous exposure sutdents have had to Photoshop and the time you want to dedicate to the assignment, students' images may comprise a product (and graded assignment) of their own. In that case, you should plan for 2-3 class days dedicated to the project.

Instructions For Students:

Finding Images:

Search the web for picture files of the image(s) you have chosen to work with
Take time to browse through the different search results and notice the different kind of images that come up

How are they different?
What aspects of your chosen image do they highlight?
Do they bring any new aspects to light you might work with?

After about 10 minutes, you should choose one image with which you will work for the rest of the class period

Manipulating Images:

Import you image into Photoshop
Get excited, manipulate:

superimpose/blend in other images
rotate, distort dimensions, duplicate
change colors
Photoshop does allow you to include text, but try to work without it as much as you can

Reflection:

Write a brief (maximum 1 page, double-spaced) reflection essay answering the following questions:

What were the dimensions of your image you highlighted before the Photoshop exercise?
Did working in Photoshop change any of these, or bring them into a different focus? Did you discover new aspects of the image you can utilize for essay 3?
How do you plan to use your image in essay 3? Will it guide your entire discussion, work as an example of one specific aspect of the discussion? Will it work best to appeal to reason, logic, or emotion?

Evaluation Suggestions:

If you do this exercise the way it is outlined above, I would strongly suggest keeping the stakes low and not giving a grade on the Photoshop project itself. You may decide to grade the written reflection, if homework assignments make up part of your class's grades. I think the exercise can work great if you are using the learning record, as it emphasizes process and reflection.

Course Type:

Introductory Writing Course

Course Description:

RHE 306 Rhetoric and Writing: This is an introductory writing class with a mostly freshman student population. The assignment can easily be tweaked to fit any class with a persuasive, inventive writing assignment.

Tags:

Research and Descriptive Reading - Visual Analysis

Mercier — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:29:06 +0000

Author:

Aaron Mercier

Image Credit:

Piquef: Conde Nast, 2011

Brief Assignment Overview:

This plan puts student into groups of three or four and asks them to collaborate on generating a coherent analytical reading of a New Yorker cover image. The students present their readings to the class and then trade images and present a re-reading. Class ends with the groups reclaiming their original image, incorporating the different reading, and self-assigning research topics. The following class, the groups re-convene and then present a reading that integrates the two primary readings, bridged and nuanced through external research.

Type of Assignment:

Class Discussion

In-class Exercise

Homework Assignment

Assignment Length:

Multiple Class Periods

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Collaboration

Presentations

Visualization

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

Building descriptive and analytical habits of mind

Identifying and avoiding evaluative modes of reading

Accepting uncertainty

Synthesizing divergent ideas

Media Requirements:

Adaptable For Use Without Classroom Technology

Media Console/Projector

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Networked classroom or student laptops, and/or a pile of old New Yorkers or similar images. You can also compile and distribute these images digitally.

Media console/document projector for presentations

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Early in the Semester

Full Assignment Description:

**Note: this works best if you have made visual rhetoric exercises part of your course structure in the early weeks when you're introducing the "analysis" concept. If you haven't, you can set aside some classtime one or two days ahead of this to get some practice in with other images.

At the beginning of class, the instructor should review the differences between descriptive, evaluative, and analytical reading strategies. Emphasize the ways in which evaluative reading can disguise itself as analytical, and the obstacles to critical thought it can create.

--Divide the class into groups of 3-4

--Distribute New Yorker Covers. It's best if the instructor vets these for topicality, transparency, and complexity. It's a good idea to have a range of difficulties, but each image should have a clear current-events referent and be susceptible to at least two different interpretations. "Money Issue" covers and the covers published during the Occupy movement and major elections cycles are especially rich, although there are plenty of recent covers that take up higher ed and internecine sociocultural tensions that get really interesting too.

--You can have a written prompt if you like, but don't be too presctiptive. I simply tell my students to formulate a one-sentence description that states what the image is of/about, then to generate a kind of critical summary that points to specific visual elements and makes claims about how they contribute to a greater complexity of meaning. While they're working, circulate between the groups. if no one has questions for you, offer them some of your own. Be especially watchful for students who are skipping steps, or not working closely enough with the image, or being too general. Deal with these missteps by asking provocative questions about the grounds of their claims.

--Avoid being over-directive. This exercise is about keeping them in the space of discovery and description as long as possible, so questions should be formulated so as to throw them back into the text rather than push them towards conclusions. The typical undergrad is deeply uncomfortable with this space and if you give too many directions they will simply spit them back at you as "answers" in the presentation.

-- Give the students about fifteen minutes in their first group session to come up with a two-minute presentation. This seems like a relief to them, since they don't think they can fill longer time slots with "just this image." Inevitably, the groups will run over time. Be really strict. Time them with an alarmed stopwatch and cut them off after the two minutes. The fourth group to present will usually come in just at two minutes. This is a teachable moment about the time and space responsible analysis actually requires.

--Have the groups switch images and repeat the process.

--If you're being disciplined about time, you should have about 20-40 minutes to wrap up after the second round of presentations. (Ten minutes of housekeeping and introduction to the exercise, 30 minutes of group prep time, 16-20 minutes of presentation [assuming a class of 20-24 students], four minutes of transitions/slop time have been filled up so far.)

--Wrapping up:Have the groups reclaim their original image. Their assignments for next time will be for each student to find some relevant secondary source and write a 3-sentence description of it and its relevance to the group's image. At the beginning of the next class, the groups get a ten-minute final planning session, then give a 5 minute presentation.

--Give a prompt for this presentation, since it should do several very specific things.

--Present the group's original reading modified to integrate or challenge the second group's reading of the image in question.

-- Present at elast two secondary sources that give theoretical/critical and/or historical context to the image

--Offer a complex, nuanced, and analytical statement of what they believe the image is about, what it says, and how it fits into the larger context of the moment in which it was published.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

--Browse the issues of the New Yorker in general.

--Be aware of the headlines that were current when the issue was published

--Have a stopwatch of some kind

--Be ready to evade requests for over-directive instruction

--Have some inspirational quotes about uncertainty and negative capability handy

Instructions For Students:

In general, see the Full Assignment Description

I shy away from elaborate written instructions for this sequence because it's really about establishing comfort with a state of intellectual play. Written instructions become training wheels in this context. Because the stakes are very low, but kind of implicitly present in the whole economy of dialogue and idea exchange, I find such training wheels to be disruptive and counterproductive. Keep it all very verbal for this whole process.

Evaluation Suggestions:

This is not a lesson/assignment sequence that requires a lot of evaluation. In fact, evaluating the quality of analytical approaches should be left largely to class discussion. The way I approach this is to thank presenters and then ask the rest of the class where they'd take it next. Presentations that provoke the most energetic conversations become the examples you refer to in later classes, so there's a kind of ongoing reward system that does not punish lower-quality efforts

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

This exercise was a hit. Students respond pretty well to being given the thematic reins, and many of them respond really well to the oppportunity to argue. A lot of them remarked that the development of two co-existent readings for the same text, and then being asked to synthesize them, was a real eye-opener.

This exercise is also a great way to establish a collegial and collaborative learning environment. Be present, but keep your role in the realm of moderator/facilitator. Ask questions and insist on time limits for things, but try to avoid "correcting" readings unless they stray into major, fundamental error. Even then, it is usually better rely on the internal economy of the exercise. If one group goes astray, the next might correct them for you. Save these interventions, if necessary, for the endgame.

Additional Resources:

PBWorks/ some kind of blogging platform helps, but is not necessary, in bridging the classwork/homework divide. Make sure the group members make plans to be in touch, especially if you make the at-home portion happen over a weekend.

Course Type:

Intermediate Writing Course

Course Description:

RHE-309k: Rhetorics of Truthiness is a broadly-conceived thematic intermediate writing course. It teaches the basics of critical reading, research, rhetorical analysis, and academic writing. Thematically, it focuses on the rhetorical strategies and topical questions surrounding the 24 hour news cycle and the question of bias through Stephen Colbert's provocative definition of truthiness: an argumentative quality that makes a claim "feel true" without any necessary connection to fact or 'Truth.'

Tags:

Researching a Controversy using Twitter

gerdes — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:14:58 +0000

Author:

Kendall Gerdes

Image Credit:

Class Twitter account, @rhetoric306, with Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students (5th ed.) as background

Brief Assignment Overview:

By creating their own Twitter accounts and finding accounts to follow that are related to their research topic, students learn the difference between library resources and online resources like daily news, blogs, and opinion.

Type of Assignment:

In-class Exercise

Homework Assignment

Assignment Length:

Single Class Period

Multiple Class Periods

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Invention

Pre-Writing

Research

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Collaboration

Open Access Software

Social Media

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

Research, digital literacy

Media Requirements:

Adaptable For Use Without Classroom Technology

Media Console/Projector

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Students need a computer (or conceivably, smartphone) with internet access to sign up for a free Twitter account. When I taught this lesson in a computer mediated classroom, I had a projector screen to introduce students to Twitter.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Early in the Semester

Full Assignment Description:

Students created their own Twitter accounts in class, and I asked them to follow our class Twitter account right away. I use the class account to retweet my students and make short announcements. Then, I asked students to find an active Twitter account (with recent tweets) that is relevant to their research topic. I asked students to follow the account, then tweet the handle of thtat account to our class account. I also asked students to come up with a class hash tag.

I also gave students some research guidelines (see Instructions for Students, below) to help them think about the relationship between library resources, with their slower editorial gatekeeping process, and online resources, and the different research strategies required to use both.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

Creating a class Twitter account can help keep students organized around a central account. I also recommend reading about what other instructors are doing to come up with a mix of ideas that suits your class. Some recommended reading is included in the additional resources, below.

Instructions For Students:

These are the instructions I gave my students:

Your first Twitter assignment is as follows:

Create your own professional Twitter account (or if you're not shy, you can use a Twitter account you already have).
Follow our class Twitter account, @rhetoric306, and tweet us to introduce yourself online (your name and the issue you're researching would be helpful!).
By Friday at 2 pm, you need to find an active Twitter account (with recent tweets) that is relevant to your issue. Follow them, then tweet their handle and how you found them to our class account. I'll use the class account to follow your recommendations!
We're going to need a class hash tag to keep track of our class tweets across our different accounts. When you tweet the account you followed, you should also propose a hash tag by tweeting @rhetoric306. The goals here are short, unique, and informative.
If you have ideas for how you want to use Twitter in our class, tweet them @rhetoric306.

Some Twitter guidelines:

You can only tweet 140 characters at once.
You create a link to other Twitter accounts when you put their handle, like @rhetoric306, in your tweet.
Hash tags help categorize your tweets for searches. #likethis
Although Twitter created a way to re-post someone else's entire Tweet (called retweeting), many people often still edit or comment on the tweet and post it again using the marker "RT" to credit the original poster.
If you can't figure out how to do something, try to Google it.
NB: Using Twitter puts us in contact with people outside of class. Obviously, we have no control over what these people say or share. If you find yourself uncomfortable with any Twitter content for any reason, you may unfollow or block any user, and disregard any comments, conversations, or links. Please come to me if you have any questions or concerns about this.

Some Twitter/Research guidelines:

Don't just go with the first thing you find. The goal is to find high-quality sources. Even just one quality Twitter account will give you much better returns than a dozen mediocre ones. Look through lots of Tweets (30-50) from each account, and look through lots of accounts before you decide who to follow.
Think about your search terms. You can search for words that appear in tweets, but you can also search for hash tags and usernames. And there are more ways to search Twitter than just the interface they provide you. Get creative.
Try to find experts and advocates. Journalists may be excellent news, but you also need opinion, and sometimes organizations or even scholars will have useful tweets.
Follow the links. Read what they are reading, check out who they are re-tweeting, surf their hash tags. Twitter doesn't use MLA, citing sources in such a way that your readers can recognize and locate the originals is still important.
Experiment. Whether it's on Twitter or on the Library site, effective research requires some creativity and experimentation. You have to try things out, and don't be disappointed if you don't what you want on the first try--use your failed and frustrated searches to figure out how to do it better.

Evaluation Suggestions:

I evaluate my class using the Learning Record, and I have students complete brief reflective writing exercises on what they learned each class.

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

I admit, I was surprised at how many of my students were not already using Twitter. I wished I had left more time and given them more detailed instructions on the first day I introduced it. But, I also think Twitter is relatively easy to learn. A technological challenge can also foster student collaboration, since they pose questions and help each other figure out how to solve the problems that inevitably arise.

Additional Resources:

My post on Twitter at Blogging Pedagogy: http://bloggingpedagogy.dwrl.utexas.edu/content/researching-public-issues-twitter
Grad Hacker on Teaching with Twitter: http://www.gradhacker.org/2012/11/26/teaching-with-twitter/
Matt King's RHE 312 Twitter Assignment: http://rhe312.pbworks.com/w/page/21055220/Twitter%20Assignment
The Learning Record: http://www.learningrecord.org/

Course Type:

Introductory Writing Course

Course Description:

I used this lesson in my introductory writing course, RHE 306 Rhetoric and Writing.

Tags:

Using Mind-Maps to Make Modular Arguments, MASS EFFECT Style

OyP — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 17:28:36 +0000

Author:

Chris Ortiz y Prentice

Image Credit:

Chris Ortiz y Prentice

Brief Assignment Overview:

This lesson is best used in conjunction with “Using Mass Effect 1 to teach critical situations," which can be found under that title on this site. One of the primary purposes of the Mass Effect lesson is to get students to think about how persuasive essays are “modular:” decisions a rhetor makes early on in an argument afford other rhetorical options later but at the same time take some options out of play. This lesson plan uses NovaMind Pro to help students create modular arguments of their own.

Type of Assignment:

In-class Exercise

Assignment Length:

One-Two Class Periods

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Presentations

Software

Visualization

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

To develop in students an understanding of persuasive speech and writing as rhetorical decision making.

Media Requirements:

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

NovaMind Pro. (Note that Mac and PC versions of this software differ significantly. The concurrence seems to be that the Mac version is more user-friendly.)

Other mind-mapping technologies should work as well.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Early in the Semester

Full Assignment Description:

In preparation for the class, students read three persuasive essays. The student’s task is to read each essay and break it down into its rhetorical steps: i.e. the author starts by doing x, then she makes y claim, then she makes z claim, and concludes with w. The class begins with discussion of the steps, until we’re all settled on how each argument proceeds. Then the instructor brings up a NovaMind map that visualizes each argument as its own “arm.” While it would be possible to have students make their own maps of the arguments, I recommend completing this preparation work for the students, to save time. You may ask students to make changes to the map depending on what came out of our discussion of the articles. You should also devote a little time to familiarizing the students with the software.

The instructor asks the students to get into small groups and then collaborate to combine the three arms of the map. They should do so by, 1) finding nodes in each arm that are similar, 2) taking the arm that follows from such a node and attaching it to the similar node on another arm. These steps are intended to be performed recursively, and while it is not necessary to end up with one big argument, arms should lead off of arms that lead of off other arms. (See instructor preparation below on how to facilitate the rather complex cognitive work this lesson requires.)

I ask students to think about what they come up with as a sort of “potential” argument. It could be navigated, from beginning to end, in a linear fashion. I ask students to traverse the map, making decisions at “crossroads” nodes that put you on a new track, which in turn brings further options “down the line.” Depending on decisions you make, the persuasive purpose of the argument may change.

In my class, students present a mind-mapped modular version of their persuasive essays as their final presentation. Instead of giving a persuasive speech, they tell us what options were available for them as they wrote their final essay, and why they chose to go one way as opposed to another.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

This is a heavy preparation lesson because the instructor must first make a map that contains lots of possible connection points. When students pull up the main map, they can click over to the connection points map, which I color code to emphasize possible connections. I do this because NovaMind can be a bit cumbersome to work with, and I want my students thinking about rhetorical decisions rather than how to untangle one arm from another (a common occurrence, once maps get bigger. I recommend using the auto-arrange feature liberally: “Command =” in the Mac version.)

Instructions For Students:

Instructions for reading homework:

Read the following each of the following articles.
After reading each, make a bullet-point list that enumerates each “step” in the article:

How does the author start? What does the author claim next? What’s the following move, etc.? How does the article conclude?

3. Bring your list with you to class. You’ll use it to construct a mind map in class.

Instructions for in-class NovaMind exercise:

Use the possible connections point map to find nodes that are similar on two different arms. Notice that arms are color-coded to emphasize similarity, but do not feel constrained to connect where suggested only. I recommend that you start by filling out one of the original argument arms, and then developing other arms if you have time.
Connect arms from similar nodes, wherever possible. Select the node from the connection points map from which the arm you want to connect begins. Push Command/Control C. Then select the node on the modular argument map, from which you want to attach the copied arm. Push Command/Control V.
If the arms get tangled, push Command/Control = sign. Remember that you can always push undo if something undesired occurs. Be patient and deliberate.
Follow argument paths and eliminate redundancies while preserving the greatest possible number of options.

Evaluation Suggestions:

I use this assignment to prepare my students for their final presentations. I encouraged experimentation and thus wanted to create a low-stakes environment; so I didn't grade the in-class exercise.

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

My students seemed to really enjoy making larger argument structures, but I found one class doesn't provide enough time to get to the second part of the assignment, in which you step back and consider how you might traverse the map from start to finish. I'd recommend you use two classes for this lesson, and I'd also recommend you provide the starting materials for the students. The materials I provide below could be improved upon: as one of my students pointed out, the exercise works best if you break the articles down into the rhetorical decisions that went behind the progression of each argument. In the materials below, I do the much easier task of listing the steps in each argument. There's a fine but real distinction there

Additional Resources:

Course Type:

Introductory Writing Course

Course Description:

RHE306, a course in argumentation that situates rhetoric as an art of civic discourse. It is designed to enhance students’ ability to analyze the various positions held in any public debate and to advocate their own position effectively. Students’ work in this course will help them advance the critical writing and reading skills they will need to succeed in courses for their major and university degree.

Tags:

Using TV Tropes to Teach Narrative Devices

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:05:57 +0000

Author:

Ashley Squires

Image Credit:

"Multimedia Message" by rockcreek via Flickr

Brief Assignment Overview:

Incorporating TV Tropes (a wiki that catalogues narrative devices used across a variety of media) into your discussion of literary devices and encouraging students to talk about how narrative techniques across different genres and forms of media can assist in making these concepts intelligible and "real" to them.

Type of Assignment:

Assignment Length:

One-Two Class Periods

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Pedagogical Goals - Literature:

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Creative Commons

Open Access Software

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

To teach students how to identify and assess the literary tropes or narrative techniques an author is using and to recognize how those devices are manipulated across genres. It can also be useful for rhetorical analysis and invention.

Media Requirements:

Media Console/Projector

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Just a computer with an internet browser. In the enhanced version of this assignment, students will create their own wiki, which will be very easy to do if you already use a site like PBWorks for your class.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Useful Anytime

Early in the Semester

Full Assignment Description:

Instructors attempting to teach students to analyze the formal qualities of a work will often introduce literary devices and tropes into their students' lexicons. Students, however, often have difficulty assimilating these concepts as anything more than items to be found and labelled in any given narrative work. They have difficulty understanding why authors do the things they do and what affects the author's choices may be having on their expectations as readers.

TV Tropes is a wiki that catalogues narrative devices used across a variety of media: literature, television, film, manga, comic books, video games, etc. It is rigorously maintained by careful amateur observers of modern media, is often cited on fan websites, and is evidence that Formalism exists on the internet. John Crowe Ransom would be proud.

Incorporating TV Tropes into your discussion of literary devices and encouraging students to talk about how narrative techniques across different genres and forms of media can assist in making these concepts intelligible and "real" to them.

This idea originally emerged from a conversation with a student who wrote a paper comparing the video game Dante's Inferno to the original poem. His observations about the changes in the story led to a productive discussion about the narrative demands of video games vs. medieval poetry.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

Spend 10-20 minutes introducing your students to TV Tropes. Give them some time to learn how to navigate the site and read a few entries. If you have a few key literary devices that you would like them to learn, you might direct them to those pages or create a list of major tropes you want them to look at on their own time.

Prepare a short reading assignment. Short stories work great for this. You may wish to choose something that doesn't already have its own page on TV Tropes. The inspiration for this assignment began with a short reading from Dante's Inferno.

Instructions For Students:

Have students take a reading home and see how many devices they can identify. Have them note examples in the text and be prepared to talk about where they see that technique, why the author may be using it, and what affect it has on them as a reader. I had students use this as a journal prompt. Encourage them to get beyond "like" and "dislike" (the TV Tropes editors are insist that their entries remain value neutral, that the use of a device does not make a particular narrative work good or bad). Instead, have them talk about how the use of a technique met or subverted their expectations, how the characters were developed, etc. They can make reference to the website's other examples of how that trope is used in other narratives or forms of media.

Evaluation Suggestions:

This assignment was not graded.

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

This basic assignment works great as a jumping off point for guided journaling/reflection and in-class discussion, but some instructors may wish to take it to the next level. Next semester, I will have students create a wiki page on our PBWorks site for a reading that doesn't already have it's own page on TV Tropes. While the Divine Comedy page on their site is already quite extensive, a short work like "Young Goodman Brown," which I've been teaching for a long time now, could work very well for a collaborative wiki project like this.

Course Type:

Intermediate Writing Course

Introductory Writing Course

Literary Studies Course

Course Description:

This was initially used in an introductory literary studies course - E314J Literature and Religion.

The figure of the Devil has inspired myriad artistic representations that reveal and inform the way we understand the source of ultimate evil and suffering—as a rebellious angel forever tormented by his separation from God, as a malevolent force in competition with a benevolent deity, as a trickster figure sparking mischief and mayhem, or as a motiveless malignity bent on causing pain and suffering wherever possible. This course will consist of an historical survey of literary representations of the Devil in the Western religious traditions, beginning with Marlowe’s depiction of the Faustian bargain and Milton’s fallen angel as epic hero, taking us into the present day. We will end with Salman Rushdie’s exploration of the angel/devil dichotomy in the context of globalization and religious extremism, considering how contemporary discussions of fundamentalism and terrorism have shaped our modern understanding of evil.

Tags:

Wordle as a Tool for Research and Invention

Scott Nelson — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:57:22 +0000

Author:

Scott Nelson

Image Credit:

Scott Nelson

Brief Assignment Overview:

This is a short assignment using the free text visualization software, Wordle, to help students find keywords for researching their chosen topics.

Type of Assignment:

In-class Exercise

Assignment Length:

Partial Class Period

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Commonplaces

Invention

Visual Rhetoric

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Open Access Software

Visualization

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

The goals for this assignment are to use a data visualization technique to focus students' attention on common terms in a controversy.

Media Requirements:

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

The necessary materials are computer and Internet access for all students. The application being used is free online.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Early in the Semester

Full Assignment Description:

This assignment asks students to freewrite and use a online data visualizaiton to find common words in a controversy. This list can then later be used to narrow their searches in online public and provate databases.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

There isn't much instructor preparation for this assignment, aside from familiarizing him- or herself with the Wordle interface.

Instructions For Students:

1. To prepare for this activity, I had students freewrite for fifteen to twenty minutes on the topic they chose. Students were to type anything that came to mind about the particular topic, ignoring grammatical mistakes. I stressed that the form didn't matter (lists, bullets, phrases, complete sentences) as long as they got their thoughts down.

2. After the time limit, I gave students another five minutes or so to clean up any spelling mistakes. Grammar didn't matter.

3. We then went to the Wordle website and plugged their text into the box provided under the "Create" tab.

4. Each student was encouraged to randomize the results until they found a visually appealing layout. (This step isn't necessary, but students enjoy it.)

5. We then discussed the wordle results as a class, using students' examples. Using one example, we looked at all of the largest words (the most frequent), and used those to generate synonyms to include in an "or" column on the whiteboard. Different words from the wordle were used to populate other columns.

6. The end result is a map of possible word combinations they could use to research their topic. Combining words in the same column would mean the student would need an "or" operator in the search box; combining words across rows meant the student would use an "and" operator in the search box.

7. Students could print the map to pdf and email it to themselves for later reference.

Evaluation Suggestions:

This was an ungraded assignment, as it was designed to be a fun way to begin research.

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

Students seemed to like the exercise. While they could conceivably use just the freewrites without the wordles, the introduction of the visual element kept may of them attentive to the assignment. Plus, since they emailed the final pdf to themselves, they could use it for reference later.

When I do this exercise next time, I will probably make the freewriting time longer, or possibly give the freewrite as a homework assignment. This will produce more text and search options.

Course Type:

Introductory Writing Course

Course Description:

This course is designed to prepare you for the academic writing you do at the University of Texas and writing you will do in your careers and personal lives beyond UT. It is a course designed to teach you not what to think, but how to think on your own. Ultimately, you should learn to be a better thinker, who is able to think critically about topics, other people, and yourself; a better rhetor, who is able to analyze a specific situation and adjust your writing to fit accordingly; and a better communicator, who is able to express ideas effectively.

It will include three units with each unit culminating in a composition and including writing instruction that supports the drafting of that composition. Composition is a broad term including symbolic efforts in a variety of media (including video, audio, and web-design, to name just a few). Many lower-division RHE courses (such as RHE 315 and 312) encourage or even require composition outside of the traditionally imagined prose essay. Nevertheless, the written component of every lower-division RHE class must meet the writing flag requirements as stipulated by the college. These written assignments may include a variety of genres, including narrative, argument, analysis, or critical reflection. (“Creative” writing assignments—plays, fiction, poetry—are not suitable genres for formal writing assignments.) As required by the college, each major writing assignment includes a peer review process. You will also complete informal writing exercises that prepare you to do the writing necessary in your formal assignments.

Tags:

Wordle

Visualization Software

Creating Individual "Infospheres" on the Web

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:11:03 +0000

Author:

Jasmine Mulliken

Image Credit:

An example of an infosphere from Jasmine Mulliken

Brief Assignment Overview:

The infosphere assignment calls on students to identify online sources of information they regularly take in and to create a representative structure for this information. Students must build their own unique infospheres and organize them as they see fit.

Type of Assignment:

Course Unit

Major Course Project

Assignment Length:

Course Unit

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Annotated Bibliography

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

Rhetorical analysis, citation, research, invention, digital literacy.

Media Requirements:

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Mind mapping software (Novamind, Freemind, etc.)

Aggregator website (Netvibes, iGoogle, etc.)

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Mid-Semester

Full Assignment Description:

Michael Vlahos defined "infosphere" in 1996 as "the fusion of all the world's communications networks, databases and sources of information into a vast, intertwined and heterogeneous tapestry of electronic interchange" (498). The thirteen years since his article was published has seen, among ather things, a shift in use of internet from the impersonal to the personal. Individuals now have their own infospheres, personal tapestries of information that they choose to absorb on a day-to-day basis. The infosphere assignment calls on students to identify online sources of information they regularly take in and to create a representative structure for this information. One way to do this is through an aggregator site such as Netvibes. Students must build their own unique infospheres and organize them. The bases for this organization becomes apparent not only in the way the student displays his or her infosphere on the webiste, but also in the secondary and explanatory requirement--the mind map.

This 6-7 week assignment requires students to construct both a visual and a verbal representation of their infospheres. During the process, it is important to discuss theoretical ideas about the web, sociology, and argument so that students understand what makes up their infospheres, but also why and how these sources play a role in their formations of identity.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

Begin the unit with a discussion of infospheres. This discussion can be up to a class in length and may include whole class discussion, group discussion, and/or lecture.

The next class period should focus on the idea of aggrogator sites and should include a demonstration of how one works. I used Netvibes. After explanation and demonstrations, let the students work on their own for 15-20 minutes, addressing any questions that come up during that time.

The next class period might deal with structuring information. (This could be done before the aggregator discussion, but I found it useful to have the material already so there was something to fill up the structure with.) Talk with students about how we structure our lives based on role or time or any other framework. This discussion could be half a class, and the next half could be an explanation/demonstration of NovaMind or another mind mapping software. Again, allow some time for students to play with the software in class.

The next few class periods, allow time at the beginning or end of class to work on project. In the meantime you might have them do readings over information structures or identity and its modern influences and discuss these readings and the ideas they evoke. Tie these ideas in to the infosphere so that the theory behind the assignment is always relevant.

It might be a good idea to have one full class dedicated to working on the project toward the end of the unit. You may not need this, though, if you've been allowing a block of time throughout the unit for work.

Instructions For Students:

This assignment has two parts: a mindmap reflecting the structure and reasoning for your website; and a website reflecting your infosphere as discussed in class.

Create, in an online environment, a space that represents your infosphere. You should use an aggregator site such as netvibes.com or igoogle.com to bring together the various information you take in on a daily basis. This may include any news sites you visit, radio stations you listen to, shows you watch, social sites you visit, email accounts you check, lectures or podcasts you listen to (like church sermons or class feeds), and the like. You may want to create different tabs that effectively categorize the information by role. Perhaps you read different magazines or journals for your job or classes than you do for entertainment. Maybe you want to separate your personal email account from your school email account. Keep in mind how you organize the information you take in and try to represent that through the interface.

As a precursor to building your website, map out the various components of your infosphere in a mind map. This map can serve as a brainstorming space and help you think through the different uses of the various information you take in on a daily basis.

Be as thorough as you can. Include everything you receive information from or take into consideration when constructing your reality. Remember, though, that you are trying to represent mainly the information you take in and not the information you put out. Sometimes these lines intersect, but try to contain this assignment as best you can to information you receive and process.

Requirements

Upload as a jpeg your infosphere mindmap by the due date. The map should have at the center your name. The first level of nodes should represent the tabs that will be at the top of your netvibes site (or the first level of organization on any other site you're using). The next level of nodes should be the titles of the blocks you will be putting under each tab. The nodes under the block titles should explain how and how often you use the information in the block, when and why you started using it, and a brief description of the site represented in the block.

Post a link to the finished site to the submission area for the assignment by the due date.(Check the calendar on the course website.) Additionally you may post a link in the class forum if you're willing to share your infosphere with the class. Be as thorough as possible. If you find along the way any sites that aren't part of your current infosphere but that you want to make part of it, definitely add those in! This assignment is meant to be both reflective and generative.

Evaluation Suggestions:

The grade on this assignment is based on the thoroughness of the site and the mindmap. In cases where students may have fewer objects in their infospheres, the amount of information and description in the mind map should show a thorough understanding of the role of those objects. The page should be well organized according to a specific structure defined by the student. The mindmap and website should show structures consistent with each other. Many objects on the website does not guarantee a good grade. Grade is based on evidence of the student's understanding of the purposes of those objects.

Course Type:

Advanced Writing Course

Intermediate Writing Course

Course Description:

This project was implemented in an intermediate rhetoric course, RHE 309K The Rhetoric of Web Identity.

Tags:

Infosphere

Citation

Visual Representation

Invention

Website Design

Novamind

Tracing Memes in Storify

gianfagna — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:55:15 +0000

Author:

Megan Varelmann Gianfagna

Image Credit:

Screen shot of Storify home page

Brief Assignment Overview:

In this assignment, students use the free online program Storify to track the life of a meme by combining elements pulled from social and news media sources.

Type of Assignment:

In-class Exercise

Assignment Length:

One-Two Class Periods

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Organization

Summary

Synthesis

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

I've used this assignment in two different ways. The first time I taught the course, I used it as an outlining exercise. The second time I taught the course, I allowed students to use Storify as the platform for the essay itself. The outlining exercise can easily transition into a larger assigment. Originally, this assignment was meant to serve as both an invention and an outlining exercise for students as they prepared to write their first essay, where they map the similarities and differences among three iterations of a meme in terms of media, venue, exigence, purpose, audience, and message. This in-class project as well as the more formal essay are two ways of achieving one of the larger course goals: to have students look beyond individual platforms and investigate—through emerging multimedia composing practices—the broader, interconnected digital media landscape.

Media Requirements:

Adaptable For Use Without Classroom Technology

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Computer with internet connection

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Useful Anytime

Full Assignment Description:

In the context of my course, Rhetoric of Going Viral, the focus is on tracking a meme across multiple iterations, creating a sort of metacommentary on the way it has changed across media and time. I require that students integrate at least three “primary” texts, or iterations of their meme, as well as at least one contextual source to help the reader understand the meme’s origin, impact, etc.

The Storify interface allows students to search Twitter, YouTube, Google, Facebook, Flickr, the Storify site, and RSS feeds. Then they can drag the texts, images, and videos they find in the research window into their story. They can add commentary and rearrange elements as they go. At the top, they can add a title and a summary of their story. When they’re satisfied with their work, they can publish their story and share the link on a blog or social media platform.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

In the class period before students are scheduled to complete the assignment, I recommend sharing a few Storify pieces and discussing the assignment requirements. For homework, I have students select primary texts and contextual sources, though many do additional research as they are composing. Students will also need to create a Twitter account to log in.

The day of, students might spend the first 10 minutes of class getting signed in and walking through the basic features of the interface. There are also screencasts available on the Storify if you’d like to have students watch a tutorial prior to beginning their projects.

Instructions For Students:

Outline version

In Research Summary 1 and 2, you have practiced locating, summarizing and contextualizing online texts. As you move into Essay 1.1, you will create a multimedia narrative to help generate ideas and guide your writing. Using Storify, you will illustrate the relationships among the three primary texts you plan to use in essay 1.1. Your story should include three “primary” texts, or iterations of the meme, as well as contextual information about its origin, popularity, reactions it has caused, etc. You can organize your narrative chronologically or according to publication venue, message, topoi, or stakeholders. Remember that your primary goal is to give your reader insight into the relationships among these texts, so you will want to organize them in a way that makes those relationships most visible and gives your reader ample opportunity to note important overlaps and differences. Keep in mind that your map needs to include enough information and visual cues that it can be read and understood as a stand-alone narrative (that is, without the aid of additional explanation from you to me or your classmates). When you’re finished, you will publish your piece to your class blog.

Essay version

General

You have two options for the first assignment: a traditional essay of about 3 pages (this option can include embedded images and other multimedia elements or not) OR a Storify piece that fulfills all objectives of the assignment. If you choose the Storify option, you will need to sign up for a free account or sign in with your Twitter or Facebook login. The platform allows you to pull text, images and video from news and social media sites and integrate them into a narrative. You can add commentary and transitions to complete the story of the meme you’re mapping. Here is a demo/tour of the site’s capabilities.

For your first major project, you will trace the life of an event or argument, placing it in a specific socio-historical context and noting how its rhetorical features change and evolve as it moves through multiple media platforms or iterations over time. To do so, find three digital or physical texts (blog posts, videos, news coverage, op-eds, tattoos, T-shirts, posters, etc.) responding to a common exigence and talk in-depth about the sequence in which these texts appeared, the venues in which they are presented, and how the representation of the idea changes according to media and genre. You will be required to include at least 4 sources (3 of which will be the texts themselves and the other of which might be contextual information from a website or article).

Your purpose in this essay/Storify piece is to map out the various texts or versions of a single text you've chosen, clearly describing each one and then highlighting the relationships among them. Do not argue for which of the texts is “best,” but rather articulate as neutrally as possible what each says and what its relationship is to the other texts.

One way to maintain a neutral stance is to give each text equal space and attention in your paper, giving each the opportunity to present its message from its own perspective when possible. Be sure to attribute statements to their original speakers or organizations: phrases such as "According to. . ." and "As stated by. . ." along with verbs that indicate that someone has stated a particular position, such as argues, advocates, asserts and contends will indicate that the argument you are presenting is not necessarily your own.

Your audience for this essay will be concerned and interested but not particularly informed citizens who are looking to you to provide an unbiased lay of the land. With that in mind, you will want to provide enough background information to allow them to follow the conversation but not so much detail that it overwhelms your primary purpose.

Specifics

You'll want to sketch out the basics of what your three texts have in common and provide brief but informative descriptions of their form and content. You can draw heavily on your annotated bibliography for this information. For example, if they are all responding in different ways to a common exigence, you may want to explain what event(s) or cultural moment led to the creation of these texts. For each of the three individual texts, you'll want to tell your audience who created them, where and when they appeared, who they are targeted towards, and what message they send or position they take. Provide a clear timeline and sense of how the three texts relate to each other.
You'll want to compare how the texts have responded similarly or differently to the event or idea that spurred their creation. As you do so, you'll want to indicate who the stakeholders are (as well as what each source's stake is) and points of intersection and diversion among their responses. Your comparison (or perhaps the essay/Storify piece itself) should begin with a polished claim summarizing the main similarities and differences—a thesis. If you're discussing one meme that has appeared in multiple contexts, you'll want to focus on any ways it has changed or how it is being used or regarded differently on each site.
Document your sources according to the MLA or APA documentation guidelines.

Evaluation Suggestions:

I use the Learning Record, so individual assignments do not receive grades. Rather, I comment on the Storify projects and students later draw on those comments when composing midterm and final evaluations of their performance in the class.

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

My experience has been that students really love the Storify interface and need very little instruction to create their projects. Many students commented that they felt the texts they were working with were more visible, more immediately available to them as they were writing in Storify than in Word, and so their arguments emerged with less difficulty. As a reader, I found the Storify outlines and essays very engaging.

Course Type:

Introductory Writing Course

Course Description:

RHE 309K - Rhetoric of Going Viral - an intermediate writing course.

Tags:

Visual Representation