In class you gave some feedback to your classmates for their wikipedia posts, and we did some class brainstorming about how you might build on your post to develop your research project. Good work on connecting + providing one another with some ideas!
At the end of class we discussed the reading for Monday on produsage.
For class Monday:
Read: "The Key Characteristics of Produsage" (handout provided in class - extra copies in my mailbox in CAS 301 E)
Blog: This is slightly different from what is listed on the calendar. Rather than connecting to social networking sites, I want you to use this reading to pull together + reflect on the readings we have done so far. Write a little about how the concept of produsage connects to : 1) the features of the internet; 2) internet mindsets (as set forward by Lankshear & Knobel); 3) the concept of remediation; 4) the ideas underpinning the intensive information exchange for flashmobs; and finally, the community that underpins wikipedia itself. This does not have to be polished writing; the point of this post is for you to do some thinking about how the readings for the course fit together. Go for the ideas.
Have a good weekend and see you on Monday,
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Class February 23
Feedback on your blogs + grades for your literacy narratives should be in your email. If you feel that I did not correctly/fairly evaluate your narrative, please schedule a conference and we can talk about it. If you are not satisfied with your grade, you may revise your writing and re-submit it. Overall this writing was well done. What a pleasure to read these stories. Thank you for your good work.
In class today Kathy and Jenna gave their presentation on the wikipedia article. They provided us with some of the history of the site and introduced the collaborative nature of the site "where everyone is a groundskeeper," along with wikipedia's version of vandalism, John Broughton's "missing manual," instruction creep, deletionism, and the "Article Rescue Squadron. . . a small group that opposes "extremist deletion.""
The presentation intimated the social nature of the site (which I then picked up on in the presentation of your assignment. As the author of "The Charms of Wikipedia," Nicholson Baker points out, "Without the kooks and the insulters and the spray-can taggers, Wikipedia would just be the most useful encyclopedia ever made. Instead it's a fast-paced game of paintball."
We discussed the assignment, you created your accounts, and then did some exploring to identify your topic (in terms of what is posted on wikipedia & what needs expanding)and figure out how to construct a post. Read the information on wikipedia about how to post; take advantage of the discussions and practice in the sandbox or by making small edits and checking out the code.
For Thursday-
Read: references for your wikipedia post
Blog 8: Exploratory writing for your wikipedia post
Remember to keep in mind that your wikipedia post can set up your research project - and that the focus for both needs to connect to literacy, technology, digital writing and "cyberspace" => the focus of the course.
See you on Thursday.
In class today Kathy and Jenna gave their presentation on the wikipedia article. They provided us with some of the history of the site and introduced the collaborative nature of the site "where everyone is a groundskeeper," along with wikipedia's version of vandalism, John Broughton's "missing manual," instruction creep, deletionism, and the "Article Rescue Squadron. . . a small group that opposes "extremist deletion.""
The presentation intimated the social nature of the site (which I then picked up on in the presentation of your assignment. As the author of "The Charms of Wikipedia," Nicholson Baker points out, "Without the kooks and the insulters and the spray-can taggers, Wikipedia would just be the most useful encyclopedia ever made. Instead it's a fast-paced game of paintball."
We discussed the assignment, you created your accounts, and then did some exploring to identify your topic (in terms of what is posted on wikipedia & what needs expanding)and figure out how to construct a post. Read the information on wikipedia about how to post; take advantage of the discussions and practice in the sandbox or by making small edits and checking out the code.
For Thursday-
Read: references for your wikipedia post
Blog 8: Exploratory writing for your wikipedia post
Remember to keep in mind that your wikipedia post can set up your research project - and that the focus for both needs to connect to literacy, technology, digital writing and "cyberspace" => the focus of the course.
See you on Thursday.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Class February 19
In class today Rishi and Melissa talked to us about Smart mobs and we did some exploring on the internet to see some recent examples. We then talked about some of the historical precedents of smart mobs (such as the Boston Tea Party!) and identified the features of digital technologies that have extended their possibilities.
For Monday -
You blog assignment is listed on your calendar:
Blog 7: What in the world of print might correspond to the communications that underpin flashmobs? How have digital communications changed/remediated these communications and what are the effects of that remediation? What kinds of changes might you predict for the future?
AND
Read the wikipedia article.
In class on Monday, after Cathy and Jenna talk about the reading assignment, we will do some talking and writing to get you started on your wikipedia post.
I will be looking at your literacy narratives, hopefully within the next week, and you will receive an email with comments.
Have a good weekend and see you on Monday!
For Monday -
You blog assignment is listed on your calendar:
Blog 7: What in the world of print might correspond to the communications that underpin flashmobs? How have digital communications changed/remediated these communications and what are the effects of that remediation? What kinds of changes might you predict for the future?
AND
Read the wikipedia article.
In class on Monday, after Cathy and Jenna talk about the reading assignment, we will do some talking and writing to get you started on your wikipedia post.
I will be looking at your literacy narratives, hopefully within the next week, and you will receive an email with comments.
Have a good weekend and see you on Monday!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Contributing to Wikipedia
Next week we will be talking in some depth about wikipedia - how it works, how it is connected to the ideas and practices that make the internet work, and how you might participate.
To get some background - you might want to read about Wikipedia (where else?) - on wikipedia. Check out the section on contributing to Wikipedia. As you read this material (and the assigned reading for next week) - you will begin to understand that this is an interactiveprocess - that there is much more than simply typing in the information and hitting save. Your contributions will be read, evaluated, and edited by the community of readers interested in your page. If you choose a "hot" topic - you might find it difficult to become part of the group that directs what is and is not "allowed" as information. Regarding the technical aspects of posting - check out what is available in terms of help, do some experimenting in the "sandbox" or read about the available tools.
And do some thinking about what you have to contribute in terms of "expertise."
To get some background - you might want to read about Wikipedia (where else?) - on wikipedia. Check out the section on contributing to Wikipedia. As you read this material (and the assigned reading for next week) - you will begin to understand that this is an interactiveprocess - that there is much more than simply typing in the information and hitting save. Your contributions will be read, evaluated, and edited by the community of readers interested in your page. If you choose a "hot" topic - you might find it difficult to become part of the group that directs what is and is not "allowed" as information. Regarding the technical aspects of posting - check out what is available in terms of help, do some experimenting in the "sandbox" or read about the available tools.
And do some thinking about what you have to contribute in terms of "expertise."
Monday, February 16, 2009
Post on Monday, Feb 16
In class Thursday Feb 12 we had a quick discussion of Hayles work on technotexts, cybertexts, and hypertexts. We also brainstormed a list of possible topics for your wikipedia/research projects. From discussion in class and from glancing through your blogs and it sounds like most of you are starting to get some ideas for what you might work on. As Kathy pointed out in class - it is whatever you want. . .so long as it connects to the focus of the course.
I know it says to post your literacy narrative today - but we agreed in class that you could turn it in on Thursday.
In class on Thursday, Rishi and Melissa will give a presentation on Smartmobs, and I will talk a little about wikipedia.
See you on Thursday.
I know it says to post your literacy narrative today - but we agreed in class that you could turn it in on Thursday.
In class on Thursday, Rishi and Melissa will give a presentation on Smartmobs, and I will talk a little about wikipedia.
See you on Thursday.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Feedback on your literacy narratives
You should have an email with some feedback on your literacy narrative posted on your blog. If you posted it - you got full credit for Blog 4. These are great. I am looking forward to reading the finished essays.
In class Thursday you will spend some time checking out & commenting on what your classmates have written, both for their literacy narratives + brainstorming (Blog 5). We will do some group brainstorming on topics for the wikipedia + hypertext projects, and hopefully by the time you leave class you will be excited about becoming the "expert" on your particular topic.
In class Thursday you will spend some time checking out & commenting on what your classmates have written, both for their literacy narratives + brainstorming (Blog 5). We will do some group brainstorming on topics for the wikipedia + hypertext projects, and hopefully by the time you leave class you will be excited about becoming the "expert" on your particular topic.
Monday, February 9, 2009
What we did in class February 9
We talked through the concepts in the remediation reading with a focus on the facts that media are produced through different technologies, and that remediation is the process of re-creating a text from one medium in and through the forms, conventions,and technologies of another medium (e.g. making a movie from a book, a video game from the story line of traditional mythology, etc).
Bolter and Grusin emphasized the features of immediacy and hypermediacy. Immediacy draws us into the text and makes the world disappear. It makes us feel as if we are there; while hypermediacy draws our attention to the textual/representational nature of the medium - and to that medium's connections to other media.
We made a timeline of technologies and you then did some group work to identify the practices/conventions for "reading" texts in one particular medium.
We didn't get to spend as much time as I'd hoped on the Star Wars links - texts that borrow heavily from and "re-mix" texts from a number of different technologies.
For Thursday:
Read the Hayles text on Materiality and Technotexts.
Blog 5: Exploratory writing for your wikipedia project/hypertext essay.
This post is to give you a chance to respond to, reflect on, speculate about the ideas we have considered so far, and think about what you might like to dig into a little deeper and develop into an area of expertise so you can post to wikipedia on your subject, and so you can develop your hypertext essay. You do not have to write about the ideas posed in this post.
Summary of ideas raised in the course so far:
1. Literacy values and practices reflect the historical cultural conditions that surround them (illustrated in timeline, your literacy narratives, the history of the internet article + discussion).
2. New literacies are products of the new technologies AND the new ways of thinking and being (DISCOURSES) that evolved with those technologies (Lankshear and Knobel).
3. New literacies and "old" literacies and the technologies that embody them are constantly making and re-making one another (Lankshear + Knobel; Remediation; Phone Novels).
For your post, choose some aspect of the focus of the course and develop it in terms of your own particular areas of interests. Pretty much anything connected to writing, digital technologies, and the internet will work. For examples of hypertext essays developed by students from last years' class, see ENG 3080 This post is meant to get you started + open up some ideas, put your interests out there; your classmates will give you feedback on it in our next class. If you are really stuck - say what you are stuck on and ask for some suggestions, make a list of your interests, etc.
See you Thursday.
Bolter and Grusin emphasized the features of immediacy and hypermediacy. Immediacy draws us into the text and makes the world disappear. It makes us feel as if we are there; while hypermediacy draws our attention to the textual/representational nature of the medium - and to that medium's connections to other media.
We made a timeline of technologies and you then did some group work to identify the practices/conventions for "reading" texts in one particular medium.
We didn't get to spend as much time as I'd hoped on the Star Wars links - texts that borrow heavily from and "re-mix" texts from a number of different technologies.
For Thursday:
Read the Hayles text on Materiality and Technotexts.
Blog 5: Exploratory writing for your wikipedia project/hypertext essay.
This post is to give you a chance to respond to, reflect on, speculate about the ideas we have considered so far, and think about what you might like to dig into a little deeper and develop into an area of expertise so you can post to wikipedia on your subject, and so you can develop your hypertext essay. You do not have to write about the ideas posed in this post.
Summary of ideas raised in the course so far:
1. Literacy values and practices reflect the historical cultural conditions that surround them (illustrated in timeline, your literacy narratives, the history of the internet article + discussion).
2. New literacies are products of the new technologies AND the new ways of thinking and being (DISCOURSES) that evolved with those technologies (Lankshear and Knobel).
3. New literacies and "old" literacies and the technologies that embody them are constantly making and re-making one another (Lankshear + Knobel; Remediation; Phone Novels).
For your post, choose some aspect of the focus of the course and develop it in terms of your own particular areas of interests. Pretty much anything connected to writing, digital technologies, and the internet will work. For examples of hypertext essays developed by students from last years' class, see ENG 3080 This post is meant to get you started + open up some ideas, put your interests out there; your classmates will give you feedback on it in our next class. If you are really stuck - say what you are stuck on and ask for some suggestions, make a list of your interests, etc.
See you Thursday.
Remediation!
In class today, after we discuss Bolter and Grusin's introduction to remediation, immediacy and hypermediacy, we are going to identify and classify features of different media, and talk about how those features affect our experience of "texts" - using Lankshear & Knobel's definition of tex- in those media.
After we have some guidelines for how different media shape the expectations and experiences of "readers" we are going to think about some more complex examples in terms of a single text: Star Wars.
Below are some "hybrid," multimedia presentations of what started out as a movie and was rendered as a book (check out Amazon to see just how many "versions" of the "book" there are now) and is now. . .
Star Wars Revelations (film)
Star wars legos
Darth Vader playing harmonica
Star Wars Gangsta Rap
Lucas Response to fandoms' creative appropriation of his "property"
Clone wars online comics
After we have some guidelines for how different media shape the expectations and experiences of "readers" we are going to think about some more complex examples in terms of a single text: Star Wars.
Below are some "hybrid," multimedia presentations of what started out as a movie and was rendered as a book (check out Amazon to see just how many "versions" of the "book" there are now) and is now. . .
Star Wars Revelations (film)
Star wars legos
Darth Vader playing harmonica
Star Wars Gangsta Rap
Lucas Response to fandoms' creative appropriation of his "property"
Clone wars online comics
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Thursday, February 5
We began by firming up the list for who will present on what. The final list for presentations is as follows:
Notice: I got the presentation dates incorrect on the first list. This list has the correct dates for your presentations - as they are listed on the course calendar
Rheingold, "Flashmobs" 2/19 Rishi Melissa
Wikipedia article 2/23 Liz Jenna Kathy
"The Key Characteristics of Produsage;" Axel Bruns 3/2 Sally Amnah
Electronic Literature 3/30 Joe Dan Stephanie
Collins, "Friend Game" 4/6 Alison Nicole Tiffany
Hayles, Hyper and Deep Attention 4/9 Sue Celia Rebecca
We then checked in on the literacy and technology narratives. You talked about some of the themes you were identifying in your experiences + ways of thinking about literacy, and then we talked about some of the dichotomies for thinking about literacy, and considered how your experiences of print and digital spaces might have set you up to embrace one or the other of the sides with respect to a number of values. For example, when you give a quick unpremeditated response:
- do you think of literacy as a great equalizer/a way to provide a way up for those who have been left behind OR do you think of literacy as one more piece of machinery to perpetuate the status quo/ to keep power with those who already have it, and to keep those who don't from getting their share?
- do you think of writing as work - something hard but valuable/ OR fun - something you do for your own pleasure, and that is playful and enjoyable?
- do you think writing is "dangerous" in that putting something into writing sets you up for criticism (is turning in writing for school anxiety producing?) OR do you think of it as a place where you can prove yourself and get well deserved rewards?
- do you see writing/literacy as a sine qua non for getting ahead in the world OR do you think there are other much more valuable skills, and writing is really an "elite" but not so important life skill?
We then talked about how your answers to these questions might connect to your value system - and how that value system might reflect the print or digital values/mindsets laid out in the Lankshear and Knobel essay.
We then discussed the Phone Novels essay. (see previous post). This discussion was both my presentation on the reading - and a model for how you might do your presentation. The point I wanted to get across was that when you present - you are the expert, and it is up to you to lead your classmates to practical examples (on the internet) of the concepts covered in your reading.
We finished up with a brief introduction to the Remediation reading by Bolter and Grusin. I passed out hard copies of this article in class; for those of you not in class, copies are available in my box in 301E. Copies of Smartmobs by Rheingold are also available in my box.
For Monday:
1. Blog 4 Post your draft literacy narrative.
2. Read Bolter and Grusin: the first chapter from their book Remediation.
Begin to think about an topic you would like to explore in some more depth. You will be posting to wikipedia, and you will be developing a hypertext research essay. Keep looking through the readings - think about what you would like to dig into in study. We will do some in-class writing to explore topics.l
I will be providing feedback to blogs 1-3 over the weekend. This will give you a more clear idea of what I am looking for in terms of posts.
Have a good weekend and see you on Monday.
Notice: I got the presentation dates incorrect on the first list. This list has the correct dates for your presentations - as they are listed on the course calendar
Rheingold, "Flashmobs" 2/19 Rishi Melissa
Wikipedia article 2/23 Liz Jenna Kathy
"The Key Characteristics of Produsage;" Axel Bruns 3/2 Sally Amnah
Electronic Literature 3/30 Joe Dan Stephanie
Collins, "Friend Game" 4/6 Alison Nicole Tiffany
Hayles, Hyper and Deep Attention 4/9 Sue Celia Rebecca
We then checked in on the literacy and technology narratives. You talked about some of the themes you were identifying in your experiences + ways of thinking about literacy, and then we talked about some of the dichotomies for thinking about literacy, and considered how your experiences of print and digital spaces might have set you up to embrace one or the other of the sides with respect to a number of values. For example, when you give a quick unpremeditated response:
- do you think of literacy as a great equalizer/a way to provide a way up for those who have been left behind OR do you think of literacy as one more piece of machinery to perpetuate the status quo/ to keep power with those who already have it, and to keep those who don't from getting their share?
- do you think of writing as work - something hard but valuable/ OR fun - something you do for your own pleasure, and that is playful and enjoyable?
- do you think writing is "dangerous" in that putting something into writing sets you up for criticism (is turning in writing for school anxiety producing?) OR do you think of it as a place where you can prove yourself and get well deserved rewards?
- do you see writing/literacy as a sine qua non for getting ahead in the world OR do you think there are other much more valuable skills, and writing is really an "elite" but not so important life skill?
We then talked about how your answers to these questions might connect to your value system - and how that value system might reflect the print or digital values/mindsets laid out in the Lankshear and Knobel essay.
We then discussed the Phone Novels essay. (see previous post). This discussion was both my presentation on the reading - and a model for how you might do your presentation. The point I wanted to get across was that when you present - you are the expert, and it is up to you to lead your classmates to practical examples (on the internet) of the concepts covered in your reading.
We finished up with a brief introduction to the Remediation reading by Bolter and Grusin. I passed out hard copies of this article in class; for those of you not in class, copies are available in my box in 301E. Copies of Smartmobs by Rheingold are also available in my box.
For Monday:
1. Blog 4 Post your draft literacy narrative.
2. Read Bolter and Grusin: the first chapter from their book Remediation.
Begin to think about an topic you would like to explore in some more depth. You will be posting to wikipedia, and you will be developing a hypertext research essay. Keep looking through the readings - think about what you would like to dig into in study. We will do some in-class writing to explore topics.l
I will be providing feedback to blogs 1-3 over the weekend. This will give you a more clear idea of what I am looking for in terms of posts.
Have a good weekend and see you on Monday.
Phone novels!
For an English version of the focus of this article - check out Textnovel - a home page for cell phone novels in English. After you click through some of the "novels" you might want to check out the real thing: Maho i-land. Any observations? What do you think what you observe means with respect to digital spaces, phone novels, and the different uses different cultures have for these phenomena?
And after you read a few of these - you might glance through what The Shakespearean Rag has to say about phone novels.
So the question we take up today - is this: is the Shakespearan Rag correct in suggesting that "classical" literature is "better" and that we lose "subtlety & irony" among other things if we allow that cell phone writers have composed novels? Or is the Shakespearean Rag simply protecting its own turf, excluding an emerging Discourse by devaluing what it cannot control? OR - maybe something altogether different is going on?
And after you read a few of these - you might glance through what The Shakespearean Rag has to say about phone novels.
So the question we take up today - is this: is the Shakespearan Rag correct in suggesting that "classical" literature is "better" and that we lose "subtlety & irony" among other things if we allow that cell phone writers have composed novels? Or is the Shakespearean Rag simply protecting its own turf, excluding an emerging Discourse by devaluing what it cannot control? OR - maybe something altogether different is going on?
Monday, February 2, 2009
What we did in class Monday, February 2
**If you cannot open the .pdf for the Phone Novels article, it is in the Dec 22 issue of the New Yorker, Issue 84, volume 42. Also - I have left several hard copies of the article in my Mailbox in CAS 301E. **
We began class by going through the main concepts in the Lankshear & Knobel article: socio-cultural approaches to the study of literacy, definitions of literacy and Discourse; differences between primary and secondary Discourses; mindsets, and paradigms. As I pointed out throughout the discussion - these are concepts are foundations for the ideas and examples related to literacies and technology that you will be working on this term. Make sure you understand the difference between thinking of literacy as a "skill" and thinking of it as a social-interactive process.
Next you picked out the topic you wanted to do your presentation on (choices listed in the previous post). Most of you got your first choice, and those of you who were absent got stuck with what was left. As noted on the title to the post - these choices are still under negotiation - so those of you who got assigned - if you can't live with your "choice" let me know and we will do some negotiating.
We did not get to the commenting period for the blogs - but I think at this point most of you have gotten your posts up, have your links set up to classmates' blogs, and are ready. So go for it. I will be giving you feedback on your first three posts over the weekend. I was going to give "grades" this weekend - but there were a few of you still struggling with the technology - so this weekend it will be. Hopefully my feedback will give you a clear idea of the expectations for posts.
For Wednesday:
1. Read the essay on Phone novels. (It will be sent to you shortly, in two parts, in your email. If you don't receive a copy - let me know, it means you are not on the email list and that is BAD.)
2. Blog 3: Post a response to Lankshear and Knobel. Do you agree with their characterization of print versus digital mindsets? Or you might write about how or whether you see the history of the internet as shaping the mindsets of users - or about where you see the internet going in the future (check out Joe's blog); or you might have an issue or idea we didn't get to in class discussion.
3. Also - since you didn't get a chance to comment to your classmates' blogs in class - do some looking around. Leave some comments.
In class we will spend some time talking about the literacy & technology narrative - so if you have questions - bring them to class.
Good discussion today, and see you in class Wednesday.
We began class by going through the main concepts in the Lankshear & Knobel article: socio-cultural approaches to the study of literacy, definitions of literacy and Discourse; differences between primary and secondary Discourses; mindsets, and paradigms. As I pointed out throughout the discussion - these are concepts are foundations for the ideas and examples related to literacies and technology that you will be working on this term. Make sure you understand the difference between thinking of literacy as a "skill" and thinking of it as a social-interactive process.
Next you picked out the topic you wanted to do your presentation on (choices listed in the previous post). Most of you got your first choice, and those of you who were absent got stuck with what was left. As noted on the title to the post - these choices are still under negotiation - so those of you who got assigned - if you can't live with your "choice" let me know and we will do some negotiating.
We did not get to the commenting period for the blogs - but I think at this point most of you have gotten your posts up, have your links set up to classmates' blogs, and are ready. So go for it. I will be giving you feedback on your first three posts over the weekend. I was going to give "grades" this weekend - but there were a few of you still struggling with the technology - so this weekend it will be. Hopefully my feedback will give you a clear idea of the expectations for posts.
For Wednesday:
1. Read the essay on Phone novels. (It will be sent to you shortly, in two parts, in your email. If you don't receive a copy - let me know, it means you are not on the email list and that is BAD.)
2. Blog 3: Post a response to Lankshear and Knobel. Do you agree with their characterization of print versus digital mindsets? Or you might write about how or whether you see the history of the internet as shaping the mindsets of users - or about where you see the internet going in the future (check out Joe's blog); or you might have an issue or idea we didn't get to in class discussion.
3. Also - since you didn't get a chance to comment to your classmates' blogs in class - do some looking around. Leave some comments.
In class we will spend some time talking about the literacy & technology narrative - so if you have questions - bring them to class.
Good discussion today, and see you in class Wednesday.
draft choices for presentations
Rheingold, "Flashmobs" 2/12 Rishi Melissa Alison
Wikipedia article 2/19 Liz Jenna
"The Key Characteristics of Produsage;" Axel Bruns 2/26 Stephanie Amnah Kathy
Electronic Literature 3/26 Joe Dan
Collins, "Friend Game" 4/2 Rebecca Nicole Tiffany
Hayles, Hyper and Deep Attention 4/6 Sue Celia
Wikipedia article 2/19 Liz Jenna
"The Key Characteristics of Produsage;" Axel Bruns 2/26 Stephanie Amnah Kathy
Electronic Literature 3/26 Joe Dan
Collins, "Friend Game" 4/2 Rebecca Nicole Tiffany
Hayles, Hyper and Deep Attention 4/6 Sue Celia
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