Blog Topics for 4/8

Topic 1:

As we have discussed plagiarism and copyright, we have looked at several remixes like the Gang Fight remix of "Friday," and Colbert's cover of the same song. Then, of course, there are the auto-tune remixes done by the Gregory Brothers like "Backin' up."

For this blog post, think of another such remix that you enjoy and have the group discuss how the remix works (what they actually did to remix the piece) and why it works (why does it appeak to an audience). What is the significance of such parodies? Do they do serious work? Your group will look even more impressive if you can relate your analysis to our discussions of plagiarism and copyright.

Topic 2:

This topic will be much more difficult than topic 1, because it will require you to 1) have a good working relationship with your group because you will need to 2) do outside work, and 3) you will need some basic computer literacy.

Your assignment for topic two is to create a video blog in which your group will perform a "mixup" of your own. You might construct a parodic music video, or a short sketch in which you will adapt another work (song, story, speech, advertisement, etc.) into a new work of your own. There should be a rhetorical purpose. What comment on the original work are you trying to make by doing this one?

You will need to have at least an outline to turn in by the end of class, then you may have the weekend to work on and edit your video, but it must be completed and uploaded onto your blog on Monday.

Possible Topics for 1/28

Choose one topic as a group and write your blog post on that topic.

Topic 1 involves the analytic moves you have been using in Paper 1, in which you have connected a song to culture. This assignment, should you choose it, is to find another work of art (painting, photograph, poem, song, sculpture, play, etc.) and discuss how this work of art is a reaction to culture.

You are making the same analytic moves you made in paper 1, but you will have less space to make your argument. Come prepared with an idea of a work of art already in mind.

Topic 2 will prepare you for the next paper, where you will compare the arguments of two different essays, both dealing with literacy and multiculturalism.

In this topic, each member should share, in a paragaph or two, your own literacy narrative. What are your memories of learning to read? You should probably label each person's story seperately. Then, write a paragraph or two discussing what similarities there are between your stories and what differences there are if they seem significant. Do these similarities suggest any important lessons on literacy?

Welcome OSU Comp Bloggers

Welcome to OSU Comp Bloggers. Whether you are a student using this blog for directions, a fellow instructor who wants ideas on blogging in the classroom, or a bloke who's stumbled across this blog by happenstance, it's nice to have you reading along. This first blog post is designed to introduce you to the goals of this blog and with what you can expect to see here. Enjoy your stay.

From Jeff Spruill's English 1213 Syllabus:

Increasingly, workplace writing is being done collaboratively, so that authorship (and the responsibilities that go with it) is shared by several members of an organization, rather than by a lone author working in isolation.  Furthermore, professional writing is rarely presented in the traditional, essayist forms typical of academic writing.  Rather, modern professional writing often involves mixed media, visual imagery, and other such rhetorical devices.

As an introduction to and an initiation into these concerns, students in our class will compose blogs during this semester. These blogs will be open and available to the public.  The class will work in groups to compose original blog entries, corresponding to issues we are dealing with in class but written for a general audience.  Group members will work together to draw conclusions based on consensus and will work under deadlines to complete these projects.

This blog is designed to act as the mother ship for our project. It is a place for students to receive instruction, find useful and interesting guidance, view examples of specific blog assignments and more general examples of academic blogging.

If you are a teacher or interloper reading along out of interest for our project, you will find here ideas to incorporate in your own classroom, links to the writing done by my  students in their blogs, and samples of blog assignments.

Whatever your motivation for being here, happy reading.