So, it's been a while since I've posted anything on here. Actually, this is the first time I've posted anything that had no indication on my grade for a class. I'm thinking about keeping this blog going. I'm not sure if this will be a chronicle of my first year of teaching or just random thoughts and ideas I have as the year(s) moves forward. Today is election day, so only about a week left of hearing stupid comments about politics. That's exciting. Teaching has been more difficult than I originally realized it to be. Even with student teaching, you don't quite realize all the different things a teacher does besides teach in the classroom. I'm loving it though. Wrestling will be a challenge this year. I wish I had a better understanding of it in order to be a better coach. Fortunately I have Jeremy at the high school and a parent who know more of what they are doing than I do. This will prove to be beneficial in the long run. I think I will end the inital post with this. I'll be more involved with this in the future, but for now just text will have to do.
Until next time....
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
A Final Farewell
This post, as the title states, is a final farewell to the class that was Digital Rhetoric. But is it a goodbye to the blog? Perhaps, or perhaps the blog lives on. Maybe I start doing a blog but on a different site. Maybe I wipe this blog out or just pick up from where I left off. If I kept a blog, what would it be about? The questions are endless and it seems like I am content on possibly starting a blog. I do enjoy writing and feel like I could've contributed a little more on this blog. Looking back, I wish I would have. I feel like I have a decent amount of information on here as it is, but I think there was so much more I could do. Especially after seeing the sites other people shared in class.
This picture wasn't from 2004, I didn't realize the camera was putting a time stamp on it. I just thought I'd share a random picture of me from one of my road trips to a Vikings game. It has no relevance to this post, or does it? What is relevant to this site? I know these seem like random questions or maybe even a bunch of gibberish, but the big thing this class has taught me is about questioning why things are done how they're done. Everything we read seemed to be questioning everything about technology and literacy. Where has literacy been? Where is literacy going? How have we gotten here? Why are we going in the direction we are? What is the next big advancement of literature? Will technology replace the book as the dominant form of literature? Has it already?
So with these final thoughts I bring this post to a close. I have enjoyed the class, the classmates, and the instructor. This class has not only helped me look at literacy and technology in a new light, but has also enhanced my abilities working with various programs in the technology. I don't always feel like I have left a class and learned something relevant. With this class, I can easily see myself using the skills I have learned with iMovie and multimodal essays. I also think some of the information in the readings we had will carry on with me as well. I hope that when I become a teacher, I can give students the pleasure of working with these types of essays.
And without further adieu....
This picture wasn't from 2004, I didn't realize the camera was putting a time stamp on it. I just thought I'd share a random picture of me from one of my road trips to a Vikings game. It has no relevance to this post, or does it? What is relevant to this site? I know these seem like random questions or maybe even a bunch of gibberish, but the big thing this class has taught me is about questioning why things are done how they're done. Everything we read seemed to be questioning everything about technology and literacy. Where has literacy been? Where is literacy going? How have we gotten here? Why are we going in the direction we are? What is the next big advancement of literature? Will technology replace the book as the dominant form of literature? Has it already?
So with these final thoughts I bring this post to a close. I have enjoyed the class, the classmates, and the instructor. This class has not only helped me look at literacy and technology in a new light, but has also enhanced my abilities working with various programs in the technology. I don't always feel like I have left a class and learned something relevant. With this class, I can easily see myself using the skills I have learned with iMovie and multimodal essays. I also think some of the information in the readings we had will carry on with me as well. I hope that when I become a teacher, I can give students the pleasure of working with these types of essays.
And without further adieu....
Monday, April 16, 2012
Literacy Narrative Update (A technological look)
While looking back at my literacy narrative, I feel like it is the Jay David Bolter of our readings this semester. Sure it has some interesting things in it, but overall it seems outdated. This semester I feel that I have developed a better understanding for literacy that I hadn’t quite realized before.
While I may seem to be knocking Bolter’s work, it is in no means something to look over. One aspect that he touched on that I found completely relevant to my literacy development was hypertext. I feel like Bolter puts it best when he refers to it as “disrupting the linear” (137). Hypertext created a new world of literacy that isn’t quite seen in print. I feel like the closest thing to this world that print has to offer is through “Choose Your Own Ending” books. I loved reading those when I was younger and it seems to be no surprise that I enjoy the adventure of hypertext. Hypertext is seen everywhere and makes literacy non-linear. While Bolter states the idea that narratives are often linear, specifically popular fiction, he also states that non-linear fiction may never be popular. Perhaps that is the case, but non-linear non-fiction is a completely different story. I feel like this form of literacy is fantastic. An individual could click a link on the American Revolution and see stories from different perspectives. One could read a Colonist’s side and a British man’s side to get a different side yet read about the same period in history. Hypertext has created a new world that still has tons of potential if tapped into correctly.
Bolster aside, I found some of our readings to be both refreshing and intriguing. Take “From the Vocabulary of Comics” as an example. Scott McCloud has created a narrative in a form that doesn’t seem like a task. It seems more like a pleasure. It reminds me of my children’s literature class I took where we discussed the significance of the graphic novel. While this isn’t necessarily digital, it is a breakthrough in reading. Now more people are seeing validity in some of the graphic novels and creating a more inviting option for students to read. I think this is a direct correlation to what we see with the digital age; to what I have seen with my literacy development. As social media has become the giant industry it is today, it has also completely transformed the literacy of individuals. It has created many debates on whether such sites are useful to students and if the reading/writing on these sites should even be considered reading/writing. It seems to me that anytime an individual takes the time to read or write, however “unintelligent” it may seem, it is useful and can be used to further the development of these students.
According to Richard Lanham in his essay “The Implications of Electronic Information for the Sociology of Knowledge,” electronic information “affects the organization of humanistic knowledge and the social basis of its production in some fundamental ways” (457). It also states the facts that electronic information changes what we mean by both author and text. If it changes what we mean by author and text, shouldn’t it also change how we feel about such authors and texts? I think this is where I am currently in my literacy development: discovering for myself how I feel about a new meaning of author and a new meaning of texts. Being an English major, it is hard to let go of traditional notions of these ideas. Being a part of the digital revolution we have seen in the past few decades, it is hard to not adapt to these new ideas. Time will only tell where I go with these feelings.
In today's society, access to the digital realm is practically endless. From smart phones to tablets to lab tops, the digital world is now on the go. It is becoming increasingly rare, or at least for me it is, for people to write with a pen and paper. Getting on a digital device and using a word processor or blog/social media site have become the norm. The world has changed and the access has made it increasingly dramatic. Digital media has made a huge impact on our world and, with it being so readily available, is only just beginning to tap into the potential that it has.
As I have seen with this course, the development of this essay is only just beginning. If I have made so many discoveries of myself in just a few short months, how will it look in just a few more weeks? Months? Years? Decades? The questions go on and only time can give these answers.
While I may seem to be knocking Bolter’s work, it is in no means something to look over. One aspect that he touched on that I found completely relevant to my literacy development was hypertext. I feel like Bolter puts it best when he refers to it as “disrupting the linear” (137). Hypertext created a new world of literacy that isn’t quite seen in print. I feel like the closest thing to this world that print has to offer is through “Choose Your Own Ending” books. I loved reading those when I was younger and it seems to be no surprise that I enjoy the adventure of hypertext. Hypertext is seen everywhere and makes literacy non-linear. While Bolter states the idea that narratives are often linear, specifically popular fiction, he also states that non-linear fiction may never be popular. Perhaps that is the case, but non-linear non-fiction is a completely different story. I feel like this form of literacy is fantastic. An individual could click a link on the American Revolution and see stories from different perspectives. One could read a Colonist’s side and a British man’s side to get a different side yet read about the same period in history. Hypertext has created a new world that still has tons of potential if tapped into correctly.
Bolster aside, I found some of our readings to be both refreshing and intriguing. Take “From the Vocabulary of Comics” as an example. Scott McCloud has created a narrative in a form that doesn’t seem like a task. It seems more like a pleasure. It reminds me of my children’s literature class I took where we discussed the significance of the graphic novel. While this isn’t necessarily digital, it is a breakthrough in reading. Now more people are seeing validity in some of the graphic novels and creating a more inviting option for students to read. I think this is a direct correlation to what we see with the digital age; to what I have seen with my literacy development. As social media has become the giant industry it is today, it has also completely transformed the literacy of individuals. It has created many debates on whether such sites are useful to students and if the reading/writing on these sites should even be considered reading/writing. It seems to me that anytime an individual takes the time to read or write, however “unintelligent” it may seem, it is useful and can be used to further the development of these students.
According to Richard Lanham in his essay “The Implications of Electronic Information for the Sociology of Knowledge,” electronic information “affects the organization of humanistic knowledge and the social basis of its production in some fundamental ways” (457). It also states the facts that electronic information changes what we mean by both author and text. If it changes what we mean by author and text, shouldn’t it also change how we feel about such authors and texts? I think this is where I am currently in my literacy development: discovering for myself how I feel about a new meaning of author and a new meaning of texts. Being an English major, it is hard to let go of traditional notions of these ideas. Being a part of the digital revolution we have seen in the past few decades, it is hard to not adapt to these new ideas. Time will only tell where I go with these feelings.
In today's society, access to the digital realm is practically endless. From smart phones to tablets to lab tops, the digital world is now on the go. It is becoming increasingly rare, or at least for me it is, for people to write with a pen and paper. Getting on a digital device and using a word processor or blog/social media site have become the norm. The world has changed and the access has made it increasingly dramatic. Digital media has made a huge impact on our world and, with it being so readily available, is only just beginning to tap into the potential that it has.
As I have seen with this course, the development of this essay is only just beginning. If I have made so many discoveries of myself in just a few short months, how will it look in just a few more weeks? Months? Years? Decades? The questions go on and only time can give these answers.
Narrative Essay
Narrative Essay
Storyboard
Reflection
The essay itself proved to be more difficult than our last essay. As far as planning and storyboarding went, it seemed like it was going to be an easier task than our last essay. As I began to put the project together, that couldn't be further from the truth. I think the biggest issue that I had with this essay was working with other people. I could no longer create the video on my own time; I had to incorporate other people's time and schedule. To make matters worse, I had people back out or simply not want to be involved in the video. Fortunately, I was able to eventually get people involved. After getting everything recorded that was necessary, I began to put the video together just to discover that there was an issue with the audio on some of the tapings. Whether it was the camera I used or the building I taped in, I'm not sure. There is a loud ringing that is rather obnoxious for the main actors. I tried to figure out how I could get that taken out, but was unsuccessful.
Ultimately, I feel like I had a better time creating this essay. I'm not sure if the subject played a part in it or if the style of the essay was the reason. I don't feel like I really had to learn anything new when working on this project. I feel like all the iMovie techniques I had learned on the last essay came in handy for this essay, but I didn't need to learn anything new about the process. I used ducking and clipping and editing on this project just as I did the other. The biggest difference with this essay from the last was that I used my own videos for the majority of this project. Otherwise, there really wasn't a lot different. I do feel like this essay had the response from the class that I was hoping for. I intended it to be humorous and the rest of the class seemed to enjoy the comedic effort I had made. It was a fun experience that, even though it was similar to the previous essay, was also different enough to give its own impression on me.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Lion King Rises
Saw this video and it made me think of our assignment. I thought they did a great job combining the scenes of The Lion King and the audio from the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises
Monday, March 26, 2012
Icons, Pictures and Symbols, Oh My!!
I found "From the Vocabulary of Comics" to be a refreshing read. Scott McCloud did a great job incorporating relevant information in an even more relevant format. I like the quote he says at the end: "But if who I am matters less, maybe what I say will matter more." It seems like a fun theory that could drive tons of debate. I'm not sure it is relevant, but at the same time I could see it being relevant. I also enjoyed the comparison of ourselves and cartoons. It is definitely an essay that creates a lot of thought.
The other essay, "Pictures, Symbols and Signs," was a slow read initially but had relevant information in it. I enjoyed the part where he begins to discuss the relevance of symbols. Some company symbols, when isolated by themselves, are easily recognized while others might not be as easily recognized. I currently work at JC Penney and we have a new CEO. Ron Johnson has created a huge change in the company and incorporated a new JC Penney logo. Some company logos are easily recognized, such as the following:
What Ron Johnson wanted to do was create a JC Penney logo that would be internationally recognized as these two are. This led to the creation of the following as JC Penney's new logo:
Without these symbols being prevalent in the lives of those that recognize these symbols, they mean nothing. The Apple sign is an apple that is missing a bite, Target's symbol is an O around a circle and the JC Penney logo is a small square in the corner of a box. All symbols and pictures are only relevant in their given environments. Anything else is a learned association. I enjoyed reading this portion of the essay as it was highly relevant to the changes JC Penney has had in the last few months.
The other essay, "Pictures, Symbols and Signs," was a slow read initially but had relevant information in it. I enjoyed the part where he begins to discuss the relevance of symbols. Some company symbols, when isolated by themselves, are easily recognized while others might not be as easily recognized. I currently work at JC Penney and we have a new CEO. Ron Johnson has created a huge change in the company and incorporated a new JC Penney logo. Some company logos are easily recognized, such as the following:
What Ron Johnson wanted to do was create a JC Penney logo that would be internationally recognized as these two are. This led to the creation of the following as JC Penney's new logo:
Without these symbols being prevalent in the lives of those that recognize these symbols, they mean nothing. The Apple sign is an apple that is missing a bite, Target's symbol is an O around a circle and the JC Penney logo is a small square in the corner of a box. All symbols and pictures are only relevant in their given environments. Anything else is a learned association. I enjoyed reading this portion of the essay as it was highly relevant to the changes JC Penney has had in the last few months.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Berhardt Response
So, when I first noticed that the text was from 1993, my initial thoughts were of agony and outdated information. While there is a gap between technology we have today and what was available at the time the article was initially created, the focus of the piece is on the actual text and how it can be used digitally. It does a better-than-expected job of being relevant even today.
One of the types of texts that is discussed in the article is "functionally mapped text." The description of this type of text seemed to have a heavy parallel with Wikipedia. In Wikipedia, the text has hyperlinks within the text that can lead the reader to a different page. For example, the topic could be about tropic fruits. The selection could be describing various types of tropic fruits, but for each fruit it mentions have a hyperlink that would take the reader to a page the specifically talks about that one fruit.
Wikipedia also has links that take the reader directly to various places in the selection itself. For example, if a reader was looking up John F. Kennedy, there would be one section directly about his presidency, another about his family and another about his life before becoming a president. All of these different sections would be labeled with links that the reader could skip straight to on the page.
By looking at just these two examples, we can see that there are various functions that the text on Wikipedia are used for. The creators of the site have made it to where readers are able to determine the different fuctions of the texts with relative ease. With just the little bit of information Bernhardt could have on digital text in 1993, he seemed to have a great understanding for the direction in which digital text would go.
One of the types of texts that is discussed in the article is "functionally mapped text." The description of this type of text seemed to have a heavy parallel with Wikipedia. In Wikipedia, the text has hyperlinks within the text that can lead the reader to a different page. For example, the topic could be about tropic fruits. The selection could be describing various types of tropic fruits, but for each fruit it mentions have a hyperlink that would take the reader to a page the specifically talks about that one fruit.
Wikipedia also has links that take the reader directly to various places in the selection itself. For example, if a reader was looking up John F. Kennedy, there would be one section directly about his presidency, another about his family and another about his life before becoming a president. All of these different sections would be labeled with links that the reader could skip straight to on the page.
By looking at just these two examples, we can see that there are various functions that the text on Wikipedia are used for. The creators of the site have made it to where readers are able to determine the different fuctions of the texts with relative ease. With just the little bit of information Bernhardt could have on digital text in 1993, he seemed to have a great understanding for the direction in which digital text would go.
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