Lillian Bridwell-Bowles congratulates a 2007 LSU Distinguished communicator, Shawn Treadaway, and his fiance, a 2008 winner, Lacey Deshotel

Announcements

We are "migrating" to the class wiki for posts after the midterm. I'll set up an "announcements page" on the wiki, and this will be the most up-to-date place to get news about the class between our meetings. All part of our ongoing experiment with Web 2.0 media and communication in your senior seminar in writing and culture! Dr. L

Good Example of a Wiki in Romantic Poetry

See Bowdoin College Students' Wiki entitled "The Romantic Audience" for ideas about how to use Wikis.

Late getting back from spring break?

Talk to colleagues about calendar changes. Use Wiki space like a Wiki. If you want to post detailed notes, do so on your blog. Dr. L

See Class Wiki (Links) for Slideshare and More

I'm Listening

Is anyone blogging or wiki-ing over spring break? If so, I'm listening (Dr. Frasier Crane)

Video Posts

We've learned that one blog user can post only a gig or 2 of media files per blog, so that means we won't be able to put all of our rehearsal videos on this blog. You will put your video rehearsal on your own blog and then get others in the class to comment and give you suggestions. We'll give more detailed instructions as you need them after spring break. We'll also sign up for reservations to be video-taped during the first class after break. --Dr. L

Short Clip with Simple Camera

I captured this brief exchange between Leah C. and Sean with my little digital camera. You can see that even this "low end" video can be seen on the web. LBB

Alternative Route

Click here to see "LouisianaLilly"

Presenters Post on Wiki

See the "Dailies" page on the Class Wiki and try posting responses and comments under chapter headings. NB: The "edit this page" button is the key to everything!

Class Wiki Just Up!

Let's experiment with a Wiki for our comments during the second half of the course. I think it will be easier to read than the separate blogs. We'll see. I'm as new to some of this as some of you are (and some of you are pros!). Dr. L

Wiki Address: http://writcult.wikispaces.com

bell hooks culture to culture

Comment here.

Asante & Afrocentric Criticism

Comment here.

ALT 3&4--Ashley

Ethos--perception of speaker [author, sponsor, much broader definition]. Cybersociety 2.0: Revisiting Computer-mediated Communication and Community.. Textual Masquerade. Role-playing.
Identification--response of audience to rhetor's ethos. [Kenneth Burke has a lot more to say about this.] Delivery in oral communication = medium. Audience invoked, Audience expressed.
Textual analysis in Chapter 4.

ALT Chapters on Speaker and Text

Ashley Mays facilitating; comments here.

Flynn on "Composing as a Woman"

Lexi DeBrock facilitating; comment here.

Feminist Criticism

Mandy Belanger facilitating. Comment Here

Next Week in Dr. Rollins' Class

Those of you who are in Dr. Rollins' rhetoric class will have a double-dose of yours truly next week. I'll be speaking on "alternative rhetorics" or "discourse and diversity"--haven't decided yet. I've posted some articles on BlackBoard that you might be interested in (not required). The one I like the most, personally, is "Master's Tools." I wish I could have made a documentary instead of writing an essay about these memories. They are strong visual images for me. Have a great weekend. Dr. L

Bush Video Compilation

One of several compilations on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa3J-L29iT8
Thanks, Catherine. Food for thought in the context of the Photoshop and the Democracy chapters in Jenkins (and in terms of rhetorical ethics). [I sense that I am about to compose a midterm question.] Yet another example of how many more people can now participate; see the number of times this one has been viewed AND the number of comments on it! Dr. L

Your midterm will be "open-book."

I think I told the class about this inscription on a building at FSU, where I did my undergraduate degree. I'm grateful to a blogger named Ann who decided not to go there for graduate school, but who posted her picture of this quotation that I've remembered for 39 years. The other half of knowledge is what you have in your own memory. Dr. Lilly

Order for Thursday

The lineup: Catherine (ALT 1-3, see Rhetorical Criticism on BB); Patrick (Continental Criticism, see Continental Theory on BB); Lillian H. (Covino, see #12 under Course Documents). Presenters post below; audience also post on these topics below or on your own blogs. --Dr. L

ALT Overview, Context, Audience (Catherine)

Continental Criticism (Patrick)

Rhetoric is BAAA-AK (Lillian H)

Political Criticism (Eagleton) by Leah C

Comments here....

Doing Rhetorical Criticism (Amanda D)

The Nature of Rhetorical Criticism (Lacey)

Comment here...

Jenkins' Grand Finale (well, not entirely)

Team leaders for Thursday, 2/14/08: Susannah Turner, Leah Annison, Travis Lamprecht. They will post materials here as comments. Others can comment here or on their own blogs, as they see fit.

Think Hope!

Speaking of public rhetoric and popular culture for worthy causes--this is me at the Women's Basketball Game ("Think Pink" for Breast Cancer Awareness) last Sunday. The team wore pink for all of us who are survivors and as a reminder that there is hope for the future. Dr. Lilly, Survivor since 1999.

Latest Update on Blogs

People who are discussion leaders post info on my blog. Others may comment there or on their own blogs, or both. I'll be asking each of you to give me a listing of your blog entries so that I can confirm my reading of them for course credit, but otherwise, you should post wherever you think the medium fits your message (Thanks, Marshall). We are experimenting. --Dr. L

Blog from Class Discussion on Digital Democracy

Summary of early points in Chapter 6, Digital Democracy. Shelley & Class Comments. See also Shelley's blog and many interesting links.

Question—Can popular culture motivate people to vote? Class responses: Most people get information on-line. Average person—Hillary on the economy? Buzzwords. Soundbites interacting with rhetoric. P-Diddy will never vote again because his vote did not count. Responsible position? A lot of “us” were 18, now 21. They are going to have to follow us. Demographically, you have an income to make a difference. Power. What are you going to do with it? As we are graduating, reflecting on values: family, economics, “our own perception.” Blogs are important in finding one’s own position. Lots of different opinions in one place. Presidential candidates (Edwards) used Myspace and YouTube—more than one opinion. More personal. Example of a Facebook debate. No dodging of the questions—"you didn’t answer the question." (Annoying in other debate formats). Newspapers not addressing “our views.” People simply not using other sources, so using multiple modes is effective.
Are political blogs useful if they only attract participants with one point of view. Useful IF you understand the bias of a particular blog or news source. Newspapers—too much stuff, material, paper!Read all sides—“ignorant” if you don’t know more than one side.

Last section of Chapter 6: Ashley & Class Discussion
Alphaville and Voting Naked.
P. 28. “Here again, popular culture may be preparing the way for a more meaningful public culture; in this case, the most compelling example comes from the world of video games.” (Alphaville) People who don’t participate in the pop cultures that Jenkins is writing about are alienated. What happens when the ways into political life via pop culture are not appealing? Is there anything like McLuhan’s Global Village today? Walter Cronkite in the olden days?
What are the responsibilities of citizenship? How can you be fully informed in this culture? Achievable utopia. Politics like football season on TV or Valentine’s Day. About consumption, consumption. Microwave society.
Voting naked. Vulnerable, exposed. How could we get over this? If educated, confident.

Sean on Fish:
See Sean’s blog entries.
LBB: Good summary of issues in the history of rhetoric.
Belial (fallen angel in Milton’s Paradise Lost)
Plato’s attack on rhetoric
P. 124, 3 oppositions, 2 kinds of language
Chomsky, Habermas
Aristotle's defense, rhetoric’s ethics depend on moral purpose of the rhetor
Cicero’s defense of humanism
Homo seriosus (serious man); homorhetoricus (rhetorical man)
Upswing of rhetorical man (Examples 128-134. Postructuralism.
Roland Barthes: “jouissance"--importance of play, especially in the light of "convergence culture."
Rorty—ending important.

Comment here of Fish's "Rhetoric"

Sean will lead the discussion on this essay.

Chapter 6 on Photoshop etc.

Comment here on Chapter 6 in Jenkins (discussion to be led by Shelley, Monica, and Ashley).

Marshall McLuhan after 41 Years

This is the famous image of Marshall McLuhan that appeared on the cover of The Medium if the Massage, 1967. It's on top of Understanding Media and War and Peace in the Global Village. All are relevant to this course and to an article I'm writing with Karen Powell and Tiffany Walter, which we'll submit to an on-line journal so that we can use hyperlinks, pictures, and video. I'll share a version when it's ready.
In the meantime, here's vintage McLuhan in TheMistheM:
First he quotes A. N. Whitehead: "The major advances in civilization are processes that all but wreck the societies in which they occur."
The MM speaks: "The medium, or process, of our time--electric technology--is reshaping and restructuring patters of social interdependence and every aspect of our personal life....Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men [sic] communicate than by the content of the communication. The alphabet, for instance, is a technology that is absorbed by the very young child in a completely unconscious manner, by osmosis so to speak. [MM was known for outrageous hyperbole...read on. LBB] Words and and the meaning of words predispose the child to think and act automatically in certain ways. The alphabet and print technology fostered and encouraged a fragmenting process, a process of specialism and detachment. Electric technology fosters and encourages unification and involvement. It is impossible to understand social and cultural changes without a knowledge of the workings of media." (p. 8) Now meditate on the idea that the first desktop computers came along in significant numbers around 1982. More to come.

Mandy

P. 170. Media literacy--not just enough to consume, we must express. Hugely important. Read Mandy's blog to see her comments on this. Parental skill? Will there be a gap when people in the class are of the age to participate in whatever cultures digital media will make possible then? Will we become our parents in terms of obsolescence? (LBB answers, "yes, but"; see my comment on Mandy's blog). Davidson: US one of the only places she's visited that charge for Internet access. China (sometimes censored), Africa, Latin America, Japan--free. What does our culture say about itself by preserving stratification? Capitalist model of consumption. Mandy will blog more on convergence culture, a la Davidson talk. Lexi will comment on Wissoker's talk on the book.

Catherine's Contribution

Great links on Catherine's website. Lists of top ten challenged reading lists. Interesting to compare different groups of readers' perspectives. Homosexuality, masturbation, gender roles, cross-cultural adoption, challenges to authority. Interesting lists of "offenses." Rowling is #4 on ALA list. Critical thinking skills. How can you use them if they are censored. Range of perspectives among Christian websites observed. Emphasis on the struggle mentioned on 194. 195. Fear about evil, fear about internet (on the part of Christian extremists, parents). Discernment seemed like a good response to Amanda. Christian traditions reflected in HP books; might be useful to strengthen one's beliefs. Sentence that bridges 194-195. Hyperbolic, but provocative. Last question: is portrayal of evil a focus because it's antiauthoritarian?

Lexi's Intro of the Literacy Chapter in Jenkins

Lexi (her points and class contributions): Bruno Bettleheim (significance of fantasy; LBB remembers, "We live our lives by narratives." ) Anne Haas Dyson--what fantasies do for kids. How can kids participate in this culture? Question: How many kids have computers in homes? What goes on with these books (p. 176)? 2005: 55%. Lillian H: home-schooled example (Heather Lawver) amazing. James Paul Gee (community spaces)--people learn more from pop culture than from textbooks. Beta reading (feedback)--we should try it. Scaffolding: modeling learning/cognitive processes. Sweeney. Friere: Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Banking model. Bruffee and others picked up on the idea that this is not the only way: social significance. Constructivist theories. Who could not like student-initiated learning? Warner Brothers, man others mentioned in chapter. P. 185--good stuff in school? Kids think they can only do school work with school books. Maybe if they start with Harry, etc., the tools they learn with transfer. Several people spoke on using pop culture for this kind of transfer (SpongeBob). Public schools also have the problems of censorship, etc., in the chapter.

THIS R US?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

Add Comments on Plagiarism Article (see BB)

How are definitions of plagiarism changing in a digital world--or are they? Comments here.

Chapter 5 Harry Potter

Facilitators will post their comments on materials here. Others may comment on them here or in personal blogs. Posts should appear by Wed., 2/6, at noon. People who missed class should catch up on course modifications by communicating with a team member. --Dr. L

Add Posts on Star Wars Chapter

Add blog entries similar to those you wrote below for Idol and Matrix. Posts here will be mostly content and interpretation for a basic understanding of what our readings contain. If you want to argue, debate, supplement, theorize or digress from the chapter in an extended way, post your comments on your personal blog for the course. I'll read them, too. --Dr. L

Excellent Posts on Idol and Matrix Chapters in Jenkins

These are very helpful posts in our quest to create a knowledge community--good resources. You went in deep. See Shelley's for types of television audiences, Mandy's for additive comprehension, Lacey's for the Matrix, Amands' for media and affective economics, Lexi's for encyclopedic capacity, Sean's for contesting the vote, Susannah's for overview of chapter 1 (1st half), Catherine's for brand communities and good links, Lillian's for conversion strategies, Travis' for transmedia storytelling and Secondlife, Leah's for a good selection of quotes. See Susannah's personal blog for one more comment.

We'll look for additions from others. Add them HERE as comments. Dr. L

Blog Posts on Idol and Matrix

Post the results of your group's work on MY blog as a response to this post. Your analysis should include concepts covered, special terms, arguments (Jenkins' and others'), evidence, external links to websites, blogs, wikis, lists, and other materials mentioned in the reading that are important to our "knowledge community."

Frame your analysis by identifying the concept, page numbers where it is discussed, etc., and which of you authored the entry on each concept. Put each concept in a separate post.

Group 1 (p. 59 to Zappers): Amanda Davis, Susannah Turner
Media industry, affective economics, corporate convergence, conversion strategy, marketing

Group 2 (Zappers to end): Shelley Napolitano, Sean Ottosen, Leah Cotten
Zappers/Casuals/Loyal, Brand communities, Gossip, Contesting the Vote

Group 3 (p. 93 to Art): Patrick McDade, Lacey Deshotel
Cult artifacts, synergistic story-telling; collaborative authorship (absentee)

Group 4 (Art to end): Mandy Belanger, Travis Lamprecht, Lexi Debrock
Art of world-making, transmedia storytelling, additive comprehension, encyclopedic capacity

Convergence Culture

The focus of our discussions tomorrow in the seminar will be on chapters 2 (American Idol) and 3 (The Matrix) in Convergence Culture. I'll say more about the rhetorical readings in class tomorrow. Focus your preparation on the topics in CC.

If you have any special topics or digital links that you want to be sure to mention, leave a comment here.

URLS for Everyone

List of Blogs for English 4304, Spring 2008
Note: Some students have chosen to keep the blogs private for their group members only. Others are willing for everyone to see them. If you are denied access, that's why.

Dr. Lillian Bridwell-Bowles: http://writcult.blogspot.com

Leah Annison: http://leahannison.blogspot.com
Mandy Belanger: http://mandy-capstoneseminar.blogspot.com
Leah Cotton: http://leahcotten.blogspot.com
Amanda Davis: http://amandalynndavis.blogspot.com/
Lexi Debrock: http://lexideb.blogspot.com
Lacey Deshotel: http://ldesho2.blogspot.com
Jessica Goff: http://jgoff2.blogspot.com
Lillian Henny: http://lillianhenny4304.blogspot.com
Monica Judie: http://mdjudie1.blogspot.com
Travis Lamprecht: http://thenewyorktiger.blogspot.com
Ashley Mays: http://ashley-amaysing.blogspot.com (note: new address)
Patrick McDade: http://regurgitatedconfusion.blogspot.com
Shelley Napolitano: http://shelleyslavitabella.blogspot.com
Sean Ottosen: http://seanottosen.blogspot.com
Catherine Shelton: http://fightsenioritis.blogspot.com
Susannah Turner: http://susannahturner.blogspot.com
Jessica Goff: http://jgoff2.blogspot.com

First Week of Blogging

Well, so far in my reading of your blogs, I'm impressed. Those of you who have posted entries on the readings are taking the authors' and your own ideas seriously (except for Wii, This is Fun--but I liked that, too). Many insightful posts and comments. So far, not all group members are posting on others' posts, but I'll check back after the week ends. We'll see. For now, I find that I've enjoyed reading and responding to you, and I hope you have, too. This seems far more interesting than reading posts on Blackboard, which I've done for many courses in the past. It's fun to see some of "you" on your pages and to see the range of interests you are weaving into the conversations--visually and verbally. Dr. L

P.S. On typos on blogs: I'm not a great typist and I respond quickly. I tolerate a modest number of typos easily--in my own and others' informal writing. I did correct one entry because my typo made the sentence unreadable. Remember that this is "informal writing" made "somewhat public," so we'll find the right balance for ourselves. I do appreciate well-crafted prose even on blogs, and everywhere else for that matter, but only in polished projects do I get absolutely persnickety about proofreading. Forewarned.

ALT Readings

Must be a missing folder on BB. The "ALT" readings listed on the syllabus are on Rhetorical Criticism. I'll go in tomorrow and see what I can figure out and post. In the meantime, focus on what you already have for your blog posts. Dr. L

Blog Instructions and URL's

Blog Instructions for English 4304:

• Set up a blog.
• Define the audience (anyone, class members, or just your group + Dr. LBB). Remember, unless you limit access, anyone will be able to read and post to your blog. Decide if this is what you want.
• Post at least 3 responses to readings or ideas discussed in class each week.
• Comment on the posts of members of your group and Dr. LBB.
• No one can comment until you post. You will have to log in to Blogger to post (remember password).

Blogs URLs (SO FAR; please send me remaining URL’s asap):

Dr. Lillian Bridwell-Bowles: http://writcult.blogspot.com
Leah Annison: http://leahannison.blogspot.com
Mandy Belanger: http://mandy-capstoneseminar.blogspot.com
Lacey Deshotel: http://ldesho2.blogspot.com
Travis Lamprecht: http://thenewyorktiger.blogspot.com
Catherine Shelton: http://fightsenioritis.blogspot.com
Susannah Turner: http://susannahturner.blogspot.com
Shelley Napolitano: shelleyslavitabella.blogspot.com
Lexi Debrock: lexideb.blogspot.com
Ashley Mays (corrected): http://ashley-amaysing.blogspot.com

Zero was invited by the Mayans

On my latest trip to Central America, I was reminded that the Mayans invented the concept of zero. Incredibly important to the histories of mathematics and science, but much less so when it comes to comments on blogs. Please comment.

Good Start

Dear Seminarians,
I'm pleased with our start today. Post comments here when you have them.

Big Picture of Course

During the first half of the course, we'll be investigating various methods for rhetorical and cultural criticism. We'll also be reading Henry Jenkins' documentation and arguments about digital "convergence culture." Think of them as models for your consideration as you decide 2 things: 1) the rhetorical situation you will analyze, and 2) the method(s) you will use. We will explore many approaches, most of which Jenkins does not employ. This is important because you will not be able to use all of the methods and theories you have studied as an English major in the "Writing and Culture Track." Like Jenkins, you will have to limit the material you study and the method(s) you use.

During the second half of the course, we will move to an economic (as opposed to cultural) analysis of digital communication in Wikinomics. With any luck, you will have settled on a rhetorical situation to analyze and method(s) for doing so. At the end of the course, we will hear your polished, rehearsed presentations.

I invite comments here if you have immediate questions and concerns.

Welcome

On this blog, I will write my way through the course. We will use Blackboard (BB) for the usual stuff--readings, announcements, course materials--but we will each use our blogs to record our thoughts and insights about traditions, innovations, theories, theorists, futures, and more, having to do with rhetoric, culture, and communication in a Digital Age. Note that I'm using "communication" instead of "writing." I'm sure you know why, but we'll talk about this.

Feel free to comment on my posts at any time.

You should enter blog posts on your own blog for weekly readings, topics for which you are the discussion leader, and your own project. Members of the class will comment on your blogs, especially on weeks when you are leading discussion. You will be a member of a team and your team members may give your blog special attention. You can also attract other comments from anywhere, depending on your own preferences.

At some point, we will consider efficiency, e.g., should we use BB's discussion board or blogs or both? We are ALL busy.

Dr. Lilly (to students)