The text below is an example of how I would imagine you free writing out a topic. You should discuss several things:
1. The general umbrella topic that you want to write about: the music industry, construction ethics, teaching kids with learning disabilities, single parent family issues, etc.
2. Two or three issues you can take up for these essays: for instance, if the topic was teaching kids with learning disabilities the three issues could be a) the impact special classes (gym, art, music, foriegn language) has on special needs instruction; b) dealing with bilingual issues in special needs instruction; c) alternate pedagogies.
3. Why this has particular intrest for you. Again, as 101 should have taught you: the more interested you are in a topic, the more readily you will invest your time.
Homework Example:
For the four essays, I intend to focus on Sports Media. By that I mean the interesting relationship that exists between the sports news (both those channels exclusively dealing with sports news such as ESPN and Fox Sports; and the local news station sports shows). There seems to be an interesting balance between information that the viewer wants, and the level of secrecy and obscurity that the teams want to exist in. Take for instance the case of Anquan Boldin and the fight with offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Such occurances, if you listen to Boldin and others, happen regularly around the NFL, but the pervasiveness of the media coverage both during the game, and post game analysis has blown a relatively common situation out of proportion. The same can be said of the fight between Manny Rameriez and Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox, or Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett of the Cubs (Barrett now plays for the San Diego Padres). While such intrusion make cause the coaches and players to walk on eggshells, the force of the media has led to several discoveries of steroid use, other doping techniques and far more questionable practices, both in main stream professional sports and lesser known sports. During the 2008 Summer Olympics, the sports media raised questions about the age of the Chinese women's gymnastics team. These mere girls were being pushed the limits of their bodies ability to take physical abuse; this abuse was shown to have diasterous consequences on the girls later in life, causing some to be forced into retirement-like communities at 18, barely able to walk or use their hands. This was rationalized as an honorable sacrifice for the honor of the country, but the media raised questions that may (or may not) lead to policy changes.
There are a few routes into this tangled mess I could take:
1. I could examine how the media has led to policy changes in all the major sports (such as stricter regulations on doping and steroid use in baseball). There are clear benefits: less performance enhancing drugs being glorified by under-the-table use; but on the other hand, baseball has turned it's back on some the greats (Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, and others). These once heroes now have to answer for actions that were suggested by others before the media blew it out of control. Congress was then involved with wasted a lot of tax payers money on what is, essentially, just a game. Had the media not been involved, this scandal could have been handled more discretely allowing Bonds, McGuire and others to save face, and keeping Congress busy with more important tasks. However, without the persistant drive to find a story, we may not be any the wiser.
2. I could also look at how media attention to college sports has changed the face of American Universities (and some high school). More and more students are leaving college early for the bright lights of the professional stage. Some of this stems from the allure of a professional salary, but a good portion of the pressure that forces these decisions comes from the constant reporting and analyzing of these college players. Every move they make is taken apart and hundreds of opinions are given daily on what each student should do. Take Matt Lienert for instance: he wanted to take an extra year in college, and the press raked him across the coals. People claimed that he would lose millions of dollars by falling the NFL draft; others argued that he greatly increased his risk for injury at the college level which would kill his hopes for professional life; and so on. Some people succumb to this pressure (Troy Smith or Chris Leek, for example), and are never heard from again (Smith plays for the Ravens with limits snaps and Leek was cut from the Bears practice squad after the draft). While this does place undo amounts of pressure on the student-athletes, some are not equipped for or interested in the academic life. For whatever reason, these athletes may not get such an opportunity without the exposure from the media. For some student-athletes, playing a sport is the only way they can get a job better than minimum wage (significantly better). For these people, college is simple a training ground, and the more time spent in training does not imply the better performance once out. As Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and others have shown, little to no college is needed to succeed for some athletes. College would be a waste of time (and in the case of some who fail classes, a hinderence).
I take an interest in this because I watch a lot of ESPN in my free time, play in several fantasy league for most fantasy sports, and covered local high school sports for the local paper. My interest in sports has lead me to watch ESPN which may be making the above problems worse, or my attention to every aspect of these athletes lives is saving the sports in some way. I wonder what, as a passive observer, my role is in these sports. Technically, by paying to watch these games, I have a stake in the players salaries; in a way, I am a participant in their lives. How much control and information do I get?
End example.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Homework: 1/21/09
A couple things before I get into the example:
1. Make sure you include a link to the commercial you found on YouTube. You can find a stable link to the video in the grey box directly next to the video next to the URL label. Copy and paste that link directly into the blog post.
2. Try to be as detailed as possible.
3. Book mark this blog in someway so that you can return to it later for future examples.
Homework Example
Snicker's Commercial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhEQ066WDAA
Most obviously, this commercial attempts to get the viewers to find it funny. That is not to say that the commercial fails if you don't roll on the floor laughing; but rather the commercial uses an absurd situation to make the viewer think (or say), "That was funny." By doing this, Snickers can make sure that you are thinking about their product. More often than not, people will want to talk about the odd commercial, and will go to a friend saying, "Did you see that funny Snicker's commercial?" If successful, the word "Snickers" will be brought up in conversation several times, jamming the brand name into the collective consciousness. Then, while staring at the endless racks of candy products in the grocery store, the name Snickers is going to likely come to mind, possibly causing the consumer to then purchase the product.
Another way, beside the bizarre situation, in which Snickers manages to force it's way into the average consumer's consciousness is through the catchy, and again, funny song. Because the song is easily memorable, it will have the tendency to stay (get caught even) in the mind of the viewer. Like most pop songs, the intention here is to "get caught" in the unconsciousness of the viewer so that he or she finds him- or herself singing, humming or whistling the song without really intending to (think of "Umbrella" by Rhianna; it's called a hook for a reason). Then, as this person goes through the day, and the song pops in from time to time, he or she is again thinking of Snickers, and will be more likely to remember that name when thinking of candy he or she would purchase.
Finally, the juxtaposition of the every day situation of the man at work mixed with the surreal experience of someone singing a song to him during his snack touches on the average viewer's life experience. This man, the one enjoying the candy bar, is at work, taking a break, and this is a situation most everyone is familiar with. This will give the viewer a feeling of connectedness, an association with the product. Snicker's is trying to say, "This is the candy bar for the working man, and it can make your day brighter."
1. Make sure you include a link to the commercial you found on YouTube. You can find a stable link to the video in the grey box directly next to the video next to the URL label. Copy and paste that link directly into the blog post.
2. Try to be as detailed as possible.
3. Book mark this blog in someway so that you can return to it later for future examples.
Homework Example
Snicker's Commercial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhEQ066WDAA
Most obviously, this commercial attempts to get the viewers to find it funny. That is not to say that the commercial fails if you don't roll on the floor laughing; but rather the commercial uses an absurd situation to make the viewer think (or say), "That was funny." By doing this, Snickers can make sure that you are thinking about their product. More often than not, people will want to talk about the odd commercial, and will go to a friend saying, "Did you see that funny Snicker's commercial?" If successful, the word "Snickers" will be brought up in conversation several times, jamming the brand name into the collective consciousness. Then, while staring at the endless racks of candy products in the grocery store, the name Snickers is going to likely come to mind, possibly causing the consumer to then purchase the product.
Another way, beside the bizarre situation, in which Snickers manages to force it's way into the average consumer's consciousness is through the catchy, and again, funny song. Because the song is easily memorable, it will have the tendency to stay (get caught even) in the mind of the viewer. Like most pop songs, the intention here is to "get caught" in the unconsciousness of the viewer so that he or she finds him- or herself singing, humming or whistling the song without really intending to (think of "Umbrella" by Rhianna; it's called a hook for a reason). Then, as this person goes through the day, and the song pops in from time to time, he or she is again thinking of Snickers, and will be more likely to remember that name when thinking of candy he or she would purchase.
Finally, the juxtaposition of the every day situation of the man at work mixed with the surreal experience of someone singing a song to him during his snack touches on the average viewer's life experience. This man, the one enjoying the candy bar, is at work, taking a break, and this is a situation most everyone is familiar with. This will give the viewer a feeling of connectedness, an association with the product. Snicker's is trying to say, "This is the candy bar for the working man, and it can make your day brighter."
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Welcome to English 102
If you are reading this, and you are enrolled in English 102: English Composition II at Southern Illinois University for the Spring semester 2009, and if you are in Keegan Lannon's 102 classes that meet at either 1:00 or 2:00 on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, then you are in the correct place.
This is the mothership blog. Here I will, from time to time, write responses similar to those I assign you, my diligent studentship to write. You can use my examples to determine both the length and level of engagement I want from your entries. But for right now, I want to say welcome.
A couple reminders:
1. Make sure that you create a blog address, and make sure that you email this address to me through Blackboard. This kills two birds with one stone for me: it proves that you can access Blackboard, and know how to do simple tasks therein; it also gives me the address which I will attach to your name for grading purposes. Therefore, you can see this is an essential thing to do, and to do soon.
2. You should have the books by now. Please check the course description, available through Blackboard, to see which ones you will need. Especially important to the first half of this class is Everything's an Argument. You need this for the first Wednesday of class.
3. Try to enjoy yourself. I know 102 is akin to having all of your teeth pulled with only local anesthetic and some crappy movie on the TV in the operating room, but the more you try to enjoy this, the more likely you are to get something out of this.
If you have questions, your best bet is to email me through Blackboard. If you can't do that, then see me immediately after class, and I will try to help as best I can.
This is the mothership blog. Here I will, from time to time, write responses similar to those I assign you, my diligent studentship to write. You can use my examples to determine both the length and level of engagement I want from your entries. But for right now, I want to say welcome.
A couple reminders:
1. Make sure that you create a blog address, and make sure that you email this address to me through Blackboard. This kills two birds with one stone for me: it proves that you can access Blackboard, and know how to do simple tasks therein; it also gives me the address which I will attach to your name for grading purposes. Therefore, you can see this is an essential thing to do, and to do soon.
2. You should have the books by now. Please check the course description, available through Blackboard, to see which ones you will need. Especially important to the first half of this class is Everything's an Argument. You need this for the first Wednesday of class.
3. Try to enjoy yourself. I know 102 is akin to having all of your teeth pulled with only local anesthetic and some crappy movie on the TV in the operating room, but the more you try to enjoy this, the more likely you are to get something out of this.
If you have questions, your best bet is to email me through Blackboard. If you can't do that, then see me immediately after class, and I will try to help as best I can.
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