30 Days

Choose one scene from the "Minimum Wage" episode that you found particularly memorable and/or persuasive. Remember that in a documentary (and all reality TV), a director has at her disposal infinitely more footage than can appear in the final film. Why did the director choose to include *this* scene? What is its purpose and how does it further the film's ultimate argument? Also, what rhetorical appeals is the scene drawing on? (Ethos? Pathos? Logos?)  Finally, what role did the filming technique itself play in the effectiveness of the scene? (Was it a handheld camera shot? Was it set up by the "stock footage" of Columbus? What about the camera angle?)

Remember that blog posts need to be at least 300 words.  Due 4/10.

Dr. Phillips' Letter of Introduction

Dear 308J Class,

I am an almost-local, originally from Lancaster, Ohio. I've lived either there or in Athens for most of my life, although I've also lived abroad for a few months each in England, Australia, Germany, Vietnam and Japan.  Traveling is my favorite hobby.  After a pretty dull summer last year because of the birth of my son in June, I'm very excited to be spending a chunk of this summer in England. We won't be staying for the Olympics, unfortunately, but I'm still excited.  I'm also looking forward to showing England to my son, Jack.

Despite quite a bit of traveling, the only language I really speak is English. I've spent a lot of time studying languages because of a background in linguistics (French, Spanish, German, Vietnamese, Arabic) but I've never had enough time or opportunity to become fluent.  I spent several years teaching English to refugees and international students, so I've tried to learn a bit of their languages so that I can understand their cultures better.

In addition to traveling, I also enjoy cooking. Or at least I used to. I've found that most of my hobbies have taken a serious nosedive since last June.  At the moment cooking usually seems like a chore instead of something that's fun. Instead, right now I seem to be specializing in blowing raspberries, changing diapers, and rolling a ball with Jack. And (with the exception of the diaper part), those things are pretty fun too.

best,
Dr. Phillips

Analyzing Visual Texts

What have you learned so far about doing visual rhetorical analysis? What kinds of things should you be looking for? How will you approach your analysis for your paper?

due 4/5

Where are you writing?

Where do you find yourself writing these days?  For what purposes?

Helvetica

The film Helvetica is asking questions about the nature and meaning of type. Is it a "crystal goblet" that simply conveys information? Can you write "dog" in any typeface? Is "caffeinated" only caffeinated in a caffeinated font? Is Helvetica responsible for the Vietnam war?

Having watched the film (and given your own experience), are fonts simply tools that convey information or is additional meaning layered into the font itself? Or both? Support your position with examples from the film as appropriate.

due 11/3

Katz

Katz argues that “[b]oth technology and politics can become the basis of ethics; both lead to power...But technology can become the basis of politics as well” (265). Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

due 10/18

Google VS Wikipedia

Now that you've investigated Google Knol and Wikipedia, what did you find to be the primary differences between the two sites? Which one are you more likely to use now and why?

Also, be sure to address which vision of authorship you would advocate for and why.

due 10/13