From this increased use in social media to connect with others during these unprecedented times, it has come to my attention the sudden increase in social media infographics. One example that has really caught my attention is rather recent, I saw many of my female friends posting on their Instagram and Facebook pages a black and white picture of themselves with the hashtag or saying “challenge accepted”. I stumbled upon this infographic linked below, from the Instagram account @beelzeboobz who throughly explained the origin and meaning behind the black and white picture. The challenge was a way for women to raise their voice and stand in solidarity with the lives of women lost in Turkey due to femicides and murder. With this infographic, and plenty of others floating through social media, I appreciate the directness and call to action that all these posts seem to follow. The posts are not too lengthy, addressing the issue and further providing ways that others can relay the message. One flaw to this would be that there is only so much information that can be presented on these posts. This helped within my own development of a genre to write in as I want to create something similar, but I have come to find that it is the most impactful and striking information that are going to catch an audience’s eye therefore leading them to be curious about wanting to know more.
Discussion Post Week of 7/27
Election 2020: 11 Ways to Engage Students From Now Until November
I decided to use this article from the New York Times because it is something very similar to what I want to do for my project. This particular article is about the election coming up and ways to engage students from now until November. After reading the comments on my discussion post from last week, including infographics and quotes from other sources will be a great addition to the article. This helps the reader visualize what’s being said and with the use of research, creates a more credible source. I am first and foremost looking at the length of the article, the format, and the type of tone being used. I notice that this particular article takes a more neutral approach on the subject and allows the reader to create their own point of view. The format is fairly simple with breaks in the pages for the infographics and the interactive aspects. There is a big headline at the top of the article, with subheadings throughout the rest. I have to figure out how I want to divide the information I am going to present to the reader and where to put the infographics so that it aligns with the reading. Ultimately, the point of my article is to create more awareness and helps the reader develop their own opinion about the screening process with the use of the charts, graphs, and quotes.
Week of 7/27 Discussion Post – Mike
Fix Your Really Bad PowerPoint by @slidecomet : based on an ebook by @ThisIsSethsBlog from HighSpark | Visual Storytelling Agency
Seth Godin’s ebook “Fix Your Really Bad PowerPoint”, is thirteen years old, but the concepts still seem groundbreaking today. HighSpark took those concepts and applied them to the fantastic presentation I’ve shared here. I never see PowerPoints like this at my company. In his blog post, Godin mentions being forced to use a template. Well, it’s the same thing where I work. Lots of bullets, lots of “swim lanes”. Lots of boring.
I absolutely love this presentation, simply because it is so incredibly different than what I’ve seen before. That said, there are several thoughts that hit me as I flipped through the slides. First of all, would something like this be appropriate for my audience? Secondly, I’m no graphic artist; how the heck am I going to put together slides that look this cool?
I think the answer to the first question is “Probably not.”. That’s not to say that a lot of the ideas here won’t work. I just think an overly flashy style might detract a bit from my message. I certainly plan on using graphics, but perhaps in a bit more of a conservative manner. Admittedly, that’s partly due to my lack of graphic design skills more than an aesthetic choice!
7/27 Discussion. Isaac
The policy framework for the World Cancer Research Fund is able to quickly fill the reader in on what the organization is about while introducing them to their policies and goals. The focus of the framework is not an introduction to the organization, except the reader can clearly infer their mission statement by reading their policy framework. This is very helpful for someone who has not heard of the organization, yet wants to understand it and its attitude. The policy framework of the WCRF includes bullet points that share their ongoing main goals, quotes that describe the field they work in and what type of work is necessary, and infographics that help visualize and break down the organization’s plan. These are compiled in between small paragraphs of information that introduce us to their main focus.
The conciseness of the policy framework is a key attribute I picked up on. The WCRF actually has two sets of policy frameworks, and this is because of the size of the organization. Although, they are still able to use the average reader attention span as a tool by keeping the frameworks smaller with limited writing which helps ensure the reader goes through all the information. The separate policy frameworks use the same infographic style that really helps connect the two. By breaking down the titles, NOURISHING and MOVING, they are able to create acronym-like visuals that help introduce their focus and goals. Both frameworks are very successful, and I plan on using them as an example template to how I set my own up. The ability to scan over them quickly, yet pick up a strong understanding of the information is important to me because my topic is prominent, yet ignored frequently.
https://www.wcrf.org/int/policy/policy-databases/nourishing-framework
https://www.wcrf.org/int/policy/policy-databases/moving-framework
Week of 7/27 Discussion Post – Dominique Van Gilst
http://jiqueens.com/media/pdf/911/ZrTT9119590.pdf
I decided to use a back to school night powerpoint presentation as my example because I am looking to do something similar for my project. This particular sample is different because it is a back to school night presentation. However, I like the way that it breaks up different topics, and doesn’t have too much on one slide. I also like that the presentation is colorful because it will keep the audience more engaged and interested. My presentation will be about inclusion in the classroom, and how parents can teach their children more about it at home. The sample that I have found works pretty well, but I would definitely add more to mine to make it more interactive and more like an in person presentation for my audience, including voice overs on each slide. I also want to include resources for the parents that they can use to explain inclusion to their children so that they are not at a loss when it comes to how to describe differences and acceptance to their students.
Crediting your sources
One of the challenges of writing in non-academic styles is that your academic citation skills might need to flex a bit–in-text parenthetical citations and footnotes simply aren’t appropriate to all genres, but you are still ethically bound to provide information about your sources to your readers.
So how do you do this??
This is one of the reasons I’ve asked you to look for sample texts in the genre you plan to write. In reviewing those samples, please pay attention to how the authors handle sources–do they provide a list of references at the end? (and perhaps numbered footnotes throughout?) do they hyperlink to other articles they’re working with? do they rely on in-text attribution (the sort of “according to X….” phrases)?
There are some formats (i.e. PowerPoint) where fairly traditional academic-style footnotes are still the order of the day. In most cases, though, in these non-academic genres, you’ll see embedded links and in-text attribution as the norm. You need to look closely at some samples to see how authors handle it in these media outlets, and then act accordingly.
Why is this so important?
Well, this is a research course, after all, so we need to approach the particulars of citing research carefully, but this isn’t just some check-off on an assignment. Research-based writing lives and breathes beyond the university, too, so you’ll need to have a variety of tools at your disposal to employ in these situations. You probably won’t be using MLA or APA-style forever, but you will be researching and sharing what you’ve learned for the rest of your career.
It’s also worth considering the ethical implications, which run in two directions. You have an obligation to the authors of the sources you are working with to provide credit where credit is due. Furthermore, you have an obligation to your readers, who need to have ready access to the sources you’ve been using for their own purposes. You’re part of a larger discussion around your issue, remember, and that means that you need to honor those whose work you’re building upon, as well as facilitate those who will want to do more with this topic once you’re done with it.
Note that (as indicated in the assignment rubric on the unit 3 assignment sheet) you have 2 responsibilities–to provide in-text attribution of sources that you are relying upon in building your argument and providing a separate complete bibliography for the sources that have helped to shape your thinking (even if you have not quoted, paraphrased, or cited them in your actual text).
Because this work of figuring out how to cite your sources matters so much, please be sure to integrate these credits into your draft, so that I can give you some feedback on how well it’s working and what adjustments you might need to make. If you have any questions as you’re working, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Writing in a conversational tone
This issue has popped up in a few of your posts/comments on the blog, so I wanted to follow up in a more visible way. Read on for some tips on how to produce a text in a conversational (as opposed to formal/academic) tone.
It’s not easy for many of us to write in a conversational tone–you’re not imagining that. In large measure, our writing style is the product of our education, and you’ve spent a lot of years being trained to write in a formal, academic style (and perhaps chastised when you produced something other than that). Furthermore, much of our writing lives have been defined by minimum word counts, which drive us to embellish our writing so we can inflate our word totals.
Conversational writing, therefore, means cutting against our habits and conducting ourselves in ways that are counter to our training. We need to develop new habits in order to do this effectively.
So, a few words of advice
- as you try to figure out what you want to say and how to say it, talk it out–open up a voice memo or other audio recording on your phone, and pretend that you’re talking to someone about your topic. Prompt yourself with something casual like “what I’m really trying to say is….” and see what you come up with. The recording ensures you won’t lose the nuggets you come to.’
- freewrite–try not to edit as you compose, but rather let yourself keep writing for a set period of time (10-15 minutes is a good starting point). This helps you to maintain your chain of thought and to get more comfortable hearing your ‘voice’ on the subject. Once you’ve written, then read your text aloud. Look for the key ideas, then …..
- pull out the key ideas into a fresh file, and start building a text around them. This helps you to avoid feeling wedded to the first words you wrote, which are often just verbal treading-water as we try to get started on our thinking.
- when you’ve got something to work with, take your time revising, and do so with a particular focus on
- employing visual organization (section headings, lists where appropriate; brief, focused paragraphs)
- leading with the big idea (in each paragraph and in the text as a whole)
- using visual representations of information where appropriate (infographics, charts, graphs, etc.)–this allows readers to engage in the ways that are most comfortable for them
Note that the revising will take time and discipline. One of your tasks later this week will be working through a guided revision process. Check out the Review and Revision worksheet in the Unit 3 dropbox on Blackboard.
Discussion prompt for Week of 7/27
In this week’s discussion, you’ll focus on identifying one or more usable models for your own writing, recognizing that we can learn from and build on how others present their ideas. Much like we’ve been working with the templates in TSIS, such models can provide us with jumping-off points that will allow us to develop our own thinking.
I’ve given you a few pieces to get you started. You’ll find a folder of sample texts from different genres in the Unit 3 folder of Assigned Readings on Blackboard. Look through these to take in some of the many possibilities for what research-based writing can look like, and then browse around the web for some more examples. Locate a text that looks/works kind of like what you envision for your own project–something in that same genre (i.e. a magazine article, a memo from an HR department, a PowerPoint delivered to a professional audience, etc.). It doesn’t have to be on the same or even a related topic–you’re just looking for an example of a genre (or type of writing) that you’re going to be writing in.
For your post, once you’ve located an example, please share it with us by linking it to your post, and then talk about what you think of this text as an example of that genre–what are some of the unique or distinctive features of this type of writing? how well does this particular sample work? what do you like about it? are there ways in which you think it is less than successful? what lessons will you take from this to use in crafting your own project? (Bear in mind that we can learn both lessons in the positive–I really like how they did this, and I’m going to try to do something similar–and lessons in the negative–I don’t think they did a good job with X, so I want to make sure to do better).
Your post should be >150 words and must include an embedded link to or a picture of the sample you’re discussing. Please categorize your post as “Discussions/Homework,” and tag it with “week of 7/27,” “genre,” “unit 3,” and [your name]. Posts are due by Wednesday.
Then, for your response work this week, please read through 2 classmates’ drafts (which will be up by the end of the day on Friday). In order to ensure that everybody gets feedback, please go to the list of posts on the blog dashboard. Click “All Posts,” find the post with your draft, and then read the 2 immediately below that. In your comments (>100 words each), please highlight what you think is working well, what you’d like more explanation of, any questions that you have about the content, and any suggestions you have about how best to reach the audience this person is targeting. Your feedback is due by the end of the day Sunday, 8/2 (note this is an extension from the original due date).
Overview of Week of 7/27
As we head into the final stretch of the course, your focus will be on developing your Unit 3 project. That will unfold through a few different steps. this week. Please read on for more about what you’ll be doing (and how, when, and why).
Make sure you take the time to review comments from me and from your classmates on the blog, as well as the feedback you received from me on your research portfolio, project proposal, and project plan. I’m looking forward to seeing how these projects take shape in the coming days.
As you’re doing that work, some things to keep in mind about genre. As we’ve been discussing (see below), genre is not simply a template, but rather a response to the demands of the subject matter/author’s purpose and the needs of the audience. (This might sound familiar–this is how Graff and Birkenstein talk about their They Say/I Say templates, as starting points for organic work, rather than as static cookie-cutter patterns. Those TSIS techniques may come in quite handy as you are working to orchestrate a complex conversation among you and your sources!)
For that reason, it’s essential that you head into this drafting work with a very clear picture of your audience and a clearly articulated objective. You have free license here to invent the parameters of your rhetorical situation, and in fact you’ll need to provide a brief statement of that situation with your draft. Tell us who you’re writing for (as precisely as possible), and explain the circumstances under which that audience will receive your text (i.e. browsing through social media, sitting at a professional conference, visiting their company’s Human Resources Department or their university’s Career Services Office, etc.).
As you see from the rubric for this project (below), your project will be evaluated based upon both content and approach–how well you work with your sources to develop and communicate your ideas AND how effectively you convey that material to your given audience within the situation you have constructed. Make sure you consult the criteria listed in the rubric as you are drafting and revising.
| Content | |
| Has clear research focus/question | /2 |
| Provides appropriately detailed examination of research focus/question | /2 |
| Provides background/examples appropriate for target readers | /2 |
| Includes discussion of/implications for workplace culture(s) | /2 |
| Utilizes and appropriately references source materials | /2 |
| Subtotal | /10 |
| Presentation of information | |
| Clear visual organization of ideas/information—constructed for easy comprehension by readers in the situation you have outlined | /1 |
| Makes effective use of visuals (graphics, images, pull-quotes, white space/background, other) to enhance reader understanding and interest | /1 |
| Text is not marred by proofreading errors | /1 |
| Language is clear, engaging, and audience-appropriate | /2 |
| Subtotal | /5 |
| TOTAL: | /15 |
Your draft (with brief accompanying statement explaining the rhetorical situation for your text) is due by the end of the day on Friday, 7/31. Please post this to the blog. You’ll each read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ drafts by the end of the day on Saturday, and will begin revising your drafts based upon their feedback, even as you are waiting for additional feedback from me. See this post for the particulars regarding your posts:
If you would like to talk with me about your draft-in-progress or any of your other work in the course, please email me directly, and we can communicate that way or set up a time to talk by phone.
So here are this week’s tasks:
Reading
- genre samples on Blackboard–check out the Genre Samples folder in the Unit 3 readings folder to see some of the various forms that researched writing can take
- sample(s) you locate on your own of the type of text you’d like to develop–thinking about your target audience and your intended purpose, look for texts that seek to reach a similar objective
Writing
- draft of your Unit 3 research project (post to blog as link or attachment by Friday, 7/31)
- revision worksheet–considering and reconsidering your own draft as you await feedback from me and from your classmates (due by Sunday, 8/2)
- discussion work as outlined in the post below:
Thinking some more about genre
In our discussion work this week and next, I’m asking you to think about genre and what shape your final project will take. You’ve got a lot of latitude here to decide that shape, and it’s worth thinking some more about how genre connects to audience and purpose as you do so.
First off, while it’s useful to think of genres as different types or categories (such as we use for sorting movies or music into meaningful ‘buckets’ or groups), genres are not static. Rather, genres are adaptive and organic. The pop music of today does not sound like the pop music of the 1960s. The circumstances, expectations, and preferences have shifted, and what is popular now is different from what was popular then.
Secondly, while genres have conventions and expectations (people come to a particular genre of movies expecting them to follow certain ‘rules,’ for example), these genre conventions aren’t written in stone. Users challenge them all the time, bending these notions to come up with something new. Think about the film Get Out–it was a comedy right? or was it horror? or was it something else altogether?
When it comes to writing, I think it’s helpful to think of genres as usable responses to recurring writing situations. Need to apply for a job? A cover letter gets the job done. It’s not fancy or exciting, but it contains the elements that a hiring manager would want to know, and in a pretty usable way that lets the reader go about their work efficiently. That didn’t just happen–the genre evolved as this situation (people applying for jobs) kept happening, and people kept responding in pretty consistent ways. Over time, this type of text took on a pretty predictable form. Now, people know what to expect from it (the writers and the readers), and that makes it pretty functional for the readers.
It’s important for writers to consider their readers’ needs as they write. This is all the more true outside of a classroom setting. A teacher reader has to read students’ texts–that’s literally their job–but outside of the classroom, readers seldom have that same requirement. Instead, we make choices about what, whether, and how well we read. When we bump into texts that don’t seem to meet our needs and interests, we often just don’t read them. Or we only skim them.
In your project proposal (due Sunday), your task is to settle upon an objective that you think matters–you’ve learned information that you really want to share with people whom you think need it, and if you’re going to accomplish that goal of information delivery, then you need to think carefully about what your reader will expect, value, and want in a text. That’s why you’ve got so much latitude to determine the genre you use, and it’s why you’ll need to think carefully about it.
As you’re settling on a genre, it’s really valuable to look for examples of that type of text that you think work really well, and then to read them closely, paying attention to things like
- what kind of tone does this author use
- how long is this text
- how does the writer talk about/point to evidence
- what role do graphics play here
- what kinds of style and syntax does the writer employ
- how formal is the voice
- what level of detail does the text provide
- what sorts of word choices does the writer make
So start poking around to look at some of your options. For next week’s readings, you’ll be looking at sample texts in a variety of different genres, but I’d like you to keep looking for models, as well, so that you can see the above considerations in action and be able to draw lessons for yourself. Next week’s discussion work will ask you to share something you’ve found, so start looking now.