Super-wonderfulls,
you have considered the affordances of blogging (here’s a link to yesterday’s Wait but Why blog post and here is the procrastination one I mentioned in case you fancy reading it later) and started to evaluate which affordance(s) might be particularly useful so that you can point out these conventions in exams. Please comment on one of these at the bottom of this post.
It is important that you 1) identify useful conventions in any texts you see on the exam paper and 2) that you compare them with the affordances or constraints of other technological genres. So today we are going to make sure you have at least a couple of genres you can do that with. We have generated a range of ideas of technological genres in class today to get you started - in your pairs, identify 2-3 genres you would like to explore/analyse today, discuss and explore them together and then split the written anaylsis up so you each cover one or two. You will be posting your written analysis to your blog by 3:40 so we can feed back our findings (what you looked at and one useful affordance) after that.
Before you use the points below to help you structure your analysis, please open up an email to me in the background (HW@stbrn.ac.uk) for later, no subject needed.
Please also write the homework down now:
Make any final edits on your own post then read and comment on at
least two people’s blog posts for Friday's lesson (28th).You could point out affordances or constraints that weren't mentioned, explain your use of those genres, link to great examples of the genre or make any other tactful comment you choose.
Support for analysing technological genres:
- Choose genres whose affordances you might not have considered
- Find a short example/extract of each to explore (it is easy to find blog posts, memes or online articles but much harder with some other genres; you may be able to find quotes from in-game chats, chatroom dialogues, facebook statuses etc. that are already published and therefore ethical to use. Otherwise, you could use data you have permission for from someone in the lesson, made anonymous if necessary).
- Work in your pairs to identify as many conventions as possible and which might be ideal affordances or significant constraints.
- When you have finished discussing (or have run out of time to discuss), divide up the written anaysis so you are each doing 1 or 2.
- Summarise what you have found, linking to the text or quoting an extract - try to use the conventions of blogging to create an appealing text and accessible information for this audience. Check that you have made it clear what the conventions of the genre are and which might be considered valuable affordances or significant constraints using quotes. Aim to finish by 3:40.
- If you fancy a challenge, you could use PEE to explore the conventions e.g. The creator of this version (see below) of the ‘one does not simply walk into Mordor’ meme has taken advantage of the fantasy links between 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Doctor Who' to create a shared appreciation of both texts which fantasy fans may enjoy. The image clearly presents (for those who have the appropriate pragmatic understanding and are, therefore, the target audience) the original speaker of the line in the film of 'Lord of the Rings' (Boromir) in the costume of Dr Who, next to the TARDIS, in Mordor. This is a witty clash between two franchises which works graphologically, but the caption adds to the humour: the dynamic verb “walk” is replaced by the phonological effect (of the TARDIS materialising in a new place) by phonetically representing the sound effect in a comic way (any spelling would look strange and be a cause for surprised laughter). An additional layer of humour is added by the image showing that The Doctor/Boromir clearly has done just that (‘vworped’ into Mordor), contradicting the text and creating irony.
- An extension task is to read the piece in the caption below the exemplar meme to see how the conventions can be used in a variety of ways. Look also at Harry Potter memes, perhaps.
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/one-does-not-simply-walk-into-mordor - For even more challenge, look at how some of the early technological conventions/affordances (1997) are discussed in this academic article.
I think an affordance of blogging is that you can be confident in what you say and the way you say it as no one has to know who you really are.
ReplyDeleteOne affordance of blogging in my opinion is that it allows people to voice their opinions and views as well as enable other people with like minded views or otherwise to comment.
ReplyDeleteAn affordance is writing what you want to write.
ReplyDeleteAn affordance: When blogging many people who read your blog will not know who you are and so you are able to write what ever is on your mind without feeling judged etc...
ReplyDeleteOne affordance of blogging is that you get the option to speak to new people and debate or chat to those who have the same interests as you.
ReplyDeleteI think the best affordance is being able to comment on a topic of you may have opinions about so that you can share this with the blogger and the audience.
ReplyDeleteAn affordance of blogging is that it is easy and other people can see what you write but you can hide your identity.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best affordances is that you can be anonymous. You don't have to expose yourself, and you can hide behind what you're using to post your comments. You also get the opportunity to create a persona of yourself and gain a reputation.
ReplyDeleteI think an affordance of blogging is that you have the ability to be whoever you want to be, the same as esme- it allows you to be more confident if you're a shy person, you're almost hiding behind it. Blogging also gives you an opportunity to see how other people feel about what you have put- as you can read their comments.
ReplyDeleteOne affordance of blogging is that it allows you to express your thoughts and feelings freely without being too concerned about how other people percieve what you are writing about.
ReplyDeleteOne affordance of blogging is that it is simple, quick and easily accessible for people to read. Also, you can access people's blogs on several different types of media, such as, smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers. It is open and approachablek, therefore anyone is able to view it.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see so much agreement as to the single most valuable affordance of blogging. Do we value the idea of it more than the reality of it? Have you ever written blogs that utilise this affordance? Can you imagine other affordances being more useful in writing successful blogs (not to say that it is not a success for one to express oneself freely!)?
ReplyDeleteMaybe one of the most appealing affordances of blogging is the ability to hide behind a created persona, to be anonymous. This allows controversial debate views to be aired without the direct wrath of the your peers, it allows creative license to come into play. For some it is an escape, simply to hide behind a user name and speak freely.
ReplyDelete