Week 6 Facilitation

Hello everyone. We are coming off the topic of genre, the way we categorize and order information and experience.

Now we get the opportunity to mix it all up. And, [re]mix our collections and [re]collections. Last week we explored the idea of invention and imitation. This week we examine how [re]invention can help create new meanings and understandings. We take imitation to a different place as well (verging on or crossing into ideas about copyright and plagiarism but for this week we will leave those be).

I want to highlight some ideas from the Hodgson text, and share another article by him with you for additional perusal. We will also make some tie-ins with the Writer/Designer text we have been working out of.

First, the primary Hodgson article has some length to it. I’d like us to narrow our fodder for discussion to the first 17 pages, and then the short conclusion that starts on page 29. The rest of the article is great to read though if you want to dive deeper.

One of the main ideas posited is [re]framing the idea of writing, specifically that of writing with video. The comments in this section reminded me of the definition of text from Writer/Designer in the first chapter where it refers “to a piece of communication as a whole” as text.

Pay special attention to the idea of convergence by Henry Jenkins in the article as a “mutually transformative contact.” Meaning to me, that as two (or more) forms/functions come into contact with each other that they are both changed. This pushes us to look at the relationship between seemingly separate aspects. This is important as we dig into the [re]framed idea of writing.

Jenkins is primarily looking at how technology and culture have such a relationship. He also says, that while there have been previous discussions focused on access-to-technology, we need to shift the conversation to be about access-to-participate. This flows from the idea that interaction between technology & culture has created a producer/consumer population.

A big question I’d like for everyone to touch upon in their post is posed by Hodgson.

What are the costs of individuals, families, communities, even generations…being unable to participate in or contribute to electronic culture?

p5 Enculturation 8 (2010)

The small screen – computer – and smaller screen – smart phone etc. – have touchstones to many different aesthetic and media practices and forms. Each of these touchstones becomes an “available means” (Aristotle) for a “writing public” (Hodgson refers to Yancy’s work about this term).

As we become a writing public, and especially for writing in video, we seek out raw or [re]mediated material as the blocks and pieces we compose with. These artifacts of cultural and collective memory are essentially the words we write with. And so, we collect and [re]collect parts of our culture to create another layer of convergent cultural experience.

I challenge you this week to find mash-ups and [re]mixes, especially of video writers, and apply some of our analysis skills gained so far this term to the works you discover. Explore what you think works and doesn’t work. Let us know what you would change up if you were to [re]mix the work.

Writer/Designer this week walks us through the process of starting a multimodal project beginning with brainstorming. It also discusses the idea of making a pitch. We will get to practice this more after our book reviews but it might be good to think about how you would apply the principles as you work through your weekly post.

Remember though that Collin Gifford Brook, referred to by Hodgson, calls for us to do more than examine the choices of others. It calls for making one’s own choices.

And so, I double-dog-dare you to create your own mash-up (video, meme, collage, music, etc.) Embrace your conducer side.

And now for some inspiration.

Thank you MC for the guidance this week. We’ll start with one you sent me.