Hi Everyone:

Hope you all had a pleasant weekend -- If you're in Illinois, you experienced the "summer-without-spring" syndrome that is the midwest. Up here in Michigan we experienced it even more abruptly -- a really, cold, wet, rainy spring and then suddenly 92 degrees and thunderstorms. But after 42 and rainy for what seemed like months on end, I'll take it.

This week (week 3) we start moving into the home stretch of this class. You'll be doing three things this week:

(1) Readings: The readings will begin to taper off slightly, so that you can focus on your genre reviews and your research projects. I've still got a few readings, and you'll simply follow the same structure (read, post, shoot for 30 entries). However, I would be REALLY happy if you would all also start posting about your own research. Stuff you are reading and and finding out about your topics. Keep in mind, though, that your audience for these posts is different -- because they won't have read what you've read. So you will need to write these posts differently: the primary difference is that you'll want to make connections between your readings and the stuff we've done for class (because that's the common ground, right?). So you'd help readers to see connections between the discussion that have been going on for the last two weeks, and the ideas that you are now working with. I'll be really impressed with folks who can start discussions about topics where readers have to make that connection/leap, because I think it will take some skill to create posts that are interesting.

The readings for this week include the following:

• This website offers overviews of research methods that might be helpful to you as you work to design your research project: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/index.php (this website isn't like a standard reading --since you won't all want to read up on the same kind of research. But you can read and then post to try to start discussions about designing your research project -- because I think this is the help that most of you will want over the next week!)
• Wu, Dezhi, & Hiltz, Starr Roxanne. (2004). "Predicting Learning from Asynchronous Online Discussions." JALN, Volume 8: Issue 2. pp. 139-52. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0vrL-DffM_dZWJkMzg0MGItMjNmOS00ZGM5LWI3NTItYWI2N2Q0NGJmMDIz&hl=en_US&authkey=CM75uZMC
  
• Richardson, Jennifer C. & Swan, Karen. (2003). Examining Social Presence in Online Courses in Relation to Students' Perceived Learning and Satisfaction." JALN Vol. 7 Issue 1 pp. 68-88. (download from google docs: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0vrL-DffM_dOThlMzk0ZWItZjdmYi00ODY1LWFjZGItMjFlZDdhOTE4Mzky&hl=en_US&authkey=CMeBu9oO )
  
• Smith, Matthew J. (1999). Strands in the Web: Community-Building Strategies in Online Fanzines. The Journal of Popular Culture. Vol 33, Issue 2. pp. 87–99. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0vrL-DffM_dNTdkN2U0NjItMjViOC00ZWQ5LTkwYzQtMGI4MDEzODlkYjAz&hl=en_US&authkey=CKjO2NQE
  

(2) Genre Reviews: During this week, I would like the members of the class to create some genre reviews of the genres we've been working with (Discussion Boards and Proof-of-learning reports). One particular GOAL of this activity is to help cement some of the things you've (hopefully) been learning about writing in these genres. I've given all of you reports where I discussed your performance in these genres. What I would like you to now do is to pick features of these genres (things you've been working on that I mentioned, but even better, things you've discovered from your own readings) and create a discussion post of 2-3 paragraphs where you use examples from the genre (the blogs or the discussion posts) to highlight where you have found this genre feature and how/why you think it is important to success in the genre. Let's take the example of "using people's names to address them personally" in the discussion group. Is this something you would advise a new member of the class to do? explain why or why not (using specific quotes/examples from the discussion posts to show how you think this technique works or doesn't). A secondary GOAL for this activity is to help me when I teach this class again. I'd like to understand better how participants in the class understand the genres we're engaging in -- Not just in terms of trying to do the work to get the grade, but in how you understand what "success" looks like in these genres, based on your readings of your peer's work.

Genre Reviews are due by this Friday -- you can post your reviews to the "genre review" discussion forum. Remember that your post should (ideally) be an in-depth discussion (2-3 paragraph) of one particular feature that you think is really important for successful writing in the genre.


(3) Research: You should be beginning work on your research project this week -- This is pretty much solo work at this point (although you can use the research project discussion forum to ask questions). But please, please, write to me (email) if you are confused about this project or stuck in trying to do things like (1) refine your topic, or (2) design your study, etc.


Don't forget to keep up with your Proof-of-Learning Reports (due each weekend) and your Labnotes (which I will be providing feedback on this week).

Hey everyone --

I know that we haven't had much discussion yet about the final project and what I'm expecting, so I've drawn up a genre description so that we can start discussions from there. I've put in online as a Google Doc, so you can find in here:

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0vrL-DffM_dNjk3YjZiNmYtNDkzNS00ZWJkLWE5NDItMDE1MDBiMzBiNzdk&hl=en_US&authkey=CNXv--cD

Hopefully, this document will give you a sense of your choices, for selecting a topic, coming up with a method for your study, and figuring our how you want to present what you find.

We'll have time for questions -- but please read the genre description first, so we're all starting on the same page.

Cheers,

Joyce

Work for the Weekend

Everyone:

I hope that you are all going to have an enjoyable weekend. I wish we could just take the weekend off, but the 4 week class doesn't really allow for that! However, I've kind of tried to create a plan that will give you a chance to take a breath as you move on to next week's assignments and towards your research projects.

So read carefully -- these are the activities you'll need to complete.

(1) Finish up the two last readings on online dating stuff (I attached them to an email yesterday) Post in the discussion group -- remember your goal of 30 posts for the week and also try to employ some of the suggestions I made in my email.

(2) Go the the Discussion Forum titled "project topics" sometime over the weekend and make a brief post that describes your project idea -- doesn't have to be formal, just get something up there!

(3) Complete the "You are Here II" Assignment -- The Due Date for this is next Tuesday. You'll find the assignment in the folder titled "Readings & Assignments: Week 2." This assignment is to create an "annotated bibliography" for your project. I've created a "sample annotated bibliography," so you can see what I'm expecting -- you can find it in the "Readings & Assignments:week two" folder or you can link to the google doc version here: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0vrL-DffM_dYWE0MDJkNmQtNGYzMS00NzViLWFkZWUtNTNlOTE3YWYzNTEy&hl=en_US&authkey=CIns3bgE

PLEASE NOTE: You can turn your assignment into the drop box in Blackboard that I've created, but you could alternately place your bibliography on your blog space if you would rather do that.

(4) Finally, as you begin your research on your topic, let me know if you find an article that you think might have wider appeal -- that you'd like me to assign so that we can all talk about it. This is a GREAT way to get your topic out there and have the group help you think through it. But we can only have so many, so I'm only going to be able to use the first 5-6 good suggestions I get. So you should jump on this if you'd like the class to help you with your project!


Grades & Grading: I will be looking at your labnotes over the weekend (I'll have comments to you by Tuesday) and I'll also be taking a second look at your Proof-of-Learning reports so that I can give you feedback (I'll have that to you by wednesday). Then, towards the end of next week, we'll be doing a 2nd round of review of the discussion posts -- but this time you will be doing them (more on that next week).

Everyone:

Sorry -- I did forget to attach the .pdf readings for today and tomorrow! But it's ok. I just won't assign any extra readings over the weekend, so you can push things back a little since you are getting these readings late. Also, I've finished posting grades for the proof-of-learning blogs and sent out emails with comments, so be sure you've gotten that email (and read it) before you post your proof-of learning for this week. And Let me know if you haven't gotten emails for either the POL reports or the discussion posts.

I will look at the POL reports again on Monday, so you have until Monday (June 1) to get the 2nd report done, ok?

Over the weekend I'm going to be looking at the Lab Notes -- If I can't get in to your Sparlix site or I have problems finding/readings your notes, I'll contact you. We'll make sure noone gets penalized for Tech problems with these notes, because the Sparlix technology seems a bit wonky (hard to use) for some people.

It's these readings (and I've just sent out an email where they are definitely attached):

For Thursday:

Scholarly article (I will send as .pdf):
Baker, A. J. (2008). Down the rabbit hole: The role of place in the initiation and development of online relationships. In A. Barak (Ed.), Psychological aspects of cyberspace: Theory, research, applications (pp. 163-184). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

For Friday:

Scholarly article (I will send as a .pdf):
Houran, J. & Lange Rense (2004). Expectations of Finding a Soul Mate with Online Dating. North American Journal of Psychology. Vol 6, No. 2, 297-308.

Discussion Forum Grades posted

Hey everyone:

I've posted the discussion forum first grades. I also send individual emails with comments and suggestions, so let me know if you have questions, and let me know if you didn't get an email!

My responses were individualized to discuss your particular contribution, but overall I can say that their are two things I'd like to encourage overall:

(1) When you see that you've become part of an "exchange" (that is, people are responding to a post you've made) try to see what you can do to continue to extend the conversation (keep it going). This might be done by expanding the discussion (making new point or arguments) and it can also be done by challenging (respectfully) the ideas or assertions of others

(2) I'd like to see more direct citations in these posts (of other posts, readings, and outside materials). I don't want you to think that you need to bog down every post you make with a load of citations, but in general I think we could move somewhat away from just creating a dialogue about what we think, to create a "network of ideas," that connects what we think more directly to what others (within this class and outside of it) think. So I want to encourage everyone to think about that and see what you can do in the next week.


Also -- I'm starting to comment on the Blog's right now, and I'll do these in the same way. I will read the post you've made, and send you an email with comments and suggestions, and then post a grade in Blackboard. Again, let me know if you have questions.

I also PROMISE that I will post something further (I'll email it too) about the research projects today, so that you can all move forward in selecting topics -- I'd like everyone to have a topic selected by Monday.

Finally, I want to note that I hope you will use my comments and suggestions in both your lab notes and your "proof-of-learning." Remember that you are not just learning about the topics, you are also learning about the genres we're using (in this case the discussion forum). So if my comments made you think about how you might alter your posts, or if you spend some time looking at the posts of others and thinking about how your could use their techniques to improve your posts -- PUT THAT IN YOUR LAB NOTES. This is evidence of your learning. If you are planning to try experiments to see if you can encourage others to respond more in the discussion post, then make note of that, along with examples of your posts and the posts of others. It's think kind of thing that I will ultimately be looking for -- and will be grading for.

So, look for more emails from me today.

Cheers,

Joyce

Hi Everyone:

Firstly, I'm so sorry about this Monday post being so late! I had trouble traveling back to Michigan (as the result of the midwest storms).

Secondly, I want to give you a bit of explanation about the work for the week (yours and mine). This week you will be reading a bunch of stuff on online dating. The reason behind this week's readings is to think about a topic in the way you'll be thinking about the topics you choose to research. So I've collected a sample of different kinds of text for you to read/view, and I'd like you to think about how these different sources might add to your knowledge about this topic (if, for example, it was one you were interested in studying). You can also think about what kind of "research" project you might want to do -- a movie? A sound essay? A traditional research project (with interviews or a case study)?

My Work

Tonight and tomorrow I will be looking at all the following work you have done so far, including the following:

(1) Discussion Posts
(2) Weekly proof-of-learning report on the blogs
(3) Lab notes

I'll be posting grades (with comments) for all the these for everyone who has done them. Keep in mind that these grades can change from week to week -- they can go up (with hard work) and they can go down (if your work becomes less rigorous).


Your Work

You all have the following jobs:

(1) Your job this week will be to check your grades and ask me any questions you have -- and make sure that your are clear about what you need to do if you want to improve your grades.
(2) Read the article/texts I've posted below and respond in the discussion group.
(3) Use the Project Discussion Board to post your ideas about your projects. (I will be posting a "genre description" about the project tomorrow -- so don't worry too much about this assignment until then!


Readings

For Tuesday: BBC article on online dating scams:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12442415

Pew Internet Study on Online dating
You can find this yourself on the web: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2006/Online-Dating.aspx


For Wednesday:

(1) Print Story from ABC news:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/online-dating-work/story?id=12896317

(2) Homemade documentary on Online dating: http://vimeo.com/1713756


For Thursday:

Scholarly article (I will send as .pdf):
Baker, A. J. (2008). Down the rabbit hole: The role of place in the initiation and development of online relationships. In A. Barak (Ed.), Psychological aspects of cyberspace: Theory, research, applications (pp. 163-184). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

For Friday:

Scholarly article (I will send as a .pdf):
Houran, J. & Lange Rense (2004). Expectations of Finding a Soul Mate with Online Dating. North American Journal of Psychology. Vol 6, No. 2, 297-308.

Reading for Friday

The Anthropology of Online Communities
Samuel M. Wilson and Leighton C. Peterson
Annual Review of Anthropology
Vol. 31, (2002), pp. 449-467
(article consists of 19 pages)
Published by: Annual Reviews
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4132888

Note: the full text of this article will be available through the ISU library database JSTOR. But you can also find it by searching Google Scholar online.

Friday -- work for the weekend

The reading for the weekend is the following

“Translating the Language of Music” by Steven Davy

http://www.exploringconversations.com/ 

Note – this series of audio files might seem kind of random when you first access it. It doesn't actively have anything to do with technology.  But I assigned it for a couple of reasons:  

Because it relates to my interest in technology and community related to music, and I thought that I might talk about this a little in the hope of helping you all to find project ideas
Because it’s an example of a audio essay (which is one of the options for your final research project)
Because while we often think of technology as “digital,” I think it’s interesting to think about technologies that are non-digital and their intersection with digital technologies.  Music is a great place for that conversation.  So be patient and have a listen, eh?

other work

Keep up with your discussion posts!
Work to start putting notes into your lab notes
Create your first weekly "proof-of-learning" report (remember we'll be discussing this genre in more detail after I make comments on everyone's blogs - so don't be too worried about "how to do it."
Start thinking about some aspect if identity/technology/community that you might want to research further

For Thursday you should start trying to make some notes in your Lab Notes space, and perhaps also start working on your first "Proof-0f-Learning" reports. See the links in my previous post for a detailed genre description of both of these activities.

Also note that the reading for today is:

The Benefits of Facebook “Friends:” Social Capital and College Students’ Use of Online Social Network Sites, By

1. Nicole B. Ellison,
2. Charles Steinfield,
3. Cliff Lampe

Article first published online: 23 AUG 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x

Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

Volume 12, Issue 4, pages 1143–1168, July 2007



http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x/full (note: Click on “Get .pdf” link to download the .pdf of this article.

Here some some links to Genre Descriptions for three of the class activities:

(1) Genre Description for the Discussion Forums: This document is now fairly complete (although it may still change somewhat after I do the first round of grades this weekend. If you don't get the grade you want on this first round, be sure to check out this document, because it will help you to understand ways you might improve.

(2) Genre Description for the Lab Notes: This is a preliminary document (it will certainly change as you do your first work and provide me with feedback. But this document will give you a start.

(3) Genre Description for the Proof-of-Learning Reports: Again, this is a preliminary document (it will certainly change as you do your first work and provide me with feedback. But this document will give you a start.

Wednesday's Assignments

Here are the assignments for Wednesday:

• Use http://www.sparklix.com/ to create a “project” called _IDS_121 share it with me and the rest of the class.

• Begin creating your daily labnotes related to your reading and thinking on the topics. The primary work you would be doing at this point in the class is documenting random ideas about the readings and following “threads” of ideas to other research and documenting where you go and what you learn.

• Post to the Reading Discussions Forum

Hey everyone:

Tuesday, comparatively, is a mild day for us. What we want to try to do at this point is think in a bit more detail about the daily posts. This activity is one of the primary ways that you'll interact with the course material and with each other. So it's REALLY important to think about this genre. What you are trying to do (as a participant in this class) is use the discussion forum to create a dialog with other class participants. This is what your grade will be based on (and it's 20% of the total class grade). So you need to not just post on the articles, but you need to read the other posts that people make and respond to them in thoughtful ways. It's critical.


So today you have a reading and two challenges:

You will find the Reading Here:

Revisualizing Composition: Mapping the Writing Lives of First-Year College Students
http://wide.msu.edu/special/writinglives/


CHALLENGE #1: Go to the blackboard space and read Check out the posts in the "Genre" discussion board. I am going to be posting some more information on the genre of discussion boards and how to do it. Then post to the course readings discussion forum. Try to get into the swing of both posting and responding. Ask yourself questions like these: what kind of post would be most likely to get other to respond? How might I respond to someone's post in a way that would start a discussion going?

CHALLENGE #2: Go to the Blackboard space. Under the "Assessment" link you will see there is quiz labeled "You are Here #1: Whaddaya Know." Complete the quiz (obviously you can be looking at the Syllabus and 1st week readings and activities list as you are doing the quiz -- the point is really to make sure you are reading carefully

Again, keep asking questions! You'll see that I am responding like crazy to all the questions in the forum. So keep up with the readings and have faith (those of you feeling confused). It'll start to gel any day now.

Hello everyone. Hope your monday is going well.

Don't forget to email me if you have questions about what we are doing today. For those of you who haven't accessed Blackboard yet, here are the two documents that you need to read carefully before doing anything else.

They are

• The course syllabus (you can access through blackboard or here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rA7KLgHjb0yQXlPIJFInlCfzguPMXsCLAFOyKuVKbTU/edit?hl=en&authkey=COGAlLEK
  
• The readings and activities for week one (you can access through blackboard or here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Cc08iZ0oIuMSCxGcNndFYd874e_KDYteSbhGe7NpPu4/edit?hl=en&authkey=CK21tMIN

The readings for today are some videos:


(1) “How Does the Brain Work?” A NovaScienceNow episode.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1757221034


(2) “The Smartest Machine on Earth” A Nova episode.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1786674622

(3) Kevin Kelly tells technology's epic story

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/kevin_kelly_tells_technology_s_epic_story.html
(A TED talk) from TED: Ideas Worth Spreading (http://www.ted.com/ )


Here are the activities you should be doing today:

• Go to www.Blogger.com and create an account and a public blog and post the URL to the “Blogger Addresses” discussion forum.

• Post problems/questions or solutions about creating your blogger space to the technology discussion forum (I will be monitoring the site so I can answer questions as they come up).

• Post to the Reading Discussions forum Note: No matter what else you are doing, you should be doing this every day!

• Check out the “Genre Review” forum for notes on the requirements of Reading Discussion posts – ask questions in this forum!) Note: As the semester progresses, you’ll keep going back to this forum as you have questions about class activities or as you find stuff out that you want to share.

Welcome to Cyborg Identities (IDS 121 @ ISU) summer 2011

Hello everyone!

Firstly, sorry for the mix up with the blog names. I'm not sure what happened with the first blog name (the blogger site crashed while I was creating it, and I think someone in the class may have then used the URL when creating their blog).

But this new address will work just as well for our purposes.

This will be an easy way for you to check up on the class. You can use blackboard, of course, and I'll be sending out emails about things as they come up, but if you are working from a mobile device, this may be a good way to check up on new developments.

Sometimes access to blackboard can be quirky, and in case things shut down, we can use the blog as a way to keep in touch and keep the class moving.

Today is monday, May 16th. The First day of class. We've only go 4 weeks, so we'll be moving at a fast pace.

You can ALWAYS email or call me (727-543-6649) or text me as we go if you have problems.

Cheers,

Joyce