Class ideas for Autumn 2005C class

Day One

• introduce class
• ethos, pathos, logos
• what constitutes logos?  Does it have to be linear? How is form related to logical argument?
• Bring in a political ad/adverstisement that proves a point by conveying a mood.  Is this “good” or “bad” in terms of democratic theory?
• First day essay: (draw a picture of your relationship with a computer)?

Day Two: Formalism, Juxtaposition, and Genre

• Bakhtin quotes (heteroglossia, defamiliarization)
• Sirc article
• Introduce them to a note-taking methodology of cutting up texts and commenting upon them (in this case, a text about cutting up texts)
• John Zorn, Naked City (musical pastiche, genre combinations)

Day Three Audacity Demo/pastiche project

• Reshuffle the structural components of your favorite song

Day Four: Audacity Projects Due/In-class discussion of projects

• also due is a written “reflection” on your reshuffling; how changing form changed content

Day Five: Visual Images: Commonplaces, Metaphors, Enthymemes, Ideal Audiences

• Protest rhetoric/political cartoons/political ads (i.e., Max Cleland)
• In class annotation of a Family Guy episode in order to triangulate the ideal audience through the references

Day 6-8: Pagemaker Demo and Studio and Project

• project TBA

Day 9: Context, Kairos,

• artifacts TBA

Day 10: Remediation

• The Daily Show and network news

Day 10-11: Flash Demo and Studio time

Day 12-20: Work on final projects with continued in class analysis of artifacts and lectures, many of which would be more “classic” comp topics such as how to construct an argument, etc.,

Assignment ideas:

• until the final project, projects will be evaluated on the basis of the submitted reflections on the projects—on their analysis of their artifacts
• Sirc-like note taking exercise, submitted perhaps on a summary/response blog they have to keep, on a couple of the analytic concepts/artifacts discussed in class.
• Possibility for a longer project: edit a news-broadcast as you think it would appear on Fox, NPR, and The Daily Show. 

Throughout, have them reading Writing Analytically passages.  Have them keep all of their notes, and comments on web-blog or similar format.