Out of the Closet and Into the Network Q & A

Why should teachers and students of writing consider sexuality in a networked classroom?

I believe the purpose in all writing exercises is self-expression.  Writing gives me a voice.  It allows people to hear my thoughts on paper.  Unfortunately, cultural norms constrain and condemn voices who want to speak openly about their sexuality. In the article, Out of the Closet and Into the Network, Johnathan Alexander invites his audience to think about how discussing sexual orientation in an anonymous computerized network classroom can give the homosexual community a voice to safely to express themselves without being persecuted for their sexuality by heterosexuals.

Alexander does not provide an in-depth study like Shepherd does. How could his piece have benefited from a structure like Shepherd’s?

I believe if Alexander surveyed his students and gave his students a voice to state their opinions about whether networked classroom communities helped or hindered them expressing their sexual orientation to others.  Also, I believe gaining the opinions of heterosexuals after participating in a network classroom to see if gaining knowledge and understanding about homosexuals would have changed their views about homosexuality and their views about sexual orientation.

How is his argument kairotic?

Alexander wrote this article in 1997.  Civil Rights for the homosexual community have been a hot topic for decades.  It is now 2017 and the same topics of gay marriage and gays in the military are still relevant.  I believe technology such as the internet and synchronized networks have helped the homosexual community ban together and gain support of government.  Thus, laws have been passed and they have given them a voice. 

What is his exigence?

Alexander felt it was a prime time to mend two communities in a computerized network classrooms.  The anonymous platform gave communal support to homosexuals and helped heterosexuals “to understand how social norms and pressures condition the ways everyone speaks-whether gay or straight” (Alexander 214).

How does his identity shape his argument?

Because Alexander is an openly gay male, he has experienced the alienation of being a homosexual in a heterosexual society.  His own personal experiences shape his argument of being mistreated and isolated because of his sexuality.  Alexander really drove home the point that “identity is related to sexual orientation” and it “is socially construed, constructed, and controlled (212).

What Would I Like to Explore?

What do you need to research, find, read to help you begin this exploration?

Selfe undertakes the important work of reminding us that public school education is inextricably linked with politics--for better or worse. Spend time researching your state, local, or federal representatives. See if you can point to a specific representative or senator and how this person spoke about public school funding. Once you have located a specific person, start thinking about your public school experience and the quality of the classrooms, hallways, computer labs. Establish a connection in your education between politics and the classroom.

Research:
Who is the Secretary of Education?  Federal, State, Local board of Education.
How are public school funding distributed?
How are district divided? Jerry Mandering
Why are public schools funded by property taxes
Technology funding? Underfunding
Explore Classrooms of shames: Air Conditioning.. Are these conditions due to state funding?

What is going on locally or globally to make public school funding a kairotic topic?
Charter Schools
State intervention
Title I Schools

Why Talk About Technology Now?

Technology has been woven into our society.  It is apart of cultural and it has become a social norm. I can assume that everyone has experienced the use of some invention (tool) to help their life become more efficient.  That's why we need to pay attention to it even more. We must investigate the matters behind the technologies we use because some of them can be more harmful than useful.

Why am I suited to talk about technology?

I have witness first hand the waves of technology.  I have seen computer technology progress (the invention on Windows on PC), telecommunication soar (landline become obsolete to cellphone), and mass communication boom (the birth of social media ).  These areas have definitely effected the roles in writing because actually hand write less in less. They type.

The Meet Up! Selfe, McGee, Ericsson, and Shepherd

Scene:  Cindy Selfe, meets up Tim McGee, Patricia Ericson, and Ryan Shepard to address the pressing issue about how we still need to pay attention to technology and its usage in composition classrooms.  They are planning to conduct a conference for new composition teachers to discuss the issues and solutions they want to address in their workshops.

Selfe: Good morning everyone.  As you all know, I have been pressing the issue since 1999 that we should pay attention to the technology we use in our classrooms and the impact that it may have on our students.  It is now 2017 and I think we need to bring more awareness to new educators about the influences behind technology and how to minimize its impacts since we have even more invocations today.

Everyone nods in agreement.

McGee:  Well, I think we should present the progression of the technology movement.  For instance, let’s break our day into three sessions beginning with Cindy.  In her workshop, she can lay down the foundation of how technology literacy became a huge national project which promoted its usages as the next socioeconomic movement in America. 

Selfe: Yes, I can do that. 

McGee: Thanks, Cindy.

Then Ericsson interjects.

Ericsson: Okay.  I see the direction you going with this Tim. I think we should present next.  I believe since most teachers and composition students use MS Word software to compose their work, they we should address the invisible grammarian behind the software.  We should present the history behind the design and content of the software and its potential flaws that are imbedded in the MS Grammar and Style Checker.

McGee:  Great point.  We should also address that teachers do not have to completely throw out the baby with the bath water.

Everyone chuckles.

McGee: We need promote even though MSGC has flaws we should not stop using it.  Let’s lead them to the conclusion that they just need to examine it more closely and any other technology they plan to use in their classroom.  Our discussion will conclude with an action: teaching new teacher how to merge human intelligence when using technology-- not completely relying on it in its entirety.

Everyone nods in agreement.

Shepherd:  That’s sounds great so far.  I’ll wrap up the day with a workshop on how we can use rhetorical digital spaces as a tool in our classroom such as Facebook.  Many students use writing practices in composing a post, profile, and comment.  I’ll just bring aware to new educators how they can get their students to make the connection with how they are using writing conventions in a different median whether they realize it or not.

Selfe:  That’s great!  I am happy we all have shared our ideas and plans for the conference.  I think this conference will be an opportune moment given how more and more innovate technology are being introduce into society and classrooms everyday.

Week: 4 Ryan Shepherd Summary: Facebook in First Year Composition

Can you see a connection between writing for Facebook and writing for school?  Based on the data collected from Ryan Shepherd’s survey, first year compositions students did not see a connection between writing for FB and writing for school. Why? First, many students considered Facebook to be a conversation and strongly associated Facebook with oral language rather than written language (Shepherd 92).  Second, a high number of students had two definitions of “composition,” formal writing or art and design (Shepherd 93). Third, teachers have not done a great job of integrating “rhetoric of digital social media instruction into their classroom” (Shepherd 93). These three explanations were a result from Shepherd’s survey and the basis for why Shepherd wrote this article.

As technology continues to integrate into composition classrooms, Shepherd felt that his finding was an opportune moment to bring awareness to his students that social media is another platform for rhetorical writing in FYC classrooms. He sought out to prove that many of his student enacted writing practices while constructing a post, creating a profile, and making a comment. These practices included addressing a certain audience, drafting a message, and posting a rhetorical situation. His evidence suggested that in fact there is a connection and he just needs to make students aware of the connection (Shepherd 92).  Shepherd’s article was very informative and it helped strengthen my belief that writing practices are connected to FB activity even though FB is not a typical space students use for FYC classes.