LT2 Blurb

“While studying about Wikipedia, I learned that all I had to do to become an editor was complete special missions. These missions seemed a little childish, as if they were geared toward children, and they were extremely easy. It made me believe that anyone could become a Wikipedia editor, which is fair, but not necessarily a good thing.”

Wiki Project, Progress #1

On our first day of work, we accomplished quite a bit.
-Sarah collected information on Greek life that Karissa and I proofread and critiqued, and we posted it to the UNG Wiki page.
-Karissa and I compiled information on student organizations and posted them to Wiki. Karissa was able to create links to some of the organizations.
-I collected the names of the departments heads of the College of Science and Mathematics & Health Professions.
I will continue to try to figure out how to create columns within a subcategory so that the Student Orgs wont be one long list, but instead two or three columns.

Wikipedia Goals

I am slightly more confident in the verifiability of Wikipedia's information. Wiki tried to convince me that several people had to approve or edit an article before changes can be published, so I'd like to know how silly things get posted so often.

I was pleased to see that Wiki is mostly HTML coding as that's something I really like to do. That will make creating and editing pages a lot easier for me.

If teachers were aware if this tutorial and learning process, they might be a little more comfortable with allowing students to use Wikipedia, but I still would not allow my students to cite Wikipedia itself. I am not convinced that it is completely reliable, since it has so many authors, editors, and mistakes. I would like my students to use Wiki as a starting point, to build the foundation of their knowledge on a subject, but use published sources as citations.

Wikipedia Reflection

Most, if not all, of my teachers in the past sound like a broken record, "You can't use Wikipedia." However, one of my teachers was brave enough to point out that Wiki is a great place to start, since a Wiki article is just a collection of information from different sources. If we found something we liked off Wiki, we just looked for the source to see if we could access it and use it. I thought that was a great idea. There is no use in completely ignoring Wiki, as it is rife with useful information. I just had to learn how to use it to my advantage.

As far as my non-academic life, I'm not afraid to say I basically depend on Wikipedia. If I just want a quick explanation or basic information about something I'm unfamiliar with, Wiki is the place to go. Their articles are often in depth, and as of lately, you have to be a member (or something, idk) to be able to edit the article, so not just any idiot can add gibberish as a joke anymore.

Alexander Response

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

     Alexander states that "networked classrooms offer an unparalleled opportunity for students and teachers to address issues of sexual orientation in powerful and unprecedented ways" (208). First of all, he mentions that computerizing classrooms gives gay and lesbian student infinite access to information on LGBTQ communities and lifestyles. They can then feel like even if they don't know anyone personally that they can relate to as far as sexual orientation, they at least know they are not alone. He also points out that the ability to have anonymity on the internet gives gays and lesbians more freedom and comfort in have that initial voice, since "the dangers of speaking from a gay subject position are very real" (209).  Teachers and students of writing should consider sexuality in a networked classroom because it’s an outlet in which gays and lesbians can more easily express themselves and identify with one another without facing immediate physical threat. They can hide behind anonymity or come together as a community.

2. Alexander does not provide and in-depth study like Buck does. How could his piece have benefitted from a structure like Buck's?

     An in-depth study like Buck’s includes specific examples, research, and statistics that support the author’s thesis and persuade the audience. Buck included specific examples like BlackPlanet, Yahoo, and BlackVoices. He mentions that “as much as 30% of all utterances [contain] some form of tonal semantics” (80), supporting his point that Black linguistics are evident even online, not just in spoken language. I think stating a thesis and then citing examples, research, and statistics like Buck did would make Alexander’s article more credible, and overall his article would benefit from these changes.

Banks Response

-Why focus on the intersection of race and technology? What do we learn that we would not have learned without a focus on race?

Technology is another way in which Whites and Blacks differ. Statistically, Whites have more access to technology, like computers, than Blacks. This helps underline White privilege and highlight the fact that Blacks might be using technology less or in different ways because they feel inferior. Strictly Black sites were created as an outlet for Blacks to share their thoughts and feelings on the matter and be in the majority. By just focusing on race, technology might be easily overlooked, in that the repercussions of ignorance are not immediately apparent.


-What is Banks hoping to argue/show through looking at BlackPlanet?

Banks is arguing that Blacks use BlackPlanet as a way to create/uphold/share their identity individually and as a whole (race). This is a place that Blacks are supposed to feel safe in sharing their thoughts and feelings, and they take comfort in knowing they can identify in at least one way to everyone on the site. He may also be arguing that BlackPlanet is proof that technology is a force to be reckoned with; it makes it incredibly easy to connect with other people, strangers even, thus making it easy to create a community.


-On page 83, Banks offers three things writing teachers can do in light of his findings.  Which of the three seems most important to you? Why?

I liked point #1 the most because it kinda tied in with the Buck piece. It reminds me of how we talked about social media is not as detrimental as we think it is to academic writing. Banks says, "we might worry far too much about the negative results of student behavior in recreational spaces and not enough about how they might benefit from them." This recreational space can be an outlet for sharing and expanding thoughts, ideas, and experiences which, like Banks says, opens up "multiple opportunities for feedback." Discussing topics like race and associated struggles is a great topic for recreational settings as opposed to educational/academic settings because it makes it seem like less of a chore or assignment and makes it seem more like real life, something they can relate about. I think this communication is crucial for maintaining a community.

Buck Response

I, like Ronnie, like to stay connected. I value texting because it allows me to keep in touch with those close to me. I don't text much, usually just my mom because she’s two and a half hours away, and my boyfriend while he’s at work. I update Facebook whenever I remember to, usually just to make special announcements. I can’t remember the last time I updated my personal Twitter. This is simply because I don’t feel inclined to share every little detail of my day with social media. I’m too busy trying to stay involved with my surroundings to be sharing them on a social media platform. I think this is how Ronnie and I differ. I do indulge in checking Facebook whenever I have time, but Buck describes Ronnie as “[i]ntegrating his daily offline activity into his online identity” (9). I know plenty of people like Ronnie who cannot go to an event without updating about it and being on their phone the whole time “staying connected” but ironically missing the opportunity to be connected with the real life around him. I know people like Ronnie who “on their walk to class in the morning, takes a picture of [fill in the blank] and tweets it” (9). These people seem to me like they are walking around looking for Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram opportunities, and not just enjoying the walk to class. That is not me at all.

“Writing researchers need to consider how these literacy practices are connected to academic literacy practices and how these different influences on literacy work together.”

As Buck states in the next paragraph, developing a digital literacy can help increase academic literacy in that “students are not only writing more, but are also effective in crafting and communicating specific messages to specific audiences.” I think this is because posting a status on Facebook may not be the same as posting a tweet to Twitter. I know I am friends with older family members, employers, etc. on Facebook, but only my peers follow me on Twitter. Some subjects may be appropriate for Twitter but not for Facebook, and vice versa. Being able to craft a message specific to an audience helps in academic writing in knowing who the audience is and how to address the topic at hand.