Homework Assignments for Week 3

1) Select a video from Youtube that you find interesting, humorous, unique, or important. What is the focal point of the video? How does the context effect the way you, as a member of a broader on-line community, understand the video? Hint: Think about a) the content of the video, b) any aspects of the video that may have been altered by the person who posted the video, & c) the fact that you are watching this particular clip, not on television or in the movie theater, but on a computer at home/school. These questions should initiate the process of inquiry for you, but do not feel limited by them. If you can think of any other relevant questions concerning context that (sh/c)ould be asked, please feel free answer them. (500 words & at least 1 hyperlink.)

For this post, you will need to embed a Youtube video clip into your blog. To do so, follow these simple steps: 1) Go to Youtube & find a video clip; 2) to the right of the video, copy the code within the "Embed" dialogue box; 3) compose a new post in Blogger; 4) click the "Edit Html" tab at the top of the composition box; & 5) wherever you want the clip to appear, paste the copied material into the body of your post . If you follow these steps, you should be able to incorporate a video clip as such:

2) Choose a person, place, or activity for your Observational Essay--this should be some(one/thing) you are NOT related to or overly-intimate with. (You should also have a backup subject in case you are unable to perform the actual observation & interview in a timely fashion.) For your second post of the week, find 3 sites that relate to your subject matter. Using information from these three sites, compose a post that engages information that will be pertinent to the writing of your essay. You may want to ask yourself questions about your audiences expectations: Who is my audience? What are they likely to think about the subject? What would they want to know about it? You might also find it imporant to ask yourself some questions as well: Why do I want to research this subject? What can I expect to find out about it? What aspects do I expect to be interesting or entertaining? These questions should direct you when searching for appropriate background material. Ulimately, the background material you gather should guide your observations & interviews, as well as provide you with a context in which to set your writing. (500 words & at least 3 hyperlinks.)

3) Write 4 100 word comments on 4 other students' blog posts.

IMPORTANT: Appropriately insert hyperlinks to all three sites into your second post.

For specific guidelines regarding the Observational Essay, please download & read Reading Critically Writing Well 2. You can access this document on Blackboard.

Both posts DUE: 02.04.07