Integrating Social Media in Composition Classes for Enhanced Learning
Explore how the use of social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram can enhance traditional assignments in composition classes, fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy among college students. Discover how adapting assignments for social media engagement can strengthen students' understanding of rhetorical situations and audience analysis, making connections to larger rhetorical contexts.
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Presentation Transcript
TraditionalRhetoric Meets Alternative Discourse: Infusing Social Media in the CompositionClassroom Michelle B. Weiss California State University, Dominguez Hills English, Rhetoric and Composition
Abstract The use of technology and social media has significantly increased over the past ten years. Though the demographics of this escalation vary, it is evident that college students in particular are rapidly adopting a tech-based lifestyle. As a supplemental instructor for a summer composition class, I applied this data to lesson plans by implementing social media activities over the course of the semester. Through various workshop activities I adapted the instructor s traditional assignments to include social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. In one activity, students live tweeted annotations as they read an article in class. With each of their tweets containing a specific hashtag, students were able to follow each other s annotations, interact with one another, and critically respond to questions I presented in the forum. In another activity, students used Instagram to celebrate their peers favorable attributes. By posting strategic photos and captions of one of their classmates, students were able to practice establishing a positive ethos. David Coad of the Education department at UC Davis notes in an article, Johndan Johnson-Eilola and Stuart A. Selber contended that electronic writing forms actually require sophisticated skills of understanding concrete rhetorical situations, analyzing audiences and constructing concise, information-laden texts, as a part of a dynamic, unfolding, social process. Similarly, I will argue that each of the digital activities I constructed, allowed students to understand how social media can be a collaborative and effective tool in education to compose in an academic setting, and to make larger rhetorical connections.
Instagram: Ethos Original Assignment: Write about a friend of yours that you want us to like or find interesting or worthwhile. Tell us what s good about your friend, and give some evidence for that good thing what are you basing it on? In other words, establish a positive ethos for your friend. Adapted Assignment: Using Instagram, get into pairs and post a photo of your partner highlighting something about them that you want us to like or find interesting or worthwhile. The positioning of the photo, the filter, the caption, and the hash tags should all be part of the way you establish a positive ethos for your partner.
Twitter: Annotations Original Assignment: Read Stuart Hirschberg s article The Rhetoric of Advertising. Annotate the reading and come to class prepared to discuss. Adapted Assignment: Read Stuart Hirschberg s article The Rhetoric of Advertising in class and live-tweet annotations with the hash tag #hirschberg8805
Twitter: Annotations: Samples Student Generated Annotations to Text @StudentA Jul 16 Ads give the consumer a chance to be part of a social group that have in common purchasing a particular product. #Hirschberg8805 @StudentB Jul 16 What were to happen if ads would show both the positive and negative outcome of the product? #Hirschberg8805 @StudentC Jul 16 Ads have all kinds of pathos, ethos and logos. #Hirschberg8805
Twitter: Annotations: Samples Student Responses to Prompts Michelle Weiss @michellebweiss Jul 16 What is another example of a weasel word that you have seen in an advertisement? #hirschberg8805 Answers: @StudentD Jul 16 The "no more tears" saying which the company Johnson & Johnson got famous for. #Hirschberg8805 @StudentE Jul 16 " Easy breezy beautiful covergirl ." Can that be a weasel word/phrase ? #Hirschberg8805
Thank You Sponsors: This presentation was supported by the Title V-PPOHA PEGS (Promoting Excellence in Graduate Studies) grant #P031M105068 at CSUDH as well as the CSUDH College of Arts and Humanities.
