Brainstorming MidQuarter Presentation

Invention - I think what I am going to try to do to try to incorporate some originality into my presentation is to do some acting out of certain scenarios. Since my research topic is now more focused on the influence of technology on social networks, I think it might be interesting to do some small skits illustrating typical users of online social networks.

Arrangement - I'm going to try to keep the structure as simple as possible. I want most of the focus to be on the illustrations that I am presenting rather than just explaining everything to the class.

Style - I'll probably go for a more semi-formal style that's more like a low-key educational presentation.

Memory - I'll know my stuff.

Delivery - As for delivery I don't forsee the need for any multimedia aid, maybe a picture or two, but I would like to practice presenting without relying or being aided by PowerPoint.

Brainstorming MidQuarter Presentation

Invention - I think what I am going to try to do to try to incorporate some originality into my presentation is to do some acting out of certain scenarios. Since my research topic is now more focused on the influence of technology on social networks, I think it might be interesting to do some small skits illustrating typical users of online social networks.

Arrangement - I'm going to try to keep the structure as simple as possible. I want most of the focus to be on the illustrations that I am presenting rather than just explaining everything to the class.

Style - I'll probably go for a more semi-formal style that's more like a low-key educational presentation.

Memory - I'll know my stuff.

Deliver

TimeLine

I'm not as on top of my schedule as I would like to be. Recently I just decided on changing my topic to another more interesting topic and I think I have to some more digging to find more material for my new topic. I should have time to do catch up this week since I don't have anything due towards the end of the week.

PWR 2 (Response Article)

In the article Does PowerPoint make us stupid?, the question is raised as to whether or not, the medium of PowerPoint is dumbing down our culture. The article begins with the account of David Byrne a famous vocalist, composer and photographer who is said to have turned the use of PowerPoint into an art form. Byrne compiled and published a book in which he argues that PowerPoint has brought the end of reason. This book has stirred a serious debate with regard to the use and value of PowerPoint. Visual Artists seem to believe that PowerPoint serves as a "dumbing" function serving only capture and lull people into believing anything that's put on display. Their claim is that ideas are lost to pointlessness through the use of gratuitous use of PowerPoint. It seems that most of the arguments made in the article are of the sort that associate the use of PowerPoint to the use of a gun. Just like it is not the gun that kills, it is the person that is using the gun that kills, the same goes for PowerPoint. The responsibility of the presentation is on behalf of the user; PowerPoint in and of itself is simply a medium of communication that allows the user to present his or her ideas in a way that best suits what they hope to communicate. My personal take on it is that PowerPoint can be useful if used appropriately; to put it quite simply, the responsibility lies soley on the user.

Week of April 11th (Presentation Reflections)

I thought that this week's presentations were very solid and engaging for the most part. I thought that the use of Power Point was very helpful. In addition I was very surprised by the varieties of presentation styles, some more formal and structured, while others were more engaging and dialogue-like. It was also fascinating to see how everyone used different types of introductions and conclusions in their presentations. I think the time we spent in class practicing different types of introductions was useful bcause it gave us practice for this week's presentations. Overall I very much enjoyed this week's presentations, and I'm looking forward to see the entire class improve in our ability to present and deliver.

Blog Post (Oral Presentation Reflection)

For my presentation this week my goal is to be able to communicate in three minutes the importance of my research topic. Though three minutes is short, I believe the gist of my argument can be communicated to the class. My intention is to start out the presentation with some picture that would most likely be familiar to the class. The picture will probably contain someone using their cell-phone. Or perhaps I will have a slideshow of images, perhaps five to ten, showing various technologies that I would say most modern Americans "rely" on. From there I will propose the question to the class by asking how many students own cell phones. I will follow this question up with how many students own laptop computers. The purpose of asking these questions is to illustrate the prevalence of these technologies for people our age. The body of my presentation will be setting up the main points that I will attempt to explore more deeply in my research. I think the Lunsford reading was helpful in that it reminded me of the importance of stating my purpose, remembering my audience, and adhereing to a structure in my presentation. I will provide a quote from an article that I found on the topic of the "intrustion of technology" into our daily lives. Finally I will end my presentation by explaining how I got interested in this subject and pose the question: How many of you can remember what life was like prior to cell-phones and the Internet?

Question

Question to the class: How many times a day do you check your email?
Communicate via cell-phones?
How much of your important information is stored digitally?

Presentation Brainstorm (Post 4) PWR 2

For my presentation next week, I will most likely use some powerpoint slides as a means of structuring my presentation. As an introduction I will this idea of "enslavement via technology" by presenting a picture of someone I would consider to be a typical modern day technologically dependent individual. From there I will raise the question to the class as to what they think this picture is trying to convey. My introduction to the topic will cover:

1. My own exposure to the topic, how I got interested in this problem.
2. Why I think it is important.
3. What my stance is on it.

The body of my presentation will tackle some of my initial questions while researching this topic:
1. How have youth reacted to the infusion of digital technology into mainstream culture?
2. How have adults reacted?
3. In what specific areas have the use of certain technologies completely changed the way we do things?

Post 3 (PWR 2)

I find Dibbell's position to be a difficult one to determine in this piece. While coming from the stance of a traditional pen and paper writer, Dibbell seems to be more confused and disoriented as to the meaning of the term "writer," which he believed he had come to understand over the years, rather than trying to drive home the point that "true" writing is the craft that he practiced as a youth. I believe that in a subversive way he is trying to do the latter, but it seems that he doesn't want to take a definitive stand on this point; probably because he realizes the reality is much more complicated than that.

Post 2 (PWR 2 )

For this project, I think I would like to do research comparing the digital pop culture world in Japan and the digital pop culture world in America. Having studied Japanese for a number of years, I've come to find a great number of similarities between modern Japan and modern America. In particular I'm specifically interested in studying how the mainstream Japanese pop culture, is affected by the technology and digital media that is gaining greater exposure by the day. I suspect that comparatively, the influence of digital media and such technology is far more prevalent in Japan than in America, but I could be wrong.

http://www.ppp.am/ppp_e_gijiroku_2002_10.html
(interesting page from JAPA ( Japan as Popculture Assoc)

For my second possible topic, I would be interested in studying the progress of information technology and how that has in the last decade began to influence changes in language, culture and ways of thinking. I find it fascinating that information "design" is quickly becoming a very important and very valuable area of research. I don't know much about information technology but I will do some more research.

http://designforum.aiga.org/content.cfm?Alias=df_informationdesign
(some articles on info design)

I think as of now, I am leading more towards doing research on information design primarily because I know less about the subject, and I would like to find out more.