Alternate Realities

The focus of today's class is how members of modern society choose to spend portions of their lives in some form of alternate reality, whether it be by using Facebook, or by watching reality television shows.

Before you respond in your blog you must read ONE of the following articles:

1. "Reality T.V.: Life through a lens ain't no documentary"
2. "Does your digital self reflect your identity or create it?"
3. "Leaving Facebook"

In point form please list what you think are the THREE most important points in your article, and then answer ONE of the following questions:

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of spending your time interacting with others in a virtual environment (such as Facebook.)Please think carefully about what kind of information is communicated, and why someone would choose to join.

2. What does the popularity of reality television shows reveal about our society? (What exactly is the purpose of a reality television show, and what does it mean if someone chooses to spend their time watching it?)

Something to talk about...

For your second post you need to read the article: "Gossip, When It's Not Too Nasty, It Has Its Good Side" from the Sept. 8, 2007 edition of the Vancouver Sun. Please follow these steps as you go through the article.

In your own words, write down what you think are the 5 most important points made in the article, and then summarize the entire article in one or two sentences. (Pretend someone asks you what the article is about, and you have to explain it to them in a short amount of time).

Next, you need to write a personal response about whether or not you consider gossip to be an ethical activity. Think carefully about whether you are one of those people who spends "two hours a day talking about people who are not there". Do you associate gossip with low morality, or do you agree with some of the advantages mentioned in the article? Please provide reasons for your opinion, and attempt to persuade others to see your point of view. (You may write in first person)

Finally, you will be asked to comment on another person's blog. You need to focus on one or two SPECIFIC points that they make and respond to them. Respect for other viewpoints is a must, and of course all writing expectations for spelling and grammar apply.

First Blog!

Welcome to your first blog posting! You have two choices for your first response. Please remember to consider everything that you write in your blog to be "public". Do not include any information that you are not comfortable with everyone in the class being able to read. Please use proper grammar, punctuation and spelling, and avoid symbols and abbreviations.

Today you will be writing about your chosen song or poem, and you have two choices for your response:

Option 1:

What is your personal reaction to your song/poem? What thoughts, ideas, and/or emotions does it bring out? Can you make any connections between the song and the events or people in your life? Have you learned anything from the lyrics or has your thinking changed? Is there something in it you can relate to? What do you like about it, and what first attracted you to it? How or when did you first hear it?

Option 2:

If the first option requires too much personal commentary for your first blog then you may do the following:

Find another song, photo, drawing, painting, book, or movie that creates a similar emotional reaction in the reader/listener/viewer (remember the assignment you did that discussed the mood/atmosphere of your song), and that has a similar theme. In your blog, explain (in paragraph form) how this book/ movie etc. that you have chosen is similar to your song.