Social Media Technology Final Project Paper
Question Description
the Final Project will be due in the next lesson. You will
have your choice of three options, and at this point in the class, it is
time to think about what you want to do and propose a plan for getting
the work done.
First, explore the various options for the Final Project.
Option 1: Digital Futures
In this project, you will explore the future of digitaltechnologies by choosing a specific technology that you’re interestedin (video games, the Internet, social media, etc.) and researching whatthe experts say is the future of your chosen technology. You’ll alsoreflect on the types of literacies that might be necessary in the futurein order to critically read and engage the technology that you chose.
You will present the results of your research in a 4-6-page,double-spaced paper in MLA format, and include a minimum of threeexternal sources that discuss the future of the medium that youselected.
Option 2: Reading Popular Culture
Choose a popular culture event or artifact that interestsyou enough to drive a careful analysis. You should select a topic thatcan be narrowed down to a clear thesis. Once you have your topic,you’ll be asked to research it and draw conclusions from the trends yousee over time. Some sample topics follow:
This project will examine Barbie advertisements from the 1970sto the present to show how the doll has moved from a fashion archetypeto a more practical, career-oriented toy that encourages young girls.
The Simpsons has gone through many changes, but themost successful episodes are the ones that tackle current politicalevents. However, is there a political bias that is present when onecompares and contrasts a politically-driven episode from the Bushera with one from the Obama era?
Reality TV is everywhere, but where did it come from? Some argue that the first reality show was MTV’s The Real World from the 1990s; however, few remember that reality TV first captivated audiences in 1973 when PBS featured its show, The American Family. The rhetoric of that landmark show will be contrasted with a reading of a modern family show in order to draw inferences about the changes to the genre.
You will present the results of your research in a 4-6-page,double-spaced paper in MLA format that includes a minimum of threeexternal sources that discuss the future of the medium that youselected.
Option 3: Research, Read, Design
This project offers you the chance to revise the rhetoricalmistakes of the past. Think of an issue that interests you and hasgained the interest of others enough to be conveyed in a cartoon/comic,audio/video, or other medium. You will be asked to write a shortanalysis of the text that you choose, including information about howothers responded to the text. Then, you’ll have the chance to revisethe text into a more effective format. For your consideration, somesample ideas follow:
Flaws and Fallacies: Find a commercial, comic, orother text that commits a fallacy or other flawed reasoning. Describethe text in a short analysis before revising a text to correct theissue that you saw in your reading. Conclude with a short explanationof how you want your audience to respond to your revision.
Revised History: Find a text that refers to adecision or event in history that could have (or should have) turnedout differently. For example, perhaps you’d like to analyze theconflict behind the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. There were hundredsof designs that were pitched. Did they select the right one? In thiscase, you’d research the selected design, research alternatives, writean analysis of the texts that you discovered, and design a newsolution. Conclude with a short explanation of how you want youraudience to respond to your revision.
You may choose another direction, as well!
This project will consist of 1-2 pages that describe the textthat you plan to revise (in MLA format), a design for a solution(either drawn or written), and 1-2 pages that describe how you’d likeyour audience to read your revision.
Next Steps
For this lesson’s assessment, you are to select a topic, describeyour plan to find the information you’ll need to complete the project,and propose a completion schedule, keeping in mind the due date for theFinal Project. Also, keep in mind the very notion of the future. Thinkof how the ideas you’ll engage will shift in the coming generations astechnology continues to make progress and changes the way audiences readand respond to texts.
Final Project Planning
Using the choices provided in the lesson, select a topic for your Final Project.
Write a paragraph that describes your reason for selecting the topic.
Write an additional paragraph that describes your plan to find the information you’ll need to complete the project.
Conclude by proposing a completion schedule, keeping in mind the due date for the Final Project.
Your work will be assessed by the following rubric.
Criteria
Max. Points available