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I chose my to do my reading response on chapter 56, “Using Visuals, Incorporating Sound” from the NFG. This chapter discusses how visual elements like: Photographs, Videos, Graphs et., can help persuade issues and arguments. The visuals can help get the attention of the audience. It helps to support the issue more by letting the audience resonate what’s being addressed. In order to be effective, the media sources have to match what is being said. Color, text, subject and type of source being used are things to consider when applying them to a project. I find this reading to be very useful because majoring in Digital Media Production, attributes like this are very important in the movie/ film industry. These are fundamentals that I have to be familiar with to promote advertisement, purpose, and idea. And if I want to apply it to actually making a movie or commercial, animation plays a big part along with style. Lighting sets the mood, color sets an effect. Reading this chapter helps a lot with being able to do a hands-on assignment like the “info graph” because I can have a better understanding of things to consider and an idea of how to be more effective later on in life as I pursue my career.

Before starting to analyze a text the first thing we need to do is to be aware of the context of the work. We need to understand for who  is this intended to? What is the purpose of the author? What do we believe in? (so we don’t have some form of bias to the work being analyzed). Plus, we also need to understand the media/platform the author uses. It is important to understand all of this BEFORE we even start to read what the text may say because all of this questions will provide important context to the text. We could say that we have to play the role of a detective on finding why the author decided to do his or her work the way they did.

For example, maybe the author decided to use slang and communicate through social media, but with the purpose to communicate an idea to young adults. If we understand that the author decided to express this way we will not criticize the format of his or her work, since it is probably the most effective way to share his or her mind with the audience he is targeting. This opens up our eyes to analyzing the idea of the author and not the methods. 

The main goal of an analysis is to check if the author effectively expressed the message the the public. Therefore it is also important to keep in check or stance since this can create biases on how we perceive the message.  I decided to focus on this part in specific because in my opinion having a proper set up to analyzing a text is similar to how having a proper set up is essential in conducting an experiment in an unbiased way.  The only way that we are able to find the truth about about a topic is by looking at it through an unbiased scope.

Regarding the reading on Kain and Wardle’s explanation on Activity Systems, caused me to think about how it comes into effect in society. Many people communicate and operate in different ways to achieve common motives. For example, Engineering (my love and passion), engineers handle projects and assignments with extreme care and precision. Math calculations, blue print readings, measurement of supplies, computer models, are some of the ways they communicate to achieve a common motive. The way engineers communicate is unique only to them. You wouldn’t  expect an engineer to sit and explain the plan when you have no clue what they are saying. You would tend to focus on your motive that is unique to you and try to obtain that with your  very own Communtiy.

Happy Spring Everyone! My name is Audrey, I am your instructor and I’m excited to get to know all of you. This Intro Post assignment is the first step in that direction and here’s a chance for you to get to know a little about me as well.

I’m an El Paso native, born and raised in EPT/Ciudad Juarez, and I love it here. I have a son—Daniel, who is the smartest, kindest, sweetest, funniest, most handsome thing to arrive on planet earth. Through him, I’ve also learned that the best kind of entertainment is the kind you get when people think no one is watching. For example…

Much of my life surrounds school and Danny—aka Peanut. (He acts like he hates that I call him that, but I know he loves it). But I try and make space for me: I run regularly and lift often.

I salsa! #Salsera #Dancetilyoudrop

And I love soccer. Liga MX, La Liga, English Premier League, Champions League, Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, and so on and so on and so on.

I strive to achieve life GOALS, estilo Neymar Jr.

I have a BA in Political Science, an MA in Rhetoric and Writing, a Graduate Certificate in Intelligence and National Security, and I’m wrapping up my PhD in Rhetoric and Composition.

My humanitarian and activists efforts center on freedom and justice for Palestine. #EndTheOccupation #PeaceforPalestine

In my time here as a PhD student, I have focused on rhetoric and resistance. I’m currently researching big data and social impact—think Twitter conversations and what they mean to society, people, governments, and social movements. I argue that the discourse happening on social media gives us the chance to understand real people, real desires, and can offer lots of opportunities for shared knowledge and lead the way to diplomatic, counterinsurgency, and peace building efforts worldwide. So I’m basically trying to be this guy.

I’m also researching issues of diversity and disparity among marginalized populations in various ways, like diversity among minorities and women in Higher Education. I ask questions like who’s in power, where is our voice, our place in our fields, in our jobs, in our societies, and why does it all matter?