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Public Rhetoric and Practical CommunicationYour Rhetorical Position:
College Seniors in the Spotlight
Lecture 1: CAT 125Elizabeth Losh
http://losh.ucsd.edu
A Crash Course in Advanced Writing
8 lectures in our two-hour Tuesday timeslot A standard 75 minute lectureFollowed by a 20 minute forum with Q&A
1 oral presentation showcase in the last lecture slot4 bonus optional workshops on using technology in
the Digital Playroom
Assignments are due in lecture every week, but most of the discussion about drafting and revision will take place in the discussion sections that will take place twice a week.
Lecture OneYour Rhetorical Position
How can you clarify your own rhetorical position?
How can you take advantage of the possibilities of that position and even be creative about its limitations?
How does an institution shape your identity?
Lecture TwoGetting Feedback
Where are unwritten rules written?
How do you learn to take criticism from others?
How do you develop writing habits that will work for years to come?
Lecture ThreeYour Public Reputation
What are the assets and liabilities of your current online presence?
How can you change how others perceive you?
How do you balance finding community with being professional?
Lecture FourAppealing to Audiences
What has been your attitude about seeking attention in the past? Should you make changes?
Who are your current audiences? Who will be your audiences in the future?
How can you do “narrowcasting” effectively?
How can you become a better audience member?
Lecture FiveComposing with a Purpose
How can you do things with writing?
Where would you want to effect change?
Who can you enlist to help you? Who else might have common goals?
How do you match medium and purpose?
Lecture SixPublic Speaking
What personal characteristics help or hinder you in a public speaking situation?
Are you a good listener?
How can you change your style of oral delivery to sound more organized but less rehearsed?
How can experience being an undergraduate researcher help?
Lecture SevenGraphic Design
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your individual “eye” for design?
How can you choose the right aesthetic to match your style?
How can you educate yourself to become more visually literate?
Lecture EightClaiming Expertise
How do you become an author?
Why might your expertise be of interest to others?
How do you balance testimony and evidence?
Practical Communication
• Written Personal Statement• Ignite-Style Public Speaking
Presentation• Online Portfolio or Website
The CAT 125 TAs
Ivana Guarrasi
James Perez Barbara Ann Bush
Vabianna Santos
Patrick HenniganKelli Moore Ashley Smith
Gibran Guido
The Sixth College Writing Studio
Who Will You Be in Two Years?
• A graduate student? • A corporate intern?• A school teacher?• A medical school student?• A fledgling engineer?• A nursing school student?• A media producer?• An artist or musician?• A human rights activist?
You Might Already Have Had Multiple Careers
“As a graduate student, I've had to compile, compose, and organize content for a web design project (one of which was focused on web typography, but we were expected to write and present our content for our intended audiences as well as part of the assignment), class or project blogs, project wikis, and other collaborative platforms (usually writing with other students). I'm also expected to be able to communicate with students and professors through e-mail and instant messaging.
When I was interning at a game company, though, I communicated both within the office and with the home office in Europe through e-mail and instant messaging on official (and less official) matters. There were other internal web-based resources, but since I was an intern, I only read them.”
Organizing Authorship
You Might Already Need Multiple Literaciesby Then
“Multi-modal literacy is increasingly valued in the workplace, and as a teacher, my students are encouraged to create meaning away from the traditional paper-and-pen methods.
Technical instruction in the shooting and editing of video would be helpful”
“I think some basic training about professionalism in e-mails would be useful.
Many people I've worked with, especially much older people, treat e-mails like a game, with tons of colored fonts, fancy signatures, colloquial writing in formal situations, etc.”
Sometimes Less is More: Learning about Editing and Restraint
Grabbing the SpotlightWhat to Do and What Not to Do
Capitalizing on Attention Once You Have It
“I've seen enough atrocious Powerpoint presentations in my life to consider this, and the ability to present effectively with slides, to be an extremely useful skill; if people can't or don't pay attention to what you're saying, you might as well not being saying it at all for all of the repeating you'll have to do after when people ask for clarification.”
Decorum Matters:Learning about Rhetoric
“Nowadays it is common practice for employers to check social network pages. I'd advise students to keep their craziness to a minimum if they want to keep their job. One of my coworkers checked her Myspace page all the time, and once she forgot to close the browser and left it open. Her supervisor walked by and saw her personal photo gallery of all her tattoos. It was not a happy experience for her.”
Rhetoric, That’s Bad, Right?
“political games and ‘who’s up’, ‘who’s down’ rhetoric”
“the rhetoric emanating from Tehran”“underscored the need for actions that
match the rhetoric”
Aristotle’s Means of Persuasion
• Ethos – a speaker’s authority, credibility, and perceived expertise
• Logos – a speaker’s logic, organization, and mastery of language
• Pathos – a speaker’s ability to move an audience emotionally
Kenneth Burke’s Pentad
• Act – What • Agent – Who • Agency – How • Purpose – Why • Scene – Where and When
Audience Expectations for aPersonal Statement
• Writing ability • Major areas of interest• Research and/or work experience• Educational background• Immediate and long-term goals• Reasons for deciding to pursue a particular field• Maturity• Motivation and commitment• Realism of expectations• Personal uniqueness – what you would add to the
diversity of the company workforce or to the entering class
Alexsay Vayner (Yale Senior) Impossible is Nothing
Michael CeraImpossible is the Opposite of Possible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAV0sxwx9rY
Vayner’s Digital Rhetoric
• Presents the wrong genre• Addresses his audience
inappropriately• Invites challenges to his credibility
from Internet spoilers because of his video editing techniques
• Demonstrates obliviousness to the fact that his social networks have been compromised
How Do Vayner’s Claims Relate to His Evidence?
James Kotecki (Georgetown Senior)Emergency Cheese
http://losh.ucsd.edu/courses/kotecki.html
Kotecki’s Digital Rhetoric
• Demonstrates an awareness of the conventions of specific genres in computer-mediated communication
• Addresses multiple audiences expertly and simultaneously
• Enhances his credibility by using the rhetorical scene to his advantage
• Capitalizes on social network sites and on online video response structures
Which One Do You Want to Be?
James Kotecki or Alexsay Vayner?How does your identity depend upon your institution? Upon Sixth College?
