"We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them"
-Albert Einstein
The above quote by Albert Einstein represents my experience in English 117. Before the semester, I sat down with my academic advisor in search of a class that could fulfill my last gen ed. As I scrolled down, I decided I was going to choose the class that seemed the most interesting. I had no clue how many challenges I was going to face in this class. With the help of the curriculum, I became better at problem-solving, more creative, patient, and reflective.
The first time I saw Einstein's quote was a couple of days after class started. I did not know what I would be working on in 'Arguing on the Internet' but the titles of the projects were enticing. The first project I saw was labeled 'Twitter Coding', which made me nervous. To add on to that there were no explicit directions for any assignments labeled on the syllabus. After looking more thoroughly into the projects I realized the outcome of my work would depend on my creativity and problem-solving. I have never had as much anticipation leading up to a class as I did for English 117. Yes, in many situations outside of school I've had to be creative, but never in school was I given this amount of headway. After finally meeting Professor Anderson I fell in love with the class.
Creativity and problem-solving were the themes I found most valuable in English 117. Every project needed both themes to become successful. Twenty-eight years ago Steve Jobs said the only thing more powerful than technology is people and their creativeness. I have never believed this quote as much as I do after this semester. The constant problem solving, specifically in the meme project, App Project, and the meme/gif projects are what helped boost my creativity.
Creativity- the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of artistic work.
Problem-Solving- the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.
The constant problem-solving came with success but also a great amount of failure. I learned that being creative doesn't only mean thinking of good ideas but also entails figuring out ways to push through challenges. One example I can think of is when photoshop refused to download on my computer and I had to use the app on my phone to finish my project. Other important problems I worked through include; my projects deleting, being unable to add certain characteristics I wanted to display, and ultimately accepting the fact that my project had met its potential. The failures in Professor Anderson's class set me up for the future; whether I'm having trouble on a paper next semester or I have to work through a technical problem before my first big sales pitch.
Most importantly in English 117, I learned the Role of visual, sonic, and textual media. Knowing the materiality of the media you work with is key. For example, I learned that if I am working with a sound-based platform I want to deliver it differently than if I was writing a formal paper. We were also presented with situations where we had to use both. When creating memes, it is vital to use both visual and textual media to your advantage. You have to think of a way to work with both of them efficiently to create the best argument.
I am excited to be able to show you my journey through English 117!
- Alex Trippi
Twitter Report
Here is a glimpse of my first draft;
The first project was titled the 'Twitter Analysis Report'. My classmates and I were given the task to compile a web-based report associated with any hashtag we decide, mine being #MotivationMonday. A couple of our goals for the project included; being able to make claims about the people who used the hashtag, what arguments they posed, and what claims I could come up with about their community. My process was very unconventional. I first searched #MotivationMonday to see if people even used it. Little did I know I should have used #MotivationalMonday instead. I know it is a tiny grammatical error, but the little mistake cost me thousands of tweets I could have looked through. After I was done making sure #MotivationMonday could be sucessful for my project, I compiled the tweets into categories. The categories helped me make assumptions on how #MotivationMonday relates to 'arguing on the internet'.
The project immediately tested my creativity and problem-solving. At the beginning of the project, I thought it would be easiest to categorize the information based on emoji usage. When I was almost done collecting the emojis, I realized that people would rather read a dictionary than my boring compilation. I needed to think of categories in ways that could really distinguish people's arguments on the internet, something that took me a long time to figure out. I decided the best way to categorize the tweets was to look at the motive, emotion, and whether they were positive or negative. The only real problem with my 'final draft' was the spelling errors and word usage. After Professor Anderson looked at it I gained a clearer view of things I needed to fix or delete.
Twitter Report Final
My final project was a success. I fixed the grammatical errors from the draft and was able to make better arguments with time to think. I learned that making arguments on the internet has a bigger picture. Many people do not care what hashtag they are using but care about how the hashtag will connect them with a target audience. Many of the arguments did not even relate to the hashtag. The conclusion I can make for the Twitter Report was that people will use any hashtag or platform to get their argument across.
Audio Essay
Audio Essay Draft
Although the audio essay challenged me technologically in ways that I could never have imagined it was by far my favorite project. The task at hand for the 'audio essay' was to pick any topic that relates to the class and create an argument. It was required that we incorporated voice recordings from other people in our audio essay. I came up with the argument that technology hinders academic success in children.
I quickly found out the reason they call your first attempt at a project a 'rough' draft. The audio essay was my pitfall in English 117. I recorded my voice several times and constantly heard mistakes. Specifically, my biggest problem remained my lack of creativity and problem-solving. Many times I decided to record my voice again than would make the same mistakes. Like the quote I began with, I knew that I needed to think hard and deeper if I was going to make the progress I needed. The solution that I came up with was to switch from Audacity to Imovie for my Final attempt. In English 117 I learned that sometimes you have to take a deep breath and look from a broader view.
In my opinion, the audio essay was important to our class structure because it demanded a different way of arguing. I learned that it is extremely important that you are concise when performing an Audio Essay.
Audio Essay Final
Using Imovie saved my life on this project. Although it ultimately was not as clear as I wanted it to be, I was successful in organizing quotes and incorporating background music. I learned that the tone is what mattered most in making my argument. Arguing in an audio essay is more successful when you are using your tone to your advantage. Though my creativity and problem-solving were important, the reflective piece really helped me excel in this project. The audio essay taught me that it is almost impossible to persuade someone if they are passionate about a subject but much easier to convince them if they are neutral. Lastly, incorporating quotes into my audio essay taught me that the more people that are involved in arguing the same topic the more powerful it becomes.
Adobe App Project
The app project made the most sense in relation to the class topic. We used the software AdobeXD to create an interactive app with any argument we chose. As you can see below, each page is made to act as an 'iPhone' screen. We had the freedom to customize the layout however we wanted it. I decided to argue that Vaping isn't as good as everyone thinks, and both vaping and smoking cigarettes kills.
I first gathered information to figure out what my argument was going to be. After I looked at the positives and negatives of both, it was clear that I should argue about how bad Cigarettes are. My plan was to use the app to inform teenagers about the dangers of smoking. The two major problems I ran into was making the app creative and interactive.
I couldn't figure out a way to make the buttons clickable. I tried many different things, and met with Professor Anderson but could not grasp it. I decided that II was going to find a different way to make it interactive for my draft. I still was able to make the buttons look like they were clickable. I used the problem-solving skills I had learned in the class to temporarily make the app work, but I knew I was going to need to change it for the final version. After I got my feedback on my draft, it was evident that I had many spelling issues and many paragraphs were not properly aligned. Throughout the app progression, I went to both Professor Anderson and the Undergraduate library multiple times for help. The project taught me that sometimes you have to get help with a problem multiple times in order to attain the skill.
For my final version, I was able to fix the spelling mistakes and align my paragraphs. With the help of Professor Anderson, I figured out how to make the buttons interactive. I ended up completely changing the structure of my app but it worked out to be better.
The Adobe App project helped me learn about both myself and also arguing on the internet. I noticed that the social issue is that people on the internet, whether it's an app or tweet, can make up information to further their argument. The app also taught me how to stay creative throughout a long-lasting project. To stay creative, I learned you heave to constantly try new things and accept that failures come with any task. The app was very different than the audio essay because it taught me how to argue with a limited amount of words. Finally, the project itself did not seem to evoke a real argument so I am not confident that an App is a good platform to form arguments. Most people want to go on apps to have fun and learn.
The podcast with classmates was the most fun project in English 117. I was always intimidated by this project. I felt like you had to master the information before the podcast or you would embarrass yourself during it with silence or stuttering. I really appreciate the opportunity to be able to make a podcast with classmates. The point of the podcast was mostly public speaking but also taught me how to work with others to effectively pose an argument. After the first time rehearsing with my group my nervousness turned into excitement.
Here are my notes going into the podcast. The problem with a podcast is that you never know when a topic is going to be brought up if it even is at all. It is important that you are creative and upbeat when doing a podcast. Although we were able to have notes it is nearly impossible to look at them while you are actively participating in a conversation. Professor Anderson said that it is vital to use different tones in your voice or you will lose the audience's attention.
One mistake I had in our trial run was using a monotone voice. After listening to it, I sat down and thought to myself; How could I use my problem-solving skills to figure out a way to be interesting? I decided that the best way to be interesting is to be interested! I researched the topic thoroughly and became passionate about the effects of technology. In the final podcast, I did a great job of being passionate and persuading my classmates.
I did not make any drastic changes when I edited the Podcast. The biggest two changes I made were at the beginning and the end of our conversation. For the begging and end, I blended the music when Alex started/stopped talking so it sounded more fluid.
The podcast helped me work on being creative in my delivery. The biggest takeaway for me is that people listen to podcasts when they already agree with the group presenting and their arguments. On the other hand, When I ran into problems, the project helped teach me how to problem-solve under pressure. English 117 helped teach me that people use their tone and also their words to help shape their arguments. When people talk loudly and display confidence, it is easier to believe them than someone who stutters.
Right here is my favorite meme. It looks very simple but photoshop gave me troubles that I could have never imagined. Creating memes is the exact opposite of what you would expect. Many people think the limited amount of words in memes makes them easy to create. The meme project taught me how hard it is to use small statements to make something relatable. The use of creativity was the most important part of the project. The first step I took was brainstorming slogans. I ran into a few problems; I could not find a good text size and I was not confident in a slogan. I felt like giving up multiple times throughout my meme creation. I tried youtube tutorials and even met with a teammate who is a photoshop wizard. The meme project taught me that you have to be creative to problem-solve.
After completing the meme project it became clearer how different every project was. You have to find the best way to deliver your arguments to people based on your platform. Memes are important in the broader scope of 'arguing on the internet' because people use them to bring up social issues in a simple way.
Here are my favorite two memes who were created by Jeff;
One mistake that I made was that I didn't show any social issues in my memes. Jeff took a completely different approach. His argument in the first meme was that people talk about changing society but never actively make a change. I really appreciated that because it reminded me how people act on the internet. Many argue for things they believe in, but they expect someone else to make the change for them. Jeff's meme helped me appreciate this class as a whole and helped me realize that people make up arguments just for attention.
Gif
I really enjoyed the gif project. I had always appreciated gifs on the internet and many times thought about making one. We were familiar enough with photoshop to be able to create a gif in it. I chose to use Josh Allen as my gif because many people argue that he is lazy and does not work hard. As soon as I searched him on youtube hundreds of videos came up and each one talked about either his eating habits or workout regiment. Gifs are important on the internet because people can choose their favorite part of videos and always have the ability to look at it. Both memes and gifs are successful because most of them evoke a reaction. Most are relatable, but some make no sense at all depending on your background. Each meme/gif target a specific audience. The videos showed me that people will argue on the internet solely based on the fact that a player isn't on the team they root for. Since we were able to do the gif project on anything, I got creative and tried to do something outside the box. Creativity comes from within. Remember,
"Creativity is intelligence having fun" -Albert Einstein
Portfolio Video
The portfolio video was great in ending the semester. The purpose of the video was to pick one or two projects that represented what we learned in this class. This project had more planning and creativity than I ever thought. After thinking for a few days I decided it would make sense to talk about the Twitter report and App project. The hardest part was figuring out how I was going to record my voice while using my computer and reading my script. I remember how stressful it was to draft the video.
Problem-solving was the most vital in this project. I had to figure out what part of the projects we're most interesting to talk about. I ended up recording the video five times. Although it wasn't the hardest project, it was by far the most tedious. Constantly remaking the video made it hard to concentrate but helped me look at the bigger picture. It is important to take into account that people have a bias when making arguments. Some people spend multiple days to gather information and form an argument while others argue just to get a reaction out of people. I appreciated the opportunity Professor Anderson gave us to reflect upon our projects. I learned so much from this class but the portfolio video taught me how important it is to look back at your work.
The End
English 117 taught me how to use different platforms to form an argument. I could not have imagined I was going to significantly improve my technical skills while also becoming more creative. I learned more about myself than I have in any other class. I appreciate the skills that Professor Anderson left me but most importantly how to be patient!
-Alex Trippi