Peer Tutoring Final Paper, Take 2

Kevin Risse
Peer Tutoring
12/03/2008
Final Paper – Second Draft

No two people learn the exact same way. We’re all different, with our minds structured differently. Similarly, no two teachers teach the same way for the same reason. We are all products of our experiences and who we are. This argument extends to tutors as well. With all of the different methods of tutoring, it is possible for a tutor to conduct a session in any number of ways. However, with students all learning so differently, it is very difficult for a tutor to select the right kind method for a student before beginning to understand their learning style. When you begin to factor in that every assignment calls for a unique approach and who each tutor is as a person, it becomes clear that it requires more than a tutor to have a single approach that they stick to unflinchingly. Who the tutor is in relation to the student will also change how the session occurs. If the two involved in the session are both students it will greatly change the outcome of the session than if the two consists of a teacher and their student. The level of power that stems from who the student and tutor is likely to affect the style of tutoring used (i.e.: a teacher is likely to use a method more akin to teaching, while a student is likely to tutor and work with the student). Consider a student facing a tutor who is using a method that is not conducive to their learning style – they likely wouldn’t react positively, but rather respond with some level of frustration or confusion. It follows then that the different styles of and approaches to tutoring, dictated to an extent by the relationship between student and tutor, may affect the student's response and attitude.

There are primarily three schools of thought on tutoring; three models from which tutors derive their methods. These are Storehouse, Garret, and Burkean Parlor.

The Storehouse model considers knowledge to be something that is imparted or sought out. "The Center as Storehouse operates as [an] information station or storehouse, prescribing and handing out skills and strategies to individual learners" (Lunsford, 93). So, for example, in a Storehouse session, the tutor would flat out tell the student what the problems with the paper are, and they need to do to fix them. This makes a Storehouse session a primarily tutor driven experience.

The Garret model holds the belief that the information is inside the learner. It states that they already know what the answer is, and that they simply need help coming to the right answer. A common method used with the Garret style is minimalism, in which you ask the student leading questions to try and get them to come to the right conclusion by their own accord. So, in a Garret session, the tutor will ask the student what they think the problems are, and how they would then solve them. They aren't given the answer, as with Storehouse, but rather are given a trail of proverbial breadcrumbs that lead them to it.

The Burkean Parlor is a bit of a mix between the two. Its name is derived from the parable of the parlor as told by Kenneth Burke:

"Imagine you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the discussion had already begun long before any of them got there, so that no one present is qualified to retrace for you all the steps that had gone before. You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes to your defense; another aligns himself against you, to either the embarrassment or gratification of your opponent, depending upon the quality of your ally's assistance. However, the discussion is interminable. The hour grows late, you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress."

From this parable it can be understood Burkean Parlor follows the method of collaboration. The tutor asks leading questions, similarly to Garret, but also contributes information, like in Storehouse. The work will receive and go through any number of changes, each with the intention of trying to make the work better.

In order to collect my data I spent time taking notes on sessions at Kean University, located in New Jersey. I monitored sessions with my laptop to take notes, in an attempt to take as complete notes as I could. These sessions occurred either in the tutoring center or in class rooms at times designated for tutoring. These sessions tended to last between twenty and sixty minutes, depending on outside factors (not having to do with my taking notes). The subjects were students at Kean University, occasionally my classmates, however some were not classmates, and one tutor was even a professor at the university. Other than the identities of the subjects, there are no major details pertinent to my data or focus.

A key element of tutoring is the ability to read students and attempt to conform to the style they need to best learn. Troy and Sharpay faced a major obstacle in their session: Sharpay is an immigrant to this country, and has special language needs. When Troy and Sharpay began their session, Troy was prepared to use a minimalist technique in an attempt to lead Sharpay as little as possible, allowing her to answer most of her questions on her own, despite the fact that from the start Sharpay made it evident she did not understand the necessary components of an essay or how to properly structure one. However, after a few minutes, early on in the session, it became evident that Sharpay’s understanding of the material and comprehension of the language itself were not very good. Therefore he had to shift his focus from a Garrett model to something more along the lines of a Burkean Parlor model, trying to keep her as involved as he could. He asked questions, hoping to generate answers they could use together, to help her shape the essay, but Sharpay was unfortunately at an extreme disadvantage, lagging behind due to her trouble with the language, which was neither her fault not could it be helped. Additionally, she seemed to be thrown by the beginning of the session being unclear and unhelpful, and unwilling to include elements of her childhood despite the essay’s topic calling for stories from her past, hindering the collaboration process. Facing multiple roadblocks now, Troy had to adjust his method yet again and switched to a more direct form, ala the Storehouse model. At this point, he began correcting her grammar, and having to explain the basic functions of the English language, involving verb tense; he had to correct her use of “cooking”, as she had intended to use the verb in past tense. Troy had to explain “When you’re saying ‘cooking’, that’s present and you’re doing it now.” Sharpay, still confused, replied “It doesn’t make sense for me.”

In a situation like this, Troy was forced to use multiple styles of tutoring to get through to Sharpay. While the session wasn’t necessarily a success, had Troy rigidly stayed with a minimalist method, the situation would have most likely only turned out worse. As Hall and Blau stated, especially when working with an ESL student, it is very important to remember to attempt to use different styles, in an effort to find the one that fits best. In “Guilt Free Tutoring,” they say:

“We don’t need the scholarly literature to tell us that NNES students are different from native speakers. Common sense prevails. If you’re writing in a language that is not your native language, you will never write like a native speaker.”

Similarly, if a tutor goes into a session under the notion that they will only take a minimalist approach, if they even understand the differences in tutoring styles, they would likely find conflict with an ESL student, and not be able to relate the information the session is intended fo
r, possibly only confusing the student even more. This only supports the theory that tutors in writing centers need to be able to adapt their method to the needs of the student, whatever they may be. However, the tutor needs to be careful of the style they choose. Troy's chosen style was more akin to teaching than tutoring. And in the situation that Sharpay was in, where she was completely out of her depth, the style made the balance of power between the two uneven.

Tutoring style is also affected by the status of the tutor, as is the case with Jean and Professor X. Professor X is not only a tutor, but a professor as well. At the beginning of their session, Professor X took a very minimalist stance, allowing Jean to do most of the talking. Jean would explain what her assignment was, and Professor X would repeat the information she was getting back to clarify that she understood. At a certain point, once Professor X seemed to feel she had a good understanding of the assignment, the dynamic shifted, and Professor X started taking more control of the session. She changed tracks to more of a Storehouse model rather than Garret, instructing Jean instead of letting Jean tell her what needed to be done. Jean's response to this was both immediate and negative. Her body language became more closed off, and she appeared uncomfortable. Jean’s explanation of what the assignment was started to sound more like she was arguing what the paper was supposed to be about. Professor X then suggested replacing what Jean had with more specific language. She then said to Jean, rather than asking what she thought of the change, "See how much stronger that is?" Professor X even began giving Jean directions on what to include. After they came up with a specific line, Professor X told "Use that in your introduction." Jean began using rather clipped tones at this point, simply going along with Professor X's directions. However, it should be noted that, while Professor X was directing the session, she continued to sing Jean's praises, telling her that her phrasing was good and that her title was great. The session ended with Professor X reiterating what Jean has said in bullet points, telling her what the paper should be, and Professor X asking Jean to relay how she's planning to write the paper, which Jean does.

Clearly this session is primarily Storehouse. This is a perfectly acceptable method of tutoring, of course, but what needs to be taken into account is the student's needs. Based on her reaction, Jean did not seem to need to be told what to do for her paper, but rather was looking for more of a collaborative effort, to get opinions on what she already had. Also coming into play is the teacher-student relationship. For one thing, it can be difficult for a teacher to shed that role and allow the student to take control, and so they end up using Storehouse by habit. The problem with this is that the student may follow what the teacher says simply because they're a teacher and it's a student's natural inclination to follow them. For this reason it is especially important to gear more toward the Garret method if the tutor is in a position of authority over the student so that they don’t end up taking the tutor's advice because they think the tutor must be right. In this instance, the tutor must adapt to the student needing only a tutor, and not a teacher. This does not, however, mean that a teacher cannot be a student. It only means that both parties, the tutor and the student, need to be more aware of who should have more power in the relationship.

There is also something to be said for a tutor and student to be too evenly matched; for example, Summer and Marissa. In their session, Marissa was the student and Summer was the tutor. However, the girls had a previously existing relationship. Right from the start of the session it was evident that the two knew each other, and no introductions were necessary. They began with Marissa explaining the assignment to Summer, a personal essay, and then having Summer read Marissa's paper. After she was finished, they set to work. And while they did work, they did, on occasion, veer off topic, to discuss personal matters such as plans for later in the week. When Summer disagreed with a certain point in Marissa's paper, Marissa defended it, causing Summer to immediately drop the point in acceptance that it was Marissa's paper and ultimately her decision. Summer then asked Marissa where she would like to make edits, taking a minimalist approach by encouraging her to go over the paper once more. When Summer would comment negatively on a line or two, Marissa's demeanor would become more closed off for a time. Marissa pointed out something that she said she liked, and when Summer agreed, Marissa then became unsure. Summer encouraged her to keep it in. The session continued in this pattern until the conclusion. The two parted amicably, setting personal plans for later.

The style in this session was primarily Burkean Parlor and Garret, but to be honest it's almost as if there's no style at all. Because the two girls were previously familiar, the session was very informal, more like a conversation between friends than a tutoring session. This provides the exact opposite problem of that seen in the session between Jean and Professor X. Summer and Marissa are, perhaps, too close in levels of power here, which can interfere with the student taking the tutor seriously. The two are old friends, there is no clear power and so the session lacks any real authority. Had Summer not known Marissa personally it is possible, even probable, that she might've made more, or even different, suggestions on Marissa's paper. Also, when Summer would make negative remarks regarding the paper, Marissa started to become closed off. If she was hearing these comments from a stranger, rather than a close friend, she might not have taken them so personally. While Summer did attempt to use the Garret approach, her familiarity with her student stunted her level of authority. Had she tried another method, like Storehouse, where she instructs more and interacts less, the results may have been different.

Haley begins the session by, of course, explaining the assignment to Nathan. Nathan made sure to be completely sure of the assignment before continuing. He made very certain to be clear on what the teacher was looking for, repeating back what Haley said. Nathan looked over the paper, asking Haley to go over the notes she received from the teacher. When she reached a portion the teacher didn't like and tried to keep going, Nathan stopped her, insisting they fix it before continuing on. Nathan favored a Garret style, leading Haley without giving her the answers, and pushing her to find a new example without actually suggesting one. Nathan's body language was also quite comfortable, relaxed. He rarely let the topic stray from the subject at hand. When they did stray, he immediately steered them back. When they came to a certain paragraph that the teacher had wanted to cut, though Nathan felt it was good, Haley pointed out the teacher's not, at which point Nathan concurred. As soon as it becomes clear that they've gone over everything they can for the paper, Nathan calls the session to a close, complimenting the work she's accomplished.

Nathan and Haley are, possibly, a rare case, in that Nathan seemed to completely hit the nail as a tutor. Nathan definitely had some control of the session, even though they were both students, similar in age and had a balance of power. He was able to direct Haley's attention, but mostly allowed her to do the work. He shifted seamlessly between the different styles as her needs required and found the proper balance for being personable while not sliding off topic. He also made certain not to let his own personal opinion overshadow the requirements of the assignment, as with the part the teacher disapproved of that he liked. Their work together exemplified that despite the lack of a clear shift in power to the tutor, as seen with Professor X and Troy, they were able to work well together. Nathan, as a tutor without a clear amount of power, acting truly as a peer tutor, takes on a more backseat roll, giving Haley the room to figure out the work for herself, never infringing on her ability to write her own paper. Nathan stands as an example of how adapting to the student's needs, given the relationship between the two involved, is necessary for a good tutoring session.

Ideally, all tutors would be well-versed in the many methods and styles of peer tutoring, and be able to adapt with their students’ needs. However, this isn’t always going to be possible. The best that anyone can do is arm themselves with as much information as they can and go into their sessions prepared for anything. The hope is that the session will go as smoothly as Nathan and Haley’s, but there’s always a chance that it could be the disaster that was Ryan and Sharpay’s. The relationship between the student and the tutor cannot help but color the situation as each person brings who they are to the session. The fact is who we are affects how we teach and learn. When a person sees they are in the position of power, whether it’s as a teacher or just a tutor who clearly is not tutoring a “peer”, the teacher tends to take on a more forceful Storehouse Model approach. However, when the two involved actually are peers, in the true sense of the word, the tutor is more likely to take a backseat on the creation process, or at least a less directly involved role. These styles then affect how the student learns, and even if they do. Considering the different sessions, there is no one proper combination of age and style, but rather a pattern that emerges on the part of the tutor, but not as much on the part of the student. Student reaction seems to be in response to the style in relation to the person using it, as seen in the cases of Troy/Sharpay and Jean/Professor X. While both sessions seemed to rely on a Storehouse Model, and the tutor were both at an advantage over the student in terms of knowledge and experience, the issue seemed to be the student’s reaction to the information as they attempt to process it. With genuine peers, where there is a balance of power, even when the tutors use different styles (Summer with a Burkean Parlor approach, Nathan with Garrett), the students seem to respond better, thanks to a more even ground to start from, with varying degrees of success. While the results seem to change, the factors affecting them don’t - who the tutor is and the style they use as a result of that directly affect the outcome of the session for the student.

Research Proposal - first draft

Kevin Risse
Peer Tutoring

Presentation

Statement of Purpose
To find out what methods of tutoring are more apt for different situations.

Detailed Statement
The purpose of my study is to figure out how the use of different tutoring styles affects the success of a session based on the student and the subject. I’m wondering if I’ll find that perhaps one type of tutoring is possibly better suited than others, depending on the student or the situation.

Information to Gather
I will need to record the subject and style of tutoring, in addition to how receptive the student is, how much work is accomplished, and their overall attitude toward the session.

Preliminary List of Sources
“The ASK Model of Peer Tutoring: Theory and Research” by Marguerite A. Fitch
(http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA268238&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf¬)
Fitch discusses different tutoring styles. According to her, different forms of tutoring, ranging from explicit directions to subtle hints, are determined by the student's skill level.

“Collaboration, Control, and the Idea of a Writing Center” by Andrea Lunsford
(from the textbook, “The Longman Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice”)
Lunsford discusses the different styles of tutoring, and their benefits, which is helpful for my topic. She also makes note of what styles that students seem to prefer.

“Perspectives on the Directive/Non-Directive Continuum in the Writing Center” by Irene Clark
Clark talks about directive/non-directive approaches, and the need to develop a flexible tutoring style in order to better address student needs.

“Guilt-Free Tutoring: Rethinking How We Tutor Non-Native-Speaking Students” by Susan Blau, John Hall, assisted by Sarah Sparks (http://136.165.62.3/wcj23.1/WCJ23.1_Blau_Hall_Sparks.pdf)
The writers assert that different styles of tutoring benefit different students, especially in the extreme case of language barriers.

Plan for Gathering Information
All I need is to observe different tutoring sessions using different styles of tutoring.

Peer Tutoring Blog #10

What interests me most, so far, is the different styles of tutoring (Storehouse, Burkean Parlor, minimalism, etc, etc) and which ones are suited for which subjects / students / assignments. I think there's a lot to learn there.

Peer Tutoring Blog #09

Minimalist techniques are R O U G H. Let's start with that. It's VERY difficult to restrain yourself while tutoring. I didn't really enjoy it. But at the same time, I do understand the need for it. There will be times in a tutoring session where too much help is actually harmful. I think when the assignment is clear, and the student is turning to you as a crutch rather than actually needing help, minimalist tutoring is necessary. I personally would choose to use minimalist tutoring style as little as I could, because I know it's torturous and can't stand it. But when I see it's called for, yeah, I'm definitely going to use it.

Peer Tutoring Blog #08

- Stereotypes should not be a factor. An old person can be a wiz at HTML code writing, and a kid wearing baggy jeans and a backwards cap can be a straight A student. Essentially, every student who walks in should be treated with the same respect.
- Be ready to roll with the punches. You don't know what your student may get stuck on or understand with ease. You have to be prepared for it to go either way.
- Use your time smartly. If you know the session is running out of time and you've been stuck on the same problem, maybe suggest moving on for now and coming back to it in a later session. Sometimes taking a break and coming back to a problem is exactly what a student needs.
- If you don't already know, LEARN HOW TO READ BODY LANGUAGE. Being able to read the difference between open and closed body language is essential.
- Don't give the student information you're not sure about. If you don't know the answer, then come up with suggestions as to how to get the it, such as looking it up online or asking a teacher, instead.
- Taking from my last point: don't act like you're some kind of expert. Even if you are, you don't know everything. You're not a teacher, and both you and your student need to remember that. Help where you can, but don't try and teach.
- Something that Vanessa wrote in her blog, which I hadn't really thought of, was not to edit your students' mistakes. You need to help them find their mistakes, not simply correct them, because then you're not a tutor anymore, you're an editor (and therefore should get credited and be paid substantially more).

Peer Tutoring Blog #06

I've actually don't feel that my writing center philosophy has changed. I think a tutoring session needs to focus on the student's needs in order to function properly. Which is what I've already said. Most, if not all, students are different, and have different writing and learning styles. A tutor needs to be able to adapt to each student's style and work with them, rather than stay rigid in their own teaching style.

Working, even in a controlled environment, with another student has only enforced my belief. As the person being tutored, with Angela who clearly knows how to acclimate to a student's needs, I really appreciated her effort to ensure I understood what we were working on.

Peer Tutoring Blog #05

As you read on Nick's blog, due to our absence from class last Wendesday, we tutored each other. What a grand notion!

This time I was the tutor. And I'd read the assigned reading! So that helped. We used free talking, a form of tutoring that I'm very comfortable with. It did help that A) we know each other, which added a level of comfort, and B) I knew the reading and assignment already. After talking for a while, I looked over what he had on the page. When I'm helping someone, editing their work, I most prefer to look at what they've written and make notes. (This can also be a bad thing, I realize, because it can mean less engaging with the student.) Once corrections in spelling and grammar were made, we discussed ones that weren't so easily fixed. I used questions a lot, to avoid simply *giving* him the answers. I made sure give as unbiased an opinion as I could, because I didn't him want to be putting my ideas into the paper rather than his own.

What I took from this session, being the tutor rather than the tutee (not to be confused with Tootie of 'The Facts of Life'), was that there's a very fine line to walk. You need to be careful about not just giving the students the answers.

Peer Tutoring Blog #04

My peer tutoring session with the beautiful, magnificent Angela.

I didn't make things easy for her, that's for sure. Because my text hadn't arrived, I wasn't able to read the text. So our tutoring session became about a student who not only didn't have at draft, but hadn't even done the reading! (Plus neither of us had a competent understanding of the assignment.) As a result, we needed to first discuss what we thought the assignment was asking for. After that, Angela helped me to figure out what I would like to say for my paper. She was extremely helpful, and patient.

What I took from this session is that you never know what kind of curve ball your pupil is going to throw at you, and that you need to be able to adapt to fit your student's needs.

Peer Tutoring Blog #03

In the past, when I've had to help people (ie: teach my mother how to use our scanner or turn on the VCR), I've mostly just told them what to do, instead of actually taking the time to teach. So, in a way, you could say I've gone by the Store House Model, using learning as an object rather than subject, and giving it to those I've helped.

However, when it comes to teaching in the tutoring center, I believe a combination of the Store House and Garret Models is necessary, though more heavily Garret. Learning is, yes, a thing, but that doesn't mean that every student gets it the same way. I think the teacher needs to recognize their pupil's needs and find a way to work with them.

Peer Tutoring Blog #01

I have no questions, really. I feel as though the basic tenants of peer tutoring are elementary, nothing surprising. It’s a matter of learning the best way to use the tools required for the job, i.e.: how much information you provide the pupil versus how much you let them figure out for themselves, or how you get information that you don’t have that your pupil needs. I think it’s difficult to get a sense of what peer tutoring is like, and how to prepare yourself for it, from a text book. You need first- or at least second-hand experience, the latter in the form of information from people who have actually done it. (Much like when we discussed who had done peer tutoring last Wednesday in class.)

Peer Tutoring

Hi. This is my Peer Tutoring Blog now. :)

-Kevo

Online Rhetorics Blog #10

The following is my "draft" - somewhat rough indeed:

The Internet is obsessed with making people gay.

Gay. Gay gay gay gay gay gay gay. So gay. Oh my God gay. Gay. Gay! Gay.

Okay, that was a bit over the top, but the sentiment still holds true. The world-wide-webiverse gets its collective digital rocks off on The Gay; gay celebrity bloggers, gay porn, and, of course, gay slash. (And depending on who you asked, I just repeated myself about three times.)

Speaking seriously for a moment, gay slash (which in itself is a redundant term; slash means gay) is one of the most highly common forms of fanfiction. Its origins date back to the late 70s, with Star Trek stories about Kirk and Spock, written, ironically, by female fans. The term itself refers to the backslash in the designation “K/S” (for “Kirk/Spock”) used in the stories’ descriptions. There are some nutso people out there, and I mean wow do they come from every walk. A few of the most rabidly slashed fandoms are Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel, Smallville, The OC, Friends, and House, which should give you an idea of how widely-ranged slashers’ interests can be. Also important to note is the fact that four of these shows, despite having already gone off the air, still receive new slash media on a regular basis. Once the fandom gets a hold of you, there’s no letting go. The entity becomes a part of the fandom and more importantly, the fans – something from which there is no escape.

Slash is more than a bad habit or a dirty little secret you keep from your real friends; it’s an entire way of life. You are able to pursue it through any avenue of media; fanfiction (from brief and messy stories referred to as PWP, abbreviation for Porn Without Purpose or Plot, What Plot?, to entire novels creating an entire universe of its own), fanart, fanvids, and even playlists of songs that fans think relate to their favorite pairing. (I’ve seen them. They’re weird.) The slash community has even developed its own lexicon, with different words to describe subsets within the larger genre itself.

Slash speculation is less of a science and more a form of art. Seeing a backslap or a handshake as a gesture of desire is talent that not everyone can possess. And more than just finding gay subtext where there is only heterosexual text, using situations that do not have the least bit of romantic undertones to create a gay romp is commonplace. A fan of The OC one time was able to take the image of Seth and Ryan sitting in Seth’s recently repurchased catamaran, renamed by its new owner as ‘Gimme Sex’, and create a graphic sex scene between the two characters without even giving it a place within the confines of the show’s canon. These people cling desperately to comments, like the ones made by actor such as Adam Brody made in an interview where he mentioned that every time he gets a new script he expects to turn the page and find a scene where Ryan and Seth are making out. Fans cling to jokes such as these as though they are actual proof of something.

While not a rhetorical practice of the community, you can’t overlook the reasons why a community behaves the way it does when examining its actions. Why do we slash? There has to be a reason, some powerful, deep seeded need within us, begging for us to sate it with hardcore details of how Kirk set his phaser to stun on Spock’s Vulcan manhood. Important to remember is the overwhelming number of female slashers, a study in contradictions. Despite their lack of intimate knowledge of the functional reality of two men having intercourse, these young women through old hags write epic pages of erotica, the likes of which is physically impossible for them to experience twofold – a) they cannot be the fictitious men they are slashing, and of course b) they lack the proper anatomy. In place of a penis, they have a pen, and through this mighty weapon (oh, the puns), these authors are able to unfurl their fantasies onto so many digital pages to be archived and cataloged for all to see. In that way, maybe we’re all a little bit Madonna. The exhibitionist is all of us (and to post anything anywhere, on some level, we all are) likes to see people’s reaction, whether it’s authorial or sexual, and sometimes, we even like to watch people squirm.

The notion of slash, no matter how intensely prevalent on the Internet, and no matter how massively growing a phenomena, is still a taboo. One can count the number of gay television shows on one hand, which is a good thing considering slashers would need the other hand free (whether that hand is needed to change the channel due to poor quality or needed for, erm, to be it, uhm, delicately, uh, a more delicate matter). This is even more a reason for slash; it’s not just a desire to see existing characters that we love and salivate over get it on, it’s the need to see such relationships exist period. And because we’re not getting those needs fulfilled properly by existing shows and films, we do it ourselves.

Online Rhetorics Blog #11

In “Grassroots”, Jenkins discusses the emergence of multimedia productions based on existent properties, such as Star Wars. These homegrown fan movies are not changing writing, and are still writing. They are just an extension of it. In a literal sense, fanfic is to novels as fanvids are to films. While it took years, eventually, it was bound to happen that fandom’s abilities caught up to that of the professionals. That is not to say though, that fanvids are the only real media to showcase fandom in for a movie or TV show. Fandom and its expressions are more than just the medium they are in. They are about the sentiments you feel, the power of the message, dedication to the original work.

Whether your passion for a show manifests itself as a playlist, a fanfic, fanvid, music video, spec script, fan art, homemade action figure or anything else, it’s all the same idea – it’s all “writing” of a sort. In that way, the medium one chooses to show their love generally doesn’t say much about the identity of the members or information they hope to convey. It instead just says what was available to the author at the time, and what medium best showcased the work. Speaking with specificity to Star Wars, a galaxy spanning serial with aliens and Cinnabun-hair, much of its image can be attributed to the look of the costumes and outfits. In the right costume, no matter how much less dashing he is, Marlon Brando could pull of Han Solo, except for the dead. With a show like The O.C., much of the identity of the characters lies in the actors themselves. They have no discerning hair or outfit that would allow you to suspend disbelief so easily as to think that Sarah Shenkowitz from Morristown, New Jersey is actually Marissa just because she’s blonde like Mischa Barton and wears skanky halter tops from Wet Seal.

Writing isn’t just limited to prose and short stories. Writing is much more than that – it’s at the heart of everything. We write our lives with our actions, and other very pretentious nonsense. If writing can be looked at as that, then within the confines of fandom, writing can be any showing of interest/fanlove/etc.

Online Rhetorics Blog #9

While the Survivor fan community uses extreme scrutiny to find spoilers (satellite images of the island; what’s that about?), my communities, such as theoc_slash on LiveJournal, works just as hard to find the vaguest instances of homoeroticism. Theoc_slash deconstructs every scene of The OC, interpreting every hand touch and subtle glance as an outright declaration of undying love. It’s the kind of thing that I would look poorly on if I wasn’t totally guilty of doing it myself (I mean, come on; that goodbye hug Seth gave Ryan in the pilot was so un-heterosexual, there’s no other way to interpret that, right?).

The purposes of each community, the Survivor spoilers and the OC slashaholics, can be boiled down to pretty much the same thing: a need to find something more in something you already love. People look for spoilers because they don’t want to simply experience their show, they want to KNOW what’s going to happen, they want to feel like they’re an active part of it. It’s why interactive “games” like the Lost Experience for the ABC program Lost have come into existence. Similarly, it’s why people write slash fiction; when they aren’t getting it from the show itself, they make the universe their own instead.

In regards to cooperative-interactive, it helps crazies believe something is real when a lot of other crazies agree with them. If enough people decide that a character is DEFINITELY gay, despite the insurmountable heterosexual evidence begging to differ, you start to think that they must be right, because the Internet never lies. Individual is the breakdown into separate fans and writers who make up their own interpretations of how the gay happens. Do Seth and Ryan get it on in the pilot, halfway through Season Two, or not until far after the series, when they’re in their mid-twenties? It’s up to the individual to decide.

The fact that this is a fanfiction community is clearly how writing is used in this instance. There are more stories about these characters getting it on, Brokeback-style, than there are episodes of the actual series. It’s practically homosexual propaganda.

Online Rhetorics Blog #7

A very apt example of how Heim’s 3 I’s and how they are applied is the ever-popular user-run encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is an immensely comprehensive website, covering an almost infinite number of topics. You’d be hard-pressed to find a subject about which there is not an article. It is in this that you find immersion, in regards to how much information the site really holds. You can have one article, for example: ‘Disney’, that will have not only dozens of links to other articles within it, but whole tabs with related ones at the bottom, under different headings such as ‘The Walt Disney Company’ and ‘Walt Disney Parks and Resorts’. I know many people who have lost themselves for hours going from article to article, having no recollection when they reach the end of how they got there!

It is also user-run, meaning the pages are edited by its readers (though they are maintained by a higher power). This shows interactivity as the viewers are able to take in information and send back their own, creating a network of info-sharing. Information intensity comes from the fact that countless people are constantly interacting with Wikipedia to keep changing the information. It’s the sheer intensity of the millions of minds endlessly interacting and immersing themselves in the information on the website.

With convergence, Jenkins is talking about information spreading itself over multiple forms of media, a concept which has come true. Thanks to online newspapers, we can get the same printed information digitally, although at the same time, that same information was available via TV news nightly anyway, an earlier sign of convergence. Thinking about it this way, convergence has been around for a very long time, and while “prophets” like McLuhan stated that convergence would be a quick and easy transition, looking at how long it’s taken to establish TV as a viable news source, and to take the information on TV as more than just entertainment. To that extent, Pool was a much more profitable prophet, or at least more accurate, as he assumed convergence would be a slower process, which, at least to the social acceptability of the internet as a news/media outlet, it has, though I think it’s safe to say we’ve moved well past the “The internet is a phase” phase.

The I’s relate back to fanfiction as well. You immerse yourself in another world when you read and write about the fictional characters. You interact with other writers, giving and providing feedback. And more is constantly being added, which is information intensity.

Online Rhetorics Blog #6 & 8

Online communities need a purpose (ie: writing, discussing, posting fangirlish LiveJournal icons of Chad Michael Murray), and a number of people who come together in the name of that purpose. There is also, typically, a hierarchy to them, with moderators who enforce the rules and regulations of the communities and then the regular members below them. Most communities, unfortunately, have more to them than that. There is the unofficial hierarchy, with older members lording seniority over newer ones and forming cliques with one another.

The community I’m a member of where this is most prevalent is theoc_slash on LiveJournal.

To begin with, the moderator has an enlarged ego and a sense of entitlement to match. When the series ‘The OC’ ended in February 2007, she made a post about it, and set it so that it’s always the most recent post on the community. In it, she states that she considered closing the community to new stories, but didn’t because it would make her “unpopular” with those “who still care to write”. There were immediately comments from members who felt this was a bad idea. The moderator replied to each comment simply with

“See comment in post above,

Mod”

And then added to her original post: “NONE of you had to jump down my throat about the closing of the community. Nowhere in the above did I say I was going to. If you reread it properly you will discover that fact. So how bout you all calm the hell down and give some real suggestions instead of jumping down my throat about the eight little words that held very little meaning.”

(It’s worth noting that this girl is not the person who created the community. Some time ago, the original moderators fell out of love with the fandom and asked for others to take it up in their stead. This girl was the first and most eager volunteer.)

When looking at the post again for this blog, I saw that further down in the comments there is a deleted post. The moderator’s response is still there, though. It says

“No one will answer your query here. Use the FAQ to figure out how to post here. I shall be deleting this comment.
Mod”

(And I would like to point out here that all of her posts are signed, not with her real name, or even her LiveJournal name, but “Mod” meaning “Moderator”.)

Moderators are needed, as shown in Dibble’s “A Rape in Cyberspace”. As I pointed out in an earlier blog, I am also a member of a much smaller community that had several hate postings. The moderator was needed to step in. However, let’s not forget, absolute power corrupts absolutely. When you give one person authority over hundreds, it’s easy for them to, not necessarily take advantage of it, but start believing they are entitled to it, and not that they are obligated toward those they are moderating. It’s basically techno-tyranny.

Another facet of theoc_slash community the cliques people seem to form. There are about half a dozen writers whose work is infinitely more popular and given more notice than others. Granted, some of these writers are talented, but they’re given almost celebrity status, something that I think no fanfiction writers should be given because, let’s be honest, we didn’t make this stuff up to begin with anyway.

For a community writing about a show about high schoolers, it’s interesting to see how much the members behave like they’re in high school. There’s the moderator, the “queen bee”, and the community members either love her and bow to her every whim or they hate her and talk about her behind her back.

Another community that I’m in, twoseekers, a Harry/Cedric pairing community, illustrates another interesting point about communities: how they can rise and fall in a short amount of time. When the fourth ‘Harry Potter’ film came out, and in part due to Robert Pattinson’s somewhat flamboyant portrayal of Cedric Diggory, the Harry/Cedric pairing exploded on the Internet. What had once been a dusty, barely-used community was suddenly bursting with posts, to the point that there was briefly a spin-off community, twoseekers_news, which catalogued the posts on the first one. It was, quite clearly, a waste of cyberspace, and quickly fell into disuse. In the months after, once the film was out of theaters, the community also fell back into unpopularity. Not completely, of course, because you can’t completely discredit the attention given by the ‘Goblet of Fire’ film, but attention did certainly plummet. The pairing was a brief fad for most, quickly picked up and then quickly put back down again.

Much like a ‘Saturday Night Live’ sketch, this blog started well, and had some good ideas, but sort of ends nowhere. There are a lot of concepts in this blog that I want to go back and flesh out with further thought.

Online Rhetorics Blog #4

This essay brought me new respect for the power of text messages. That a government was able to be overthrown by a series of mobile phones talks about how powerful the digital age has become. In that way, "Smart Mobs" can be seen as about the power of a digital group connected only by technology and nothing else. That's their only way to share thoughts, and despite that, they still manage to cause a revolution.

More than just that, though, one phrase in "Smart Mobs" really caught my attention and helped me to best sum up the article: "sudden epidemics of cooporation." Through technology, people can create networks. Networks can be computers sharing files, social networks, or whatever people want them to be. But with the internet, we are able to establish more intimate, specific types of networks. It's almost as if there is a group online for every interest, fetish, and pairing you can imagine. Once we find similarly minded people, we are able to begin bonding and sharing.

When people spend a lot of time together, they can begin to share traits like using the same words or gestures. What's different about digital groups is that they don't spend physical time with each other. The communication is all done facelessly but amazingly, people development that same mindedness anyway.

Rheingold says in some ways, these group mentalities are like the mindless ants, bees, etc, that live their life on collective impulses, knowing their jobs and what they have to get done, to exchange and coordinate knowledge. And in a way, the internet can become that way, where people each contribute what they do because it's what's necessary and fits a mold.

Online Rhetorics Blog #2

Even though the internet and Virutal reality are strangely different beasts, that doesn't mean we can't learn from one to the other, and through the three I's, Heim shows us that these ideas still apply from one to the other. The three I's are immersion, interactivity, and information intensity, and are all required to make VR worlds possible. He talks about how through immersion we are able to leave the world we are in behind and find ourselves in the simulated world we have chosen to enter. For example, without the whole of a VR simulation looking like the world we are pretending it is, how can we believe it's true? Imagine that you've entered a virtual world designed to look like Alice in Wonderland, you fall down the rabbit hole, and you see The Mad Hatter, The Queen of Hearts, and a big gaping blue screen with absolutely nothing on it. That clearly would break the magic. The interactivity is that the environment changes as fast as you can think it, so it seems that the fake world is interacting with you. This way, when Alice falls down the rabbit hole, Alice really falls down the rabbit hole. And, as stated by Heim, the information intensity is what makes it all possible.

This article, while about antiquated VR technology can also be applied to the study of fandom and the ideals of the internet. Immersion can come to mean something new, such as immerging yourself in the fan community, truly becoming a part of its online culture and adapting to its society. This would include learning the terminology or abbreviations for things, looking forward to the next part of a multiple part story, getting to know the other members on a more personal basis, more than just the fandom itself. The information intensity is still the same idea, but it has changed to fit the new medium the material is coming through in. Now, the information intensity could refer to the endless number of people in a fandom. With countless people able to give new information on a regular basis, it's like a machine, constantly updating the environment so Alice never has to reach the edge of Wonderland.

Myron and Lanier both worked to develop a technology capible of creating artificial experiences that feel like the real world. Even though they worked years apart, and more importantly, years ago, their work has helped to shape the video games and java-script chatrooms we use and play on today.

Woolley and Heim both talk about telepresence, or "a capibility for remote causation: someone can experience how things are being affected through robotic tools, as if those things were actually in reach." While Heim and Woolley meant it in reference to the virtual world, it means something different now, with so many people able to do so much using the internet. We are able to live through and experience things that we could not have in our lives through the "magic" of the internet, a form of virtual reality that Heim probably never dreamed would have become the worlds most powerful tool for the exchange of ideas, concepts, and to experience immersion, interactivity, and information intensity. Heim talks about how networked computers can make the the three I's seem more powerful, but I'm not sure if he ever dreamed up that the whole world would be networked by a limitless invisible series of roads leading to every door in almost every home everywhere.

Online Rhetorics Blog #5

The closest I have come to what Dibbell described is the censorship of extremely negative feedback posted on fanfiction. I don’t mean overly critical, I mean actually negative, people who have posted hate notes in response to a story’s content. Most people ignore negative feedback. On one community, the moderator changed the community’s settings so that no one except members could post comments. This was done, I might add, without the consent or permission of the members. Which isn’t to say that I disapprove the moderator’s actions. However, it does make you think about how much power those few people in control have. For example, on LiveJournal, should a moderator decide to shut down the community entirely, the members have no power to argue. It’s the difference between real-world communities and online ones; if the leader of a real-world community wants bow out, the others still have the ability to meet on their own terms. If you shut down an online community of 900+ members, the majority of whom are more watchers than participants, it would be extremely difficult to start a new one and get the same members to rejoin.

Online Rhetorics Blog #3

Turkle seems to imply that there is no concrete definition of identity, because it changes as the times dictate. I would agree with this assessment, to a fault. I think there are certain things about identity that don’t change. For example, I believe that our identities physically and online vary only in what we present. However, this is also how they’re similar: we show different things, both physically and online, depending on the environment. It’s something prevalent in most people’s lives. For example, when I was working in a small drug store in a small down, I kept my sexual identity a secret. Now that I’m working in Disney, and I am part of a work force of many from all different walks of life, I have no problem being out about my sexuality. Same on the Internet, on my “personal” LiveJournal I omit certain parts of my life, i.e.: if I’m angry with a friend, because that friend might read it and be offended. Everyone who’s ever been in a fight with someone and complained about that person to someone else (and Lordy have we all done that) has different identities that they present; you’re showing a different face to those two different people, aren’t you? But there’s more to it than that, I know. Because for some there are entire aspects of your personality that you don’t share with people. I was talking just earlier today with someone about certain sexual proclivities that I’m sure this person keeps a secret from most. It’s a large part of their sexual identity that they keep hidden from others, for fear of judgment or ridicule.

The “identity” issue also makes me think of role playing to an extent. People either create characters or simply mimic the existing in groups and chats for fun. It is IMMENSELY complicated work, and some of them role play four or five characters at LEAST. It takes a staggering amount of attention and dedication that I personally don’t understand; I have enough trouble remembering how to be ME. The point is, a lot of these people DO lose part of themselves in these fantasy worlds, either unintentionally or because they simply don’t want to be THEM anymore.

Online writing has the benefit of making it easier to find an audience who understands your voice. If you’re writing in the physical world, looking for a publication is difficult. You have more access to a larger number of people through the Internet.

Online Rhetorics Blog #1

The idea that Wooley claimed that the Internet’s affect spilled into the physical world in the very early 90s actually seems laughable now, more than a decade and a half later. There is no longer even a question of how cyberspace affects the world – you can’t throw a 4GB data disc without hitting a café with free WiFi. How many people check their e-mail at least three times a day, which is three times more than they check the mailbox on the outside of their house. Even I barely consider myself to truly be someone’s friend until they’ve added me on Facebook. The Internet is how we communicate, how we make friends, and, sadly, for some people, how we try to find love. It’s become such a commonplace tool that I shudder to think what we’d do if we had to go without it for an extended period of time.

Final Blog

i did not think that i would mesh well with this course. i have never been all that interested in non-fiction as a genre. however, i rather enjoyed it. professor chandler made the course fun and interesting. i did a lot of work that i'm very proud of, work i might never have done if i hadn't been encouraged by her to do so. i am definitely taking a lot away from this course, and will remember it fondly.

Blog 17

Kevin Risse

Writing About Writing essay

When I first starting taking Creative Non-Fiction, there were certain things I told myself I would never write about. One thing, in specific, actually. Our teacher told us that we were supposed to write about things in our lives, personal things, so I knew I would be putting my life experiences onto the page. Still, there were some things I refused to touch upon in my writing.

At least, that’s what I thought.

So when it came time to do my personal essay, the first essay in the course, I put a lot of thought into what I wanted to write about. Ultimately, I came up with an experience I had in high school: trying out for my high school’s musical. It was a good experience for me, and meant a great deal to me. It was an immense milestone in my life. But I still wasn’t satisfied with the content, or even the quality of the work. I knew it wasn’t terrible, but there was no spark to it. I didn’t feel strongly about it at all.

When I did my workshop with Dr. Chandler for the essay, we discussed the high and low points of what I’d written. During the course of our meeting, I brought up a more sensitive subject, the one I told myself I would never write about. The professor encouraged me to pursue this topic, but I continued to have my doubts.

Our next essay was the memoir. My topic was another incident from high school, where I came to a friend’s defense in front of a group of hooligans. I had always been particularly proud of this moment. However, when I wrote it down I found that it wasn’t very compelling material. Even though I was personally satisfied by the experience itself, I was not satisfied with the written retelling.

Finally, it came time to turn in a revised version of either the personal essay or the memoir. I was faced with a dilemma. I was not exceptionally taken by either of these essays. So which would be better if I liked neither?

That’s when it struck me.

Even then, the subject that I had been avoiding writing for so long was still tugging at my mind. I wanted to write it, more than I wanted to revise either of my previous works. So, instead of coming up with a final draft, I decided to do a completely new one.

The topic was my experience of being in love with a close friend and how that unrequited love affected my life. It was something that so consumed my every waking moment for so long that I was afraid to open that door and let it all in again. I was worried that putting my feelings on paper would make me feel worse rather than better. In spite of this, I began writing. I started at the beginning, when we first met, and just kept on going.

I wrote non-stop, filling in every detail of our friendship. Each longing-filled moment that we spent together scrolled across my computer screen. Every kind gesture, every lingering stare, every confusing moment was marked as I mapped out the course of our friendship. There no feeling, no emotional attachment, behind my writing, other than a fervent need to get my thoughts down. Before I knew it, four hours and eight pages had gone by without a single pause in my steady stream of consciousness.

Once the work was done, I felt oddly unchanged. It was satisfying to get all of my thoughts out, the whole turmoil of mixed emotions, but I didn’t feel any sort of release from doing it.

I suppose that was the lesson I needed to learn from writing the essay. Even after I putting my feelings down, I don’t lose them. They will always stay with me. The only thing I can do by writing about them is to try and get a better understanding of them.

Blog 16

The essay I chose to reflect on was my final draft for the personal essay/memoir piece. What I wrote about was how I came to write about the subject I used and how I felt after having written the essay.

Nature Essay

Kevin Risse

“The Woods are Lovely, Dark, and Deep”

Snow can be violent and terrifying.

I spun out once, during a snow storm.

I was driving to work one afternoon. It wasn’t exactly rush hour, but I have work at three-thirty, and I travel down a road where a large school is located. So you can imagine there was some amount of traffic. I pulled up to the stop sign, about to turn onto that road. I pressed on the brakes – and kept pressing, for all the good it did me. They jolted, and made a *chunkchunkchunk* sound as their only response. Slowly, slooowly, the car slid out into the steady stream of traffic.

Slid out, and began to spin, in the middle of one of the most commonly used roads in my town, surrounded by soccer-mom-driven minivans.

My heart clenched with panic. This had never happened to me before. I’d experience car trouble before, mostly stalling, which, as it turned out, was a malfunction and easily fixed. But this was something else entirely. I was spinning, surrounded by bright headlights and white snow. I tried to remember what I was supposed to do: turn into the skid or away? It was impossible to recall at that moment.

So instead I did nothing. Well, no, not nothing, I took my foot off the brake, because my mother had drilled that much into my head enough times to remember. But other than that, nothing. I simply sat. Waited. Rode it out with my heart thudding against my chest, filling me with dread. Until, finally, it stopped.

By some miracle, both my car and myself were unharmed. I guess everyone else was in control of their vehicles enough to avoid my turbulence. After regaining my composure, I right my position on the road and drive on, shaken, but made a little more cautious by the experience.

Snow can be peaceful and comforting.

It was the first heavy snowfall of the season when my friend Jade and I decided to go for a walk.

The lawns, the sidewalks, the road were all the purest white. We passed by a school with a field out back. It looked like a clean sheet of paper, a blank canvas just waiting for the marks of fresh footprints.

I was reminded of the Robert Frost poem, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.” You know the one. About the man who stops in his travels by a forest as it fills up with snow. I usually only think about that poem when I’m very tired, and only the last lines. “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep./But I have promises to keep./And miles to go before I sleep,/and miles to go before I sleep.” But now, watching waves of white flakes dance down from the heavens, I think only of the snowier aspect of the poem.

We didn’t walk too far, no more than a few blocks from home. We spent more time standing outside her house talking than we did actually walking around. She spiked my hair up with ice, and laughed as she said it was a good look for me. I told he I probably wouldn’t agree if I had a mirror, but took her word for it.

As I walked home, once we said our goodbyes, I contemplated the winter wonderland that I was strolling through. I’ve often heard of snow referred to as a blanket, but I never gave it much consideration until that moment. I thought of the earth as slumbering beneath it.

It made me smile to think that even planet Earth herself needed sleep.

Snow can be beautiful, a true pleasure for the senses. And it can be a deadly, dangerous threat. And it can change in an instant between the two.