Writing in the 21st century is not only about mastering new technologies, but about making sure that your writing gets noticed in a world drowning in information. More and more people are clamoring for a reader's attention (both online and off) than ever before. So after you've learned how to write well and use the technology at your disposal, how do you make sure that your message gets out there and “sticks” in the minds of readers? How can you take advantage of social networks and digital technologies to circulate your message and make an impact?
This section of the Senior Seminar in Rhetoric and Writing will look at concepts and practices behind communicating in a networked age as well as what it means to be an effective author/designer of texts that have staying power in a world of short attention spans and rapid change. Students will maintain their own blogs, complete a research paper, and conduct a client-based project that will apply the principles covered in class to a real world situation.
Required Texts:
Gladwell, The Tipping Point
Heath and Heath, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die