I chose this image because I think that graffiti can be a powerful form of expression. In some regards it was the earliest form of social media and allowed the author to reflect on the moment in space and time when she or he created the work. There is a prolific culture around the concept of 'tagging' that far outdates social media tagging, hash-tagging, poking, and so on, that seems to speak to an underlying need for people to express themselves and be heard in public. From early prehistoric cave paintings, to Ancient Roman scripts scrawled on walls, to posting pictures of dinner on Facebook, the need to share with others that which you find important seems innate.
From this course I'm hoping to do two things. First, I'm hoping to feed the historical junkie in me and reflect on the impact that the medium has on the message. Secondly, I'm hoping to find ways better match the form of writing with the intended outcome for my students. Ideally, if I can refine a few strategies about how to better align what type of writing I assign to what type of learning I'm hoping my students take away then I will be quite happy.
Great point about the need to express oneself with image as a form of expression! The reason for which social media grew so fast is because it provides individuals to share and express themselves in different forms (image, link, text, clips, etc.) easily. By doing so, we feel connected to others without having to actually call/ text each other.
Apart from the sense of expressing individuality and connectedness, social media is also a form of diary. Lately, I looked into designing your own photo album company where their software allows you to choose a theme, insert images and type your own text…etc. And of course you order a hard copy to be sent home. This type of business has been out for many years. What’s new is how some online photo album companies came up with the great idea of connecting social media to hard copy photo album. Basically, all you need to do is to grant them access to your Facebook timeline, choose your album size and they can print you your FB activities. It’s basically a diary! How clever 🙂