Category Archives: TASKS

While completing the Detain/Release simulation by Porcaro (2019), I found myself uncertain about many of the decisions I had to make because I didn’t feel like I had enough information to make a fair choice. I noticed that the prosecution rarely suggested releasing someone, and when it did, I tended to agree. However, most of the time, detention was recommended, which left me feeling unsure about my judgments. The information I had to base my decisions on was minimal, considering the consequences. I tried to base my choices on factors like the individual’s age, mental health, and whether they posed a threat or had a history of violence, but these elements were not always clear or available. This experience made me realize just how often large organizations make unfair decisions, and how much we rely on technology and systems to try to fix complex problems.

Reflecting on how algorithms influence decision-making, I found it unsettling to think about their role in legal matters. As Malan (2013) states, algorithms are just “sets of instructions to solve problems,” but it’s still concerning to consider how they’re used in crime prediction. It made me think about other areas where people are ranked or categorized, like hiring processes. For example, I have heard that there are automated systems that screen resumes based on specific keywords or qualifications. This process is problematic because it can overlook the full context of a person’s experience or potential (O’Neil, 2017).

In the end, the simulation really opened my eyes to how algorithms are shaping our world and made me question how much we trust these systems to make decisions about people’s lives (Prompts for predictive text stories, n.d.).

References

O’Neil, C. (2017, April 6). Justice in the age of big data. Retrieved June 18, 2019, from ideas.ted.com website: https://ideas.ted.com/justice-in-the-age-of-big-data/

Porcaro, K. (2019, January 8). Detain/Release: simulating algorithmic risk assessments at pretrial

Prompts for predictive text stories: r/predictivetextpromptsLinks to an external site. [Online forum]. (n.d.). Reddit. Retrieved August 12, 2022.

TED-Ed. (2013). What’s an algorithm? – David J. Malan.

TOP 10 CHOICES:

1. Holborne – Paueans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, “The Fairie Round,” performed by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London. (1:17)
2. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F, First Movement, Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter, conductor. (4:40)
3. Bach – “Gavotte en rondeaux” from the Partita No. 3 in E major for Violin, performed by Arthur Grumiaux. (2:55)
4. Bach – The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, Prelude and Fugue in C, No. 1, Glenn Gould, piano. (4:48)
5. Beethoven – Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor. (7:20)
6. Japan, shakuhachi – “Tsuru No Sugomori” (“Crane’s Nest”), performed by Goro Yamaguchi. (4:51)
7. Mexico – “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México. (3:14)
8. Chuck Berry – “Johnny B. Goode”, written and performed by Chuck Berry. (2:38)
9. Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven – “Melancholy Blues.” (3:05)
10. Blind Willie Johnson – “Dark Was the Night,” written and performed by Blind Willie Johnson. (3:15)

While selecting my top 10 pieces from the Golden Record, I was most drawn to a gentle or soothing melody. In contrast, I skipped over songs with strong, intense beats that felt less comforting. I often listen to music to relax, so I naturally gravitated toward softer, more calming pieces.

For Task 6 – An Emoji Story, I chose to use the last television show I watched. I found it would be easier if I relied more on ideas rather than syllables or words. Emojis act as a visual language, similar to multimodal children books like Geronimo Stilton and Amelia Bedelia. With this in mind, I focused on capturing the key ideas of the show—its main character’s job, his secret life, the city it takes place in, and his childhood/past—rather than trying to translate words directly. This aligns with Kress & Van Leeuwen’s (2001) idea that meaning is constructed through multimodal communication, where images contribute to understanding just as much as words.

I chose not to start with the title of the show. Instead, I began by identifying key themes and elements. I then browsed the emojis from my Emoji keyboard and tried to select emojis that best represented them. Following this, I narrowed down the emojis, only keeping the most important ones. I then arranged them in a sequence that made sense visually and logically. This approach reflects visual grammar, as described by Kress & Van Leeuwen, where meaning is shaped by the placement and order of visual elements. The title wasn’t the first priority because my goal was to summarize the plot, not just name the show.

I did not choose this show because it would be easy to convey visually. I picked it because I had just started the series on Netflix, and it was fresh in my mind. However, I realized it was a good fit for an emoji description because the show has strong symbols that carry meaning, such as blood, knives, Miami, and police, which all translate well into emojis. This supports Kress & Van Leeuwen’s argument that different modes, like visuals and text, contribute to meaning-making.

Additionally, Kress (2005) states that “aptness of mode and what is represented is not the only issue, equally significant now is the aptness of fit between mode and audience” (p.19). This suggests that my emoji choices were not just about accuracy in representation but also about how well they would be understood by my classmates. Since emojis rely on shared cultural understanding, I considered incorporating commonly recognized symbols, such as ???? for violence, ???? for law enforcement. My hope was that these commonly recognized symbols would make it easier to communicate the show’s themes.

Any ideas as to what television show this might be?

References

Kress, G.R., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2001). Multimodal discourse: The modes and media of contemporary communication. Oxford University Press