This week we’ve been discussing YouTube as a digital agora, and how the rhetors of today include people who speak out on multiple platforms–physical stages as well as virtual ones. Last class we focused on performance poets; today we consider public scholars, in particular Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
You got it: today’s class is a segue to Dr. Gates’s public lecture on our campus.
We’ve already spent a little time peeking around the wikigooglesphere to learn how Dr. Gates’s public persona has been composed/fragmented/complicated through digital media. Today we’re going to explore two additional (and also very typical of new media) versions of his public persona:
(1) A List! (We’ve learned a lot about the presumed power of lists this semester, haven’t we?)
(2) An Avatar: Based on the information and impressions you’ve received so far about this influential public figure, work in a small group to make him a hero. Literally. How you’ll do it:
Prepare to work in Googleburg: Have someone create a Google presentation document and email the rest of the group (plus me: hbhessler@gmail.com) the link to it, with editing-level access.
Now you’re ready to roll: Deliberate with your team: If Gates were a heroic character in a role-playing game, (a) what would be his name? (b) his back story? (c) his superpower(s)? (d) his sidekick–if any?
Use HeroMachine to create the character. Feel free to talk through the nuances of the character as you design his appearance.
Save the image of your hero (a screen capture is the easiest way to do this) and paste it into a Google document along with your answers to (a) – (d) above.
Prepare to discuss your creation with the class–and what this process might teach us about how public personas are shaped online.
(This exploration was inspired by Digital Humanities students Matt Austin and Kaleb Howard.)
Rosetta Poptart 