The Group Project

Freedom

The Blog Project

Expose oppressive acts of nondemocratic states◦ Instantaneous, transborder flow of images of repression and human

rights violations.

◦ Authoritarian regimes can no longer hide from the gaze of the global community (Stanyer & Davidson, 2009)

Create and maintain record of repression◦ No longer official media outlets, NGO networks, or lone dissidents

reporting atrocities.

◦ Nearly anyone can set up a website of their own and post/document acts of oppression.

◦ Reporters San Frontieres has uploaded to their website a handbook which provides information for potential bloggers on oppressive states. http://www.rsfblog.org/spip.php?sommaire

Internet creates a network of bloggers, not just lone blogs ◦ Hyperlinks and multimedia connect blogs to other blogs, websites to

other websites, feeding traffic from one site to another and increasing exposure of important issues.

Blogs have aided the work of international NGOs◦ There exist an estimated registered 295 human rights NGOs, half

created after 1979.

Blogs have given voice to indigenous groups◦ Social movements, churches, academic experts, labor unions

They provide a platform for a wide range of media◦ witness testimony, film, photographs, audio reports or second hand

reports or allegations – gives voice to the victims of oppression

Tavern meetings of pre-Revolutionary America

Reading clubs and salons of pre-Revolutionary France

Iran’s Green Revolution (“Twitter Revolution”) Burma’s Saffron Revolution The Girl Effect Journalists in jail/murdered (can be individual

or country specific) Bloggers in jail/murdered (can be individual or

country specific) International health communications issues Project Red (eliminate AIDS in Africa) www.amnesty.org www.freedomhouse.org http://en.rsf.org/

Create a blog with your group that raises awareness of the issue that you chose. Your blog should include items such as:◦ Blog posts◦ Photos/Images◦ Videos◦ Links to relevant websites◦ Your opinions/impressions of the issue◦ Responses to your group members’ posts

We will use the PSU Blog tool to create the group blogs. It is a fairly simple tool, and I have invited ITS to talk to our class about how to use it.

http://www.blogs.psu.edu/

To create/access your blog, you will have to request personal web space (this includes a simple 5-question quiz) ◦ https://www.work.psu.edu/webspace/

It takes 2-3 days to get your personal web space processed, so please do this asap to get started.

D/F C B A

Overall Use of Blog

Blog entries are few and generally simple; No responses are made to blogs of others; Little or no evidence of researchedmaterial included in posts; quality of blog reflects minimal time spent reflecting, writing, and editing posts. No multimedia present.

Several blog entries present and reflect marginal complexity; Few responses made to the blogs of others; A marginal amount of research evident in theposts; Quality of blogreflects a marginal amount time spent reflecting, writing, and editing blog posts; Some multimedia present to enhance posts.

Many blog entries andreflect complex thinking;several responses made to blogs of others; Adequate research reflected in posts; Quality of blog shows much time spent reflecting, writing,and editing; several pieces of multimedia to enhance posts.

Very many blog entries and generally complex; many responses to blogs of others; Substantial research reflected in posts; quality of blog reflects abundant timespent reflecting, writing, and editing; multiple pieces of multimedia present to enhance blog.

Engagement with Media

Posts not thought provoking and do notprovide evaluation of media issue; No context for reader in or out of class to understand topic;Arguments lack persuasion and do not incorporate course concepts to supportor challenge views; Noevidence of cognitive andemotional engagement with topic.

Posts mildly thought provoking but lack deep evaluation of media issue; Little context for reader in or out of class to understand topic; Arguments lackpersuasion and fail toincorporate course concepts to support or challenge views; Little evidence of cognitive and emotional engagement with topic.

Posts are thought-provoking and provide some evaluation of media issue; Some context for reader in or out of classto understand topic;Arguments mildly persuasive and incorporatesome course concepts tosupport or challenge views; Some evidence of cognitive and emotional engagement with topic.

Posts are thought-provoking and provide well-rounded analysis/evaluation of media issue; Enough context for reader in or out of class to understand topic; Persuasive arguments incorporate course concepts to support or challengeviews; Strong evidence ofcognitive and emotionalengagement with topic.

D/F C B A

Community No links included in blog; Posts frequently not tagged and include keywords.

Few links included in blog; Many posts not tagged and include keywords.

Several links included in blog that enhance reader's understanding; Majority of posts are tagged and include keywords.

Many links included in blog that fully enhance reader'sunderstanding; All posts are tagged and categorized.

Quality of Writing

Blog posts use incorrect grammar and punctuationconsistently; Incorrect spelling throughout, along with fragments and run-on sentences; Quality of writingdeeply impedes message power and clarity.

Blog posts use someincorrect grammar and punctuation; Some incorrectspelling throughout, along with occasional fragments and run-on sentences; Quality of writing impedesmessage power and clarity.

Blog posts show good command of grammar andpunctuation; Very few spelling errors or typos throughout; virtually no fragments and run-on sentences; Quality of writingenhances message power and clarity.

Blog posts show superior command of grammar andpunctuation; No spelling errors or typos throughout;No fragments and run-on sentences; Quality of writingenhances message power and clarity.

Toward the end of the semester, each group will be given a short amount of time to present its blog to the class.

I will provide detailed information regarding those presentations as we draw closer to that time.

Blogs are increasing as a credible tool in both journalism and advertising/PR. ◦ Ad/PR primarily uses blogs for surveillance and

research; In a 2006 PR industry survey, nearly 1/3 of respondents

said they worked for organizations that “hosted, supported, or authored blogs, which are seen as facilitating deeper relationships with stakeholders.”

◦ Journalism primarily uses blogs to promote discourse. “J-blogs are a way for journalists to reclaim journalism –

and its standards – online, even through a post-modern entity originally created to defy those traditional norms.” (Singer, 2008).

Use a media technology that has become significant in the cross-border transmission of information;

Delve into an issue specifically related to international communications;

Create a platform from which to express your opinions and analysis of that issue;

Dialogue with others regarding your issue and generate feedback;

Learn an important skill that is utilized in your career field and become better prepared for your career;

Become more marketable in your job search by adding this to your ePortfolio;

Take it with you when you leave Penn State!

19.5%

22%

9.8%

17.1%

14.6%

7.3% 7.3%

2.4%

Lowest – 2Highest – 8.5Mean – 5.0366Mode – 6.00Median – 5.00

Lowest – 2.5Highest – 5Mean – 3.7439Mode – 4.00Median – 4.00

7.3%

19.5%

7.3%51.2%

12.2%

2.4%

40.4%

23.1%11.5%

7.7%

44.6%

8.9%

19.6%12.5%

7.1%

“Frequently” “Every So Often” “Occasionally” Once (11.7%) Weekly (23.5%) Every Two Weeks (11.7%) No time given (29.4%)

52.9% provided reasons for the professor to meet with each group. There were two reasons given:

◦ 1. To make sure the group was on the right track (56%)

◦ 2. To make sure everyone was participating (44%)

Decide how you will communicate with group members at the initial phase of the project.

Decide within your group the process by which you will manage conflict before it arises.

Talk through and decide the group’s project goals before beginning work on the project.

Be honest about your ideas and opinions

Be honest when you are unsure of how to complete an assigned task

Ask each other for feedback during group meetings

Beware of “Group Think”

Avoid covering up problems; respond quickly when conflict presents itself

Do not automatically defer to higher authority (this can serve to dis-empower your group)

Groups should strive to create an atmosphere in which members feel safe voicing their concerns in group meetings rather than outside of the meetings.

Discussing group problems outside of the group undermines the trust and integrity of the group.

1. Collaboration: Conflict handled between the individuals involved;

this allows for resolution and self-correction. Use as many facts as possible when communicating Relate the issue to the project/group needs Be direct and honest without being hostile or making ad

hominem remarks Resolve the conflict in a private setting (this includes

private media settings) Document the interaction (email exchange)

2. Mediation If conflict is unresolved between individuals, ask a mediator to

help negotiate the conflict. Gather facts and talk over the issues with the people involved Resolve the conflict in a private, face-to-face setting Document the interaction (email exchange)

3. Team Counseling If the entire group was not involved at the initial phase of the

process, call together the entire group to discuss the issues at hand. For our class, this should be done with the professor. Use the same communications strategies as in the first two phases

of the process. Allow any group member to put an issue onto the meeting agenda. Document the meeting (memo; email exchange)

Organize your project based on action steps◦ Create a “to-do” list for the project in which each item

is a specific “action step” with a specific person assigned to it and a specific deadline.

Action Step: the absolute next physical thing to do E.G. “Meet with group” versus “Email group a doodle

calendar to est. a time/place to meet”

E.G. “Create blog post” versus “Search for websites about [country] for source material for post”

Take away the vagueness surrounding interim steps between where you are and the desired product by consciously

scheduling these tasks and assigning them to a group member

“Waiting For” list◦ Record the date on everything that you hand off to others◦ Keep tabs on this and track progress◦ Record the date when item is completed◦ Be sure the action that is being waited for is specific (don’t hand off

something vague to group members)

E.G. W/F ITS to get back to me re: technical question E.G. W/F [name] to email me video link to upload to blog

Visually separating this list from your own action steps can help you to see if/when contact needs to be made to follow up with someone. Review this list as often as needed to asses if you need to be taking an action once an item on the “waiting for” list is complete or lighting a fire under a particular action step.

4 criteria for choosing actions in the moment:◦ Context

With phone, at computer, at the library, in class, etc.

◦ Time Available◦ Energy Available

What action steps can you take when you’re tired or not at the top of your mental game? What action steps should you tackle when you’re at peak energy levels? When is that? Be strategic.

◦ Priority

By Friday, October 1: ◦ Know the members of your group;

◦ Know the subject of your blog;

◦ Read the article “Blogging Down the Dictator?” by Kulikova and Perlmutter (2007) located in group project folder on ANGEL;

◦ Post to the Discussion Board in the Group Projects Folder: The names of your group members Your blog topic The title that you are going to give your blog Your impressions of the article and the example blogs you checked out. (only one post per group)

◦ Apply for personal web space;

◦ Ask any initial questions you may have regarding the project (you may ask these questions in the Group Project DB post, if you like, or email me/talk to me directly.