Blogs?! Never fear I am here! The how to guide

Just thought I would drop a line with some useful info' for your first blog post due on Monday 19th BEFORE MIDNIGHT!!!

For your first blog, post by Monday Week 4 and comment before your Week 4 tutorial, online, on someone else’s blog post. Each of your three submitted blog posts must reference and interact significantly with at least one of the week’s class readings and the lecture, and apply relevant, discussed theories to what you observe in your social network. To help you do this, address one of the weekly blog prompt questions (see blog prompt questions for first blog below).

Your blog should consist of the following components, and it should reflect on the week’s key concept. For Monday Week 4, it should reflect on the material for Week 3, and so on (Kuttainen, 2019).

·       A relevant and engaging title

·       At least one formal reference to the week’s lecture

·       At least one relevant, formal reference to at least one of the weekly set readings

·       A hyperlink to another relevant online source

·       An embedded image that is captioned according to APA style

·       APA in-text citations and an APA Reference List at the bottom of your blog post

But wait! What is a blog?!

In the context of BA1002 an academic blog is an online webpage designed to enhance your learning of key subject concepts, theories and readings. There are however some key things you should think about when writing your blog.

1. Who is your audience?
   
   
2. What is the Tone?
   Should the tone be conversational or formal?
   What are the subject requirements?
   DO you have/are you developing a personal voice?
   How should you address you audience?
3. What is the Style of the blog?
   How long is my post/ how long should the post be?
   Punctuation- what kind should I use and am I using it correctly?
   How do I cite sources?

I’ve taken all these things into consideration. Now what do I do? Compose it!

1.       Make a Point
Create a position or argument with a statement your readers can follow

2.       Style and Tone
Pay attention to your paragraphing, sentence structure and the language you are using. Is the language overly formal or too casual? For this exercise there should be a happy medium between the two. How have you integrated the subjects concepts and/or ideas from the lecture? 

3.       Be Concise
Use precise language and keep your argument coherent to keep the readers focused!

4.       Multimedia
Make sure you have hyperlinks images and references! If you are struggling make sure to check out the BA1002 Libguide!

5.       Marking Rubric
Have a look in your subject outline at the Blog marking rubric. 

Always closely back up your observations with specific descriptions of what you observe in your Online Social Network.  Apply the key concept of the week (for Week 3, power) to your observations by considering the application of theory in a nuanced, informed way, after reading the set readings and attending the lecture. You are being asked to analyse your network through the detailed exploration of the key concept as considered in your assigned readings and lectures. So, in addition to using descriptions and observations about your social network you will use quotes from your readings and the lecture and unpack them in ways that support your points and establish ideas and arguments. Refer to your readings in ways that inform your definitions of concepts and to base your observations in academic theory.

References:

Kuttainen, V. (2019). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Tutorial Guide 3: Power. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

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Blog Prompt Questions

A.    Drawing on Allen, which relations and modalities of power are immediately obvious to you in this online social network? Are there other, less obvious operations of power at work there too? In other words, how is power exercised, who wields it over whom, and how?

B.    With reference to any of this week’s readings, what sorts of power are available in this network, how do people get it, and how do they use it? (Be very specific about how you discuss power and its operations.)

C.   Drawing on Foucault’s conceptual understanding of Bentham’s pantopticon, in relation to your readings, how is panoptic power in evidence in your online social network?