Friday, April 20, 2007

Blog Buddy Work Part 2

Hey Erin!
You've done a really great job on your blog so far. Your last post about motherhood and modeling especially stood out to me. Your analysis was strong, clear, and thought-provoking, and you integrated quotes into your writing very well as evidence to support your claims. I like how you seamlessly use quotes from both the show itself and course readings, so you could try including those in your final presentation.All of your posts have been clearly related to "America's Next Top Model" and it's clear that you're interested in the show. This show was a good choice for your blog topic because you've had plenty to say about femininity, masculinity, hegemony, and other issues related to gender. Your posts are always on topic and they are easy to follow, and your analyses are in-depth and complete. You used different course readings in each post and you also did a great job of finding other outside sources to further support your claims. None of your quotes were repetitive or forced; they all fit perfectly with the theme of the post, especially in your collage post. You explained Linnea Due's point of view, but then you also incorporated your own ideas while referring back to her piece. I thought it was great how you included pictures with your posts because they add interest and give the reader a visual connection to ANTM. You're also great at recapping the episodes you discuss in your posts. I've only seen one or two episodes, but you give enough background information for me (and anyone else) to understand your points. I honestly don't know what you could improve on -- you keep bringing new ideas/analyses to your blog and you're doing a great job!

Blog Buddy Work with Devon M, author of "Beauty and the Geek"

1. Where has your Blog buddy shown strong analytical work (be specific—is it a particular post, a type of analysis, a site for analysis that seemed to click more so than others, etc)?
2. How could your Blog buddy use this strength for the final Blog post and presentation?
3. Think about the following statements in relation to your Blog buddy’s Blog and then provide feedback on each area (constructive praise/criticism):
The Blog is on a topic that has been clearly evident in the Blog posts throughout the semester
The Blog is on a topic that seems to interest my Blog buddy
My Blog buddy’s topic is one that has produced a good set of posts that were analytical used gender as a primary category of analysis
The posts make analytical arguments. The posts are understandable and each post logically outlines and supports the argument presented. The posts were clear, provided insight, evidence, and analysis to connect the topic with the assignment for each of the posts
The sources cited in each post are relevant to the topic and help to aid the understanding of the argument and/or assisted in proving the argument.
The quotes used illustrate a broad range of course readings throughout the semester.
The quotes were clear and succinct; additionally, the material was presented so that I could differentiate the Blog buddy’s ideas from that of the author cited.
4. Finally, complete the following:
I thought it was great when you...
I found it confusing when you…
You’re really great at…
I wish you could focus (more) on/alter/edit/explain/expand on/etc these three things…
(Basically, when you read the Blog posts, what do you wish your buddy had done differently, more of, etc?)