Welcome to the Spring 2011 semester, and a new set of student blogs, ideas, and topics related to technology, media, and argument. This semester my students and I are using a brand new textbook, Argument!, by Erica Messenger, John Gooch, and Dorothy U. Seyler, which claims to be published in 2011 (that's what the copyright date says, though I'll swear to you I had in in my hands in December of 2010). Regardless, it's one of the most up-to-date texts regarding the nature of argument and persuasion, focusing on the "Age of Obama," or the up-and-coming digital youth that by now have not only mastered education by getting themselves here, to the University of Oklahoma and college-level academics, but have certainly mastered digital technology, social media (Web 2.0) and a host of other wonderfully gadget-y "stuff."
Thankfully I wasn't feeling too old when everyone laughed with me when I asked if they still had a Xanga (at least we all still know what a xanga is - and check that site out, it looks so different from what I remember!). I will admit it's strange to "show my age" by merely talking about how many AIM windows I used to have up to talk to my friends all at once, while I was "their age." Whew!
