Reading Response: Diversity, Discourse, and Identity Construction Online

Our reading for this week revolves around the themes of diversity, discursive practices, and the construction of identities in and through digital spaces. "But I'm Just White or How 'Other' Pedagogies Can Benefit All Students," Samantha Blackmon provides a very nice pedagogy for incorporating diversity of perspective, discourse, and identity into the classroom. By encouraging all students to explore their social and cultural histories, the uniqueness of each student becomes apparent. This facilitates the opening of students' minds and perspectives, while also making them aware of the discourses that they have always taken for granted, never thinking critically about them since they were too deeply embedded within them. It's hard to see the entire forest when you're deep in the middle of it. Students also learn about their identities and the many influences upon them. I will definitely keep in mind Blackmon's suggestions for the next course I teach.

"Taking Black Technology Use Seriously" was an interesting discussion of African-American discursive practices on a predominately African-American website. Adam Banks shows how even oral discursive practices can be represented through writing. Further, he shows that these practices both create and are created by the identities of those who use them. I especially like Banks' assertion that scholars should focus on how technology is used instead of just access to it. This sets him up to make another key point--that even seemingly frivolous uses of technology (downloading rap lyrics or watching music videos) can be put to critical use. I think it's important to meet student where they are and help them grow.

The last reading, "A Real Effect on the Gameplay," was particularly interesting to me, since I have a rather extensive history with gaming. I've never played Dungeons and Dragons, although I'm familiar with it. I have played a huge amount of real-time strategy games, which typically provide an opportunity to construct or play around with an identity. For instance, in Age of Empires, you can play a campaign as Atilla the Hun. So you get to enjoy being "the scourge of God." If you're playing as your unique character, you essentially assume the roles of King and Conquerer. Quite a heady identity for a teenager. As though the spectacle of the game isn't enough, you get to assert complete mastery at a time in your life when very little seems to be in your control. I never would have thought about these issues if I hadn't read Jonathan Alexander's essay.