RIP Seminar
The Rhetoric in Practice project was an end of the quarter presentation to Professor McClure's Writing 39B class. Our class's presentations were organized into three parts. The first group introduced the historical context of Conan Doyle's stories and focused on the conventions from the classical phase of genre development. The second group produced a video using modern day adaptations of Sherlock Holmes to show how the classical conventions have been remained the same or evolved over time. Lastly, the third group performed an original play to illustrate these conventions.
My NMYMy My Contributions:
Prior Prior to the seminar, I chose the first group because I found the popularity of the genre interesting and important. During the RIP Seminar, my group was presenting Conan Doyle’s texts and the classical conventions of the detective genre. We examined the factors that contributed to the rise of detective genre. Then, we introduced various aspects of the conventions including Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, other characters, and conventions of plot.
The conventions of Sherlock Holmes and those of John Watson are closely related. Thus, we decided to present their respective conventions using the 'split-man theory.’ Although the two characters exhibited extremely different personality and skills, their differences worked to compensate for each other. Wuchen Xie and I were responsible for the conventions of John Watson and those of Sherlock Holmes, respectively. In our presentation. We compared the opposite characteristics of Holmes and Watson by taking turns in explaining their differences. Their differences laid between their social status, level of normality, social skills, relationship with females, and the level of observation. In the last convention, we compared 'observing' and 'seeing' by performing a short scene from the story “A Scandal in Bohemia” to illustrate the convention. We also explained different conventions with quotes from original texts. In addition, as I was good at creating PowerPoint Presentation, I set up and organized the presentation slides with numerous pictures.
The conventions of Sherlock Holmes and those of John Watson are closely related. Thus, we decided to present their respective conventions using the 'split-man theory.’ Although the two characters exhibited extremely different personality and skills, their differences worked to compensate for each other. Wuchen Xie and I were responsible for the conventions of John Watson and those of Sherlock Holmes, respectively. In our presentation. We compared the opposite characteristics of Holmes and Watson by taking turns in explaining their differences. Their differences laid between their social status, level of normality, social skills, relationship with females, and the level of observation. In the last convention, we compared 'observing' and 'seeing' by performing a short scene from the story “A Scandal in Bohemia” to illustrate the convention. We also explained different conventions with quotes from original texts. In addition, as I was good at creating PowerPoint Presentation, I set up and organized the presentation slides with numerous pictures.
Before the seminar on Tuesday, our group has decided to practice and rehearse together. We made sure each of us was familiar with the covered conventions and materials. We practiced multiple times to ensure that we were thorough and transitioned smoothly from one topic to another. As a sub-group, Wuchen and I practiced more to create the effect and idea of the 'split-man.'
My Reflections: Re
Overall, I think our class’s presentation was great and everyone enjoyed it. One of the things that went well during the presentation was the organization of the seminar. Our class delivered the materials in three diverse ways: a presentation, a video, and a play. We transitioned from the classical phase to the modern day films to show how conventions of the detective genre had evolved over time. The final play was entertaining and interactive. I think the play performance went really well. It can said as a highlight
of the night. We asked the audience to 'solve' the case by texting their answers to the poll. Another element that went well for the seminar was the video making. The group was able to select scenes that depicted the conventions accurately. As a class, I think we were able to ‘teach’ our
audience more about the detective genre and its conventions.
of the night. We asked the audience to 'solve' the case by texting their answers to the poll. Another element that went well for the seminar was the video making. The group was able to select scenes that depicted the conventions accurately. As a class, I think we were able to ‘teach’ our
audience more about the detective genre and its conventions.
On the other hand, there are different things that we could have done better during the presentation. First, the PowerPoint presentation was informative, and yet not creative enough because it was long. Audience would be bored by the presentation. We should have included more pictures and interactive activities with audience to lift up the atmosphere. I think we can improve on confidence by practicing more. It is important to overcome stage fright and nervousness to be successful in the future.
I think the other class’s presentation was great even though I was, for most part of the seminar, scared and afraid. I learned a lot of conventions about the horror genre because I was always intimidated to watch a horror movie. One thing that went really well was their pre-seminar preparation. It was evident that they spent abundant amount of time to direct, film, edit, and produce each short movies. They had great creativity in terms of the plot. The special sound effects, background music, lighting, and the mirror scene were established effectively to convey the conventions of the horror genre. In addition, even though there were three separate stories, they were able to convey the conventions of the mirror genre effectively with different story plots.
I think the other class’s presentation was great even though I was, for most part of the seminar, scared and afraid. I learned a lot of conventions about the horror genre because I was always intimidated to watch a horror movie. One thing that went really well was their pre-seminar preparation. It was evident that they spent abundant amount of time to direct, film, edit, and produce each short movies. They had great creativity in terms of the plot. The special sound effects, background music, lighting, and the mirror scene were established effectively to convey the conventions of the horror genre. In addition, even though there were three separate stories, they were able to convey the conventions of the mirror genre effectively with different story plots.
During the preparation and presentation of the RIP Seminar, I learned and practiced different habits of mind. I was able to practice my public speaking skills. Even though I have not mastered the highest level of the skills, I am developing through many practices. Through working and collaborating in a group to produce a piece, I learned openness, engagement, flexibility, and responsibility. When I was working with Wuchen on the “split-man theory,” we had different ideas into how we should incorporate it into our presentations. I learned openness by accepting new ways of thinking. It is important to be open because if one tries to achieve his or her own way without considering others, it will be hard to cooperate with the person. It was great that we could reach to agreement in a short while. Engagement played a role in this RIP Seminar because in order to produce a good work, one should always invest time and be actively involved in materials he or she learned. I learned to actively participate in the production stage of the presentation. Also, flexibility is important because it is almost finals week when everyone is busy with their work. It is even more important to be able to adapt to demands and situations. In order to fulfill my duties and assigned tasks, I learned to take responsibility. I learned to take ownership of my actions. During a group work, if someone doesn’t complete their parts, it will affect the whole group. So, being responsible is essential in a group. Overall, this RIP Seminar was a great learning experience.