Discussion, Questions and Outline

Curation Discussion

For the curation essay, I'm asking you to assume the position as an expert in a field. Each of you are good at many things, even if they're not "academic," (anything can be thought about academically, but that's a notion we can dispel at another time). Before you start this discussion board, I want you to think about what you're good at. For example, besides being a Professor, I think I'm good at (1) picking out a book of horror that can appeal to any reader, (2) identifying the subgenres of metal music, (3) knitting, (4) rock climbing, and (5) video games. Some of these are too broad, though. Am I good at all video games? (no) Which kind do I prefer? (single player RPGs, open world, usually fantasy or horror). make sure to narrow your ideas down as you develop your list.

Once you have a list, you'll need to think about what patterns could be useful for curation. There's a ton of natural thinking patterns we use on a day to day basis. Here is a few examples, but take a look at the listicles you see across social media for more ideas:

· The 8 most important...

· The 6 weirdest...

· The top 7...

· The 9 worst...

· 5 things that cause...

· 4 things that will make you better at...

· 8 .... to do before you...

After your brainstorming, post a minimum of five different potential curation topics you could use for this essay, by midnight on Thursday, July 16th.

Curation Outline

For this assignment, you will be outlining your curation essay. If curation sounds new to you, let's discuss that first. A director at a museum often engages in curation. When a museum director curates, "she collects artifacts, organizes them into groups, sifts out everything but the most interesting or highest-quality items, and shares those collections with the world." An editor of a magazine also curates when they create an anthology-- an assortment of poems, essays, or stories on a topic. In the social media world, curation looks like a "listicle," the popular term given to articles composed of lists (you can see examples over on list.ly). All kinds of content can be curated: images, articles, videos, audio clips, essays, and any other mixture of items that share common attributes and fit a theme. Any "top 10" or "best of" list has been curated, as are playlists on spotify, and the "recommended for you" section of Netflix. Even the news is curation. It's a pretty safe bet that regardless of the field you enter into, curation will be a skill you need to help laymen process the information you produce. 

In this outline, you will select a common theme to curate (you can choose from the topics you've brainstormed on the discussion board, or start something new). You will then curate between 5-10 items in a list, with a chosen focus (how are they ranked?) and discuss their shared attributes. Your written justifications of each item on your list is where you will begin your comparison. Each item will share a common attribute in order to make it onto the list (similarities) but you will outline their differences in order to justify your rank. These justifications should be meaningful. Your conclusion will need to discuss the importance of your list. Make sure to review how to make a comparison meaningful on this page. 

Another note: your choice should be subjective and argumentative (a reasonable person should be able to disagree with the content of your list). 

Curation Assignment

1. State the shared theme of the items you will be curating, and remember that you will be collecting between 5-10 items (For example: "Six contemporary horror novels you should read if you don't like horror.")

2. List at least 3 items you will curate onto this list, why they belong on this list, and why they have value. You should use supportable, logical reasoning for these choices; something that would convince a reader you know what you're talking about. Please number your answers.

3. Take the first curated item from your list above, and describe specifically how it differs from your other selections.

4. Take the second curated item from your list above, and describe specifically how it differs from your other selections.

5. Take the third curated item from your list above, and describe specifically how it differs from your other selections.

6. This will be your last chance to convince your audience that your curation is meaningful.  To do this you will want to do the following things:

· Begin with a conclusion sentence that expands on the value of the list. (So what? What next?)

· Describe the ways in which this list is contemporary (relevant now) and to whom its relevant. (Who cares, and why?)

· In the space below, use 1-2 sentences to explain the conclusion readers can draw from reading your curation.