Thursday, September 10, 2015

Blog 11: Cluster of Gene Therapy Controversy

After spending a few days searching for sources, I finally have enough to start the pre-writing process with a cluster diagram. As I sit down and start working on it on Google Drawing, I start to see why it is called cluster.


As a fan of colors, the different aspects of the blog are in different colored bubbles:

  • Blue are the key groups involved in the controversy.
  • Orange are the major speakers or writers in those groups.
  • Red are the different types of media used to convey their ideas.
  • Green are their opinions or what they are saying about the controversy.
  • Lighter yellow are the ideologies and values held by these people.

The lines represent connections between the bubbles meaning that if media workers is connected to Nicholas Wade then he is a media worker which is a broad term for article writer in this cluster map. Despite its sinuous pathways, one could match each person to his/her group, method of conveying thoughts, opinions, and ideologies by following the lines.

After looking at two other students' cluster diagrams, I learned that different tricks could be used to ease the reading of a cluster map. I realized that I could have used these techniques also. Arrick used bends in his lines so as to prevent them from cutting into bubbles which would have been helpful in a highly clustered map. Other than that and the boxes, his set up and mine are similar as both are made in Google Drawing. Katie used a different website called Coggle and constructed a map which had a unique appearance and used specific details in her diagram as opposed to mine which seems a bit too simplistic. Maybe I might even consider using Coggle just for fun or if I hope to plan a paper.

I used to use these maps in middle school, but dropped the process due to time constraints, but being a visual person I like to see my ideas laid out. As a result of time constraints, I tend to use maps or diagrams to brainstorm ideas rather than organize them with the circle map being my favorite for brainstorming. All in all, I am not a huge fan of cluster diagramming to organize my ideas.

4 comments:

  1. I found your cluster extremely easy to follow, and by using google's program you had much more freedom in connecting the bubbles. I had trouble doing so with Coggle. I like how simplified each viewpoint is and that they all have multiple connections to people in the cluster.

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  2. I like how you color coordinated your cluster, which helped make it easy to follow. I also like the way you kept each bubble brief and simple, but that you still had a lot of the arguments.

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  3. Your blog post was very well written and you did a great job with your cluster diagram! My diagram was actually very similar to yours however I used a different formatting technique. You made it very clear who is involved in your controversy topic and what people are arguing about it!

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  4. Splendid work, Michael! You managed to stuff all of that information into a cluster that is still readable! I too found that method to be the best way to organize the data for my own controversy topic. If you keep on going like this, writing the quick reference guide should be a piece of cake. Keep on keeping on!

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