The article you read last week had to do with the difference between signs and symbols, and the powerpoint you just finished also discussed the way that words mean - they don't, necessarily, correspond directly to the thing itself, but the represent a concept in our head which helps us think about the thing itself. One new and interesting addition to language in recent years has been the emoji (in fact - it was the word of the year for the Oxford English Dictionary!) I think that emojis work a little differently than signs or symbols, but I'm interested in knowing what you think about how emojis work. So...your task is in 4 parts. First, you have to write a poem, with a minimum of 15 "words", using only emojis. Post your emoji poem to the forum (linked below). Then "translate" your emoji poems into words and post it as a "reply" to your emoji poem. Third, read through other students' emoji poems and their translations - do they make sense to you? Would you have interpreted their emojis similarly or differently? Respond to some other students' poems.

Finally, in a separate forum (linked below), I've asked the question: How do you think emojis work similarly or differently from words? Post your response to that question. You don't have to start your own conversation thread - simply reply to my question, or reply to the student or students who posted earlier than you. I would like this to look more like a facebook discussion than a series of unconnected posts.