This is just a draft for now. Publishing as I go because I’m not sure what a finished state would look like for this project.
Idea: Analyze the sparkleponies of CCCC
My moodboard is a Google search using “sparklepony CCCC”
These are cards and sparkleponies I have on display in my work office.
Initial reflection:
What I am interested in is how the sparkle pony can be used to identify people who are playing C’s the Day, the conference game for CCCC, but it can also be an easy way for newbies to join a group. Much was written about the sparkle ponies years ago when “Sparkle Gate” happened. Prior to that, I had always been interested in how people choose from the many unique designs to select one sparkle pony to attach to their name badge for the duration of the conference. I’ve had great conversations with the person who makes (and delegates the making of) the sparkle ponies; the conversations have occurred as one crafter to another, as I enjoy making things for others and have found that sometimes it is the materials that you are using that dictate the outcome of the design more than a specific end idea in mind.
What I like about this mood board is that there is a blurry dividing line between academic use of the sparkle pony and My Little Pony or Brony use of the sparkle pony. It is pretty clear at a glance whether the picture belongs to CCCC’s use of sparkle ponies or MLP. This aligns with another personal observation about CCCC. I love playing “English teacher or not” when I attend CCCC and observe arrivals at the airport and then the conference hotel and then the area surrounding when we manage to leave for lunch or dinner.
Collections of writing that created Sparkle Gate and then the reaction to it:
Sparklegate: Gamification, Academic Gravitas, and the Infantilization of Play
C’s the Day Facebook page
The History of C’s the Day: How Sparkleponies Came to Matter
Nicole L. Hancock 
Nicole – I do like the idea of the Sparkle Pony’s and think you should go forward with it if really interests you. I will of course work with you on the IRB. However, I do think your other project ideas have value as well. I will comment upon them in the relevant post.
LikeLike