Class Notes – Writing and Digital Media http://3844f14.tracigardner.com English 3844 @ Virginia Tech – Fall 2014 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:34:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3 Course Grades Posted http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/course-grades-posted/ Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:34:11 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=481 Read more →

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I have finished grading all the work for the course and submitted course grades in HokieSpa. As a reminder, I use a Scholar’s default grade scale (no rounding). Thank you so much for your hard work this term.

Unsubscribing from the Course Website

If you subscribed to the course website at the beginning of the term, you probably want to unsubscribe now. Look for an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email message that you get from the course website.

Moving Forum Posts

I’ve moved the forum posts to a private archive, so that my students in the future won’t find your work and get confused. I’ve also set the permissions so that only people who were in the course can see those messages. They are no longer available to the general public.


 

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Project 3 Presentations, Day Four http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/project-3-presentations-day-four/ Wed, 10 Dec 2014 05:47:59 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=477 Read more →

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This is the post for the December 8, 2014 class meeting.

50979351Today, we will have presentations from these folks:

Remaining Work

  1. Complete the SPOT survey if you didn’t complete it last week.

  2. Submit your remix by 11:55 PM tonight (Wednesday, December 10) following the instructions posted last week.

  3. Take the final exam, which is officially due by 3:05 PM on Friday, December 12. You have a 3-day grace period, which ends at 11:55 PM on Monday, December 15. If your work is not submitted by 11:55 on 12/15, you will receive a zero.


 

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Project 3 Presentations, Day Three http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/project-3-presentations-day-three/ Mon, 08 Dec 2014 06:03:38 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=472 Read more →

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This is the post for the December 8, 2014 class meeting.

Today, we will have presentations from these folks:

Shanks 360 Open Thursday, 12/11

Dr. Jen Mooney will have Shanks 360 open for any last minute work you need to do on Thursday, 12/11, from 10 AM to 3 PM. Be sure to thank her if you drop by to use the classroom.

Remaining Work

  1. If you are presenting Wednesday, be sure to email me the link to your presentation by midnight on Tuesday (no grace period) so that I can set up the post for class.

  2. Complete the SPOT survey if you didn’t complete it last week.

  3. Submit your remix by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, following the instructions posted last week.

  4. Take the final exam, which is officially due by 3:05 PM on Friday, December 12. You have a 3-day grace period, which ends at 11:55 PM on Monday, December 15. If your work is not submitted by 11:55 on 12/15, you will receive a zero.


 

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Project 3 Presentations, Day Two http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/project-3-presentations-day-two/ Fri, 05 Dec 2014 07:09:13 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=466 Read more →

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This is the post for the December 5, 2014 class meeting.

laser-catToday, we will have presentations from these folks:

Remaining Work

  1. If you are presenting Monday, be sure to email me the link to your presentation by midnight on Sunday (no grace period) so that I can set up the post for class

  2. Complete the SPOT survey if you didn’t complete it on Monday please.

  3. Submit your remix by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, following the instructions posted Monday.

  4. Take the final exam, which is officially due by 3:05 PM on Friday, December 12. You have a 3-day grace period, which ends at 11:55 PM on Monday, December 15. If your work is not submitted by 11:55 on 12/15, you will receive a zero.


 

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Project 3 Presentations, Day One http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/project-3-presentations-day-one/ Wed, 03 Dec 2014 07:38:16 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=460 Read more →

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This is the post for the December 3, 2014 class meeting.

business-cat-luckNo office hours today, to accomodate a dentist appointment for my broken tooth.

Presentations

Today, we will have presentations from these folks:

Remaining Work

  1. If you are presenting Friday, be sure to email me the link to your presentation by midnight on Thursday (no grace period) so that I can set up the post for class

  2. Complete the SPOT survey if you didn’t complete it on Monday please.

  3. Submit your remix by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, following the instructions posted Monday.

  4. Take the final exam, which is officially due by 3:05 PM on Friday, December 12. You have a 3-day grace period, which ends at 11:55 PM on Monday, December 15. If your work is not submitted by 11:55 on 12/15, you will receive a zero.


 

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Finalizing All The Things http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/finalizing-all-the-things/ Sun, 30 Nov 2014 04:17:38 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=453 Read more →

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This is the post for the December 1, 2014 class meeting.

Course Evaluation Day! Finally I have my revenge!Today is our last day of class before the presentations, so there are several things to cover:

  • Evaluating the course
  • Preparing for your presentation
  • Turning in your remix
  • Finishing your blog posts
  • Completing your final exam

Evaluating the Course

I will allow time at the end of today’s session for you to fill out the Student Perceptions of Teaching (SPOT) survey for this course. The feedback helps the department make important decisions about teaching methods, course content, and faculty promotion. Written comments help me decide what to keep or change the next time I teach the course. In many ways, I find the written comments the most helpful part of the evaluation. I do not see the feedback until January (after grades are submitted), and your comments are anonymous.

Preparing for Your Presentation

We talked about the information that should go into your oral presentation before Thanksgiving break.

Email me the link to your presentation by midnight on the day before your presentation (no grace period) so that I can set up the post for class.

Turning in Your Remix

You need to provide two or three texts when you submit your Remix for a grade: (1) a link to your Remix project itself, (2, optional) a link to any presentation materials you want me to review (e.g., if you made slides), (3) your reflection memo, which you will post here in Scholar.

Your reflection memo is slightly different this time since part of your goal will be some self-analysis of your project and an explanation of the effort and risk you put into the work. Review the information on Project Expectations on the assignment page, and write a memo that does the following:

  • Provides the link to your Remix project (and optionally, a link to the presentation).

  • Gives me a summary of the project’s rhetorical situation, using the questions on pp. 111–112 of Writer/Designer. Provide a SHORT explanation of your audience, purpose, and design choices. Aim for just a sentence or two to remind me of the context you are working in.

  • Explains how you have participated and shown effort as you worked on this project. Include concrete details that help demonstrate your point.

  • Shows me how you have taken risks, stretched yourself, and otherwise applied your best effort to learn and create as you worked on this project.

  • Tells me whatever I need to know about how you have gone beyond average work and participation.

  • Tells me if I can use your project(s) as example(s) in the future.

You must submit your remix by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 10, 2014. There is no grace period since I need to get things graded immediately. You may, of course, turn in your work earlier if you want.

Finishing Your Blog Posts

Be sure to write and publish a blog post for today that talks about what you have accomplished since your last post and why you did what you did. Today, however, is the last day that you must post an entry. I will use the posts, attendance, and other factors to determine the participation portion of your grade.

If you are still working on your project after today, you may continue to track what you did and why you did it in blog posts. This information will help you write the reflection that you submit with your project.

Taking the Final Exam

The final exam assignment is available under the Assignments tab here on the course website, and the exam is open in Scholar.

Your final exam revision plan is due by 3:05 PM on Friday, December 12. Your grace period ends at 11:55 PM on Monday, December 15. If your work is not submitted by 11:55 on 12/15, you will receive a zero.


 

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Project 3 Feedback & Work http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/project-3-feedback-work/ Mon, 17 Nov 2014 16:19:27 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=443 Read more →

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This is the post for the November 17 and 19, 2014 class meetings.

awesomeprojectToday is peer feedback day. The goal is to provide constructive feedback that will help one another develop the projects further. We will follow this plan for the feedback:

  • We will rearrange seating in the classroom so at least one person giving feedback is someone who hasn’t been sitting near you as you worked on the project.
  • Feedback groups will take turns following this process:
    • The project author will introduce the project, giving a summary of the project’s rhetorical situation, using the questions on pp. 111–112 of Writer/Designer. You need to be ready to explain about your audience, purpose, and design choices. Aim to take no more than 3 minutes for this part.
    • The people giving feedback will read and explore the project, using the guidelines in the section of the book on “Providing Feedback as a Stakeholder” (pp. 112–115 of Writer/Designer) to structure their comments. Take about 6 to 7 minutes on the the feedback.
    • After about 10 minutes, you will switch and another project author will introduce her work.
  • Once everyone has received feedback on her project, you will each write a revision plan for the project as your blog post for the day. See pp. 116-118 of Writer/Designer for details on writing a revision plan. If your project is online in a place where I can see it, please be sure to include the link in your revision plan.

Independent Work for Friday, 11/21

Please spend at least 50 additional minutes of your time after our session ends on Wednesday working on your project in lieu of attending class in person on Friday. You can work on whatever pieces of your project you need to. Remember to use your revision plan to guide your work.

As part of your work, I would like you to write a blog post about what you did and why you did it along with some concrete, visual evidence that you were working on your project even though you were not in the classroom. Your evidence can take many forms, such as the following:

  • a selfie of you with your project in the background
  • a photo someone else takes of you working on your project
  • screenshots of a section of your project before you worked on it and then after

Be creative and use what you know about multimodal composing to demonstrate that you used your 50 minutes wisely.

Writing Schedule and Homework

  • Wednesday, 11/19: Your blog post for this day should be a revision plan for the project (see pp. 116–118).

  • Friday, 11/21: Your blog post should include the “what you did” and “why you did it” sections as well as visual evidence that you were working on your project. Publish your blog post by 11:55 PM on November 23 (Sunday) for credit for the day’s work.

  • 11/22 to 11/30: Thanksgiving Break. Be safe. Have fun.

  • Monday, 12/1: Discussion of the reflection memo for Project 3. Last day of independent, in-class work. Write a blog post on what you’ve done and why you’ve done it for the day.

  • Wednesday, 12/3 to Wednesday, 12/10: In-class presentations. Link to your presentation due by 11:55 PM the day before you present.

  • Wednesday, 12/10: Reflection Memo and Project 3 links due by 11:55


 

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Project 3 Presentation Sign-Up http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/project-3-presentation-sign-up/ Sun, 16 Nov 2014 09:17:03 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=440 Read more →

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This is the post for the November 17, 2014 class meeting.

sign-up-gogogoIn class today, you can sign up for a presentation time slot and then we will talk about documenting your projects and your presentations, using the post for the 11/12 session.

During the rest of the session, you can work on your projects, and I will come around the classroom to check on your progress.

Presentation Sign-Up

Sign-up for a presentation slot for for Project 3, using the Sign-Up Tool in Scholar. The slots open at 10:15 AM Monday. Go ahead and log into Scholar and be ready to click sign-up when the form opens.

Writing Schedule and Homework

  • Monday, 11/17: Write a blog post on what you’ve done and why you’ve done it for the day. Please include some details on how you will document your sources in your project (that is, what system you will use).

  • Wednesday, 11/19: Bring your book to class. Have a rough cut or rough draft of your project that you can share with two other people in class for feedback. Be prepared to provide a summary of the project’s rhetorical situation, using the questions on pp. 111–112. When you provide feedback on someone else’s project, use the guidelines in the section of the book on “Providing Feedback as a Stakeholder” (pp. 112–115). Your blog post for the 11/19 class should be a draft of your revision plan for the project (see pp. 116–118).

  • Friday, 11/21: Independent, out-of-class work. For your blog post, write the usual what you did and why you did it sections, but include a selfie that shows you working on your project. If you hate selfies, just be creative and choose some alternative evidence. I want to see concrete, visual evidence that you were working on your project even though you were not in the classroom. Get your blog post with a selfie published by 11:55 PM on November 23 for credit for the day’s work.

  • 11/22 to 11/30: Thanksgiving Break. Be safe. Have fun.

  • Monday, 12/1: Discussion of the reflection memo for Project 3. Last day of independent, in-class work. Write a blog post on what you’ve done and why you’ve done it for the day.

  • Wednesday, 12/3 to Wednesday, 12/10: In-class presentations. Link to your presentation due by 11:55 PM the day before you present.

  • Wednesday, 12/10: Reflection Memo and Project 3 links due by 11:55


 

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Catching Up http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/catching-up/ Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:29:35 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=437 Read more →

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This is the post for the November 14, 2014 class meeting.

hallelujah-its-fridayI apologize for missing class on Wednesday. Thank you all for understanding. We will catch up today on the information that I would have gone over on Wednesday, and then you will have time to work in class.

I will come around the classroom and ask each of me to show me where you are in your project and let me know of any questions you have.

Writing Schedule and Homework

  • Friday, 11/14: Lots of independent, in-class work. Write a blog post on what you’ve done and why you’ve done it for the day.

  • Monday, 11/17: Lots of independent, in-class work. Presentation Sign-Up at approximately 10:15. Write a blog post on what you’ve done and why you’ve done it for the day.

  • Wednesday, 11/19: Bring your book to class. Have a rough cut or rough draft of your project that you can share with two other people in class for feedback. Be prepared to provide a summary of the project’s rhetorical situation, using the questions on pp. 111–112. When you provide feedback on someone else’s project, use the guidelines in the section of the book on “Providing Feedback as a Stakeholder” (pp. 112–115). Your blog post for the 11/14 class should be a first draft of your revision plan for the project.

  • Friday, 11/21: Independent, out-of-class work. For your blog post, write the usual what you did and why you did it sections, but include a selfie that shows you working on your project. If you hate selfies, just be creative and choose some alternative photo. I want to see concrete, visual evidence that you were working on your project even though you were not in the classroom. Get your blog post with a selfie published by 11:55 PM on November 23 for credit.

  • 11/22 to 11/30: Thanksgiving Break.

  • Monday, 12/1: Discussion of the reflection memo for Project 3. Last day of independent, in-class work. Write a blog post on what you’ve done and why you’ve done it for the day.

  • Wednesday, 12/3 to Wednesday, 12/10: In-class presentations. Link to your presentation due by 11:55 PM the day before you present.

  • Wednesday, 12/10: Reflection Memo and Project 3 links due by 11:55


 

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Documenting & Presenting Your Remix http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/documenting-presenting-your-remix/ Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:01:18 +0000 http://3844f14.tracigardner.com/?p=433 Read more →

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This is the post for the November 12, 2014 class meeting.

cattalknowJust one more week until peer feedback! We finish up with the textbook today, but you will use it extensively as you work on your projects. It’s an important resources as you continue work on your projects.

Documenting Your Assets and Sources

Somewhere in your project, you will need to cite your sources. The technique that you use will depend upon the kind of project you are working on. Return to the section of Writer/Designer on “Designing Your Citations” (pp. 70–76) for tips on how to choose an appropriate way to indicate where your assets came from.

Presenting Your Project

Following the resources in Writer/Designer, Chapter 8, you will document and present your remixed story. You will have approximately 5-6 minutes for your class presentation. If you’d like, you can ask your classmates to preview your story on your WordPress site as homework.

In your presentation, you will focus on sharing details about how you worked and the decisions that you made. Use the information on pp. 132–135 of Writer/Designer to determine what information to include. As the book explains, your job will be to show-off your hard work, but also you will help your audience understand your major design and rhetorical choices. Look particularly at the guiding questions on pp. 132–133 for an idea of the kind of details I will be listening for.

You can show portions of your project itself, but please be realistic. You may not have time to show your entire project. For example, if you made a 4-minute video, there won’t be time to show the entire video AND to talk about how you worked and the decisions you made.

You will create some kind of digital presentation (using Google slides, Prezi, Present.me, etc.). If you go with slides, the maximum length is 15 slides to ensure your presentation fits in the 5 to 6-minute time slot.

Turning In Your Project

Aim to have your project finished by December 1. You might still tweak things or make minor proofreading changes, but you should ideally be done with all the hard work. After that class session, our class time will be devoted to oral presentations.

By the end of the day on Wednesday the 10th, you should have gone to the Assignments tab in Scholar, completed a reflection memo, and given me the link to your project and your presentation slides. You must have your work submitted by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 10. There is no grace period on this project. We will talk a bit more about the reflection memo in class on December 1.

Writing Schedule and Homework

  • Wednesday, 11/12: Write your usual blog post on what you’ve done and why you’ve done it. You need to have a rough cut in one week, so assess where you are against your timeline and be sure you are on schedule. If you have any questions about your project, ask me in class or email me.

  • Friday, 11/14: Lots of independent, in-class work.

  • Monday, 11/17: Lots of independent, in-class work. Presentation Sign-Up at approximately 10:15.

  • Wednesday, 11/19: Bring your book to class. Have a rough cut or rough draft of your project that you can share with two other people in class for feedback. Be prepared to provide a summary of the project’s rhetorical situation, using the questions on pp. 111–112. When you provide feedback on someone else’s project, use the guidelines in the section of the book on “Providing Feedback as a Stakeholder” (pp. 112–115). Your blog post for the 11/14 class should be a first draft of your revision plan for the project.

  • Friday, 11/21: Independent, out-of-class work. For your blog post, write the usual what you did and why you did it sections, but include a selfie that shows you working on your project. If you hate selfies, just be creative and choose some alternative photo. I want to see concrete, visual evidence that you were working on your project even though you were not in the classroom. Get your blog post with a selfie published by 11:55 PM on November 23 for credit.

  • 11/22 to 11/30: Thanksgiving Break.

  • Monday, 12/1: Discussion of the reflection memo for Project 3. Last day of independent, in-class work.

  • Wednesday, 12/3 to Wednesday, 12/10: In-class presentations. Link to your presentation due by 11:55 PM the day before you present.

  • Wednesday, 12/10: Reflection Memo and Project 3 links due by 11:55


 

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