Class Notes

Project 3 Feedback & Work

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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


 
Last updated on 17th November, 2014, 11:16 AM

Class Notes

Project 3 Presentation Sign-Up

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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


 
Last updated on 17th November, 2014, 10:07 AM

Class Notes

Catching Up

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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


 
Last updated on 12th November, 2014, 7:29 PM

Class Notes

Documenting & Presenting Your Remix

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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


 
Last updated on 29th November, 2014, 6:54 PM

Class Notes

Rough Cuts and Revision Plans

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This is the post for the November 10, 2014 class meeting.

roughwolfToday’s reading is about “Drafting and Revising Your Project”—and in particular rough cuts and revision plans. This week, you should be working on a rough version of your project (if you are not already there).

Chapter 7 of Writer/Designer suggests that the different phases of work on your project are separate and definite, but in truth they rarely are. During the next week, you may find yourself tweaking your storyboard or mock-up while you are placing assets in your rough cut and at the same time searching for more assets. Creativity can be messy. Don’t be surprised if your process is a little different from the general version in the textbook.

Rough Cuts, Rough Drafts, and Revision Plans

  • A rough cut is rougher, or less finished, than a rough draft.

  • The “Planning Your Rough Cut” section of Chapter 7 (pp. 107–109) includes lists of the basic decisions you should make by the time you have a rough cut. I recommend that you have most of these decisions in place by Wednesday.

  • You will use the information on explaining your rhetorical situation (pp. 111–112), providing feedback (pp. 112–115), and revision plans (pp. 116–118) next week when we have peer review. You will also use the revision plan information for your final exam.

Writing Schedule and Homework

  • Monday, 11/10: 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. In your post, link, insert, or embed a mock-up and/or storyboard for your project.

  • Wednesday, 11/12: We will talk about publishing your project and your presentations, using information from Chapter 8.

  • 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


 
Last updated on 10th November, 2014, 10:27 AM

Class Notes

Mock-Ups and Storyboards

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This is the post for the November 7, 2014 class meeting.

coolstoryboardToday’s reading is about moving to the organization and planning stage for your projects. Your goal today is to organize the content portion of your project, using whatever works best for you.

Mock-up Tools

Mock-ups are usually used for websites, projects that are “static” (like posters or brochures), and texts that are primarily linguistic or visual in nature. Wireframes (if you’re familiar with the term) fall into this category. Be sure to use the Mock-up guidelines on p. 95 of Writer/Designer to guide your process.

You could use one of the tools that was reviewed in class: Froont or Codepen. You can also use a tool specifically designed for mock-ups like Mockflow, Invision (30-day free trial), Frame Box, or Pencil Project.

You could try a flowcharting tool (like Gliffy or Lucidchart) or mindmapping tool (like bubbl.us or Coggle).

Storyboarding Tools

Storyboarding is usually used for projects that move through a series of pieces, places, or points in time—like a video, comic book, or graphic novel. Be sure to use the storyboard guidelines on p. 97–98 of Writer/Designer to guide your process. For the storyboard for the Don Quixote remix, Pierce used a comic strip generator to make his storyboard.

Storyboarding is, essentially, outlining your text visually, so you may be happy with creating a simple outline in Google Docs. For online tools I’ve made, I created storyboards with PowerPoint, because it was simple and I had a copy. If you do go this route, Google Slides would work too.

If you want to try something specifically created for storyboarding, take at look at these resources for creating and organizing storyboards:

Old-Fashioned Tools

Good, old paper and pencil can work for mock-ups and storyboards. There’s no reason that these planning tools have to be digitally produced. Sketch them out if you want to, but then scan them or take a photo so that you can add them to your blog on Monday.

Writing Schedule and Homework

  • Friday, 11/7:  Work on your mock-up and/or storyboard. 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. Remember to keep up with the milestones you planned on your project timelines on Wednesday.

  • Monday, 11/10: We will talk about rough cuts and revision plans, covered in Chapter 7. Link, insert, or embed a mock-up and/or storyboard for your project in your blog post for the day.

  • Wednesday, 11/12: We will talk about publishing your project and your presentations, using information from Chapter 8.

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


 
Last updated on 7th November, 2014, 10:22 AM