Thursday, August 28, 2008
First Homework
Read the two articles below, and then I want you to comment--in this post--about what the main points of the article are, and if you agree and why.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Day 1
First Class:
Aug. 28: Access
—syllabus: Why is this 110 different than all (most) others? Content and form
—Composition as any act of composing!!!
—Tech Specs: Gmail, Cameras, Blackboard, Flash Drives, Blog, Who knows what?
—Exchange email/phone numbers. Everyone get connected to our various platforms.
—Read: TIME Person of the Year: You
(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html) and “It’s All About Us” (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570717,00.html)
—Homework: write response on the articles. How often and why do you use new media? How
often do you take it for granted? What does it “mean” that we spend so much time online. Is it a good thing? A Bad thing? Neither? Both? Think about how much time you spend socializing digitally. Take the time—just for a single day—to make a list of every time you use a digital format. What happened? What knowledge did you gain from it? How would your life have been changed if you lacked the access?
Aug. 28: Access
—syllabus: Why is this 110 different than all (most) others? Content and form
—Composition as any act of composing!!!
—Tech Specs: Gmail, Cameras, Blackboard, Flash Drives, Blog, Who knows what?
—Exchange email/phone numbers. Everyone get connected to our various platforms.
—Read: TIME Person of the Year: You
(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html) and “It’s All About Us” (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570717,00.html)
—Homework: write response on the articles. How often and why do you use new media? How
often do you take it for granted? What does it “mean” that we spend so much time online. Is it a good thing? A Bad thing? Neither? Both? Think about how much time you spend socializing digitally. Take the time—just for a single day—to make a list of every time you use a digital format. What happened? What knowledge did you gain from it? How would your life have been changed if you lacked the access?
Syllabus
CYBER/TECHNO/HYPERCOMP: ENGLISH 110, Fall 2008
Instructor: Jesse Schwartz
Class Hours and location: Tues-Thurs: 10:15-12:05; Klapper Hall Rm. 333
Office Hours: Klapper Hall, rm. 354. Tues: 12:15-1:15 and by appointment
Email: ProfJSchwartz@gmail.com
Course Description
This “cyber-composition” course will introduce students to the practical goals of the Queens College English 110 writing class through a program of technology-integrated literacy assignments. Students shall pursue the traditional goals of the 110 writing instruction through various forms of media and text, including visual, digital, and hypertextual documents.
The strategies for student competency in interdisciplinary writing requirements remain unchanged. Students will practice organization, summary, explication, analysis, and critical writing skills necessary for success both in future Queens College courses and for future professional tasks. In addition to these tools, this course will offer students an opportunity to develop their writing through a variety of digital formats, and offer assignments that attempt to bridge the distance between traditional critical writing strategies and those relevant to contemporary forms of media.
Course Goals and Objectives
As students begin composing their works, they will pursue unique assignments that experiment with the creation of texts wherein the form is as important as the content. By this I mean that these tasks will reflect student critical thinking through writing and design. These assignments will remain linked throughout the course, and eventually form a continuous, hyperlinked document that students will curate and present at the end of the course. Producing, explaining, presenting, and maintaining these projects will form the substance of student assignments. Many of these assignments will require students to construct visual documentation of the assignments using their digital cameras. What’s more, because all assignments will be stored digitally, constant revision will be necessary, so that the final archive will contain earlier documents informed by later work.
Course Expectations
Since this is a technology-focused course, students will be expected to meet the basic requirements of the dual literacy component (digital and critical) and to pursue these goals with creativity, excellence, and polish.
Students must prepare for workshops reflecting their productions in the form of online forums, classroom presentations, public discussions and participations, and group-work. We may be using any number of digital formats, such as flash-drive archiving, Blackboard, Gmail, text messages, IM, wikipedia, PBWiki, blogs and anything else we might find helpful. You will also be required to write a weekly blog that concerns topics which will be raised in class. What’s more you will also have to respond to at least two of your classmates’ online journals as well.
Students must also buy a digital camera and flash memory card to facilitate easy classroom access to their own written and visual media.
This course may require students to occasionally travel to complete assignments. Students will have to budget their time accordingly.
You must have constant access to a digital camera with a minimum capability of 4 mega-pixels as well as a USB-compatible flash drive/jump drive/memory stick.
Class Rules and Procedures
Attendance
This should be self-evident. If you don’t come, you don’t get credit. If you’re late, it’s inconsiderate to me and to the rest of the class. As this course will include a great deal of participation—whether in your small groups or in the larger class setting—your inclusion will be counted as part of your grade. If any of this isn’t clear enough, let’s put it this way: a late is an entry after I take attendance, and three lates equals an absence. If you arrive more than twenty minutes late it will be counted as an absence. Also, any work you miss will still be expected on the dates designated on the syllabus.
Decorum
Cell phones MUST be turned off unless they’re being used for composition. Yes, we all have them—and they may even be used for assignments in this class—but let’s just please try our best to be considerate.
Try not to eat during class. If it’s an emergency I’ll understand. But make sure it is very infrequent. Drinks are okay, but be respectful and dispose your garbage.
For those of you just out of high school, congratulations—you no longer need to ask permission to go to the bathroom. We now assume you’re mature enough to leave the room, do your business and return promptly and quietly. If you disappear for a while, though, I reserve the right to mark you absent.
Plagiarism
In short, don’t even think about it. Believe me, all professors know how to find these papers online at least as easily as you do. If this doesn’t sound serious enough, let’s put it this way: if you’re caught plagiarizing, you immediately fail the assignment and I have the option of taking more serious administrative measures.
Instructor: Jesse Schwartz
Class Hours and location: Tues-Thurs: 10:15-12:05; Klapper Hall Rm. 333
Office Hours: Klapper Hall, rm. 354. Tues: 12:15-1:15 and by appointment
Email: ProfJSchwartz@gmail.com
Course Description
This “cyber-composition” course will introduce students to the practical goals of the Queens College English 110 writing class through a program of technology-integrated literacy assignments. Students shall pursue the traditional goals of the 110 writing instruction through various forms of media and text, including visual, digital, and hypertextual documents.
The strategies for student competency in interdisciplinary writing requirements remain unchanged. Students will practice organization, summary, explication, analysis, and critical writing skills necessary for success both in future Queens College courses and for future professional tasks. In addition to these tools, this course will offer students an opportunity to develop their writing through a variety of digital formats, and offer assignments that attempt to bridge the distance between traditional critical writing strategies and those relevant to contemporary forms of media.
Course Goals and Objectives
As students begin composing their works, they will pursue unique assignments that experiment with the creation of texts wherein the form is as important as the content. By this I mean that these tasks will reflect student critical thinking through writing and design. These assignments will remain linked throughout the course, and eventually form a continuous, hyperlinked document that students will curate and present at the end of the course. Producing, explaining, presenting, and maintaining these projects will form the substance of student assignments. Many of these assignments will require students to construct visual documentation of the assignments using their digital cameras. What’s more, because all assignments will be stored digitally, constant revision will be necessary, so that the final archive will contain earlier documents informed by later work.
Course Expectations
Since this is a technology-focused course, students will be expected to meet the basic requirements of the dual literacy component (digital and critical) and to pursue these goals with creativity, excellence, and polish.
Students must prepare for workshops reflecting their productions in the form of online forums, classroom presentations, public discussions and participations, and group-work. We may be using any number of digital formats, such as flash-drive archiving, Blackboard, Gmail, text messages, IM, wikipedia, PBWiki, blogs and anything else we might find helpful. You will also be required to write a weekly blog that concerns topics which will be raised in class. What’s more you will also have to respond to at least two of your classmates’ online journals as well.
Students must also buy a digital camera and flash memory card to facilitate easy classroom access to their own written and visual media.
This course may require students to occasionally travel to complete assignments. Students will have to budget their time accordingly.
You must have constant access to a digital camera with a minimum capability of 4 mega-pixels as well as a USB-compatible flash drive/jump drive/memory stick.
Class Rules and Procedures
Attendance
This should be self-evident. If you don’t come, you don’t get credit. If you’re late, it’s inconsiderate to me and to the rest of the class. As this course will include a great deal of participation—whether in your small groups or in the larger class setting—your inclusion will be counted as part of your grade. If any of this isn’t clear enough, let’s put it this way: a late is an entry after I take attendance, and three lates equals an absence. If you arrive more than twenty minutes late it will be counted as an absence. Also, any work you miss will still be expected on the dates designated on the syllabus.
Decorum
Cell phones MUST be turned off unless they’re being used for composition. Yes, we all have them—and they may even be used for assignments in this class—but let’s just please try our best to be considerate.
Try not to eat during class. If it’s an emergency I’ll understand. But make sure it is very infrequent. Drinks are okay, but be respectful and dispose your garbage.
For those of you just out of high school, congratulations—you no longer need to ask permission to go to the bathroom. We now assume you’re mature enough to leave the room, do your business and return promptly and quietly. If you disappear for a while, though, I reserve the right to mark you absent.
Plagiarism
In short, don’t even think about it. Believe me, all professors know how to find these papers online at least as easily as you do. If this doesn’t sound serious enough, let’s put it this way: if you’re caught plagiarizing, you immediately fail the assignment and I have the option of taking more serious administrative measures.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
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