Announcements

Awards for Professional Writing Majors & Minors

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It's a major awardHere are details on two awards (deadline: April 18) available for English majors and minors for work conducted in Professional Writing courses or internships:

  1. The Armstrong Family Foundation Award for Communication Design recognizes outstanding design in professional writing. The award is presented for work that demonstrates the ability to design information for a specific purpose and audience. It carries a cash prize of $200.
  2. The Robert Dedman, Jr. Award for Professional Writing recognizes outstanding work in professional writing that demonstrates the author’s ability to create effective texts that explain, instruct, or persuade for a specific audience and purpose. It carries a cash prize of $245.

Eligible submissions for these awards include any work created for a professional writing course or for the workplace (reports, websites, SOPs, posters, research papers, social media campaigns, posters. etc.). Find more information at http://www.undergraduate.english.vt.edu/awards/index.html

The submission deadline for both awards is April 18. Use the related cover sheet for the Armstrong Family Foundation Award for Communication Design and the
Robert Dedman, Jr. Award for Professional Writing with your submission.


 
Last updated on 31st March, 2014, 12:23 PM

Class Notes

Pitching Your Project

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I got 99 problems, but a pitch ain't one.Today, you will share your pitch with the rest of the class, following the list of questions on p. 56 of Writer/Designer. Remember this is just an informal chat with your classmates. No reason to be nervous. Just talk loudly enough for everyone in the classroom to hear you.

Remember that the goals for this project include participating excellently and being an excellent scholar. To that end, as your classmates pitch their ideas, please listen politely. Your attention should primarily be on your classmates, and not on your computer screen. As appropriate, you may ask questions about another student’s project, make suggestions, and offer support.

Project 3 Checklist

There are a lot of little things due as you work on Project 3, so I have made a checklist in Google Docs to help you keep track of what you have (or still need) to do. We can talk about it at more length next week.

For now, you can view the checklist online, and then go to the File menu and choose Make a Copy to save a copy to your Google Drive. Be sure to change the document name to include your first name, and add your name in the body of the document. Once you have a copy, you can either track things online, or print it out and track it on paper. At the end of the project, you will have a list of everything you have done.

Writing and Homework

  • 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.
  • For Tuesday, April 1, be sure you have read Chapter 6. Most of the class time will be spent working on the project. By this point, you should be ready to work on mock-ups and storyboards in class, as described in the chapter.

Course Sign-up Reminder

It’s course request time for Fall 2014. Please be sure to sign up for your classes now to ensure that the courses are available when you need them! Courses that don’t “make” after course request period are often cancelled.

Additionally, if you are a professional writing major or minor and need to take technical writing (English 3764), I will be teaching two sections of course online this fall. I also have an online section this summer that still has seats available.


 
Last updated on 26th March, 2014, 11:33 PM

Class Notes

Finding Assets for Project 3

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Is it copyright infringement if you remix a remix?I have read and replied to all of the informal pitches that I received through last night. There is still much grading left to do, so try not to look at the gradebook for now. Meanwhile, you can continue concentrating on your work for Project 3.

Here’s what we will focus on in class today:

Writing and Homework

  • Be sure to write a blog post for today that talks about what you have accomplished since your last post and why you did what you did.
  • Be ready to give your pitch to the class next session. If you do have slides or a webpage you want to display in class (it’s completely optional), send me the link by 8 AM on Thursday, March 27.
  • For Tuesday, April 1, be sure you have read Chapter 6. Most of the class time will be spent working on the project. By this point, you should be ready to work on mock-ups and storyboards in class, as described in the chapter.

 
Last updated on 26th March, 2014, 3:12 PM

Class Notes

Research for Project 3

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Panda needs to do researchBecause I will be in Indianapolis, class is working online this week (3/18 and 3/20). Office hours are canceled for this week.

For Thursday, March 20, you will focus on gathering sources for Project 3. At the end of your work for this session, you should have completed the project’s “Step 2. Do some preliminary research on your story.” You can look back at the description of Step 2 in the assignment for additional information and an example. Here are the tasks that I want you to complete for Thursday, March 20.

Reading

Read Chapter 4 of Writer/Designer. The chapter covers how to collect multimodal sources and assets, ethical issues to consider when collecting assets, and ways of citing multimodal texts depending on a project’s genre and rhetorical situation. We will talk about the issues of fair use and permissions more next week. You can hold any questions you have about those topics until Tuesday, 3/25.

Researching

Go to the library or go online and find three different (and credible) versions of the story you will explore. Evaluate the credibility of your sources with the information on pp. 58–60 in Writer/Designer. At least one of your resources needs to rely primarily on the linguistic mode of communication.

You will also need to find assets (see pp. 61–62) as you work on this project. Depending upon the story you are remixing and upon the form, genre, and tools you are using, you may need to find sound clips, video clips, photographs, cartoons, and so forth. As you conduct your research to locate three credible versions of the story you will remix (your sources), go ahead and collect any assets you find that you think you will use later.

I suggest you create a Google Doc named something like “Possible Assets” and just add links and a short annotation to that page as you find resources. Alternately, you might clip info to Evernote or use a bookmarking service like Diigo. Use whatever method you like, but save any cool things you find so you don’t have to search for them later. See the assignment on pp. 62–63 (“A Multimodal Annotated Source List, Part 1”) for the information to include in your annotations. NOTE: Finding assets is not a requirement for this week, but you will find it pays to keep track of possible assets that you find. Nothing is more frustrating than knowing that you saw something you could use and then not being able to find it again.

Writing

You need to write a blog post about the research you’ve done. Here’s what I will be looking for in the two parts of your blog post:

    • What I Did
      Tell us what sources you found for your story. You need a minimum of three versions of your story, at least one of which should rely primarily on the linguistic mode of communication.
      If you have done extra work (like finding some useful assets), you can list or describe that information here too.
    • Why I Did It
      Tell us why you chose the sources that you did for your story. Reflect on the credibility of your choices (see pp. 58–60) as you talk about why you selected the resources.

Again, some tips for your blog post

  • Some of the WordPress themes are not displaying the HTML tables properly, so if you run into trouble just use headers for this week.
  • Don’t stress about your posts. They don’t need to be perfect. They are public, so make sure you write things you are comfortable with others reading—but don’t spend hours writing them. I would expect you to spend no more than 15 to 20 minutes writing (30 as the absolute maximum if you have lots to say).
  • If you’re not sure about something, make your best guess. Try your best, and you’ll be fine.
  • Your choices are not permanent. If you realize later next week that you need to change one of your sources, you can adjust. People often need to revise their plans once they have begun work on a project, but your primary sources should be solid by Thursday, 3/27.

Sharing

Once you have written your blog post, add the link to your blog post for Thursday in the Project 3 discussion area. To help organize the posts, add the date and a few words on your topic with your link. For instance, I might post something like “For 3/20, I found three resources related to The Gettysburg Address.”

Choose the posts for 3/20 of at least 2 other people, and read their related blog posts. Add a response on G+ to their plans for Project 3. You can give them encouragement, share some ideas, ask questions, and so forth.

I want to make sure everyone gets a response, so please comment on the link of one person who hasn’t had any replies yet and one person who has had no more than 1 comment. You may read and share feedback with more than two people, of course. Participation and collaboration will help with this project.

Getting Help

I will be in sessions and presenting on Thursday, March 20, so I may not see any questions you have about this activity until late in the evening. Email me if you have a question, and I will respond when I can. Generally though, just do your best work. Guess if you’re not sure. You have until 11:55 PM on Saturday, 3/22 to get your blog posted. Be sure to email me your informal pitch by 11:55 PM on Sunday, 3/23.

Homework

  • By 11:55 PM on Sunday, 3/23, email me the details on your topic. Consider your message an informal pitch. Tell me your topic, the form/genre you have chosen, and anything else you think I should know about your choice. I want enough information to “approve” your topic and plan for the project.
  • Read Chapter 5 of Writer/Designer. Since you are working independently, you do not need to worry about the information in the reading on assembling and working with groups.
  • We will also talk about your pitches, which you will give on Thursday, 3/27, so review “Step 3. Pitch your project” from the project assignment (and the related pages in the textbook).

 
Last updated on 14th March, 2014, 11:23 PM

Class Notes

Making Choices for Project 3

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You Chose Wisely, from Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeBecause I will be in Indianapolis, class is working online this week (3/18 and 3/20). Office hours are canceled for this week.

For Tuesday, March 18, you will focus on what you will do for Project 3 (the content) and how you will do it (the form and design). At the end of your work for this session, you should have completed the project’s “Step 1. Choose a story.” You can look back at the description of Step 1 in the assignment for tips on focusing your ideas. Here are the tasks that I want you to complete for Tuesday, March 18

Reading

Read Chapter 3 of Writer/Designer. For Tuesday, you will focus on everything but “The Pitch.” We’ll come back to that idea later, but go ahead and read it all now.

Thinking and Planning

If you haven’t thought about your project over break, spend some time doing so now. You need to choose a story and decide on the kind of project you want to make.

If you are having difficulty deciding how you want to retell your story, check out the list of Story Remix Possibilities. It is not an exhaustive list. There are many more possibilities. If you want to add ideas to the list, you can add a comment to that post.

Writing

You need to write a blog post about the decisions you’ve made so far and what you were thinking as you made them. What you write for 3/18 should help you as you plan the pitch you will present on 3/27. As I explained before break, your blog post for each class needs to have two parts: (1) What I Did, and (2) Why I Did It. Here’s what I will be looking for in each section of your blog post:

    • What I Did
      Tell us what story you have chosen to focus on (the content), and tell us you how you will do it (the form and the design). If you have done extra work to choose your story or look at alternatives, you can list or describe that information here too.
    • Why I Did It
      You can subdivide this response into two parts. First, tell us why you chose the story you did and why are focused it the way you have.
      Second, tell us why you have chosen the form and design you have. Think back to the list of modes in Chapter 1—linguistic, visual, aural, spatial, and gestural—and the design choices in Chapter 2—emphasis, contrast, organization, alignment, and proximity. Apply any of those ideas as you describe and explain the reasons for your choices.

Some tips for your blog post

  • Some of the WordPress themes are not displaying the HTML tables properly, so if you run into trouble just use headers for this week.
  • Don’t stress about your posts. They don’t need to be perfect. They are public, so make sure you write things you are comfortable with others reading—but don’t spend hours writing them. I would expect you to spend no more than 15 to 20 minutes writing (30 as the absolute maximum if you have lots to say).
  • If you’re not sure about something, make your best guess. Try your best, and you’ll be fine.
  • Your choices are not permanent. If you realize later in the week or even next week that you need to change something about your focus, the form, or the design, you can adjust. People often need to revise their plans once they have begun work on a project.

Sharing

Once you have written your blog post, add the link to your blog post for Tuesday in the Project 3 discussion area. To help organize the posts, add the date and a few words on your topic with your link. For instance, I might post something like “For 3/18, I am focusing on the story of The Gettysburg Address.”

Choose the posts for 3/18 of at least 2 other people, and read their related blog posts. Add a response on G+ to their plans for Project 3. You can give them encouragement, share some ideas, ask questions, and so forth.

I want to make sure everyone gets a response, so please comment on the link of one person who hasn’t had any replies yet and one person who has had no more than 1 comment. You may read and share feedback with more than two people, of course. Participation and collaboration will help with this project.

Getting Help

I will be on the road Tuesday, March 18, so I may not see any questions you have about this activity until late in the evening. Email me if you have a question, and I will respond when I can. Generally though, just do your best work. Guess if you’re not sure. You have until 11:55 PM on Wednesday, 3/19 to get things done.


 
Last updated on 14th March, 2014, 11:25 PM

Class Notes

Story Remix Possibilities

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I’m still adding possibilities to this list, but I wanted to put it online to help you begin thinking about your projects. If you have an idea to add to the list, post a comment.

You are free to choose whatever genre and format you want to use for your remixed story. The only requirements are that your project needs to be digital, it needs to be published online, it needs to use at least three modes of communication.

Because the options are so open, I wanted to provide some example ideas for you. This is not an exhaustive list, just a collection of ideas.

  • a series of cartoon animations
  • a series of comic strips or a graphic novel
  • a video
  • a digital scrapbook
  • a documentary video
  • an online museum display
  • a Harry Potter-style newspaper (with embedded videos/images)
  • a Facebook-style profile and timeline
  • a series of text messages or Tweets from characters in the story
  • “live” blogging of an event from the story by a character/participant
  • a collection of digital artifacts found on a character’s USB drive (e.g., letters, “to do” lists, data, and poems written by the character for his or her eyes only)
  • an episode of a reality TV show
  • a video of the story told in a different genre (like this example for The Shining or this version of WILLY WONKA – Recut Horror Trailer or Frozen Reimagined as a Horror Movie)
  • a photo essay
  • documentation or instructions

 
Last updated on 20th October, 2014, 10:44 AM