by on September 18, 2015

Portfolio Contents and Plugins

This is the post for the Friday, September 18, 2015 class meeting.

Blogging kitten, with a very photoshopped iBookI will use the 3844 Portfolio Demo site on Blogs@VT to provide examples.

Required Portfolio Contents

  • Posts: You will write at least two posts on topics related to your career goals and portfolio topic. You can choose relevant topics of your own, but there are some blog post topics if you need some ideas.
  • Pages: You will write the following:
    • an about page, where you tell visitors about yourself. You can revise your identity statement for this page.
    • a site information page (like a colophon in a book), where you tell us about the tools you used and the design decisions you made. Be sure that you give credit for any resources (like an image) that you use.
    • pages necessary for your portfolio, such as pages for your creative works or essays you have written.

Questions to Address

  • Will we be uploading documents (pdf) to showcase previous projects/accomplishments or will those be links? (Both? Depends upon your goals. Framing the materials in your portfolio is a good idea.)

  • How do you get a social media link in the social media link section? Like at the top corner, the kind that has an icon of the social media to click on and link to the site? (The exact solution depends upon your theme. Jetpack or other social media plugins can help.)

  • How do you remove pages from sidebar? (Appearances –> Widgets, and drag it out)

  • How do you get rid of the “Leave a Reply” option taking up the bottom of my page? (Turn off comments. Check Settings –> Discussions, and also turn off comments by Quick Editing the page.)

  • My menus aren’t showing up the way I set them. (You probably need to check a box on the Appearances –> Menus page that says either Main Navigation or Primary Menu.)

Using Plugins

  • Go to the Plugins tab on the left to see the tools that are available.
    • Browse the list and try any that are interesting to you.
    • Try the Visit plugin site link for more information on them.
    • Avoid any that require a premium ($$$) upgrade.
  • Consider adding the JetPack plugin if you want to include a Contact Form on your site. It requires a little work to set up, but offers some useful options.

In-Class Writing

Go to Quizzes in Canvas and choose the "Portfolio Plugins" quiz to let me know what you have done so far and outline what you still have to do.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "Portfolio Plugins" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5 PM Sunday (9/20).
  • Look for your name in the "List of Authors" in the left sidebar of the class megablog. Click it and then click on the Read More link (if there is one). If your name is missing or the links don’t work, please email me the link to your portfolio and tell me what’s broken.

For Monday’s session (9/21), do the following before class:

  • Moving this to 9/30 Read Chapter 1 of Writer/Designer so that you are familiar with the terms we’re using in class as we discuss multimodal projects and how the modes of communication apply to your portfolio site.
  • Have some content that you want to include in your portfolios, like PDFs of essays, videos you’ve made, poems you’ve written, etc.
  • Review the Ten Design Tips, which we will apply as we talk about building pages and resources for your site.

For Wednesday’s session (9/23), do the following before class:

  • Be ready to share your portfolio in class for peer review. We will use the Peer Review tools in Canvas.

 
Last updated on 18th September, 2015, 2:06 AM
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by on September 16, 2015

Portfolio Layout and Appearance

This is the post for the Wednesday, September 16, 2015 class meeting.

Doge Meme with WordPress phrasesFor extra help with the features we are covering today, watch the lynda.com videos on “Changing the Appearance of Your Site” (39m 36s), which covers themes, menus, and widgets.

I will use the 3844 Portfolio Demo site on Blogs@VT to provide examples.

Adding Images

We’ll make a temporary change to your Site Info page. You can remove the image after you test how the process works.

  • Go to the Pages tab on the left and then choose All Pages.
  • Find your Site Information page, and click Edit.
  • Click the Add Media button at the top (between the title and the toolbar).
  • Click Upload Files.
  • Navigate to your image (or drag it into the window), and click Open to upload it.
  • Click the Insert into Page button to add it to your Site Information page.
  • Click on the image to bring up buttons to change how it appears on your page.
  • Be sure to Update the page to save the changes.

Creating Some Placeholder Pages

Use the outline that you created for homework to create some basic pages for your site.

  • Go to the Pages tab on the left and then choose Add New.
  • Use the titles you have on your outline. You will be able to change these later if necessary.
  • In the body, add some temporary text. You will update the page later.
  • Click the Publish button in the right sidebar to save your page and make it live.
  • Repeat this process so that you have several pages to work with in the following steps.

Setting Up Menus

  • Go to the Appearances tab on the left, and choose Menus.
  • Give your menu a name. PrimaryMenu is a good choice.
  • Click the Create Menu button.
  • Change the Settings at the bottom if you like. I recommend clicking "Primary Menu" for Theme Location.
  • Select all the Pages on the left (these are the placeholders you made).
  • Click the Add to Menu button.
  • If desired, add any links as menu items (e.g., if you want your LinkedIn page as a menu item).
  • Customize your menu:
    • Drag the menu items around to get the order you would like. You can change these later.
    • Click on the downward-pointing triangle to change the text of the menu item or add a title attribute (pop-up text).
  • Click Save Menu button at the bottom right when you are happy with your arrangement.
  • Check the menu on your homepage. Made any adjustments that you like.

Choosing a Theme

  • Go to the Appearance tab on the left, and choose Themes.
  • Try the Live Preview to see test out a theme.
    • Use the available tools to try changes you’d like to make. Options will vary. Look for Widgets to change sidebars.
    • Use the Static Front Page option if you want to place a welcome page (rather than blog posts) on your homepage.
  • Choose the Save & Activate to apply the Theme and any changes you have made to your site.

Using Plugins

  • Go to the Plugins tab on the left to see the tools that are available.
    • Browse the list and try any that are interesting to you.
    • Try the Visit plugin site link for more information on them.
    • Avoid any that require a premium ($$$) upgrade.
  • Consider adding the JetPack plugin if you want to include a Contact Form on your site. It requires a little work to set up, but offers some useful options.

In-Class Writing

Go to Quizzes in Canvas and choose the "WordPress Appearances" quiz to let me know what you have done so far and ask any questions. I will address the questions in class on Friday.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "WordPress Site Address" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5 PM Thursday (9/17).
  • If you need help with your site, try the WordPress Documentation and FAQs. Try contacting 4Help if you need additional help outside of class. Also remember that you can use the step-by-step WordPress Tutorials & Training at Lynda.com.

For Friday’s session (9/18), do the following before class:

  • Begin adding content to the pages on your site.
  • Have whatever you need with you to spend most of the class period working on your blog.

For Monday’s session (9/21), do the following before class:

  • Read Chapter 1 of Writer/Designer so that you are familiar with the terms we’re using in class as we discuss multimodal projects and how the modes of communication apply to your portfolio site.

For Wednesday’s session (9/23), do the following before class:

  • Be ready to share your portfolio in class for peer review. We will use the Peer Review tools in Canvas.

 
Last updated on 16th September, 2015, 1:27 PM
Filed Under: Class Posts
by on September 13, 2015

Getting Started on Portfolios

This is the post for the Monday, September 14, 2015 class meeting.

Frog Meme, with caption, I find your WordPress site ribbiting.Today we’re diving into WordPress and learning about some of the features built into the publishing tools. By the end of today’s session, you should have created a WordPress site.

Creating Your Site

If you want to create a blog on a site other than Blogs@VT, hop to it. You are free to work at your own pace. Otherwise, follow along as we complete these tasks:

  1. Remember that your blog will be public, so think of a URL and a professional name that you can share with the world.
  2. Choose one of the following options, depending upon whether you have used WordPress.com before:
    • If you have never used Blogs@VT before, sign up for your own blog.
      • Enter a Username and Email address. Leave "Gimme a site" marked. Click the Next button.
      • Choose the Site Name (which cannot be changed) and Site Title. Leave everything else at the defaults. Click the Signup button.
      • Go to your vt.edu email address, find the activation email, and click the link inside to finish setting up your blog.
    • If you have used Blogs@VT before, log in.
      • Click My Sites at the top left side of the page.
      • Click the "Create a New Site" link.
      • Choose the Site Name (which cannot be changed) and Site Title. Leave everything else at the defaults. Click the Signup button.

Setting Up the Basics for Your Site

  • Go to the Users tab on the left and then choose My Profile to update your profile and login information. You can change the way that your name is listed with each post, for instance. You can also change your password on this page.
  • Go through the Settings tab and update the information. In particular, be sure that you
    • Go to the General setting and fix the timezone. You can also change the Tagline here.
    • Go to the Discussion setting and decide when you want the site to email you.
  • Don’t worry about the appearance of your site for now. We’ll work on that Wednesday.

Creating Your First Page

  • Temporarily change the sidebar so you can get to your page easily later:
    • Go to the Appearances tab on the left and then choose Widgets.
    • Under Available Widgets (on the left), find Pages and drag it into the Widget Area.
    • Click the Save button. Now your Pages will show up in the sidebar. We’ll remove this later and create Menus.
  • Create your Site Information Page:
    • Go to the Pages tab on the left and then choose Add New.
    • For the "Enter title here" field, use the title "Site Information." You will be able to change it later.
    • Click on the Text tab if you want to code your own HTML.
    • In the body, tell readers about the name and tagline you have chosen for your blog, any other decisions you made, and anything you are considering or hoping to do. This is just a first draft. You will update the page later.
    • Click the Publish button in the right sidebar to save your page and make it live.
    • Go to your blog’s homepage, and click the link to your Site Information page in the sidebar to check your work.

In-Class Writing

Go to Quizzes in Canvas and choose the "WordPress Site Address" quiz to post the address of your WordPress site. I will use the link to check that you have your blog created, and to set up a megablog (sometimes called a motherblog) that includes everyone’s updates.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "WordPress Site Address" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5 PM Tuesday (9/15).

For Wednesday’s session (9/16), do the following before class:

  • Outline your site, either on paper or using something like Word. Account for the following in your outline:
    • The menus you want to have, and what kinds of information will go under them.
    • What will appear on your homepage (Will it be static or changing? Lots of images or lots of words?)
    • What artifacts of your work/qualifications do you want to include?
    • Features you saw on the sites you gathered as examples.
  • Continue taking (or finding) photos you can use to illustrate your blog. We’ll go over how to upload and insert images on Wednesday.
  • If you need help, try the WordPress Documentation and FAQs. Try contacting 4Help if you need additional help outside of class. Also remember that you can use the step-by-step WordPress Tutorials & Training at Lynda.com.

For Friday’s session (9/18), do the following before class:

  • Have whatever you need with you to spend most of the class period working on your blog.

For Monday’s session (9/21), do the following before class:

  • Read Chapter 1 of Writer/Designer so that you are familiar with the terms we’re using in class as we discuss multimodal projects and how the modes of communication apply to your portfolio site.

 
Last updated on 14th September, 2015, 2:58 PM
Filed Under: Class Posts Tagged With: , ,
by on September 11, 2015

Project 2 Overview

This is the post for the Friday, September 11, 2015 class meeting.

Project 2 Assignment

Dog at laptop keyboard, with the caption, I have no idea what i'm doing.We will go over the assignment for the second project, Building a Portfolio, and talk about the tools that are available for the assignment: a Blogs@VT site (recommended), a WordPress.com blog, or a self-hosted WordPress blog.

Portfolio Examples

We’ll get back into the same groups we used on Wednesday and look at one site from each of these collections:

As a group, analyze the positives and negatives, reflecting on the information we collected about good websites on Wednesday:

Be prepared to share three things you like about the portfolio your group examines and one thing you would change.

In-Class Writing

Go to Discussions in Canvas and choose the "Portfolios to Emulate" discussion. Follow the instructions to share the three sites you found for homework. You will make one post with your three site and then at least one reply to someone else.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "Portfolios to Emulate" discussion posts in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5 PM Sunday (9/13). Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown Sunday. If your holiday preparations will be in conflict, please talk to me before you leave the classroom today.

For Monday’s session (9/14), do the following before class:

  • Read through the assignment for the second project so that you understand the requirements.
  • We will work on setting up the WordPress sites on Monday, so begin thinking about a name and the kind of design you would like for your site. Think about what will be appropriate for your career goals.
  • Begin taking (or finding) photos you can use to illustrate your blog.
    • You can use your identity image for your About page, but you will need more images.
    • Take some photos (or identify photos you have already taken) that will work with the name and design you are thinking of and upload them to some place like Flickr or Instagram so you can get to them in the classroom.
    • If you find images that you did not take, ensure that they are licensed for your use and keep track of where you found them.
  • Note that by the end of Monday’s session, you should have a blog set up.

 
Last updated on 11th September, 2015, 1:14 AM
Filed Under: Class Posts Tagged With: ,
by on September 9, 2015

What Makes a Website Good?

This is the post for the Wednesday, September 9, 2015 class meeting.

Willy Wonka meme, with caption 'I love how your website is impossible to read on my smartphone.'Today we’ll begin work on Project 2, which means we’ll be talking about effective websites. I’m still grading your first projects.

Discussing What Makes a Website Good

To get started, let’s brainstorm about what makes a website “good” using Padlet:

Based on the information from the lynda.com videos you watched for homework and your own experience, post one or two things about how websites work.

After everyone posts on Padlet, we’ll establish some guidelines for the web portals that you will make, and apply the criteria to some example websites (found via WebsitesThatSuck.com):

Homework

  • Find three portfolio-style sites that you like and want to emulate. Find sites where they show their work and/or their qualifications in their field. Some examples:
    • If you are a creative writer, look for the websites of some writers you admire. Be sure you admire the website. Admiring the writer is optional.
    • If you are a journalist, look for the homepage of some journalists.
    • If you are a teacher, look for the websites of some teachers.
  • One rule: Don’t choose any site of mine. I want to avoid any awkward strangeness.
  • Be ready to post your links and say what you want to emulate on Friday.

 
Last updated on 9th September, 2015, 9:37 AM
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by on September 3, 2015

Project 1 Presentations

This is the post for the Friday, September 4, 2015 class meeting.

Project 1 Rubric

May your upcoming Labor Day weekend contain no labor.I updated the numbers, and I think they may work. We’ll find out when I start grading this weekend. Remember that the standards won’t change, but the rubric’s appearance and numbers may.

Project 1 Presentations

You will have about two minutes each to introduce yourself to the class and say a few words about your image. We’ll follow the order in the Discussions thread.

  • Relax! You’re just talking to friends.
  • Make eye contact with your classmates (Don’t stare at me).
  • Tell us who you are.
  • Explain what your image depicts (if it’s not obvious).
  • Say a few words about why/how it represents you.
  • Make sure I give you a "Like" on your image. That’s how I’ll track who has presented.

Homework

For Monday (9/7), have a pleasant day off. Be safe! Go Hokies!

For Wednesday’s session (9/9), do the following before class:


 
Last updated on 3rd September, 2015, 8:15 PM
Filed Under: Class Posts Tagged With: ,
by on September 2, 2015

Peer Review and Submission for Project 1

This is the post for the Wednesday, September 2, 2015 class meeting.

Project 1 Rubric

Peer Review Cat Tears Ur Paper ApartI have added a rubric to the assignment in Canvas. As I begin using the rubric to grade your work, I may need to change the way it’s set up. It’s hard to tell whether it’s a workable tool in Canvas without using it.

So far I have figured out that I have to put numbers into the rubric for it to work, even though I’m not using the rubric in the traditional way. Pay no attention to the numbers. The rubric is not going to add up to your grade. Instead I’m going to look at whether you have met the requirements established for each grade level.

Bottom line: The standards won’t change. The information on the Assignment page is correct and that’s the guidelines I will use as I look at your work.

Upload IconSubmitting Your Project

Submitting your work in Canvas is similar to Scholar. Follow the submission instructions to make sure you upload your work, add the reflection comments, and submit your work.

Submitting Your Image for Your Presentation

Icon of a person giving a presentationYou will need to upload your image before you can embed it in the Discussion for Friday’s presentations. Be sure that your image appears in your reply, and not a link to your image.

Follow the instructions for Submitting the Image to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Peer Review Activity

Today’s peer review is just a short activity where you look over each other’s papers. You will provide each other verbal feedback. Please complete these steps:

  • Pair up with someone else in class. You may have to work in threes if there are an odd number of people in class.
  • Share your projects with one another, using whatever method is easiest. You can probably simply read one another’s screens.
  • Provide feedback on the following:
    • Check the title of the file and document. Let your partner know if it is unique, clear, and effective.
    • If you notice any spelling errors, punctuation errors, or typos, point them out, but please focus more on the content rather than editing.
    • Look at the image and the explanatory statement. Comment on at least three things your classmate does well and at least three things that your classmate could improve on.
  • Be sure you end your conversation with a bit of encouragement.
  • Make any corrections or changes that you want to improve your work before submitting it.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t post your image to share in the "Self-Introduction and Image Presentation" Discussion in Canvas in class, please use the grace period to finish by 11:59 PM on Thursday, 9/3. Follow the instructions for Submitting the Image.

For Friday’s session (9/4), do the following before class:

  • Be prepared to introduce yourself to the class and explain/comment on your Project 1 image. You will have two minutes maximum. This is a low-stress presentation. You’re just telling everyone who you are and a bit about what you care about as a student or writer.

For Monday (9/7), have a pleasant day off. Go Hokies!

For Wednesday’s session (9/9), do the following before class:


 
Last updated on 2nd September, 2015, 1:14 AM
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by on August 31, 2015

Creating Your Identity Image

This is the post for the Monday, August 31, 2015 class meeting.

I think this might be Photoshopped memeFor today, you watched “Images and Words” from Foundations of Layout and Composition with Sean Adams. You will apply the information in those videos as you look at examples and create your own image, but first we’ll go over some design tips and look at some example images.

Ten Design Tips

You can learn more about how to use design elements to to make your project visually appealing and easy to read by working through these Ten Design Tips and the related Lynda.com videos.

Example Images

These example images were created by students who took the course in the Spring. Their assignment was slightly different from yours, since they were focusing on who they were online. Your images and explanatory text will have a different focus, since you are introducing yourself to the class and to the world once you incorporate the piece into your portfolio site.

As you create your image, try to think about your perspective on the world as it relates to your portfolio. So, for instance, if you are pre-ed, you might have an image that relates your attitude about education, teaching, or students. If you are a poet, your image might be about writing, poetry, or even an abstract concept like beauty.

Your image can be a self-portrait, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be a photo or a drawing. Anything goes as long as it represents you in some way.

Editing Images

  1. PicMonkey logoGo to PicMonkey.com. It’s a free site, and it does not require a login.
  2. Watch for the crown logo, which represents Royale upgrades that you would have to pay for. Don’t waste time on them.
  3. Make sure you have a backup of your original image and that the image is available on your computer.
  4. Choose Edit and then upload your image.
  5. Crop out any distractions in the background so that the image focuses on the main point.
  6. Edit the image as you like, adding filters, special effects, and so forth.
  7. Add text to the image that complements the image and helps communicate the message you are making.
  8. Save your image with a new name and make a backup.

We are using PicMonkey in class because it’s easy and free. You can use whatever image editor you like for the image you create for Project 1. Regardless of the tool you choose, you need to crop out distractions and add some text to your image. See the documentation for the tool you have chosen if you need help.

In-Class Writing

All you have to do is upload the image you worked on in class for credit. Go to the Quizzes tool in Canvas and take the "Image Editing" quiz. You can add an optional comment if you want/need to tell me anything about your image.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "Image Editing" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5 PM Tuesday (9/1).

For Wednesday’s session (9/2), do the following before class:

  • Aim to have a draft of your image and text ready to share in class. We will spend part of the session on peer review and part talking about how to submit your work and the reflection comments. You will post your image to share in the "Self-Introduction and Image Presentation" Discussion in Canvas by 11:59 PM on Thursday, 9/3.

For Friday’s session (9/4), do the following before class:

  • Be prepared to introduce yourself to the class and explain/comment on your Project 1 image. You will have two minutes maximum. This is a low-stress presentation. You’re just telling everyone who you are and a bit about what you care about as a student or writer.

For Monday (9/7), have a pleasant day off. Go Hokies!

For Wednesday’s session (9/9), do the following before class:


 
Last updated on 30th August, 2015, 10:49 AM
Filed Under: Class Posts Tagged With: , ,
by on August 28, 2015

Intro to Online Identity

This is the post for the Friday, August 28, 2015 class meeting.

Discussing Today’s Texts

dogontheniternetFor today, you watched Sections 1 and 2 from Personal Branding Basics with Lorrie Thomas Ross. These videos relate to the branding you will do as you create an academic portfolio for yourself.

To begin our discussion of the videos, we’ll use an anonymous online whiteboard to brainstorm some ideas. Go to the Padlet for your course and add some short responses to the framing question there, “Based on the videos you watched, brainstorm some ways you can build or improve your identity online. Arrange your ideas under one of the two general kinds of portfolios you can work on: academic writer or professional writer.”

We will discuss the patterns we find and how they relate to the different kinds of portfolios you can create for this course.

Overview of Project 1

For Project 1, you will create a statement of some aspect of your identity using an image and a short explanatory statement. The assignment includes all the details for the project, which is due Wednesday, September 2, with a presentation of your image in-class on Friday, September 4.

In-Class Writing

Go to the Quizzes tool in Canvas and take the "Project 1 Audience and Goals" quiz. You will tell me about your goals and audience for the first project and your portfolio.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your "Project 1 Audience and Goals" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5 PM Sunday (8/30).

For Monday’s session, do the following before class:

  • Log onto Lynda.com with your Virginia Tech PID and password.
  • View the “Images and Words” from Foundations of Layout and Composition with Sean Adams.
  • Take a photo (or find one) that you can edit in class and have it online in a place where you can access it. It can be an image you want to use in Project 1, but it doesn’t have to be. Please choose something appropriate for the classroom.

For Wednesday’s session, do the following before class:

  • Aim to have at least a draft of your image ready to share in class. Ideally, you will have a nearly-finished draft of the image and your explanatory statement. We will spend part of the session on peer review, and part talking about how to submit your work and the reflection comments.

For Friday’s session, do the following before class:

  • Be prepared to introduce yourself to the class and explain/comment on your Project 1 image. You will have two minutes maximum. This is a low-stress presentation. You’re just telling everyone who you are and a bit about what you care about as a student or writer.

 
Last updated on 28th August, 2015, 9:43 AM
Filed Under: Class Posts
by on August 25, 2015

Introduction to Canvas

This is the post for the August 26, 2015 class meeting.

Technical Difficulties: We has them (a panda bear, hanging over a branch)Today we’ll focus on getting familiar with Canvas. Go ahead and login on a computer so that you can follow along and set up the tools for yourself.

Course Content Statement
This course may at times include things you might see or hear in an R-rated movie.

Canvas How-To: General Settings

  • Go to Settings (upper right) and then Edit Settings in the right sidebar.
    • Change your name, language, time zone, etc.
    • At the bottom, change to "high contrast" if you are having trouble with the color scheme.
  • Check the Ways to Contact in the right sidebar.
    • If desired, add other email addresses and/or texting. You can control what notifications go to each method.
  • Choose Notifications in the left sidebar. Notifications are settings for ALL of Canvas (not just this class).
    • Set up the notifications for each of the options. You can choose:
      • ASAP
      • Daily Summary
      • Weekly Summary
      • Never
    • Pay particular attention to Announcement notifications. I will use that tool for any last-minute or important announcements.
  • Choose Files in the left sidebar. This is an online dropbox location where you can save your files.

Canvas How-To: General Settings

  • Go to
    Courses & Groups in the menu at the top left.
  • Choose our class: Writing and Digital Media. You’ll arrive at the course homepage.
    • The course navigation is in the left sidebar, just as it is in Scholar.
    • Recent due dates and feedback are in the right sidebar.
    • The View Course Stream button takes you to a list of Activity Stream you can see in Facebook.
  • Click on Announcements in the left sidebar. This tool is similar to Announcements in Scholar. Click on the messages to read them. As noted above, I will use that tool for any last-minute or important announcements.
  • Use the From Scholar to Canvas – Tool Map to make sense of the rest of the tools in Canvas. We will use the following tools:
    • Assignments, which lists ALL of the activities (e.g., projects, quizzes, discussion forums).
    • Discussions, which are discussion forums. You will usually be working in a group based on your section.
    • Grades, which is the gradebook.
    • Quizzes, which we’ll use for in-class writing and short writing activities you do for homework.
    • Syllabus, which is a schedule of requirements (not really what I think of as a syllabus).

Canvas Discussion Practice

  • Go to the Discussions tool in Canvas and choose the "1,000,000 Words or Less" topic.
  • Follow the instructions in the topic to do the following:
    • Add your response and add any formatting that will make your writing clearer.
    • Like and reply to some messages from your classmates.

Homework

For today, please do the following:

  • If you didn’t complete your post and replies to the "1,000,000 Words or Less" topic in the Discussion tool, please use the grace period to finish by 5 PM tomorrow (Thursday, 8/27).

Before Friday’s session, please do the following:

  • Log onto Lynda.com with your Virginia Tech PID and password. (It’s free.)
  • View Sections 1 and 2 from Personal Branding Basics with Lorrie Thomas Ross (“Understanding Personal Branding” and “Establishing Your Brand”) — a very professional, career-oriented view of online identity. I will ask you to write and talk about the videos in class.

For Monday’s session, if you want to get ahead, do the following before class:

  • Log onto Lynda.com with your Virginia Tech PID and password.
  • View the “Images and Words” from Foundations of Layout and Composition with Sean Adams.
  • Take a photo (or find one) that you can edit in class. It can be an image you want to use in Project 1, but it doesn’t have to be. Please choose something appropriate for the classroom.

 
Last updated on 25th August, 2015, 11:26 PM
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