This is the post for the Wednesday, December 9, 2015 class meeting, our last day

For Fun

Shakespearean Carols—Shakespearean plots + Christmas carol melodies

Presentations

10:10 class presentations will be from these folks:

• 10:15: Kaite
• 10:22: Jess H
• 10:29: Jessica V
• 10:36: Michael

11:15 class presentations will be from these folks:

• 11:20: Aidan
• 11:27: Paul (video)
• 11:34: Ali
• 11:41: Alexis

Complete a Short Survey

Please complete this 4-question survey to help me make decisions about how to teach the class in the future. You may need to login with your vt.edu email address and password. Your answers will not effect your grade in the course.

Remaining To-Do’s

1. Complete the SPOT survey if you haven’t yet.

2. Submit your remix by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 (end of grace period), following the instructions posted on November 30.

3. Take the final exam. The rubric for the final has been posted in Canvas. If your work is not submitted by noon on Wednesday, December 16 (end of grace period), you will receive a zero.

4. Watch your email for two announcements next week:
   • One will tell you when I have all the remixes graded.
   • The other will tell you when the course grades are finalized.
5. Remember that  I do not round grades and that I do not provide extra credit. The grade scale is on the syllabus.

Presentations

10:10 class presentations will be from these folks:

• 10:15: Morgan
• 10:22: Laura
• 10:29: Gregory (Fakebook page)
• 10:36: Jessica S.
• 10:43: Chris
• 10:50: Chase

11:15 class presentations will be from these folks:

• 11:20: Rachael
• 11:27: Maddy
• 11:34: Josh
• 11:41: Tim
• 11:48: Alex
• 11:55: Nicole

Remaining To-Do’s

1. If you are presenting Wednesday, submit the link to your presentation in the "Remix Presentation" assignment in Canvas by 9 PM on Tuesday, 12/8.

2. Complete the SPOT survey if you haven’t yet. The Department uses your feedback to make 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.

3. Submit your remix by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 (end of grace period), following the instructions posted Monday.

4. Take the final exam. The rubric for the final has been posted in Canvas. If your work is not submitted by noon on Wednesday, December 16 (end of grace period), you will receive a zero.

Presentations

10:10 class presentations will be from these folks:

• 10:15: Amy
• 10:22: Caroline
• 10:29: Betty
• 10:36: Annie
• 10:43: open
• 10:50: Eric

11:15 class presentations will be from these folks:

• 11:20: Corrin
• 11:27: Hilary
• 11:34: Jess (alternate link)
• 11:41: Colleen
• 11:48: Erin
• 11:55: Matt (video)

Remaining To-Do’s

1. If you are presenting Monday, submit the link to your presentation in the "Remix Presentation" assignment in Canvas by 9 PM on Sunday, 12/6.

2. Complete the SPOT survey if you haven’t yet. The Department uses your feedback to make 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.

3. Submit your remix by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 (end of grace period), following the instructions posted Monday.

4. Take the final exam. If your work is not submitted by noon on Wednesday, December 16 (end of grace period), you will receive a zero.

11:15 class: Please log into your computer for today’s presentations. One of the presenters wants you to view her project at your own workstation.

Presentations

10:10 class presentations will be from these folks:

• 10:15: Lindsey
• 10:22: Anna Lynn
• 10:29: Jessica L
• 10:36: Laura
• 10:43: Diane
• 10:50: Griffin

11:15 class presentations will be from these folks:

• 11:20: Amelia & Kayleigh
• 11:34: open
• 11:41: Betty
• 11:48: Melissa (slides)
• 11:55: Anna

Remaining To-Do’s

1. If you are presenting Friday, submit the link to your presentation in the "Remix Presentation" assignment in Canvas by 9 PM on Thursday, 12/3.

2. Complete the SPOT survey if you haven’t yet. The Department uses your feedback to make 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.

3. Submit your remix by 11:55 PM on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 (end of grace period), following the instructions posted Monday.

4. Take the final exam. If your work is not submitted by noon on Wednesday, December 16 (end of grace period), you will receive a zero.

Today’s post covers your presentations, submitting your remix, and taking the final exam. Today is the last day you will have to work on Project 4 in class. After today, class sessions will be devoted to presentations of Project 4. I will not hold office hours today, so that I can go to the doctor.

PSAs

• Cringefest, Th, 12/3 at 7 PM. Newman Library, 1st floor Multipurpose Room
• English Dept Undergraduate Symposium, submissions open for Spring 2016

Presentations

Preparing Your Presentation

In-class presentations of Project 4 will take place from Wednesday, 12/2 through Wednesday, 12/9. The presentation page includes details on what you need to include.

You may prepare a slideshow about your project and/or show the project itself. The remote control clicker usually works with PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Prezi. Unfortunately, however, PowerPoint sometimes crashes on the Mac teacher station. Use Google Slides if you can.

Use what you know about multimodal composing to create a strong presentation. An average presentation would include screens full of text and lots of reading off of the screen or your notes.  A stronger presentation would use  the 1/1/5 organizational strategy (using no more than 15 slides to fit into the 5 minute timeframe). 

The Night Before Your Presentation

Submit the link to your presentation in the "Remix Presentation" assignment in Canvas by 9 PM the night before your presentation time slot, so that I can set up the post for the day’s class. There is no grace period for presentations, and there are no make-up presentations.

During Presentations

Please be polite and pay attention to your classmates. Provide positive and/or constructive feedback.If you are absent or not being respectful, you will lower your presentation grade.

Submitting Project 4

Follow these instructions to upload your work, add the reflection comments, and submit your work. The grace period for the project ends at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, December 9 (the last day of class).

1. Go to our course in Canvas.
2. Choose Assignments from the left sidebar.
3. Choose "Project 4: Remix a Story."
4. Click the big Submit Assignment button on the upper right. You’ll see this submission form:
   
5. Paste the URL to your remix in the Website URL box.
6. Type your reflection comments in the Comments…box (indicated by the orange arrow):
   • Tell me what grade you aimed for (e.g., I aimed for a B+ by including headings and …..).
   • Explain how you incorporated risk into the project.
   • Share anything else you want me to know before I grade your project.
7. Click the Submit Assignment button, and your work will be turned in.

Final Exam

Submission Dates

Official due dates:

• 10:10 course: Due by 9:45 AM on Wednesday, 12/16
• 11:15 course: Due by 5:25 PM on Monday, 12/14

End of Grace Period: If you need additional time, submit your final by noon on Wednesday, 12/16. If your work is not in by noon, you will receive a zero. Because I have to turn in course grades, I cannot extend the grace period beyond noon on the 12/16 unless you have a letter from the Dean of Students indicating extenuating circumstances.

Assignment

Your exam is a take-home, and it will consist of creating a revision and sustainability plan for your online portfolio site.

1. Begin by reading through the feedback that you received from your peer review partners on your project draft.
2. Review the rubric for the project in Canvas, and note places where you still need to work to meet your goals.
3. Think in particular about ways to improve your work. Even if your project seems done to you, you should think about what you can do to make it even better. Note that your effort throughout the project matters so find ways to use the remaining time on the project to improve your work.

Writing a Revision Plan

4. Based on your reflection, compose a revision plan for the project in your word processor, following the instructions on pp. 116-118 of Writer/Designer.
5. Include the link to the current draft of your project in your revision plan.
6. If desired, submit any additional materials that support your revision plan (e.g., a mock-up of a new section, a storyboard for a scene you will add, a chart showing a new design or structure).
7. Submit your word processor file and any other attachments in the Project 4 Revision Plan assignment in Canvas. You’ll find it on the Assignments page.

Expectations for Your Revision Plan

Average (C) Work: Your revision plan answers all of the questions included in the revision plan section of Writer/Designer. It provides simple, basic details on how you will revise the project. It sticks to more cursory changes to the project. For example, a cursory revision would focus on fixing typos and correcting some broken links. Your revision plan will show that you will put in an average amount of effort before you turn in the project.

Above-Average (B) Work: Your revision plan goes beyond simple changes and shows a concerted effort to rethink and improve the current draft of your remix. An above-average plan might talk about cutting or completely rewriting a section of the remix, redesigning the look and feel of a section, and/or changing the way images are incorporated. Your revision plan will show that you will put in a reasonable amount of effort before you turn in the project.

Excellent (A) Work: An excellent revision plan will talk not only about what changes you would make, but specifically how you would change things. Note that you may include whatever makes sense for your revision plan (e.g., a mock-up of a new section, a storyboard for a scene you will add, a chart showing a new design or structure). Your revision plan will show that you will put in a considerable amount of effort before you turn in the project.

Presentation Requirements

In your presentation, you will present your project, talking about what you did and why you did it. See "Reporting on Your Final Project" (pp. 132–133) of Writer/Designer for more information. It’s okay if your project isn’t quite finished on your presentation day. You will present whatever you have.

Your presentation should show off your project as you explain the following information:

• your rhetorical choices
• your design choices
• your modal choices
• how you took advantages of affordances
• how you worked around any constraints

Your presentation should be 5 to 6 minutes long. The time slots are 7 minutes, to allow for switching between presenters and presentation materials.

Preparing Your Presentation

You can show your presentation in whatever way makes sense for the genre you have chosen. Some people play their remix in completion. Others show only particular sections. You may choose particular sections and embed them in a presentation tool (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi) if you like.

Turning In Your Presentation Link

The day before your in-class presentation, submit the link to your presentation in the "Remix Presentation" assignment in Canvas by 9 PM the night before your presentation. I will use that link to prepare the post for the class session. Late submission will lower your presentation grade.

During Presentations

Please be polite and pay attention to your classmates. During presentations, you should not be fiddling around on your phone or computer. If you are, you will lower your presentation grade.

Likewise, you should be in class and show support and respect for your classmates. If you are absent or not being respectful, you will lower your presentation grade.

ICYMI: Presentation Sign-Up Is Monday

Presentation sign-up will be on Monday. Be in class and ready to choose your time slot when the sign-up form opens. In your presentation, you will show off your project, talking about what you did and why you did it. It’s okay if your project isn’t quite finished. You will present whatever you have.

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" as a Comic

Here’s a marvelous remix of T. S. Eliot’s "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" as a comic by Julian Peters. On the site, you will find a few other literary comics.

Work Day

Spend your time in class today working on whatever part of your project you need to. I’ll help with any questions. Remember that effort is part of the calculation for your grade, so be sure that you are working!

In-Class Writing for Friday

If you have not done so already, go to the "Rough Cut Progress" quiz in Canvas and explain the decisions you have made for your project. See the information on pp. 107–109 of Writer/Designer for help.

Homework

For today, do the following:

• If you didn’t complete your "Rough Cut Progress" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5:30 PM on Sunday, 11/15.

For Monday, do the following before class:

• Be on time for presentation sign-up.
• Be prepared to work in class.
• Read Chapter 8 of Writer/Designer. Pay particular attention to the information on presenting your "Reporting on Your Final Project" (pp. 132–133).

For Tuesday, 11/17, do the following:

• Post your Project 4 draft by 11:59 PM for peer review (no grace period). Peer review partners will be automatically assigned after midnight.

For Wednesday, 11/18, do the following:

• No classroom meeting. No office hours.
• Work online to respond to the two partners you have been assigned by 11:59 PM. Grace period ends 11:59 PM Thursday, 11/19.
• Allow 24 hours or so for me to respond to any email messages, since I will be busy with dental work and the aftermath.

For Friday, 11/20, do the following:

• No classroom meeting. No office hours.
• Write and submit your revision plan for Project 4 by 11:59 PM. Grace period ends 11:59 PM Sunday, 11/22.

For Thanksgiving Break: Nov 21 to Nov 29, have a restful, fantastic vacation.

Career Connections Attendees

Check in with me at the beginning of the session, so I’ll know you need to leave early.

Remix Rubric

I’ve added a rubric to the assignment in Canvas. The numbers may shift around slightly, after I test some scenarios. Notice that the project is worth 90 points. The remaining 10 points are earned for the in-class presentation in December.

Working On Your Mockup and/or Storyboard

Use your time during today’s session to finalize your mockup or storyboard. Use the examples and tools included from Wednesday’s class as you work.

If you already finished your mockup or storyboard, please work on other aspects of your project.

By the end of today’s session, you should have submitted your mockup and/or your storyboard in the "Project 4 Mockup/Storyboard" Quiz.

In-Class Writing

We need to complete this in-class writing slightly differently because of the many different ways you may have created your mockup or storyboard. Choose the option below that fits your work. When you click on the option, full instructions will appear. Follow them to submit your work:

• Website URL only
  1. Go to Assignments in Canvas.
  2. Choose the "Project 4 Mockup or Storyboard" activity, under the Participation, etc. heading.
  3. Click the big Submit Assignment button on the upper right.
  4. Click the Website URL tab, and you will see the form below on the page:
     
  5. Paste the link to your site in the Website URL field.
  6. Click the Submit Assignment button, and your link will be turned in.

• File upload only

  1. Go to Assignments in Canvas.
  2. Choose the "Project 4 Mockup or Storyboard" activity, under the Participation, etc. heading.
  3. Click the big Submit Assignment button on the upper right.
  4. Click the File Upload tab, and you will see the form below on the page:
     
  5. Click the Choose File button, and navigate to your file.
  6. Click the Add Another File link if you need to to upload additional files.
  7. Click the Submit Assignment button, and your work will be uploaded and turned in.

• Both website URL and file upload

  Canvas does not allow you to use both options at the same time, so you will have to write an extra document. Follow these instructions:

  1. Write a short memo in your word processor that gives me the URL. It can be very short and direct. Just give me the link and tell me what it goes to.
  2. Go to Assignments in Canvas.
  3. Choose the "Project 4 Mockup or Storyboard" activity, under the Participation, etc. heading.
  4. Click the big Submit Assignment button on the upper right. You’ll see this File Upload form:
     
  5. Click the Choose File button, and navigate to the short memo you have written.
  6. Click the Add Another File link to upload additional files.
  7. Once you have uploaded all your files, click the Submit Assignment button, and your work will be uploaded and turned in.

Homework

For today, do the following:

• If you didn’t complete your "Project 4 Mockup or Storyboard" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5:30 PM Sunday (11/8).

For Monday, do the following before class:

• Review the information on documentation for your projects in Chapter 4 of Writer/Designer. We’ll talk about finding assets, and you will create a documentation plan for your project.

Mockup and Storyboard Examples

These examples show the mockups and storyboards that students created for projects in the past:

• Harry Potter Timeline (infographic): Harry Potter Timeline and Mockup using Illustrator
• The Nutcracker Toy Catalog (flipbook/magazine): Remix and Mockup using paper and pen
• Rose-Red and the Bear (video): Remix and Outline and Mockup using a text editor
• Ethereal Ariel (blog): Remix and Mockup using Frame Box
• Scooby-Doo in Retirement: Remix and Mockup using Wireframe (I think?)
• Cat in the Hat Goes College: Remix and Storyboard using PowerPoint
• A Midsummer Night’s Tweets: Remix and Storyboard using Storyboard That

Mockup 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.

Here are some possible tools:

• Mockflow
• Invision (30-day free trial) 
• Frame Box
• Pencil Project
• Wireframe.cc
• iPlotz
• Froont
• Codepen
• Gliffy (a flowcharting tool)
• mindmapping tools (like bubbl.us or Coggle).

Storyboard 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.

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 or a cartoon or timeline tool (listed in Monday’s post), take at look at these resources for creating and organizing storyboards:

• StoryboardThat
• Storyboard Generator
• Toon Boom Storyboard (30 day trial)
• MakeBeliefsComix
• Pixton
• Bitstrips

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 turn them in.

Backing Up Your Design

Many of the mockup and storyboard tools publish your design on their site. Just in case something goes wrong, I strongly advise you to print your work to a PDF, take a screenshot, or otherwise back up the mockup or storyboard that you create.

In-Class Writing

After you look at some of the tools, go to the "Project 4 Design Quiz" tell me the following:

• whether you will create a mockup or a storyboard (or both).
• which tool you will use. If you haven’t decided on a mockup or storyboard tool, you can explain why.
• any questions that have come up for you as you’ve worked on designing your project.

Homework

For today, do the following:

• If you didn’t complete your "Project 4 Design Quiz" quiz in Canvas, please use the grace period to finish by 5:30 PM Thursday (11/5).

For Friday, do the following before class:

• Friday will be an in-class workday, for creating/finishing your storyboards and/or mockups.
• Bring whatever you need to work on your project in class.
• Anyone signed up for the English Career Connection will be allowed to leave early, after I check in with you on your project.