Writing & Digital Media

This is the post for the Wednesday, October 26, 2016 class meeting.

Design Presentations

• 2:30 Class: Erin and Hayley
• 4:00 Class: Leah and Michael

Presenters: remember to add your document to the Design Presentation Assignment in Canvas.

Free Copy of The Passage for English Majors

All undergraduate English majors can pick up a free copy of Justin Cronin’s The Passage in the main office (Shanks 323).

The books are being distributed in anticipation of the Viral Imaginations events on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2017 (7:30 PM reading by Cronin on 1/31 and 7:30 PM panel discussion on 2/1).

If you already own a copy of the book, please do not take another. These volumes are first come, first served.

Setting Up GitHub Pages

We will work through the activities in the Adding to GitHub Pages Slides.

If you understand what we are doing and are caught up, please help others in the classroom.

Homework

• For Monday, 10/31, you need to

  • Complete Design Journal #10.
  • Note any questions you have about HTML/CSS.
  • Be ready for Halloween!
     

• For Wednesday, 11/2, you need to

  • Be ready to check in and work with your Writing Group.

This is the post for the Monday, October 24, 2016 class meeting.

Design Presentations

• 2:30 Class: Tai and Amanda
• 4:00 Class: Christian and Stephanie
• EXTRA: How to Make an Ear Prompter

Presenters: remember to add your document to the Design Presentation Assignment in Canvas.

Setting Up GitHub Pages

We will work through the activities in the Setting Up GitHub Pages Slides.

If you understand what we are doing and are caught up, please help others in the classroom.

Homework

• For Wednesday, 10/26, you need to

  • Practice editing HTML in Atom and uploading to your site.
  • If you have not completed the FreeCodeCamp tutorial up to “Use RGB to Mix Colors” in the HTML5 and CSS Module, do so.
  • Be ready to check in and work with your Writing Group.
     

• For Monday, 10/31, you need to

  • Complete Design Journal #10.
  • Note any questions you have about HTML/CSS.
  • Be ready for Halloween!

This is the post for the Wednesday, October 19, 2016 class meeting.

Design Presentations

• 2:30 Class: Kelsey and Laine
• 4:00 Class: Cassie and Riley
• EXTRA: HTML Ipsum

Presenters: remember to add your document to the Design Presentation Assignment in Canvas.

Final Exam

You read the assignment for homework. Questions? Concerns? Inexplicable panic attacks?

HTML/CSS Cheat Sheets and Docs

• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Tutorials, References, and Articles | HTML Dog
• HTML element reference – HTML | MDN
• CSS reference – CSS | MDN
• HTML Cheatsheet – Learning web development | MDN
• WAVE Web Accessibility Tool
• Paletton – The Color Scheme Designer

Additional Documentation

• Getting Started with GitHub Pages · GitHub Guides
• GitHub Help
• Atom Flight Manual

Writing Group Activities

For class today, you will begin with your writing groups and work according to the plans that you made last week. You can adjust the guidelines that your group created if necessary.

If your group decides to spend part of your time working independently, you can work on any of the following things:

• Add artifacts to your Working Project Portfolio.
• Write Design Journal #9, which is due on Monday. 
• Write Design Journal #8, if you are using the grace period.
• Update your Participation Log.
• Work on the FreeCodeCamp tutorials.
• Work on any of your projects.
• Talk to me if you need a conference. Sign-up on the board.

At the end of the session (yes, you need to stay and work the whole time), post your group’s 10/19 Work Summary. Only one of you needs to post for the group.

Homework

• For Monday, 10/24, you need to

  • Complete Design Journal #9.
  • Work through the FreeCodeCamp tutorial up to “Use RGB to Mix Colors” in the HTML5 and CSS Module.
  • Be ready for an introduction to GitHub Pages in class. Have all the accounts set up and the software installed.
     

• For Wednesday, 10/26, you need to

  • Be ready to check in and work with your Writing Group.

This is the post for the Monday, October 17, 2016 class meeting.

Design Presentations

• 2:30 Class: AnnRea and Josiah
• 4:00 Class: Layne and MaKenzie
• EXTRA: Ambient Mixer (article)

Presenters: remember to add your document to the Design Presentation Assignment in Canvas.

No Office Hours on Tuesday

I have a conflict on Tuesday, so I won’t be on campus. I have very limited hours on Wednesday because of a department meeting. If you need me, please email.

Getting Started with Webpages

We will work through the activities in the Beginning HTML Slides.

If you understand what we are doing and are caught up, please help others in the classroom.

Homework

• For Wednesday, 10/19, you need to

  • Read the Final Exam assignment, and note any questions you have.
  • Watch Learn Atom: The Basics (2h 2m on Lynda.com), for help with the software.
  • Download and install Atom (Mac & Win) on your computer.
  • If you do not have one, create a Github login, using your vt.edu email address.
  • Be ready to check in and work with your Writing Group during the entire period.
     

• For Monday, 10/24, you need to

  • Complete Design Journal #9.
  • Work through the FreeCodeCamp tutorial up to “Use RGB to Mix Colors” in the HTML5 and CSS Module.
  • Be ready for an introduction to GitHub Pages in class. Have all the accounts set up and the software installed.

This is the post for the Wednesday, October 12, 2016 class meeting.

Design Presentations

• 2:30 Class: Casey
• 4:00 Class: none
• EXTRA: No One Writes Alone

Presenters: remember to add your document to the Design Presentation Assignment in Canvas.

Adding Files to Your Working Project Portfolios

Place all your working documents, drafts, prototypes, and the like in your Working Project Portfolio. It is a private Discussion in Canvas, which only you and I can access. It is set as a graded Discussion so that your posts show in my To-Do list.

Setting Up Writing Groups

Starting today, you will spend most of our class time working in writing groups. Today, your job is to set up the guidelines for your group, and begin sharing and responding to one another.

Post your guidelines in your 10/12 Work Summary in Canvas. Only one of you needs to post for the group. Be sure to post your summary before your group leaves for the day.

Homework

• For Monday, 10/17, in celebration of midterm break, nothing to read or watch. Complete Design Journal #8. We will begin work on webpages and websites in class.

• For Wednesday, 10/19, you need to complete several things:

  • Read the Final Exam assignment, and note any questions you have.
  • Watch Learn Atom: The Basics (2h 2m on Lynda.com).
  • Download and install Atom (Mac & Win) on your computer.
  • If you do not have one, create a Github login, using your vt.edu email address.

This is the post for the Wednesday, October 5, 2016 class meeting.

Independent Work

Instead of meeting in class, you can work on your projects independently. You can do any of the following:

• Watch Lynda.com videos. Add certificates to your participation log and assignments in Canvas.
• Gather sources and assets (images, sound effects, interviews, etc.).
• Work on your audio recording.
• Have a conference on your pitch (or anything else). Sign up and come to my office, Shanks 214.

Homework

1. For Monday, 10/10, read Chapter 6 of Writer/Designer, and complete Design Journal #7. We will talk about mockups and storyboards in class.

2. For Wednesday, 10/12, be prepared for mini-conferences with me and to work in class on any of the following:

   • your audio recording
   • your script(s)
   • your storyboard(s)
   • your mockup(s)

This is the post for the Monday, October 3, 2016 class meeting.

Design Presentations

• 2:30 Class: Caleb
• 4:00 Class: Michael A.
• Bonus: Things People With Anxiety Want Their Friends to Know
• Silly: Corgi on a Carousel

Help me grade your presentation! The day of your presentation, please either embed or link to your design document in the Design Presentation Assignment in Canvas.

Getting Credit for Outside Coursework

Add details on the outside coursework you complete to the “Other” tab of your participation log.

All evidence of your outside coursework is due by November 11. The grace period for adding your evidence ends at 11:59 PM on November 18. You can point to this evidence in your take-home final exam, where you reflect on your participation in the course.

Lynda.com Courses
When you get to the end of a Lynda.com course, add the PDF of your completion certificate to the appropriate assignment on Canvas. The details on how to find your certification of completion and save it as a PDF are included on the Lynda.com site.

FreeCodeCamp Modules
When you finish both the Getting Started module and HTML5 and CSS module on the FreeCodeCamp site, submit the link to your FreeCodeCamp profile in Canvas. Your profile shows all the work you completed and the date you completed it. You can look at my profile as an example, but realize that I have completed more courses than you need to.

Analyzing Audio Recordings

Today, we will return to our small groups. Each group will take a link and choose a recording or two to analyze. If you focus on one of the longer recordings, be sure to listen to the beginning and end. Add your notes to the slideshow for your class, and be prepared to introduce your audio clip and present your findings.

Audio Examples

1. Virginia Tech Huddlecast
2. A Touch of Tech
3. In the Loop
4. Work + Life
5. Hokie Hero

For more examples you can use as you plan your own audio project, look on NPR site, under the Programs and Podcasts tab.

Slide Shows

• 2:30 Class Audio Characteristics
• 4:00 Class Audio Characteristics

Script Resources

You do need to create a script (and later a transcript) for your audio and video projects. You can use whatever kind of scripting works best for you. You will turn in your scripts in Canvas as evidence of your preparation.

WATCH: Outlining vs. Scripting Your Show (2m 15s)

Other Resources

• Script Writing for Nonfiction Video (1h 46m)
• Video Script Writing
  (1h 54m)
• Video Pre-production for Low-Budget Films (56m 46s)
• Storytelling for Business Video (1h 37m)
• How To Plan Your Podcast page

Homework

1. For Wednesday, 10/05, instead of meeting in class, you can work on your projects independently. You can do any of the following:

   • Watch Lynda.com videos.
   • Gather sources and assets (images, sound effects, interviews, etc.).
   • Work on your audio recording.
   • Have a conference on your pitch (or anything else). Sign up and come to my office, Shanks 214.

2. For Monday, 10/10, read Chapter 6 of Writer/Designer, and complete Design Journal #7. We will talk about mockups and storyboards in class.

This is the post for the Wednesday, September 28, 2016 class meeting.

Design Presentations

• 2:30 Class: Maury
• 4:00 Class: Lisha

Today’s Class Work

Today’s session is about getting work done. Here are the things you can work on:

• Have your Sources & Assets Plan set up and be ready to show me when I stop by your desk. See the Monday, 9/26 post for more information. Remember I just want to see that you have started and understand. The plan does NOT need to have scores of assets listed.

• Finish up your Formal Pitch if you have been using the Grace Period so that you can turn it in by 11:59 PM tonight.

• Create your PowerPoint movie and turn it in to the PowerPoint Movie Practice Discussion.

• Gather sources and assets for your projects and list them on your plan. You can search for still images, videos, audio, or websites that you can use in your projects or use as reference material as you work on your projects.

• Write Design Journal #6, which is due on Monday. Read through your classmates’ entries and leave comments or likes for previous entries.

• Update your Participation Log to reflect the ways you have contributed to the course and put in your best effort. You can list how you worked in class today, taking best advantage of the time, on the Other tab in your log.

Homework

1. The grace period for your formal pitch ends at tonight at 11:59 PM. The submission instructions are at the bottom of the Formal Pitch page.

2. For Monday, 10/3, watch Up and Running with Audacity (1h 49m on Lynda.com), and complete Design Journal #6. Download and install Audacity (Mac, Win) on your computer as well. We will use it in class. If you want to use an alternate tool, that is fine, but I won’t use it in class.

This is the post for the Monday, September 26, 2016 class meeting.

Design Presentations

• 2:30 Class: Morgan G.
• 4:00 Class: Katelyn M.

Finding Assets

Finding things you want to use in your project is easy. They are everywhere. Finding things that you can freely use without violating someone else’s rights is the hard part.

Intellectual property rights for your assets (the things you use to make a project) fall into three categories, all of which require documentation:

• Protected by Copyright—You will have to prove Fair Use or get permission. Use the Copyright Genie.
• In the Public Domain—You can use these freely, without seeking additional permission.
• Protected by Creative Commons—You need to follow the license. See p. 68 of Writer/Designer.

Use the Where can I find graphics that I can use in my projects? FAQ for links to public domain and creative commons assets.

Tracking Assets

As you find sound clips, video clips, photographs, and so forth to include in your projects, you need to track where they came from so that you can credit your sources.

Make a copy of the Project 4 Source List Template and track your sources there. See the assignment on pp. 62–63 of Writer/Designer (“A Multimodal Annotated Source List, Part 1”) for the information to include in your annotations. This document will be your Sources & Assets Plan, as noted in the Deliverables on the Major Projects Workflow page.

Practice with PowerPoint Video

Create a movie based on a PowerPoint slideshow with five or six free-to-use images, including the one you made last week, and a free audio track at http://dig.ccmixter.org (or a similar site). Share your movie in the PowerPoint Movie Practice Discussion. Remember to test your movie before submitting it.

If you are using PowerPoint for Mac 2016 (on the classroom computers), once you create your slideshow with transitions and audio, save it and quit PowerPoint. Launch Keynote on your computer, and open your saved PowerPoint file. Use the Export command on the File menu to create a QuickTime version of your slideshow. Save your PowerPoint and QuickTime files to a flash drive or email them to yourself, as they will be deleted from the classroom computer when you log out.

The grace period for this discussion ends next Monday, 10/3.

Homework

1. The grace period for your formal pitch ends at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, September 28. The submission instructions are at the bottom of the Formal Pitch page.

2. For Wednesday, 9/28, read the Graphics FAQ pages. Have your Sources & Assets Plan set up (see the Tracking Assets section above), and be prepared to work on your projects in class. I will check your plans in class.

3. For Monday, 10/3, watch Up and Running with Audacity (1h 49m on Lynda.com), and complete Design Journal #6. Download and install Audacity (Mac, Win) on your computer as well. We will use it in class.