Assignment Due Friday February 13 at Midnight

 

Overview: Constructive analysis and critique; wish lists. FOR POSTING TO CLASS BLOG.

 

  1. First use the in-class handout and oral discussions to develop a critique of your own blogging so far.  Follow point by point the questions on the handout, using EXAMPLES from your own blog to illustrate your points. The idea is “see” your work from a distance in order to extend your repertoire of “moves.”
  2. Now add observations that surfaced in your group meeting—stuff not on the handout or just things you have come up with on your own.
  3. Look over the comments posted to ALL blogs in your group (if you’re stuck you can go outside your group—but try to stay in your group for now). Select two that in your judgment are useful because they will help the blog author shape the content or style of her/his blog. Be sure to quote the comment and explain why it’s a “blog-shaping” comment.  You can use your own comments if you think they’re good examples.
  4. What do you see on classmates’ blogs that you’d like to incorporate into your own? Do you know how?
  5. Read each others’ comments—you can learn a lot from other people’s self-critiques.

 

 

Assignment to prepare for Tuesday, February 17, at the beginning of class

 

Overview:  Post twice; comment on blogs in your group; hone with care your commenting style; work on your research and reading journals; view video on Picasa and select images; consider volunteering.

 

 

1. POST to your blog twice.

 

2. Focus on COMMENTING this week. How can you use COMMENTS to participate as a community member beyond complimenting, (which is also a good community building technique)? Commenting to participate sometimes means doing what the blog author asks you to, but not necessarily. It might mean taking the blog in an unanticipated direction. Your comments are a kind of authorship; they should have some power over the author, who should be taking them seriously. Comment once or twice on each group member’s blog.

 

3. Ready your research and reading journals for random collection. I’ll ask for some but not all—at least one from each group. This is to give you some feedback on how you’re doing on the journals—not to grade at this point.

 

4. Watch the video on Picasa found at http://picasa.google.com/

Download if you want this application.

Now gather about 5 images (these can be your own photos or collected; please note copyright if pertinent). Save these to your flash drives or (better) email them to yourself. You’ll need them in class.

Volunteers will lead you through a practice Picasa session. If you’re an old hand at this, come planning to help contribute your knowledge.

 

5. Consider the following and let me know:

 

NEED VOLUNTEER(s):

Creative Commons

http://search.creativecommons.org/

Your job is to make this site useful to class members, maybe using class blogs topics/themes as examples.

 

NEED VOLUNTEER(s):

Alternative Templates

Your job is to showcase your best picks for alternative templates compatible with Blogger, e.g., http://www.pyzam.com/ and others of your choice.

Job description: How to roam efficiently through these sites. How to import the code and troubleshoot incompatibilities.

 

NEED VOLUNTEER(s):

Advanced Image Editing

Are you somewhat competent in PhotoShop or other advanced image editing or drawing software? If so, develop a presentation geared toward novices who need more than Picasa or Picasa-like programs offer. I will need to find and load Department copies of the selected software on our projection machine—so I need prep time.

 

NEED VOLUNTEER(s):

Code

Your job would be to introduce basic HTML or CSS training for novices. Your presentation would be narrowly focused—providing a few principles but only enough to allow novices to spot and manipulate or add features pertinent to Blogger. Gear the presentation to the enthusiastic and intrepid novice. Use your practice blog to demo.

 

NEED VOLUNTEER(s):

Deep Blogger

Your job is to take classmates into some of the inner chambers of Blogger capabilities.  This would entail consulting with me and classmates about what features not readily visible will enhance your site or your writing process. Start with http://help.blogger.com/

 

 

What else would you like to know or present?