English 384:PQ - Writing for Electronic Media (Spring 2008)

Michael J. Cripps, Ph.D.

• Schedule
• Assignments
• Resources
• Course Blog
• Course Wiki
• Students

Schedule

Subscribe to the Course RSS Feed!

This schedule is subject to revision and alteration. We'll set up an RSS feed for the site. Subscribe to it and you'll get a notice when things get altered or added.

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May

January (Blogs)

January 29 - Let's Get it Started

• Course Introductions - Why are we here and what do we hope to learn? What are we going to learn? How can we get the most out of the course?
• Homework
1. Course Weblog Post 1 - visit Course Blog, login, post a comment (Need help? Find the Screencast in Resources)
2. Visit the Multimedia Lab (next to the TV Studio in 4M04) and spend an hour playing with a Mac. Go with a classmate.

January 31 - What is/are New Media?

• Michael Wesch, "The Machine is Us/ing Us"
• Homework
1. Complete Wesch Video Assignment
2. Read "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web" (Bernstein, 2002)

return to top

February (Blogs, Wikis & Web Dev)

February 5 - Blogging I (Let's get blogging)

• Discussion of Bernstein's "10 Tips"
• Homework
  1. Begin Major Blog Assignment by getting a Blogger Account, choosing a blog topic, and posting (Need help? Find the Screencasts in Resources)
  2. Post a reply to Cripps' Bernstein post on Course Weblog

February 7 - Blogging II (Feed your blog; subscribe to others' blogs)

• Build and Feed the Blog - Continue Blog Assignment (Atom Feeds & Feed Subscriptions)
• Homework
  1. Read "Good Blog Writing Style" (Lenssen, 2006)
  2. Continue Blog Assignment (make a post or two)
  3. Post a reply to Cripps' Lenssen post on Course Weblog

February 12 - Blogging III (Blog Writing Styles)

• What makes weblogs good?
• Homework
1. Read and respond to 3 peers' web feeds
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Continue Blog Assignment (make another post)

February 14 - Blogging IV (Blog Visual Styles)

• Continue Blog Assignment (Blogger Template - Individual Blog Mini-Assignment)
• Discussion of web feeds, blog topics, and comments
• Homework
1. Read "How to Write a Better Weblog" (Mahoney, 2002)
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Read peers' feeds, reply to two or three
4. Be ready to strut your blog stuff next week (no excuses!)

February 19 - Blogging V (Reflecting on and Showcasing Blogs)

• Discuss Mahoney
• Weblog Show and Tell
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Make another post to your own blog
3. Read "The Trouble with Standards" (Jeffrey Zeldman) - on reserve

February 21 - Personal Website I (Introducing the DW CS3 Interface)

• Dreamweaver CS3 - learning the interface
• Begin Personal Website Project
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts
3. Read "Omit Needless Words" (Steve Krug) - on reserve
4. Write Content for Personal Website Project

February 26 - Personal Website II

• Continue Personal Website Project (Peer Review of Personal Website Draft Text)
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Make another post to your own blog

February 28 - Personal Website III

• Continue Personal Website Project
• Dreamweaver CS3 - learning the interface
• Homework
1. Pour Content into Personal Website
2. Read "Basic Design Principles for Nondesigners" (Williams & Tollett) - on reserve
3. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
4. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts

return to top

March (Wikis & Web Dev)

March 4 - Personal Website IV

• Continue Personal Website Project
• Homework
1. Read "Billboard Design 101" (Krug, 2006)
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Make another post to your own blog

March 6 - Personal Website V (don't forget to keep working!)

• Continue Personal Website Project
• Photoshop - Scratching the Surface
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts
3. TBA

March 11 - Personal Website VI

• Continue Personal Website Project
• Homework
1. Read "Streetsigns and Breadcrumbs" (Steve Krug)
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Make another post to your own blog

March 13 - Personal Website VII

• Continue Personal Website Project
• Complete Dreamweaver Skills Test
• Homework
1. Take a look through the York College Art Collection PDF (find a favorite or two)
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts

March 18 - Major Website Project I

• A local field trip - York College/CUNY art collection
• Homework
1. Read "Print vs. Web and How it Affects Design" (Williams & Tollett) - on reserve
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Make another post to your own blog

March 20 - Major Website Project II

• Photoshop - Some Banners & Buttons
• Choosing Artists, forming groups, and brainstorming
• Homework
1. Wiki work for project
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts
4. TBA

March 25 - Major Website Project III

• Individual & Group Work - TBA
• Homework
1. Wiki work for project
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Make another post to your own blog
4. TBA

March 27 - Major Website Project IV

• Group Project Work - TBA
• Homework
1. Wiki work for project
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts

return to top

April (Web Dev)

April 1 - Major Website Project V

• Sharing drafts, art and artists
• Homework
1. Individual Work on Major Website Project
2. Group work on Major Website Project
3. Wiki work on project
4. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
5. Make another post to your own blog

April 3 - Major Website Project VI

• No formal class meeting! Groups meet and work in Multimedia Lab (details TBA)
• Homework
1. Wiki work on project (individual and group)
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts

April 8 - Major Website Project VII

• Group Progress Reports and roundtable discussion
• Homework
1. Wiki work on project
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Make another post to your own blog
4. TBA

April 10 - Major Website Project VIII

• Collaborative project (getting it together)
• Homework
1. Wiki work on project
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts
4. TBA

April 15 - Major Website Project IX

• Group Progress Reports
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Make another post to your own blog

April 17 - Major Website Project X

• Collaborative Project (getting it together)
• Homework
1. Wiki work on project
2. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
3. Reply to two or three peers' posts
4. TBA

April 22 - Spring Break!

April 24 - Spring Break!

April 29 - Major Website Project Launch!

• Launching the Major Website Project - reflections and revisions
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Make another post to your own blog
3. TBA

 

May (Web Dev & Showcase)

May 1 - Personal Website VIII

• Back to the Personal Website Project
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Reply to two or three peers' blog posts
3. TBA

May 6 - Personal Website IX

• Issues to Consider
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Make another post to your own blog
3. TBA

May 8 - Personal Website X

• Finishing Touches
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Reply to two or three peers' posts
3. Get those presentations ready!

May 13 - Presentations

• Personal Website Project Due!
• Homework
1. Make a post to Course Weblog (start a post or reply to another post)
2. Make another post to your own blog; reply to two or three peers' posts

Final Exam (TBA) - Presentations

return to top

Don't like the look? Restyle!
Wikiwiki | Escher | Cloisonne | The Blues | Negative | Skinless

cripps@york.cuny.edu  |  ac-2a02 |  718.262.2496  | tues/thurs after class