English 121.14:  Effective Writing II

Schedule of Readings and Assignments

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This schedule is subject to change during the semester.  Check the electronic version frequently for updates.  NOTE:  LTS = Hawisher and Selfe, Literacy, Technology, and Society; CE = Thiroux, The Critical Edge

Note on meeting place:  We will meet most of the time in Anderson 001, the computer classroom.  Where noted on the schedule, however, we will meet in Main 212.

Week 1:  introductions

M 8/30  Main 212
• Introduction to the course and the computer classroom
• Begin thinking about your introductory essay.  Here you can read the directions for the essay.
W 9/1
• Introduction of the electronic bulletin board (EBB for short)
• LTS:  Sproull and Kiesler, 87-95
• Read the core rules of netiquette
• You should be working on your introductory essay due Friday.
F 9/3
• We'll finish your introductory essay and post it to the EBB here.
• Today we will vote on which chapters of LTS to read, so come to class having read the chapter overviews.

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Week 2:  critical thinking and the web

M 9/6  Labor Day
W 9/8  Main 212
• LTS. Social Issues and Technology: Elmer-DeWitt, "Welcome to Cyberspace" (4); Kadi, "Welcome to Cyberia" (37); Winner, "Mythinformation" (42)
• Post a comment or questions about today's LTS reading
• Come to class having read your classmates' introductions.
F 9/10
• CE: Chapter 3, Critical Thinking and the Internet, 45-70
• LTS: Appendix A, How to Look at an Image, 579-80
• Some additional images and questions (not in the book) for chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Discussion of website evaluation assignment
• Today's presentation

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Week 3:  the research process--summary, paraphrase, quotation

M 9/13
• CE: Chapter 1, The Writing and Research Process, 1-24, and from Chapter 8, Citing Sources in Your Writing, 182-85
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing, from the Purdue OWL
• Today's presentation
W 9/15  Main 212
• LTS.  Social Issues and Technology:  Silberman, "We're Teen, We're Queer . . ." (58); Images of Social Issues and Technology (64); Gill, "Terror On-Line" (76); Gibson, "Johnny Mnemonic" (111)
• Come to class having read class questions and comments about last week's LTS essays
F 9/17  Main 212
• LTS.  Education and Technology:  Strassmann, "Information Systems and Literacy" (134); Apple, "The New Technology . . . " (160); Gelernter, "Unplugged" (179); Images of Education and Technology (195)
• Post a comment or question about this week's LTS reading

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Week 4:  finding information

M 9/20  FHG Library 309
• CE: Chapter 5, Researching, 91-112
• Library Tour with Dick Swain: meet in FHG Library 309
W 9/22  Main 212
• LTS.  Education and Technology: Kantrowitz, "The Information Gap" (212); "A Note from the Future" (215); Bennahum, "Fly Me to the MOO" (217); Murphy, "Virtual Time Computer-Mediated Distance Learning . . . " (239)
• Come to class having read class questions and comments about last week's LTS essays
F 9/24  Main 212
• LTS.  Ethics, Law, and Technology:  Wiener, "Free Speech on the Internet" (270); Lemisch, "The First Amendment Is Under Attack . . . " (277); Levy, "Prophet of Privacy" (294); Images of Ethics, Law, and Technology (303)
• Post a comment or question about this week's LTS reading
• Website evaluation due

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Week 5:  exploring the perspectives

M 9/27
• CE: Chapter 2, Planning a Research Strategy, 25-44
• The Paradigm Online Writing Assistant's entry on exploratory writing.
• Discussion of exploratory essay
• By Wednesday's class, you must have posted your chosen research topic.
• Today's presentation
W 9/29
• LTS.  Ethics, Law, and Technology:  Kapor, "Civil Liberties in Cyberspace" (307); Branscomb, "Common Law for the Electronic Frontier" (315); Gibson, "Burning Chrome" (324)
F 10/1
• Field research:
• Observational Field Research
• In class, we'll get an introduction to social research methods by visiting Qualitative Measures, another portion of
• Trochim, William M. The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2nd Edition. Internet WWW page, at URL: <http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/kb/index.htm> (version current as of April 09, 1999).
• Formation of research groups
• Come to class having read all your classmates' chosen research topics
• Presentation for today and Monday

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Week 6:  argument

M 10/4
• CE: Chapter 4, Understanding the Research Process
• On compiling a research portfolio
• On constructing an annotated bibliography
W 10/6
• Writing Workshop on the Exploratory Essay:  Bring research and writing materials to class.
• In class reading:  NY Times article on MS and MIT
• An email about  DE at WCU and the accompanying plan
F 10/8
• CE: Chapter 6, Argument (113-125, 137-147)

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Week 7:  finding information II

M 10/11
• Searching the Internet more effectively
• Draft of exploratory essay due.  Post it on the EBB in your group's folder.
W 10/13
• Group review of exploratory essay: come to class with hard-copy critiques of your peers' essays.
F 10/15
• Class cancelled
• Work on revising your exploratory essay.

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Week 8:  documenting your research

M 10/18
• Basic Outline of a Research Report, from UFL's Dr. Creed Greer (Sociology)
• Discussion of argument essay and research report
• Revision of exploratory essay due
W 10/20
• CE: Chapter 8, Documentation and MLA Style, 185-99
• In class, we'll visit the website on MLA Style endorsed by the MLA
• Complete reading quiz in class
F 10/22
• CE: Chapter 9, Documentation and APA Style, 201-10
• FAQs about APA:  we'll look at these in class.
• Complete reading quiz in class

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Week 9:  research workshops

M 10/25

• Research workshop and individual conferences
• Situation Statement (Field Research) or Statement of Situation and Strategy (Secondary Research) due at beginning of class.
• Conferences for Ciunci through Gomez

W 10/27

• Research workshop and individual conferences
• Conferences for Hulnick through A. Roberts

F 10/29

• Research workshop and individual conferences
• Conferences for L. Roberts through Young

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Week 10:  the concept of hypertext and HTML

M 11/1

• Discussion of web project: purpose and design

W 11/3

• CE: Chapter 12, HTML and Hypertext , 253-64

F 11/5

• CE: Chapter 12, HTML and Hypertext, 264-82
• The basics of HTML

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Week 11: website design and editorial aids

M 11/8

• Draft of research portfolio or annotated bibliography due
• Group revision

W 11/10

• Final version of research portfolio or annotated bibliography due

F 11/12

• HTML design elements
• Web editors

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Week 12: the web project proposal

M 11/15

• The web project proposal
• Draft of argument essay/research report due.  Post on EBB in your group's folder.

W 11/17

• Group review of arguments/research reports.  Come to class with a hard-copy critique of your peers' work.

F 11/19

• Revision of argument essay/research report due.  Submit a word-processed file either through email or a disk.
• Group workshop on web project proposal

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Week 13:  web project workshop

M 11/22

• Incorporating tables and images into your document

W 11/24 and F 11/26:  Thanksgiving Recess

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Weeks 14 and 15:  web project workshop

M 11/29 - F 12/10

• Web project proposal due by class beginning on 11/29
• Web project workshop (more details later)
• Draft of web project due by class beginning on 12/6

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Final Exam:  in Anderson 019

• Final version of web project presented to class

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