Amanda's ENC 6421 Journal

2003-11-17T17:59:00.000-05:00

I need to look over the Engineering Innovation Proposals for Communications for Engineers. I can't assign grades but I can provide comments and suggest areas for improvement. The last five groups' presentations were outstanding. The PowerPoint presentations were very sophisticated and all the groups were prepared. All the groups answered questions with ease even when their classmates asked difficult questions. Their next assignment is the final copy of the campus directions assignment. Earlier in the semester the groups did not understand the point of the campus directions activities but now they seem to realize the importance of writing precise and clear directions.

2003-11-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

I checked out the Purdue OWL site for information on the technical resume. I'm working on a presentation outline. One excellent resource is the ResumeDo's and Don'ts. The list of Power Verbs is another useful resource. The site also provides various sample resume formats including the Chronological resume. Finally, the Developing a Winning Resume section provides basic resume information.

2003-11-09T13:19:00.000-05:00

The oral presentations went really well. The four groups that presented were very prepared. They all used PowerPoint, which was not a requirement. We had not even discussed PowerPoint in class but each group presented organized and effective PowerPoint presentations. I noticed that each group had one student who spoke more than the others, which was expected. The presentations were 18-20 minutes with a 10 minute question period after every presentation. The students asked a lot of thoughtful questions about their classmates' presentations. Each group member was required to answer at least one question. I was very impressed with the oral presentations and I can't wait for next week's presentations.

2003-11-08T19:41:00.000-05:00

I've been following two e-lists, WPA-L and TechRhet. On WPA-L there are numerous job vacancy postings but there is also a lot of useless information. TechRhet, on the other hand, includes many informative posts on new tools and technologies.

2003-11-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow the groups in Communications for Engineers will give oral presentations on their proposals. I'm excited to see their presentations, since many of the groups have developed creative ideas for the proposal. I expect all the students to do well. More than likely this is a population of students that's often been told they can't write well or they can't give a good oral presentation. Therefore, we hope to help them build confidence in public speaking. We've already explained to the students that the presentations will be relaxed and low pressure, so I hope they aren't too nervous. But based on their discussions in Blackboard I think most of the groups will be really prepared.

2003-11-06T16:42:00.000-05:00

I worked with Microsoft Producer today. I'm having trouble figuring out how to change the time settings on the screen movie. It set the duration of all the slides at 30 seconds and most of the slides will not require that much time in the presentation. I couldn't figure out how to change the duration of individual slides. Besides the timing difficulty, I really liked using Producer. It was really easy to import slides and create a table of contents, even without headers on the actual slides. I haven't tried to add audio yet, so that may present another challenge.

2003-11-02T15:05:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed reading the Bridging the Gap: A Genre Analysis of Weblogs article that Dr. Moxley distributed in class. This article, by Susan C. Herring; Lois Ann Scheidt; Sabrina Bonus; and Elijah Wright, provides a thorough introduction to blogging. The entire article is basically an extended blog definition, supported by data and statistics. I think this article would be appropriate for freshmen in Composition courses as an introduction to the genre and to interest them in blogging. The instructor could provide this article when introducing students to blogging. The diagram on page three explains the different type of blogs visually. I enjoyed reading all the statistics and learning more about what other bloggers are doing. The data is fascinating and I enjoyed determining where my blog fit in based on the statistics.

2003-11-01T15:54:00.000-05:00

I used the Gradebook feature in Blackboard for the first time today. It was very quick and easy to input grades and there were a lot of options to choose from. I like the Gradebook feature because I think it's convenient to have all course information in the same place (Blackboard).

Some of the groups in the Communications for Engineers class have not been very active on Blackboard lately. It's kind of disappointing especially in certain groups where a few of the group members are active while other members are silent and not offering input on the proposal assignment. Today in class we had the groups compile statistics on each member's Blackboard participation, including how many times each member had posted and the longest period of time between posts for each member. After reviewing the statistics, many of the groups seemed to see the issue. We also explained that Blackboard would be used to evaluate each member's contribution when determining final grades for the collaborative projects.

2003-10-30T17:44:00.000-05:00

I tried out RefWorks today. It is a convenient way to organize research and bibliography entries. RefWorks can be used by students in many different disciplines since a variety of bibliography formats are available. This would be an especially useful tool for freshmen who are just learning to write major research papers but it would also be convenient for students at all levels. I like that there are several different ways to enter references. References for different papers or topics can be stored in individual folders for easy access. There is an excellent tutorial with clear screenshots and concise step-by-step instructions. It seems easy to create a Quick Bibliography from the references. According to the tutorial, the student can simply choose a bibliography format and select the references to include. Also, the bibliography format can be easily changed. The Write-N-Cite feature creates a bibliography from citations in the text of the paper.

2003-10-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

The groups in the Communications for Engineers class I'm co-teaching have started work on the Engineering Innovation Proposal assignment. I have been reading their discussions on Blackboard and they have a lot of creative and interesting ideas. There was no class this past Saturday but the groups are still maintaining active discussions through Blackboard, which is surprising because so many of them were hesitant to use Blackboard at first. Each group has already negotiated and decided on an innovation to propose. Now they are dividing the sections of the proposal and conducting research. The group discussion board is a wonderful Blackboard feature because it provides a place for students to organize their discussions and allows the instructor to monitor group discussions in order to determine if all members are actively participating.

2003-10-17T18:15:00.000-05:00

I think I want to create a screen movie using Microsoft Producer. I checked out the Microsoft website, where you can download Producer for free. One drawback is that you need a license for PowerPoint 2002 in order to download Producer and it requires PowerPoint 2002. Producer has so many excellent features including the capability to create an automatic table of contents (sounds similar to the table of contents feature in Brainshark), integrate live captures, import presentations directly into a FrontPage website, etc. The site also includes a link to the Producer Publishing and Deployment Guide, which provides a basic overview of Producer (created by Approach, a digital media consulting firm).

2003-10-16T18:03:00.000-05:00

I've been working with PowerPoint this week and experimenting with some of the different features I've never used. College Writing Online provides links to several excellent PowerPoint resources. PowerPointers includes information on creating effective PowerPoint presentations. This site also discusses other aspects of preparing for a presentation that don't involve PowerPoint. Another great site is Using PowerPoint with Blackboard from Carnegie Mellon University. It discusses different possibilities for using PowerPoint with Blackboard, such as converting the slides to pdf or saving a presentation as html and also offers helpful strategies.

2003-10-13T12:11:00.000-05:00

I tried out PH Words today. I think it would be a great tool to use in a composition course. There are several tools in PH Words that could enhance instruction. The sections on Essay Development and Research are very informative and would be relevant to a composition class. The Grammar Exercises are challenging and since they are specific to individual areas of grammar, students could focus more on the areas in which they needed the most improvement. The layout of PH Words, in the form of a syllabus, makes it organized and easy to navigate.

2003-10-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about the class I'm co-teaching! The students are really improving and they are finally starting to see it. They seem to enjoy the writing they're doing in the class. This week they will start working on their first major writing project, a proposal, in Blackboard. Their first assignment, a resume and cover letter, was individual but the proposal will be collaborative. I think it will be interesting to see if group dynamics change since they will be working on a major project instead of weekly participation exercises.

2003-10-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

I've been working with Wikis for a while now and I definitely prefer using the Sushi Wiki. First of all, it is so easy to cut and paste work from Word or other programs into the Wiki. I think it is also easier to make changes to the Sushi Wiki. Plus, it seems like every time I work with Open Wiki it generates an error when I attempt to save my work. However, in the many times I have used Sushi Wiki I have not had a problem with errors...yet. Another aspect of Sushi Wiki that I really like is not having to look up Wiki codes for bulleted lists, tables, hyperlinks, etc. I know one of the ideas behind the Wiki is to learn and use these codes, but I really appreciate the convenience of the Sushi Wiki. I am fascinated by Wikis because they facilitate collaboration and it's really hard to lose information as long as it is saved. One of the best features is the ability to view recent changes in case a page is erased or just needs to be restored to a former version.

2003-10-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

The e-portfolio resources link on the syllabus provides excellent information on developing and maintaining web portfolios. There are links to different college and university web sites with information on e-portfolios. Many of these sites include sample web portfolios. The University of Pennsylvania site includes a helpful section on Content and Design Strategies. The University of Texas at Austin site is also very informative. Their guidebook for creating a web portfolio discusses the types of material to be included in a teaching e-portfolio.

2003-10-05T21:06:00.000-05:00

According to Charles Moran's article "Access: The 'A' Word in Technology Studies"(from Passions, Pedagogies, and 21st Century Technologies), "...we in the computers-and-writing community know that there are haves and have nots among us and our students, and we feel that the situation is getting worse..." (205). I think the issue of access is extremely important to consider, especially in freshmen composition courses. Students enter the university setting with differing expertise in technology, in fact, I'm sure many have never even used a computer. I know that when I was in high school, which was not long ago, that we were never required to take a computer class or use technology for any of my classes. Luckily I had access to technology and the Internet at home so I was prepared for college. However, I wonder how students who were not so fortunate are able to learn and use the technology. Therefore, many students enter the university at a disadvantage if they've not had adequate access to technology. Freshmen composition courses require students to be at least familiar with the Internet and other technology but what about students with limited access and experience? Those students will have more trouble using Blackboard and other Internet components of the course. After reading this article I am definitely more aware of the problems relating to access.

2003-10-04T17:22:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've ever mentioned in my blog that I co-teach a Communications for Engineers course on Saturdays...but I wanted to comment on some of my experiences today. I have been really impressed with the improvement in the students' writing and collaboration. Today we changed the groups around for a challenge and they worked so well in their new groups...they were able to negotiate the language and content for the directions assignment and all the groups seemed to get along without conflict. I guess I am just amazed and pleased at their progression, since this is the first time I have observed student interaction from the instructor point-of-view. I've also had the chance to work with Blackboard and explore some of the tools we've discussed in this class.

2003-10-01T21:02:00.000-05:00

I worked some with Adobe Photoshop today. I had never worked with this tool before so I enjoyed experimenting with the different features. I also went to the Adobe Photoshop homepage and found resources in the Adobe Photoshop Expert Center. It requires a login and password but registration is free. This is an amazing resource with tons of high quality tutorials on many different features in Photoshop. There is a section on "Web design and graphics" with a lot of detailed web design information. The tutorials are written at a more advanced level but they are clear and the screenshots are excellent.

2003-09-30T08:13:00.000-05:00

James Sosnoski's "Hyper-readers and their Reading Engines" (from Passions, Pedagogies, and 21st Century Technologies) clearly defines the idea of "hyper-reading". I was particularly interested in his discussion of graphics and hyper-reading. This aspect of hyper-reading relates to Gunther Kress's discussion of the increasing use of visuals in his article, "English at the Crossroads: Rethinking Curricula of Communication in the Context of the Turn to Visual". In his article, Kress indicates that visuals are an important part of writing because they often convey information or processes that cannot be explained in the text. James Sosnoski's article mentions the role of visuals in hypertexts, "In the construction of hyper (media) texts-regardless of their significance-graphics often play a more meaningful role than words." Sosnoski also notes, "Hyper-readers turn the graphics on web pages into virtual montages using conventions similar to cinematic ones (probably learned from countless hours of watching TV and film)."

2003-09-28T21:16:00.000-05:00

There is a link to IBM Web design guidelines at CollegeWriting. This is an extensive Web design resource for Web designers of all levels. The design section includes detailed information on navigation. Many of the sections contain informative graphics.

Another excellent design link, Dmitry’s Design Lab, contains 25 different tutorials on Web design. The tutorials are detailed and easy-to-follow. They contain graphics that illustrate the different Web design concepts. Tutorial 24, The Art of Animation, is great for those with little animation experience.

Finally, Graphics and Web design Based on Edward Tufte’s Principles, provides information on Web design with a focus on the use of graphics.

2003-09-26T16:27:00.000-05:00

More on usability...I found this link to one of Jakob Nielsen's past Alertbox columns, How Users Read on the Web, at CollegeWriting. This article was written in 1997 but I think the information and advice is relevant. The column discusses how users do not read web pages, they scan them instead. The site provides examples of improved web writing and concludes that a successful web page should combine concise text, scannable layout, and objective language for improved usability. Nielsen recommends using "highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others), meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones), bulleted lists, one idea per paragraph, the inverted pyramid style (starting with the conclusion), and half the word count (or less) than conventional writing" when creating a scannable web page.

2003-09-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

I was looking through the designing links and found an excellent design resource called the Web Style Guide, 2nd edition. It is a comprehensive resource that provides basic and straightforward information on many aspects of web style. Chapter seven, which focuses on graphics, discusses topics such as browser-safe colors, resolution, and graphic formats. Chapter four, entitled Page Design, includes resources on page layout, layout tables, frames, and consistency. I found this resource to be extremely helpful because the information is clear and the topics are relevant to users of different levels.

2003-09-23T10:24:00.000-05:00

I really enjoyed the readings in Passions, Pedagogies, and 21st Century Technologies, especially chapter four, "English at the Crossroads: Rethinking Curricula of Communication in the Context of the Turn to the Visual" by Gunther Kress. This article explores the emergence of the visual in English and its affect on traditional English studies. This is a relevant topic since almost all written communication depends on images and/or visual design to convey meaning. Kress compares two science textbook pages, from 1936 and 1988, to illustrate the transformation in the use and function of visuals. In the 1936 example, all relevant information is conveyed in the writing. The image only serves to reinforce the language and illustrate what is stated in the text. Therefore, the important information is only described through the written word. However, in the 1988 textbook page, the writing does not provide all the important information. The images explain concepts that cannot be clearly expressed through language. In this example, images also convey important information. According to the article, "the assumption is that some things are best done by using writing, and others are best done by using images." Writing and images have different functions in conveying information, "Language has-here at least-the functions of narrating (you did this, then you did that, (if) you do that), of pointing ("Here is a simple circuit"); and still, of describing/classifying ("Transistors are examples", "they are made from", "they are useful"). But perhaps the central aspects of information-what a circuit is like, how it works, what its components are-are now communicated by an image." Therefore, in many cases, visuals provide the most important information while the text serves to introduce and frame this information. Having a command of visual design and being able to effectively incorporate visuals into the written word is an essential skill for all students to obtain. The increasing use of visuals in writing cannot be overlooked when teaching students English.

2003-09-21T19:52:00.000-05:00

The article entitled Writing - and Revising - for the Web discusses the merits of using the web for writing and rewriting. The author, Laura Gibbs, provides examples from her own experiences in using the web to teach writing. She claims that students are more receptive to revising their work and that it is beneficial for them to see the progression of their writing throughout the semester. According to the article, "Since the web makes it so easy, many of the students spontaneously rewrite their stories, modifying and improving them just to get it right, not for the sake of their grade." The author also notes that the web component is especially beneficial for students who have difficulty writing. Finally, the article states, "By writing in this kind of environment, the students are free to experiment, to try different things, and to never get stuck in a writing rut." I definitely agree with the points made in this article, using in the web in a writing course adds dimension and options to both the teaching and learning environments.

2003-09-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

I found an excellent site on web page design, Web Page Design for Designers. This site explores many aspects of web page design including graphics, use of color, navigation, browsers, typography, etc. The section on limitations includes thorough information on cascading style sheets. The section on graphics is very detailed and provides a lot of helpful information. The site includes an editorial column that discusses current issues and trends in web page design. There is also a section with links to more web design resources.

2003-09-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

According to the authors of the article Welcome to the Blogosphere: Using Weblogs to Create Classroom Community, blogs help build community in the classroom. I can see how blogs can help students explore class readings, discussions, and new tools. They also provide a forum for students to exchange ideas through comments. However, it seems that it would be difficult to interest some students in blogging, especially those who have not previously worked with technology. The article also discusses using blogs for collaboration but I think the features on Blackboard are more conducive to collaboration than blogs. Blogs seem better suited for individual reflection versus a group space.

2003-09-17T20:50:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading George Mason University's 10 IT Goals, which describes ten technology goals for liberal arts students and distinguishes between two levels, essential and advanced. These goals are extremely important because students in all disciplines should leave college with at least basic computer skills so they can function in a professional world of constantly changing technology. However, there are still students who graduate from college with little or no computer experience. The use of Blackboard in some courses helps expose students to several of the skills listed in this article but the majority of the goals cannot be taught if Blackboard is the only form of technology students are exposed to. Even then, many courses do not use Blackboard and therefore no student interaction with technology occurs. I don't know what the answer is since most students are not required to take a course that incorporates the majority of this technology but I think the essential technology goals listed in the article reflect the absolute minimum technology skills that students should have acquired during their undergraduate education.

2003-09-16T21:28:00.000-05:00

Since we discussed FrontPage today in class I decided to check out the FrontPage Community site. It is sponsored by Microsoft and is an excellent resource on FrontPage with how-to information and expert columns. Several of the columns relate to using FrontPage in education. The how-to articles include resources on SharePoint Team Services. There is also an extensive tutorial entitled, Creating a Custom Theme in FrontPage 2002, which provides detailed information on this topic. The instructions are detailed and the screenshots clearly illustrate the steps. There is another article, About creating a navigation structure, that discusses navigation, including information on how to create a site map. This resource is ideal for both beginners and advanced users.

2003-09-14T22:28:00.000-05:00

I was researching resume writing in preparation for a presentation in another class and I found Professional Writing Handouts and Resources from Purdue's OWL. This site provides resources on resumes, letters, memos, reports, etc. There is also a section called "General Business Writing Issues" which includes resources on tone, e-mail etiquette, audience, and more.

2003-09-13T17:19:00.000-05:00

Well...I committed to go to my first academic conference. I have to admit, I am a little nervous about it but I look forward to presenting and attending other presentations. Not to mention I think it will be fun...I enjoy traveling and the atmosphere sounds exciting. I've been to conferences before but never an academic conference so I don't really know what to expect but that's what will make the experience interesting. Now I need to develop my ideas for the group presentation. I have a lot of ideas on the topic but I want to narrow my focus since I probably won’t have long to present.

2003-09-11T22:43:00.000-05:00

While searching for a formal definition of the Socratic Method, I came across an article in Wikipedia. It is a free resource that is compiled from definitions provided by users. Anyone can edit the articles since the site is a WikiWiki. The number of articles written in English has reached 155,473 and there are numerous articles in other languages. I wonder how you determine if the definitions are credible since anyone can change the text. The Wikipedia definition of a blog, listed on the site as weblog, is detailed and informative.

How would you cite a definition since the articles are always changing?

2003-09-10T20:37:00.000-05:00

The career services office at Oakland University has compiled basic guidelines for creating an electronic portfolio. Although the site lacks visual interest, the information is helpful for those who have never developed an electronic portfolio. The site discusses work that should be included in the portfolio based on academic area. It also includes a list of information that should not be included in an electronic portfolio. There are links to electronic portfolios in several different disciplines. Most of these sample portfolios are excellent. I think this is an informative link since we are creating electronic portfolios in this class.

2003-09-09T22:53:00.000-05:00

While I see the benefits of using blogs in the classroom, I am more interested in learning how to incorporate Wikis into teaching. I've worked with Wikis before and I think they are an excellent collaborative tool. I like how anyone can make and view changes to the document. I also appreciate the informality of the Wiki. Group members can use it as a brainstorming space or actually draft the document in the Wiki. The Wiki I used made changes to the space available for viewing and provided extensive help on various aspects of composing in the Wiki, such as formatting and editing. Whenever I was unsure of how to create a hyperlink or how to create a bulleted list I could simply consult the help.

2003-09-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

I really enjoy reading articles on blogging since this is so new to me. I found a link to an interesting article at Kairosnews. The article, Internet newbies unite, by Christine Boese is located at cnn.com. The author discusses new blog technology for blog beginners and for people who may be new to using the Internet in general. AOL has released its version of blog software called "AOL Journals". According to Boese:

"While AOL Journals are a quick and easy way for beginners to enter the blog universe, there are few options to personalize your page. All have an identically-branded AOL toolbar at the top and similar placement of navigational buttons."

It seems to me that this software would no longer be desirable after the user became more familiar with blogging. "AOL Journals" also sounds like typical AOL where most everything is standard and uniform.

The author also describes "TypePad", which offers advanced features while remaining easy for beginners to use:

"Layout and content are easily customized, from typefaces to colors to number of columns, with no coding...For example, you can build photo albums in minutes and the blog will link to them. You can list favorite books, DVDs or music, and TypePad will automatically grab the link code from Amazon.com for a picture icon."

Obviously, blogging is becoming more and more accessible even for those who have little online experience.

2003-09-05T20:02:00.000-05:00

After reading several of the posts at Kairosnews, I noticed a link to an informative website on blogging entitled Blogging Across Curriculum. The site, created by Pattie Belle Hastings, provides basic information on blogs with a focus on Blogger. It includes links to various areas of Blogger technical support. However, there are also links to other blog sites and blog software providers. One of the best areas of the website discusses using blogs in teaching and provides links to various articles on this topic. The site also includes an interesting history of blogs. Finally there are links to other people's blogs. This is a great resource for blog beginners.

2003-09-04T16:51:00.000-05:00

I looked over Microsoft Word and the Writing Process today. I read this article for the first time in Advanced Technical Writing and it is an excellent resource to consult when working with Word. The article clearly explains how to use the advanced features of Word and defines relevant terms. The step-by-step instructions are logical and the screenshots provide a visual cue. I also noticed the teaching tips throughout the article, these tips include examples of how to incorporate Word technology into the classroom. Since many technical writing courses focus on collaborative learning, the track changes and commenting features in Word are especially useful and this article explains how to use all the collaborative features in Word.

2003-09-03T18:04:00.000-05:00

Jakob Nielsen's website, useit.com, provides valuable usability information for technical writers. Nielsen maintains a regular web usability column called Alertbox. The most recent article, entitled Usability 101, discusses basic information about usability including what usability is and how to conduct a usability study. In this article, Nielsen discusses five "quality components" of usability. He also explains why usability testing is essential for maintaining a successful website:

"If a website is difficult to use, people leave. If the homepage fails to clearly state what a company offers and what users can do on the site, people leave. If users get lost on a website, they leave. If a website's information is hard to read or doesn't answer users' key questions, they leave. Note a pattern here? There's no such thing as a user reading a website manual or otherwise spending much time trying to figure out an interface. There are plenty of other websites available; leaving is the first line of defense when users encounter a difficulty." (Usability 101)

Therefore, considering usability is a critical component of starting or maintaining a website.

2003-09-01T22:33:00.000-05:00

After blogging for several days now I see the benefits of using this tool in a composition course. Since I have no teaching experience, I can only speculate as to how I could use this blog technology in a classroom environment. I think it would be beneficial for each student to have his/her own space to reflect on writing assignments, readings, etc. Since blogs are said to help improve writing, the composition student would probably notice a steady improvement in his/her writing throughout the semester. I look forward to incorporating the technology I learn from this course into my teaching someday.

2003-08-31T15:45:00.000-05:00

According to Robert Connors, who is quoted in Spurious Coin, the first technical writing textbook was published by T.A. Rickard in 1908. Rickard's foundation for technical writing is defined as: "clear, concise exposition to convey accurate ideas; correct English as the lingua franca of science and technical communication; consideration of an audience and making information clear for that audience; meaning as residing outside language; technical communication as a conduit for scientific information" (Longo 66). Bernadette Longo, author of Spurious Coin, notes that Rickard's foundations are relevant to technical writing today. I find it fascinating that Rickard's early ideas on technical communication are still valued as important basic elements of effective technical writing.

2003-08-30T10:12:00.000-05:00

I started reading a book called Spurious Coin by Bernadette Longo for another class and it is actually very interesting. The book documents and explores the history of technical writing and its function in the scientific community. I think the knowledge I gain from reading and studying the foundation of technical writing will help me understand more about what I could actually do with my B.A. in technical writing. In that same class we are going to examine the Professional and Technical Writing curriculum, something I am definitely interested in since I wonder if I learned all the tools necessary for a successful career in technical writing.

2003-08-29T17:14:00.000-05:00

I finished looking at the journals linked to http://www.rhetcomp.com. Of all the online journals I viewed, I think Kairos is the most organized and visually appealling. The organization of the site makes it easy to navigate, with links to articles in the current issue located on the right.
(http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/index.html)

One of the articles in the current issue of Kairos, "Research Writing in First-Year Composition and Across Disciplines: Assignments, Attitudes, and Student Performance" by Daniel Melzer and Pavel Zemliansky, suggests assigning "alternative" research projects in lieu of a traditional research paper. According to the article, the authors conducted two studies to support their ideas. Their research methods and conclusions are clearly presented.
(http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/8.1/binder.html?features/melzer/kairosfront.htm)

2003-08-28T17:10:00.000-05:00

I was looking through some of the online journals and found an interesting article in Currents in Electronic Literacy. Alexandra Barron's article, entitled "Collaborative Teaching in the Computer Classroom", discusses the use of PowerPoint in the classroom in having students teach the material to the class. Since I don't have any teaching experience I can only draw from my own experiences as a student. I've noticed that when students are allowed to present to each other they become more focused on the material. Listening to lectures day after day can get boring but learning from your peers can make the information more stimulating. I also think PowerPoint can greatly enhance the classroom environment because it organizes the information visually.

Currents in Electronic Literacy Spring 2002 (6),
http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/currents/spring02/barron.html

2003-08-27T16:41:00.000-05:00

After setting up my blog site and skimming through The Weblog Handbook by Rebecca Blood I am excited about creating and maintaining a weblog. I found the chapter entitled "Weblogs Build Better Writers" especially interesting. Weblogs seem to be a practical way to improve writing skills. I hope to become a better writer after consistently keeping a weblog this semester. I am already comfortable writing in my weblog. I also found the section on weblog etiquette to be informative since I've never kept a weblog before and I am not familiar with protocol. I was actually surprised at how easy it is to start a blog. I guess I expected the process to be more lengthy and difficult. I am just pleased that I have a place to write and express my ideas.