Presentation Info--Read! (Due Dates)

Hi all,

We are starting our State of the Presentation presentations on Wednesday. Monday will be dedicated to working on said project and on the Research Portfolios that are due this week. Here's a schedule of when your stuff needs to turned in:

Research Portfolios (images AND websites) Before class on Wednesday, November 7. 
Preliminary Bibliography: Beginning of class on Wednesday, November 7
Presentation: Slideshare link emailed to me BEFORE class on Wednesday, November 7
Peer Review Sheet: At the end of class on the day you DO NOT present (so, either Wednesday, Nov 7 or Monday Nov 12)

You'll be delivering your presentations on the following days:

WED:
Nat, Zach, Megan, Candace
Kadarius, Sharifah, Collin
Michelle, Rashad, Bobby, Kayla

MON:
Tory, Paige, Dajane, Brittany
Amber, Kameron, A'Olyian, Chanel
Vann, Caleb, Justin, Michael

Other sources for your images

Hi all,

We'll touch on this on Monday, but the images you use for your research portfolio (and later presentation) will need to be photos that you in some way have the right to use, be it through creative (or some other kind of) commons, public domain, or something similar.

Dean showed you all flickr, which is a fantastic site for finding creative commons licensed images. You might also want to check out some of these:

Creative Commons search: http://search.creativecommons.org/

Wikimedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
Geek Philosopher (free stock photos--you can also google "free stock photos" for more sites: http://www.geekphilosopher.com/GeekPhilosopher.com/photos/photos.aspx

All best,
Jessica

Research Portfolio(s) (and quiz)

Hi all,

I'm going to give you some extra time to post your research portfolio from last week, and you'll need to update your research portfolio this coming week as well. Here are the two prompts:

1. Find at least one image that you would use in a presentation about your topic and cite it correctly. Also find an additional resource you’d use in your research project (it can be anything!) and include an annotation summarizing the article and how you plan to use it in your research project.

2. Monday, November 5th: Find at least two credible websites (so, you’ve evaluated them, using our CURRA evaluation criteria) and cite them. Include annotations for each website summarizing the content of the website and how you plan to use it in your research project.

These do not have word count requirements. You'll want to have both of these done before class on Wednesday, November 7th because you'll be using these research portfolios for your coming presentation. We'll be working on Monday's research portfolio in class.

We'll be working on your presentations in class on Monday as well, and i'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

I'm also keeping the quiz open a little bit longer, so make sure to take it before class on Monday. It is in CourseDen under "assessments" and also in the week 11-13 folder.

Best,
Jessica

Blog Prompt 10/29 (and a few updates on the research portfolio. Please Read.)

Hi all,

I was sick last week so there were a few things that got by me. One was a blog post whose prompt I did not post here (but did post on CourseDen). This is my fault, and because of that I am going to give it to you as a freebie.

Here is your prompt for Monday, and it is the only blog you'll have this week:


Please listen to this episode of On the Media: "The Facebook Show": http://www.onthemedia.org/2012/feb/03/
As a citizen of the nation of Facebook (or "Facebookistan"), what are your rights and responsibilities? How does this podcast--and a larger discussion of social media, which includes using blogs--fit within this class?

I also forgot to mention that I pushed back your research portfolio entry. You'll have one this coming week (I'll post the prompt on Wednesday, October 31) and another the following week, Monday, November 5th which you will do in class.

Sorry about that! Let me know if you have any questions.

All best,
Jessica

Research Portfolio (10/10)

Hi All, 

Your research portfolio entry this week is as follows: 

Now that you’ve done some research, the focus of your research question might have changed. Post your research question here as well as a summary of what your argument is going to be. You have books and articles so far, so also discuss what other kinds of information you need to make your argument. Aim for at least 200 words on this one.

More more info on the research portfolio, go here: Research Portfolio Directions 

Research Portfolio (10/3)

Hi all, 

Today we'll be working on our research portfolio. Here are the directions for today's entry: 

Post at least two articles (one scholarly, one popular) related to your topic. Including a citation in either MLA or APA and an annotation summarizing each article (1-2 sentences) and how you plan to use it in your research project (2-3 sentences.)

It would be useful to you down the road to include summaries that are in your own words. You will not be able to use summaries that are copied from the resource itself in your annotated bibliography.

Best,
Jessica

Updated Grades (and info about your next quiz!)

Hi all,

Your grades have been updated in the Gradebook. Please take note:

The highest Blog grade you can now have is a 45
The highest blog responses grade you can now have is a 6. 
The highest extra credit grade you can have is a 10. If you have less than that, it is because, more than likely, you summarized the arguments each side made instead of analyzing how they used research to make those arguments.
The highest research portfolio grade you can have is a 10. If you have less than that and you turned in the assignment, chances are you did not include citations, you included resources that weren't books, or you didn't include enough books.
The highest participation grade you can now have is a 5. If you don't have a 5 and you submitted the email assignment, it might be because you submitted the incorrect words or because you submitted to the incorrect email address--part of this assignment was how well you read and followed directions. 


Let me know if the numbers for your grades don't match up with mine.

Your quiz this week will be online and open book. It will be open tomorrow on CourseDen and closed on Tuesday evening.

Best,
Jessica

A note about class

Hi all,

I am a little concerned that you all are not reading the assignment instructions or blogs that I post. I am certainly always happy to answer any questions if you are confused--please do not hesitate to ask them--but do make an effort to keep up with your assignments and readings in class. When I explain things, make a concerted effort to listen, and to ask for clarification in the moment.

Remember that I have office hours Monday and Wednesday right before class (and at other times by appointment) if you need help.

In terms of due dates, you all should know by now that I am not unreasonable here. My concern is not necessarily WHEN you learn something but THAT you learn something. Almost everything we do in class is due the day of class so that you are processing information when it is fresh in your mind, and also to make sure that you do not wait until the last minute to do things. That said, your blogs and your research portfolio entries are more or less due before Sunday, because that is when I grade them. Anything posted after I grade Sunday, though, won't be counted. I have to have these dates for logistical, fairness, and personal sanity-related reasons.

Ask for help before you let yourself get frustrated or lost, and take responsibility for your part in this learning process by reading through class material and reflecting on it. This responsibility is a part of your overall class participation grade. With that in mind...

Please do the following:
-Reread the instructions for the research portfolio. Find the sentence that begins with "Each entry into your research portfolio...". What are the last four words of that sentence? Email them to me at
at jcritten@westga.edu by 11:59 Friday 9/28. To be clear, you are finishing the sentence from the Research Portfolio Instructions, and emailing those four words to me at the listed email address. Completing this assignment will be worth 5 of your class participation points. I will not be flexible with this due date.

I hope you all have a good weekend. Remember to get your research portfolio entry posted soon, as well as your blog post and response to a classmate.


Best,
Jessica

Week 6--Class info (Important! Please read!)

Hi all,

Hope you had a nice weekend! I've had a lot to catch up on, I was in Savannah for a few days presenting at a conference (similar to what you'll all have to do for your final project). A few important things:

--I've updated the class schedule to reflect the assignment that we'll start this week, the research portfolio. This class schedule also has quiz dates updated as well--our next quiz will be on Oct 1.

Updated Class Schedule 

--Instead of your usual blog post this Wednesday, you will have to do your first Research Portfolio entry. Here is more info about those research portfolio posts:

Research Portfolio Instructions

--Your grades have been updated to reflect the last two in-class assignments (so the highest grade you can now have for that is 30) and your most recent quiz. I will update the blog grades on the gradebook next weekend.

--Remember to add word counts to your blog posts, you will get points off for leaving them out.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Best,
Jessica