Course Schedule

541944_346102572163223_1227094029_nTuesday, January 14

Introduction to the course; introduction to the texts; introduction to WordPress.

Thursday, January 16

You should have prepared for this class by studying the “Mediums” chart found on the class website. We will also spend some time working with WordPress and learning how to upload media to your server space so that you can put the syllabus on your WordPress site. For detailed help with WordPress, visit http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page.  [class discussion, studio time]

Materials Needed:

 

Part 1. How to Read Texts and What It Means to Be a DTC Major. Hayles, How We Think, Chs. 1-3; WordPress.

In this section of the course we will read three chapters from N. Katherine Hayles’ How We Think, a book that encapsulates the notion of language, texts, and technology well. The chapters on which we focus on specifically address the influence of computers upon cognition, learning and the academy.  It also introduces Digital Humanities and provides a place in which we can talk about the CMDC program and the approaches to education that we embrace. You will work with Word Press during this segment of the course since it is a popular CMS that you should know how to manipulate.

Tuesday, January 21

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 1 from Hayles’ How We Think and answering the questions on the document, “hayles-ch.1-questions,” as well as studying the documents, “blooms taxonomy” and “stages-cognition” found on the class website. [group activity, followed by class discussion]

Materials Needed:

Thursday, January 23

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 2 from Hayles’ How We Think; studying the handouts, “cmdc2.0-information” and “hayles-ch.2-handout,” found on the class website; and answering the questions found on “hayles-ch.2-questions.” [class discussion]

In preparation for the writing you will do in this course, we will spend time at the end of class looking over the document, entitled “citing-cheatsheet,” found on the class website.

Materials Needed:

Tuesday, January 28

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 3 from Hayles’ How We Think; you should also have read the brief summary of Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, at http://www.shmoop.com/merchant-of-venice/summary.html; and Act III, Scene II, lines 1-62 of The Merchant of Venice, found at http://shakespeare.mit.edu/merchant/full.html.  We will go over Chapter 3 in class, and I will make assignments  for the activity during class, but the activity itself is not be due until the following Tuesday. [class discussion]

Also, in preparation for your “Reflective Essay,” we will spend time at the end of class looking over the website, “Reflective Writing,” located at http://www2.smumn.edu/deptpages/tcwritingcenter/forms_of_writing/reflect_essay.php and the Assignment Sheet for the Reflective Essays, located on the class website.

Materials Needed:

Thursday, January 30

We will experience Erik Loyer’s work, “Breathing Room,” created for Leap Motion technology, connecting it to the concepts relating to cognition that Hayles discusses in her three chapters.

Materials Needed:

Tuesday, February 4

The conclusion of Hayles’ How We Think.  You should have prepared for this class by working on the activity assigned to your group described in the handout, entitled “hayles-ch.3,” and found on the class website [group activity, followed by class discussion]

Materials Needed:

***Special note:  Your WordPress site containing the responses to the questions from Chapter 2 and your 250-500 word “Reflective Essay” on Hayles’ How We Think is due today at the end of class.

 

Part 2.  How to Think about Your Use of Technology. Rushkoff, Program or Be Programmed. WordPress.

This section of the course centers on the philosophical grounding for a study of language, texts, and technology, using Douglas Rushkoff’s Program or Be Programmed:  Ten Commands for a Digital Age as our guide through this line of inquiry.  You will continue to build your skills with WordPress by adding assets to your site and learning more about styling templates.

Thursday, February 6

You should have prepared for this class by reading the Preface, Introduction and Chapter 1 from Rushkoff’s Program or Be Programmed and answering the questions on the document, entitled “rushkoff-preface-1,” found on the class website. You will post one polished response from each chapter on your WordPress site. We will also view Rushkoff talking about the book, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgicuytCkoY. [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

 

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chs. 2-4 of Rushkoff’s Program or Be Programmed and by answering the questions on the document, entitled “rushkoff-chs.2-4,” found on the class website. You will post one polished response from each chapter on your WordPress site. [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

Tuesday, February 11

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chs. 5-7 of Rushkoff’s Program or Be Programmed and by answering the questions on the document, entitled “rushkoff-chs.5-7,” found on the class website. You will post one polished response from each chapter on your WordPress site. [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

Thursday, February 13

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chs. 8-10 of Rushkoff’s Program or Be Programmed.  You will also prepare a 100-word summary of each of the three chapters. Please consult the YouTube video, “How to Write a Summary,” found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGWO1ldEhtQ. You will post all of your summaries to your WordPress site. [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

Tuesday, February 18

You should have prepared for this class by studying your FaceBook site or, if you do not have one, someone else’s.  Note how many “Friends” you (or you friend) have, how many ads that show up on the timeline; review the security settings. We will watch Rushkoff’s interview with the Huffington Post about Facebook, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suLDOim6fCc.  You should also conduct an i-search, and note the way you may be presented to others online. [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

Thursday, February 20

In-class workshop on advanced WordPress techniques.  We will spend the class day working on your site. [studio time]

Materials Needed:

  • WordPress site (online)
  • Your class content

***Special note:  Your WordPress site containing your 250-500 word “Reflective Essay” on Rushkoff’s Program or Be Programmed, your responses to questions, and your summaries are due on the following Tuesday at the beginning of class. See “Class Projects,” located on the class website and the “Reflective Essay” handout for ideas to write about and general directions.

 

Part 3.  The History of Computer Technology. Ceruzzi, Computing. iBook Author, with PDF linked off WordPress site.

In this section of the course we move into a study of the history of computing, using Paul Ceruzzi’s book, Computing: A Concise History, as the main reference.  You will gain a strong understanding of how we have arrived, in 2013, in this stage of computing, who the major players were who forged this trail, and what the terms you should know in order to be in control of your computing environment, as Rushkoff suggests. To broaden your knowledge of multimedia texts, you will experiment with iBook for this project.

Tuesday, February 25

Make sure you have posted your materials for Rushkoff’s Program or Be Programmed to your WordPress site before class starts.

We will spend the class time with a special workshop on iBook author.  You will prepare an iBook for the Ceruzzi book.  When it is time to “turn in” your iBook, I will download your iBook to my iPad, but you are also expected to link the PDF version of your iBook from your WordPress site. For help with your iBook, visit iBook Author Boot Camp at http://mobile.tutsplus.com/tutorials/iphone/ibooks-bootcamp-getting-started/. [studio time]

Materials Needed:

  • iBook Author (on your desktops or downloaded to your laptops)

Thursday, February 27

You should have prepared for this class by reading the Introduction and Ch. 1. of Ceruzzi’s Computing and by defining the terms on the document, entitled “glossary-ceruzzi,” found on the class website. You will post polished definitions for three terms from each chapter on your iBook site.  [class discussion, slide show “ceruzzi-intro” ]

Materials Needed:

Tuesday, March 4

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chs. 2-3. of Ceruzzi’s Computing and by defining the terms on the document, entitled “glossary-ceruzzi,” found on the class website. You will post polished definitions for three terms for each chapter on your iBook site.  [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

Thursday, March 6

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chs. 4-7. of Ceruzzi’s Computing and by defining the terms on the document, entitled “glossary-ceruzzi,” found on the class website. You will post polished definitions for three terms for each chapter on your iBook site. [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

***Special note:  Your iBook containing your 250-500 word “Reflective Essay” on Ceruzzi’s Computing and your glossary terms are due on the following Tuesday at the beginning of class. See “Class Projects,” located on the class website and the “Reflective Essay” handout for ideas to write about and general directions.

 

Part 4.  Code as Text and the Impact of Computer Technology upon Culture. Montfort et al, 10 Print; close read even chapters; scan odd ones. Prezi, linked off WordPress site.

Thinking and language are linked activities of mind. This portion of the course, therefore, shifts to a discussion of this relationship, especially as it plays out with code, as discussed in depth by Nick Montfort et al in 10 Print Chr$(205.5+RND(1)); : Goto 10.  You will experiment with Prezi and participate in a team presentation.

Tuesday, March 11

Make sure you have posted your PDF for Ceruzzi’s Computing and your “Reflection Essay” to your WordPress site before class starts; I will download your iBooks at the beginning of class.

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chs. 5, 15, and 10. We will work with Vise on the Terminal on your Macs to recreate the 10 Print code the authors feature in the book. [class discussion, slide show “montfort-intro” ]

Materials Needed:

  • montfort-intro (slide show: Keynote & PowerPoint)
  • Vise (on your desktop or downloaded to your laptops)

Thursday, March 13

We will spend the class time with a special workshop on Prezi.  You will work in teams to prepare a presentation of a chapter of Montfort et al’s book that will be linked from your WordPress site.  Your Prezi is due on the day your team is presenting. It should be available from your WordPress site on that day.  For help with Prezi, look over the document, entitled “prezi-tutorial” located on the class website. [studio time]

Materials Needed:

  • prezi-tutorial
  • Prezi (on your desktops or downloaded to your laptops)

***Spring Break, March 17-Friday, March 21***

Tuesday, March 25

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapters 20 and 30 and scanning Chapters 25 and 35. Teams 20/25 & 30/35 are scheduled to give their Prezi presentations on this day. You will produce one response, 100 words or less, to the presentations (in which you are not involved) and post a polished version of this response on your WordPress site. [presentations, followed by class discussion]

Materials Needed:

  • Your Prezi presentation

Thursday, March 27

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 40 and scanning Chapter 45. Team 40/45 is scheduled to give its Prezi presentation on this day.  You will produce one response, 100 words or less, to the presentations (in which you are not involved) and post a polished version of this response on your WordPress site. [presentations, followed by class discussion]

Materials Needed:

  • Your Prezi presentation

Tuesday, April 1

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 50 and scanning Chapter 55. Team 50/55 is scheduled to give its Prezi presentation on this day. You will produce one response, 100 words or less, to the presentations (in which you are not involved) and post a polished version of this response on your WordPress site. We will follow this presentation with a group activity.  [presentations, followed by class discussion; group activity: see “montfort-ch.50-activity”]

Materials Needed:

Thursday, April 3

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 60 and scanning Chapter 65. Team 60/65 is scheduled to give its Prezi presentation on this day. You will produce one response, 100 words or less, to the presentations (in which you are not involved) and post a polished version of this response on your WordPress site. We will follow this presentation with a group activity. [presentations, followed by class discussion; slide show, entitled “montfort-conclusion” ]

Materials Needed:

***Special note:  Your WordPress site containing your Prezi presentation, responses to presentations, and your 250-500 word “Reflective Essay” on Montfort et al’s 10 Print is due on the following Tuesday at the beginning of class. See “Class Projects,” located on the class website and the “Reflective Essay” handout for ideas to write about and general directions.

 

Part 5.  How We Learn. Davidson, Now You See It; close read chs. Introduction, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8; scan chs. 1, 4, 7, Conclusion. WordPress.

In this section of our course, we return to the impact of computer technology upon cognition, using Cathy Davidson’s book, Now You See It as our primary text.  Like Hayles, Davidson questions assumptions concerning the negative effect of computer technology upon thinking and learning, but she does so from the perspective of education and the workplace. We also return to WordPress as our main authoring platform to see if you have learned new ideas for producing your text after working with iBook Author and Prezi.

Tuesday, April 8

Make sure you have posted your Prezi presentation, your ”Reflective Essay” for Montfort et al’s 10 Print, and your responses to other teams’ presentations to your WordPress site before class starts.

You should have prepared for this class by reading the Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 of Davidson’s Now We See It.  We will work in teams during class on questions relating to the chapters. You will post a polished version of your team’s responses on your WordPress site. We will watch the YouTube video, entitled “Selective Attention Test, located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo.  [class discussion, followed by group activity]

Materials Needed:

Thursday, April 10

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of Davidson’s Now We See It.  We will work in teams during class on questions relating to the chapters. You will post a polished version of your team’s responses on your WordPress site.  [class discussion, followed by group activity]

Materials Needed:

Tuesday, April 15

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 5 of Davidson’s Now We See It and by answering the questions found on the document, entitled “davidson-ch.5,” located on the class website. You will post a polished version of your team’s responses on your WordPress site. [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

  • davidson-ch.4-5

Thursday, April 17

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 of Davidson’s Now We See It.  We will have a guest speaker from the business sector to talk about the workplace. You will post a polished version of your notes from this talk on your WordPress site.  [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

  • davidson-chs.6-7

***Guest speaker

Tuesday, April 22

You should have prepared for this class by reading Chapter 8 and the Conclusion of Davidson’s Now We See It and by answering the questions found on the document, entitled “davidson-chs.8-conclusion,” located on the class website. You will post a polished version of your team’s responses on your WordPress site.  [class discussion]

Materials Needed:

  • davidson-chs.8-conclusion

***Special note:  Your WordPress site containing the polished responses to questions prepared by you and your team, your notes from the guest lecture, and your 250-500 word “Reflective Essay” on Davidson’s Now You See It is due on the following Tuesday at the beginning of class. See “Class Projects,” located on the class website and the “Reflective Essay” handout for ideas to write about and general directions.

 

Part 6.  Expanded Notions of Text. Postscript: Discussion “From pBooks to dBooks.” WordPress.

We wrap up the course with a discussion of the history and future of the “book.”  Our discussion will be drawn from several handouts, especially a synopsis of S. H. Steinberg’s Five Hundred years of Printing, as well as your firsthand experience in producing multimedia texts during the semester.

Thursday, April 24

Make sure you have posted your materials for Davidson’s Now You See It to your WordPress site before class starts.

You should have prepared for this class by reading the documents, entitled “book-history,” “list-of-1sts,” and “literary-history-timeline” found on the class website.  [class discussion; slide show, entitled “book-lecture”]

Materials Needed:

Tuesday, April 29

You should have prepared for this class by reading “materiality-handout.” We will spend the class working in groups on the questions, entitled “postscript-questions,” found on the class website. You will post a polished version of your responses on your WordPress site.  [group activity]

Materials Needed:

Thursday, May 1

You should have prepared for this class by revising the PhotoShop file, entitled “medium-chart.psd,” to include mobile media.  Please save your revision as a .jpg and post it to your WordPress site.  Be prepared to show your work to the class. [class activity]

Materials Needed:

***Special note:  Your WordPress site containing the polished responses to questions, the revision of the Mediums Chart, and your 250-500 word “Reflective Essay” on the handout drawn from Steinberg’s book, Five Hundred Years of Printing, are due on final exam day, along with your take-home final exam.  See “Class Projects,” located on the class website and the “Reflective Essay” handout for ideas to write about and general directions.

 

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