Writing for Digital Media, Summer 2020/Schedule
| crn 50055 | nmac 5108.01 | online | Summer 2020 |
 | TL;DR: This schedule is tentative and subject to change. This is a digital document; do not print. Students are responsible for getting updates. |
This schedule represents the ideal outline for our study this semester. Yet, like all best-laid plans, we may not be able to keep up with our agenda. Please be flexible and try to look and read ahead whenever possible.
We will do our best to stick by this schedule, but I will inform you verbally, via an email, and/or a literal change to the schedule below whenever there is a deviation. Getting these updates is solely your responsibility. Therefore, this schedule is tentative and subject to change contingent upon the needs of the students and the professor, and dictated by time and other constraints which may affect the course. For face-to-face classes, this schedule reflects only an overview of the assigned reading and other major course assignments. It may not indicate specific class session assignments or activities. Specific in-class assignments may not be reflected on the schedule.
 | By creating your Wikipedia account, signing up for the class on Wiki Education, creating your account on the class forum, and writing your introduction (see below), you have officially begun the course. Failing to take these crucial steps before the end of the first week will result in your being reported as a “no-show” to the Registrar and dropped from the course. |
Before beginning your work each week, read through the whole lesson so you know what to expect and understand what’s expected. Each tab corresponds to a week of study. All assignments are contained therein. Any questions should be posted to the class forum, and be sure to read my weekly feedback.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
05/28–06/03: Introduction
 | Goals:
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Welcome to our first week’s study in Writing for Digital Media. This week, we will set up our needed accounts and begin with some basics of writing and editing for the screen. Each week’s assignments will have a similar set-up. Work your way through each point below. As you read, take notes, as you will want to apply your reading to your assignments—especially your writing. Keep track of any questions you have, as you’ll have the opportunity to ask them this week.
Read
Your understanding of weekly readings should be apparent by your writing. In other words: be sure to use what you learn in your reading each week in what you write.
- “Writing Today” discusses the differences between traditional academic writing and writing for digital media.
- Carroll, chapters 1 (“Writing for Digital Media”) and 2 (“WDM Strategies”) — pay close attention to these foundational chapters. All writing for digital media begins with strong writing and an understanding of audience.
- “Writing Top Ten” offers ten strategies to keep in mind when writing for digital media.
- “Editing Wikipedia” (pp. 1–5) will introduce you to editing Wikipedia.
- “Writing on a Wiki” gives an overview of Wikipedia editing. You might go through the links at the end of the article.
Do
Be sure you do these assignments during the first week of the course — the sooner, the better. Failure to do so will result in your being submitted as a “no-show” and dropped from the course.
- Make an account on Wikipedia and make an account on the forum.[1] Verify your Wikipedia account by confirming your email address. Much of our communication will be via Wikipedia this semester, and an email will make sure you see notifications in a timely manner.
- Join our course on WikiEdu. This site supports our class by offering training and keeping track of your edits on Wikipedia. You will use it throughout the semester.
- Wikipedia training: Wikipedia Policies and Sandboxes, Talk Pages, and Watch Lists.
Write
- For your first forum post, introduce yourself. You might talk about why you’re taking this class, what you hope to get out of it, and the most interesting thing about yourself.
- Comment on someone else’s introduction using the proper conventions of the forum.
- For your second forum post, discuss any aspect of what you have learned so far. Try to stay positive in this and all of your other writing this semester. You’ll likely be a bit overwhelmed at first, but just take a deep breath and reflect on the possibilities, challenges, and potential outcomes of the course. What have you learned so far that you didn’t know before?
- Comment on someone else’s post.
- Optional: post any questions you have about the course so far. If are are confused about anything, be sure to speak out. This will be the best place to get help; please consider posting all questions to our class forum WritDM instead of emailing so everyone can benefit by the answer.
 | Tip: Remember to breathe. This schedule is a bit overwhelming at first, but just relax. If you run into trouble, you can always get additional assistance by just asking on the help forum. That said, be patient, read carefully, and do not get frustrated. Just keep trying. 😀 |
Note
- ↑ You might also have a read through of Setting up your account and personal workspace.
| 🕒 05-26-2020 | 📆 Make an Appointment | 💬 Ask a Question | 📣 Leave Feedback |
