About the Course

Focus. Rhetorically, this course will focus on technology issues associated with students' career fields. As a framework for studying the digital contexts that shape and are shaped by the various literacies that define the work associated with a career, sudents will learn, write, present, and reflect on readings about three concepts about technology, including symbolic analysis, technique, and information panopticon.

Software. In the Fall 2009 course, students will practice working with several software applications from the Adobe Creative Suite. This practice will include understanding the metaphors that define the software, articulating specific instantiations of that metaphor through what i'm calling Screenshot Metaphor Presentaitons, creating documents and illustrating with the software, and adopting the language of digital literacies.

Practice. Students will create an annotated portfolio for the Web that includes assignments (deliverables) created for class with reflective annotations explaining the knowledge and skills applied, and, if the student desires, work from other courses, internships, and current jobs, or other appropriate items.

Assessment. You will be graded on the specific assignments, but you will also be graded on your enthusiam to learn new software, your attitude as you grapple with new concepts, and your willingness to experiment.

Instructor's Initital Expectations. You will complete a number of individual and collaborative assignments that should not to be taken lightly. I will expect the level of competency generally associated with a 4000/8000-level writing course and therefore will assume that students are already well versed in the conventions of standard written English and responsible research. Because writing is a form of participation within a community of practice, I expect students to perform well by proofreading and editing their work before submitting it for a grade.