First, a word about this site. Technically it is a blog site, but we'll be using it just like any web source of information. Assignments, notes, supplemental videos and anything else that you will find handy in class will be posted here on a regular basis. Check it often - even on a daily basis if you can.
Next, a word about the post title. While we understand that the words "readings" and "writings" are frequently used as nouns, we don't normally associate "listenings" and "doings" as a person, place or thing. For this course, we will - and understanding that is not really rocket science. A listening will be something you listen to, and a doing will be something that you - wait for it - do. Pretty easy. The short hand for this format will be RWLD.
The whole concept of this is not much different than what we'll do already - it's just another way for you to dictate how you can process the materials that we'll be using in class. On occasion, I'll include some additional material that will supplement what we are doing in class. When at all possible, I'll include some viewpoints on topics we are studying that oppose the author's view, the mainstream thought, or perhaps challenge even your own. This will also be the place to access the extra credit information when it becomes available.
Finally, for those of you who are unfamiliar with blogs, relax - if you've been online for any amount of time, chances are you have read one already. Many reporters for major - and minor - news organizations have blogs and use them as regular columns. The Cedar Rapids Gazette posts blogs on a regular basis: this one is by Todd Dorman, and this one is by Jennifer Hemmingsen. It's important to remember that blogs are primarily opinion-based, so it's a good idea to keep that in mind when reading them. This site will be limited to materials in this class, and any opinion pieces will be presented only as a contrasting view to something else we are studying. Another thing about this blog is that you can follow it, meaning that it will be easier to to keep track of when the site is updated.
Some pointers about this blog:
- Like any website, text that is a different color will be a link to something else on the web - a definition, an example, or a website that has more information - like this one for example, which explains the basics of blogging and designing a blog.
- Blogs are just as interactive as webpages as they have the same capabilities. This means that I can include presentation notes used in class, such as these from another course last year. Go ahead and walk through the slides and try it out:
- Since this is an multi-media course, we will be using video and film quite often. Along with YouTube, there are many other media outlets that provide quality video that we will make use of. Since this is an exploratory posting, I've included one that is fairly lighthearted by a cartoonist that I particularly like:
I will use this site in class periodically and update it frequently. I won't promise that it will be daily, because we may not need to update it that often - but include this site in your daily web work so you don't miss out on anything.
Enjoy!
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