WELCOME

Hi, everyone. Welcome to WRA 210, introduction to Web Authoring. Today in class we will be extensively working from the website that is our syllabus, located at http://www.phillalexander.com/210 . Please open it on your screen now.

Just by way of a super-quick introduction, I’m Phill Alexander (imagine that), and I’ll be your instructor this year. I’ll tell you more about myself, of course, but that comes later.

TODAY

1. Introductions/Team Formation/Team Naming

2.Overview of Class (AKA read the syllabus and chat)

3.Overview of Module 1: let’s get it started in here

4.Set stuff up5.Homework

INTRODUCTIONS

We’re going to start off by meeting each other. You’re also going to find out who you’ll be working with for your first couple of modules with.

I have 22 pieces of WoW trading card. I will be passing them around. Take one. Then, in a chaotic flurry, you must find the person with the other half of your card.

Once you locate your partner, you will interview her (or him). You must learn the following things:

1. Full name and what s/he wishes to be called2. Major/Job aspiration3. Something you consider interesting about him/her

Then, as a pair, you will pick a “team name” for yourselves.

OVERVIEW

For this portion of class, we’re going to talk about the syllabus and class expectations. I’m going to spend a lot of time with the syllabus on the screen while we talk about this, so… here we go. You’ll want to have the syllabus page up.

MODULE 1

To start our semester, we’re going to enter into a rather involved project. Don’t fret! You’ll have a partner, and you’ll have lots of time to work on this. But first, let’s talk about a few things.

You will basically be completing 4 tasks and weaving them together into a report that can be shared with the class (though you won’t have to present it in this case). These four tasks are:

ONE

Build a matrix (or a list) of skills you currently think you need in order to be a web designer and a list of jobs that you think a web designer would do. Along with this you will create a list of the web design skills you already have.

TWO

With your partner, do some research– on the web, talk to people, make phone calls… however you’d like to do it. Find out what skills a web designer actually needs and find out what sorts of jobs people with web design skills tend to end up with.

THREETake it a step further. Profile a web designer by interviewing him/her. The goal of this profiling will be to:A) Determine what skills this person needs and uses each day as a web designer

B) Place those skills and the duties this person undertakes alongside your understanding of what it means to be a professional writer, then look at where the expectations are met and what questions it brings about

C) Develop 3-5 research questions of your own to ask the person you profile. These should be specific (at least to a degree) and help you build on your understanding of this person’s job.

FOUR

You will then bring all of this material together, and with your partner you will write up a 5-6 page “report” in the form of a web document about what it means to be a web designer in 2011, what skills you need, etc.

TO FINISH

This finished module should include your report, your matrix, and your profiling information, and in the report there should be evidence of how you pulled all of these things together as you worked.

Module One is due on February 10th at 1 pm via email. You will send me your URL and a brief email memo discussing how you feel you and your partner performed/discussing how you split up the work.

GRADING CRITERIA

1) Did you form a carefully thought out matrix and reflection to start from (25 points)

2) Is there evidence of careful research? (25 points)

3) Is there a carefully thought out and executed profile of a web designer included here? (50 points)

4) does the report you and your partner crafted indicate learning and offer value information? (100 points)

SET UP TUMBLR

You will need a Tumblr blog for class. I will now show you mine and briefly go through how to register. Please watch as we go through the process.

If you get lost at any point, clicking on “sign up” in the upper right hand corner of http://www.tumblr.com will start you through the process.

Once you have Tumblr set up, write down the URL so you don’t lose it.

SETTING UP WEEBLY

We won’t be using it just yet, but I wanted to go ahead and get you set up so you could play with Weebly.

The sign-up here is easy, too. It’s right on the main page of http://www.weebly.com

I will show you, quickly. Feel free to play with the site. We will use this site specifically in class later.

SETTING UP TWITTER

If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, we need to set you up for that as well (and you need to start following me (AlexanderMSU)

To register for Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com and click on “sign up” on the right side of the screen.

Then go to http://twitter.com/alexanderMSU and select “follow”

NOTECARDS

I have given each of you a 3x5 card. On it, I want you to write the following. Please make sure it’s legible

1) your name and what you wish to be called2) Your tumblr URL3) Your partner’s name4) Your team name5) Your twitter ID6) Any questions you have after today’s speedy introduction to class

Hand me your card before you leave.

HOMEWORK

For our next class, on Thursday, read for class: Pew’s “A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users” and take the “Technology Typology Test” at the bottom of the page, Rudder Finn study on Online Behavior, and What Real People Use on the Web

Your Twitter closing question for today: what is your initial impression of class?