Happy Friday everyone!
Today in class, we spent some time thinking about the audience for your Common First Week (CFW) videos, which includes other Georgia Tech students and faculty. We worked as a class to describe the audience, to find what they have in common, and to think about the kinds of appeals to make and to avoid when creating a communication aimed at this specific audience. It is a good habit to get into to conduct this kind of audience analysis whenever you are starting the process to create a communication and we will emphasize this kind of audience analysis throughout the semester.
Then, you worked in small groups to help one another brainstorm specific arguments for the CFW Video and to find evidence you can use to support the claims you are trying to work on. Remember, the more specific your evidence, the more compelling your argument will be. Also, don’t forget that a video allows for a lot of different ways of conveying that information; be as creative and innovative as you can!
Don’t forget: there are also tons of resources out there to help you with this project. To get you started, take a look at the following items:
- The Presentation Rehearsal Studios in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Center (CULC), in which you can work with a presentation coach and also record yourself and then send a link of the video to yourself (or anybody else).
- The Library’s gadget-lending service, which allows you to check out a range of equipment, including laptops, tablets, and cameras.
- YouTube features an easy how-to tutorial if you have never used it before.
- YouTube also allows you to annotate your video by adding text, links, or other graphics, with this helpful how-to guide
- If you get stuck, there are also a lot of helpful tips on YouTube, especially the YouTube Help Center.
We then spent the rest of the class focused on the reading. First, we talked through the handout on TSquare titled “Tips for Reading Difficult Material” and discussed the importance of establishing techniques and reading practices that help you understand material and build a reference for coming back to that material when you need it, either for writing a paper, studying for an exam, or for projects and professional development in the workplace. We went over a number of tips and techniques for breaking down difficult readings, annotating those readings and preparing yourself to work with that material.
We then talked about the first two chapters of the Cambridge Companion for Utopian Literature (CCUL), focusing on the concepts that were introduced and especially the key terms that the book introduced. (The PPT presentation that highlights these key terms is available to you on TSquare). Over the course of the semester, we will continue to come back to these terms and expand on the definitions and understandings of their meanings, so it is important to become familiar with this lexicon.
HOMEWORK:
Reminder, there is no class on Monday because of the MLK holiday.
- Complete CFW Video
- Upload to YouTube, submit link via TSquare
- Choose Independent Reading Book (top 3 choices)
- Read CCUL 3 & 4
- We’ll discuss evolution of utopia as a genre in class on Wednesday
- Read article on Tsquare: Cart’s “From Insider to Outsider”
- Bring your laptop/tablet to class on Wednesday: we’ll discuss Twitter and Blogs in class and get you set up to start using our class’s social media components
Have a lovely long weekend everyone!
In today’s class, we focused mainly on the Common First Week project, discussing in depth the different WOVEN modes, the challenges of working in these modes, and the goals you may have for improving within each of those modes.