What You Will Need • It is highly recommended that you acquire, if you haven’t already, both a good dictionary (eg. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition) and a style handbook for college students (eg. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th Edition). These are indispensable for college writers, and while it is true that much of the information they contain can be found on the web, using a book is still more convenient, more comprehensive, more reliable, and in many cases faster than searching the web. • You will need to have regular access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection. We will be watching online videos and doing some other bandwidth-intensive activities, so a dial-up connection will likely be too slow. If you do not have this at home, make sure you’ll have time to use the computers provided on campus. It will also be handy to have a USB flash drive, but it is not essential. • You are required to have a Gmail address. The reason for this is that we will be using several online services that require a Google account, and getting a Gmail address is the easiest way to sign up. Your Gmail address must include at least one of your names, so that I can identify you by your address (mine is coreyfrost@gmail.com). If you find your name is already taken, you can add whatever you want to make it unique (eg. cybercoreyfrost@gmail.com). If you already have a Gmail address that has your name in it, you can use that. Email Protocol You will submit your writing assignments to me by email. In order to avoid compatibility problems, formatting issues, lost documents, or general confusion, I want you to follow a very specific procedure. First, you must use your Gmail address. The subject heading should begin with the word “CyberComp”, followed by your full name, followed by the subject (for example, “Assignment 1”, or “Paper Proposal”). This applies to any email you send me. When sending me an assignment, it’s a good idea to paste the text into the email, but you must also attach the file. I prefer MS Word documents, but other programs may be acceptable. The title of the attached file should include your name and the name of the assignment (eg. “coreyfrost-assignment1.doc”). Make sure you are sending me the correct file, and the correct version! The document itself should be double-spaced, in a 12-point font. If you follow this protocol, I’ll be better able to keep track of all your emails and assignments and respond to you faster. Remember, too, that emails, as much as any writing task, deserve attention to tone, diction, and grammar. Here’s an example of a email that is thoughtfully composed and properly formatted. From: Jonah Jones <jonahjones08@gmail.com> To: Corey Frost <coreyfrost@gmail.com> Date: Wed, Aug 27, 2008 at 8:31 PM Subject: CyberComp – Jonah Jones – Question Hello, Corey. After our first class today, I’m pretty excited about the course, especially the unit on cyber-communities. I’m hoping to write my paper on Squiggle, an online networking site for people who like to draw. There’s something I didn’t get a chance to ask you after class. We have class on September 15th, but that weekend my brother is getting married in the Bahamas and I plan to attend, so I will have to miss a class. Will this have an effect on my grade? Yours, Jonah Attendance It is vital that you are present and prepared for every class, both for your own sake and for the sake of our class discussions. I recognize that sometimes extracurricular circumstances intervene, so I will forgive up to two absences with no questions asked. If you have to miss a class, let me know in advance, be sure to find out what happened in class, and do any work that you missed. If you miss more than two classes, your participation grade (15%) will be adjusted accordingly (please note that being late won’t help much either). Other Expectations • I expect you to arrive on time, or a few minutes early, so we can all begin together. Occasionally there will be a surprise quiz on the reading material, and if you miss it you will not be able to make it up. Turn off your cell phone, your music, your pager, etc., and leave it in your bag or in your pocket. You may bring your laptop to use in class, but during discussions I will probably ask you to close it, because I want everyone’s minds to be fully present in the room. • I expect to receive your assignment submissions by email before midnight on the deadline date. Please do anything and everything necessary to ensure that your assignments are ready on time. It reflects poorly on you as a student when you submit a late paper, and it will affect your grade, if you get a grade at all. • I expect that the work you submit for this class will be the original product of your own mind and your own labor and no one else’s. Plagiarism means presenting someone else’s writing or intellectual work as your own. It is a serious offence, and like other forms of academic dishonesty it has serious consequences. Plagiarism on an assignment in this course will result in an automatic F on the assignment and probationary measures; further evidence of plagiarism will result in failure of the course. • These expectations are not terribly difficult to meet for most students, so as long as you are diligent, organized, and engaged, you can expect to enjoy this course and possibly learn something as well. If you ever have any difficulties or concerns, please let me know. I’ll be happy to see you if you come to my office, and my email inbox is open 24 hours a day. If you're worried that you’re falling behind, don’t wait until the end of semester to talk to me. If the problem is addressed early enough, I should be able to help you get back on track. |
Expectations |