Patchwork Girl (1995, Shelley Jackson)--CD-ROM!!
David Ciccoricco, Reading Network Fiction
Stephanie Strickland, Zone:Zero
This American Life: 20 Acts in 60 Minutes (2008, NPR)--mp3 download
Pitt email account & Gmail Account
Memory stick, key or jump drive (min. 2G, recommend 4G) This must be used for our class only.
Cellular telephone text-messaging.
Digital camera with Video recording capacity -or- Digital Video Camera with still capacity.
Absolutely unfailing and regular computer and internet access.
Video editing software (recommend Final Cut, ask me about others).
Active accounts for any and all digital communities used in class.
The Bottom Line for this Course:
I make a commitment to my students as individuals and to the class as a collaborative whole to offer a challenging, rewarding, smart, fun, and captivating experience with our course and our time spent learning together. In the end, it is my classroom, and I set the terms.
So please be aware of my position regarding the running of my class:
All policies, requirements, assignments, materials, expectations, rules, operating methods and procedures including but not limited to office hours, classroom practices, assignments and grading policies and methods, conferencing as well as informal and/or oral guidelines provided by Professor Jamie Skye Bianco are fully subject to change at Professor Bianco’s discretion. If changes are made notification to students may be made in and/or out of the classroom, on one or several of our online community pages. Changes are the immediate and ongoing responsibility of the students.
Check IN!
THE CLASS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO ATTEND CLASS ALWAYS, READ EMAIL REGULARLY, INSURE THAT YOUR PROPER EMAIL ACCOUNT IS REGISTERED ON BLACKBOARD, AND TO CHECK DAILY THE CONTENT OF THE WIKI, BLACKBOARD, FACEBOOK/MYSPACE, BLOGGER, GOOGLEGROUPS, AND ANY OTHER DIGITAL COMMUNITY THAT IS ESTABLISHED FOR THIS COURSE.
AGAIN, IF ADDITIONAL COURSE PLATFORMS ARE USED, YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO CHECK THESE DAILY AS WELL. STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE, ACCOUNTABLE FOR AND SUBJECT TO ANY CHANGES MADE IN THE COURSE. THESE CHANGES MIGHT BE ANNOUNCED IN CLASS, BY EMAIL, AND/OR ON DIGITAL COMMUNITY SITES. CHECK THEM!
NOTES ON THE EVALUATION OF ASSIGNMENTS:
1. All assigned readings must be read at least once and any assigned writing must be completed and uploaded prior to class meetings and according to the given due date and time.
2. This course is a workshop. In-class writing, assignments or exercises CANNOT be made up in the event of absence or tardiness, even excused absences or tardiness.
3. You must adhere to your assigned dates and times. All assignments must be prepared prior to the class meeting, according to the due date and time, and fully complete. No credit will be given to assignments if components are missing or if the assigned date is missed. If hardcopy is requested, it must be prepared before class…no exceptions. STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE ALL ASSIGNMENTS TO PASS THE COURSE. This means that if your assignment is late, it will receive a "0"; nevertheless, ALL assignments must be completed in order to pass the course.
4. Writing in response to each other (Written Peer Responses) is a major component of the
course. Care, consideration, and constructive criticism are expected.
5. All written homework and composing must be produced as a digital document, in the assigned formats, and successfully and legibly printed and/or photocopied prior to class if hardcopy is required. If in-class writing assignments are completed by hand, you must write legibly. All assignments must be accurately and fully labeled.
6. Though in few cases I am collecting only final drafts, preparatory writing and drafts will be presumed for all writing assignments. Drafts are required assignments.
7. Late work will not be graded. Period. All assignments are due by the start of class on the due date. After this time, they will be accepted with a "0" grade and are required to pass the course. Period.
8. All student work will be read, discussed, and/or evaluated in class through the use of online digital communities, a digital projector, and photocopies.
9. Each assignment will be discussed in great detail in class. If you are absent, you will have missed this discussion. It is your responsibility to get notes from peers regarding the in-class discussions.
10. MLA documentation is expected for all work, papers, projects and presentations.
11. BE BRILLIANT OFTEN…YOU ARE, SO SHARE IT WITH THE CLASS.
Use of Electronic Devices in Class
In order for us to work together well, we need to construct the boundaries of electronic device usage.
So, unless given permission to use a specific device, usage is not permitted.
Furthermore, when permission is granted specific devices may only be used as directed by Professor Bianco. If you are confused at a given moment in class, please ask her and she will let you know what is permissible.
Absolutey no in-class recording of any kind without the written permission of Prof. Bianco and all students present in class.
Tardiness
THIS IS VERY SIMPLE. TARDINESS=RUDENESS. TARDINESS=DISRUPTION TO 19 PEOPLE OTHER THAN YOU. TARDINESS=UNHAPPINESS FOR PROFESSOR BIANCO=SERIOUS UNHAPPINESS FOR LATE STUDENT.
Absences
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS A "W" course (WRITING WORKSHOP) THAT REQUIRES YOUR ACTIVE PRESENCE AND PARTICIPATION IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.
ABSENCES FROM CLASS SHOULD BE EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND UTTERLY UNAVOIDABLE OR YOU WILL DO QUITE POORLY IN THIS CLASS. YOU MAY NOT MAKE UP ANY WORK OR ASSIGNMENTS DONE IN CLASS.
IF YOU ARE ABSENT FROM 3 CLASS MEETINGS, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT YOU WILL PASS THIS COURSE.
IF YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST MISS ONE CLASS, YOU AND ONLY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ACQUIRING MISSED NOTES, INFORMATION, ASSIGNMENTS, MATERIALS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. THIS DOES NOT MEAN SIMPLY ASKING PROF. BIANCO TO WRITE UP AND EMAIL NOTES FOR THE CLASSTIME THAT YOU MISSED. THIS MEANS ASKING ONE OR TWO PEERS TO TAKE NOTES FOR YOU, CHECKING ALL ONLINE COURSE RESOURCES, AND MAKING SURE THAT EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT IN CLASS, AND WORK DUE IS.
PROF. BIANCO WILL BE HAPPY TO CONFIRM ANY INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM PEERS, BUT SHE WILL NOT REDO THE CLASS FOR YOU. IN A WRITING WORKSHOP, WE WORK TOGETHER, SO THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE EVEN IF SHE WERE WILLING (AND SHE IS NOT).
CONTACTING PROF. BIANCO
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE CLASS (SUNDAY!! TUESDAY!!) TO CONTACT PROF. BIANCO TO CONFIRM WHAT YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR CLASS.
PLAN AHEAD.
PROF. BIANCO DOES NOT WORK 7 DAYS/WEEK NOR 24 HOURS/DAY AND DESPITE THE INVESTIGATION OF OUR CLASS, SHE HAS A NON-DIGITAL LIFE AS WELL AS A DIGITAL ONE. SO SHE DOES NOT SPEND 16 HOURS/DAY LOGGED ONTO HER VARIOUS ONLINE ACCOUNTS WAITING FOR YOU TO CONTACT HER, SO PLAN AHEAD AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF IN THIS COURSE.
THIS MEANS THAT FROM M-W YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CONTACT PROF. BIANCO AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE AND FROM W-M YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CONTACT PROF. BIANCO AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
confused...
IF YOU DO ATTEND CLASS AND ARE CONFUSED, ASK QUESTIONS IN CLASS.
IF THESE QUESTIONS COME TO YOU LATER, YOU HAD BETTER START YOUR WORK EARLY ENOUGH THAT YOU MAY CONTACT PROF. BIANCO IN TIME TO HELP.
THIS MEANS THAT FROM M-W YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CONTACT PROF. BIANCO AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE AND FROM W-M YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CONTACT PROF. BIANCO AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
--let's not bore one another :-) But you should click the link and read the policy.
1. Every assignment must be completed to pass the course. This includes making up any in-class work that you may have missed due to absence.
2. Any late work will receive a '0' grade, but all work must be turned in to pass the course.
3. Each student will produce a Digital Archive (DA) of all work produced for this course. The DA is an electronic portfolio that will be organized for presentation at the end of the semester.
4. Grading is holistic and based on your improving quality of work.
5. Participation in class is the a significant portion of your grade and the only aspect of the class that can only be earned by regular active and engaged on-time attendance in class and to required events outside of class. There is no way to reflect your participation in the DA.
6. A mid-term assessment/student-professor conference will be scheduled to discuss your progress.
7. Professor Bianco practices "minimal marking" a style of teaching that respects the student's work. She will not write or comment all over your work. She will discuss your work with you as often as you make yourself available in her office hours. Furthermore, you will receive constant in-class "collaborative feedback" from Prof. Bianco and from your student peers. In the end, your university career, your work, your education, your progress in this class...are yours--your responsibility, your achievement, your brilliance. Learning to evaluate the quality of your own thinking and composing is the number one goal for this course.