Reminder about Reflection Essay Assignment

HOMEWORK: Reflection Essay ONE: What are your goals for this class?
What do you feel you need to know about writing and research online?
How would you characterize your daily engagement with the internet and digital technologies? 

Craft your response to these questions in the form multiple paragraphs, applying some of the paragraph structuring techniques discussed in class to organize your writing.

Reflection Essay ONE is due at 11:59pm Friday, August 31. To "turn it in," just post it on your WordPress blog. All reflection essays must be 350 to 500 words in length. 

Links to readings for Wednesday 9/29

These first three readings outline tips and techniques for structuring paragraphs effectively.

 "Paragraphs and Paragraphing" from Purdue OWL

"How to Structure a Paragraph With a Hamburger" from Acephalous

"Paragraph Structure" from the UMUC Effective Writing Center

After reading about paragraph structure, consider how each of the two online articles below employ techniques for organizing content and creating smooth transitions. Be prepared to discuss your observations in class.

"Apple Is Knight Rider, Google Is Terminator, Microsoft Is Minority Report" by Jason Gibert

"Augmented Reality’s Path From Science Fiction to Future Fact" by John Abell

Web 2.0: The Machine is Us/ing Us

How might we rethink writing and research for the Web?

Intro Video

Welcome to EMAC 2321

Course Description

Digital media play an extremely important role in contemporary writing and research techniques. 
Of course, the platforms and technologies that make up digital media are constantly changing and shifting. 
Anyone who only learns writing and research techniques tied too closely to a single platform is likely to 
find that these skills rapidly go out of date. 

This course, Writing and Research for New Media, seeks to avoid this pitfall by helping students learn 
broad, transferable skills that will help them use current platforms successfully, and adapt to new platforms 
as they emerge. As such, this course stresses the process of learning over rote memorization. Students are 
expected to experiment with techniques, and learn to be comfortable exploring new platforms and tools.

This course website is the best place to keep up to date with readings and assignments. 
The "Schedule & Readings" page contains links to all online readings. 

Course Readings

This course requires one book: Net Smart: How to Thrive Online by Howard Rheingold (ISBN:978-0262017459). 
This book is available at the off-campus bookstore. Electronic versions are also available from Amazon, 
Google, and Barnes and Noble for ereader devices. Warning: electronic versions will not have the 
same pagination used in the syllabus.