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Winter Quarter 2018 D-WRD Sessions

Nov 30th, 2017
by admin.

Friday, January 19th 10:00-11:00 a.m., 300 SAC

Typography  — some background on typography as a 21st century literacy — we’ll begin with a background reading and discussion with Pete Vandenberg: Serafini, Frank, et al. “Typography as Semiotic Resource.” Journal of Visual Literacy. 37(2): 1-16. 2012. PDF is in your email.
 
Then we’ll look at a couple of software programs where people compose and design typographically rich texts and documents: InDesign, Illustrator, and, if there’s enough interest, Photoshop.  At DePaul, we have access to Lynda.com —  which is the standard for web-based video software training, and part of our plan is to choose a few of these introductory training materials related to typography, and test-drive them ourselves. Here are two possibilities:
 
InDesign:
33 Laws of Typography:
 
Many of the training modules and videos come with exercise files, where you can follow along and work with textual and content that’s being covered in the training.
 
If you’re new to all of this, don’t worry: we’ll go slowly, with building
blocks such as contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity, and other layout fundamentals, and I’ll provide one-on-one support.
 
Access to software:
 
There are some real collaborative possibilities here, but we’ll start with
our brief reading about typography first and then see who might be
interested in completing a few Lynda.com modules and exercise files
together, over the next few weeks, as your time allows and then come
together to meet again, share notes, observations, problems, and possible applications:
  • Syllabus (re)design
  • Assignment design
  • Creating your own D2L banner
  • Designing an event flyer
  • Thinking typographically about the Digication — or any digital writing portfolio — interface
  • Becoming conversant with typographical conventions and vocabulary in writing, composing, and literacy contexts
We’ll plan in more detail once we know who the participants are, but
imagine a month-long activity, with ongoing updates — we’ll pick the pace! — in our D-WRD D2L site.
 
Digication upgrades:
11:00 a.m.-noon, 300 SAC
  • Since January 19th is also the day that Digication is releasing new upgrades and features, the timing might be good to have a look at them together, and try them out while we’re already together. If your schedule allows, please plan to join us!

Friday, February 16th, 10:00-11:00 a.m., 300 SAC

Forms of multimodal reflection, with Erin Workman.

Erin’s session description:

We’ll begin with a background reading and discussion of three generations of reflective scholarship: Yancey, Kathleen. “Introduction: Contextualizing Reflection.” Rhetoric of Reflection, edited by Kathleen Blake Yancey, Utah State UP, 2016, pp. 3-21. PDF available here: https://upcolorado.com/utah-state-university-press/item/2948-a-rhetoric-of-reflection

Then we’ll explore different types of assignments emerging from the third generation of reflective scholarship that encourage students to reflect in multiple modalities and media, including: 

  • Visual mapping (Workman)
  • Digitally-mediated video and audio reflections (Journet et al.)
  • Selfies in digital portfolios (Clark)
  • Ubiquitous digital reflection (Silver)
  • Reflective tagging in digital portfolios (McDonald)

We’ll focus most attention on visual mapping by (1) engaging in a visual mapping activity, (2) exploring different digital platforms for mapping (mindomo.com and bubbl.us), and (3) viewing and discussing visual maps composed by FYW students.

Friday, March 2nd, 10:00-11:00 a.m., 300 SAC postponed until Spring Quarter

Student Digital Writing Portfolio Roundtable; Digication check-in and recap from the Autumn Quarter and Winter Quarter.  This will be our 2nd Student Digital Writing Portfolio Roundtable, in which we invite 3-5 FYW students who  used Digication in the Autumn Quarter and are using it now, in the Winter Quarter, to share their portfolio development and reflective experiences — positive, negative, or otherwise. The first student roundtable was illuminating and insightful, and I’m sure this one will be, too. Plus: sugary treats.

 

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