The Department of English and the Program in Rhetoric and Composition have received funding awards to enhance the use of pedagogical technology in in our current computer classrooms as well as the Writing Center and the department at large. Notable enhancements already in place include:
- A complete updating of one of our desktop labs (State Hall 029)
- New printers for all State Hall computer classrooms
- New laptops and a new printer/scanner/fax machine for the Writing Center
- A portable media cart for capturing class lectures and talks by guest speakers
- 30 portable handheld audio recorders and 30 portable handheld video recorders for use in classroom projects
- Camtasia software for use in composing computer-based instructional videos
The Writing Center will present a workshop on using wikis in the classroom at 1:00-2:30 PM, Friday, November 14, in State Hall 335. Jared Grogan and Andrea Silva, intstructors who have both used wikis in and out of their classroom for over a year, will be providing information for wiki-beginners. The workshop will cover:
- The practical and pedagogical benefits of wikis
- Basic (and hands-on) training in using a wiki
- Examples of how to use wikis in the GTA common syllabus
The Department of English and the Program in Rhetoric and Composition have received funding awards to enhance the use of pedagogical technology in in our current computer classrooms as well as the Writing Center. Notable enhancements already in place include a complete updating of one of our laptop labs (State Hall 335) and the addition of presentation remotes and new projectors for all computer classrooms, as well as software and hardware to augment the Writing Center’s HOOT (hypertext one-on-one tutoring) system. An additional proposal by our new colleagues Lisa Maruca and Caroline Maun also led to the transfer of a laptop cart to the Writing Center and the purchase of new laptops and software enhancements for Writing Center use.
The Writing Center will present the last technology workshop of the year - “Movie Making” - at 2 PM, Tuesday, April 22, in State Hall 337. The workshop will cover creating movies as part of composition, literature, and technical writing courses. “Movie Making” can be one of the most engaging projects students work on during a term. Software already exists on all of our classroom computers (Windows Movie Maker and iMovie) to allow easy editing of video taken on digital still cameras, camcorder, or even cell phones. Presenters will provide instruction in using Movie Maker, equipment instruction, and examples of student projects taken from classes here at WSU.
The Rhetoric and Composition Program and The Writing Center will present a workshop on grading on Monday, 4/14, at 1:00 in the English Department Lounge. This informal discussion is a follow-up to the January Grading Workshop.
The Writing Center will present a workshop on open source software on Friday, 4/11, at 2:00 in 337 State Hall. Presenter Mary Karcher will explain how Open Source software can best be used with students at Wayne State and how it can replace expensive proprietary software and programs. Items to be covered include:
- What is Open Source Software?
- What are the Most Popular Open Source Software Packages?
- Why Would You Want to Use Open Source Software?
The Writing Center will present a workshop on current technology for MLA documentation on Friday, 3/28, at 2:00 in 337 State Hall. Presenters from the Writing Center will will share tools that your students can use to make doing MLA and other citation styles easier. Items to be covered include:
The Composition Program and Writing Center will hold a workshop on MyCompLab, the website support for the SF Writer, on Friday, November 30, 2007, from 2:00 – 4:00 in Room 337 State Hall. This workshop will go beyond the general introduction we held at the Orientation: instructors will be registered onto MyCompLab and learn to use all the different functions through hands-on training.
The Writing Center will sponsor a Teaching With Technology Workshop on Wikis in State Hall 029 from 2-2:30 PM, November 11, 2007. In this workshop, Michael McGinnis will offer an introductory lesson on the hows and whys of using wikis in the composition classroom. Composing online offers opportunities unique to the digital medium, and the goal of this workshop is point to ways that wikis allow you and your students to capitalize on the writing space available in this increasingly-popular composition medium. Topics covered include:
˙ What is a wiki?
˙ Why a wiki?
˙ How to build your own wikispace
˙ How to work in the wiki
˙ What wikis can do that print can’t
In the short time available, you’ll be introduced to two popular wiki platforms, PBWiki and MediaWiki, and see how Wayne State instructors are already taking advantage of the powers of the wiki!