Got Moxie?

Now let's develop http://techcom.english.usf.edu/default.aspx

like collegewriting.us

The NDLTD initiative consists of a large number of contributing member universities, libraries, information organisations, consortia and individuals (Membership details are available on the NDLTD website and dues-paying members are offered a discount on the conference registration fee). The NDLTD's activities are focused on those who produce, manage, store and use electronic theses and dissertations in order to support the authoring, indexing, archiving, dissemination, and retrieval of ETDs worldwide.

ETD 2008: Spreading the Light is organised by the NDLTD, The Robert Gordon University and The University of Nottingham, with crucial and generous sponsorship provided by non-profit interest groups and corporations that produce hardware, software, and knowledge management solutions for digital archives and repositories.

The purpose of ETD 2008: Spreading the Light will not only be to present research outcomes and demonstrate new developments and initiatives in the field of electronic theses and dissertations, but also to encourage even more universities around the world to become a part of the NDLTD and to promote free, open and long-term access to online scholarship. For institutions and individuals that are at the early stages of investigating how to operate and promote an ETD project or programme, the conference will also offer a range of learning and networking opportunities within an international collegial atmosphere of a premier university for graduate professional education.

INNOVATION, DELIVERY AND IMPACT

You are invited to submit proposals that address any of the following themes:

• Innovation: the use of multimedia, opportunities for students to express their research results more creatively, examples of good practice, areas of concern, preservation issues, potential future developments, etc.
  
  
• Delivery: technical aspects, legal issues, advocacy work, workflow requirements, institutional rules and regulations, etc.
  
  
• Impact: how and why users are accessing ETDs, impediments to access and improvements that could be made, statistics, impact studies, citation analysis, the effectiveness of promotional activities, etc.
  

If you are interested in giving a paper or presentation, running a tutorial within a workshop, or contributing a poster, please read the following criteria:

Please submit a 200-300 word, structured abstract via the electronic submission portal of the ETD2008 paper repository: a Website generously hosted by Linköping University in Sweden. Create your own account, and submit both abstracts and final submissions through this portal. Structured abstracts should be 200 - 300 words in length in a standard word processing format using a research abstract style that includes:

• Format: paper, poster or tutorial
• Title: of paper, poster, tutorial
• Authors: including institutional or corporate identity
• Length of presentation: 20 minutes or (for multiple presenters only) 1 hour
• Objective: the purpose of the project or development activity being described
• Methods: the way in which the project or development activity was undertaken
• Results: the key results of the project or development activity (successes and / or lessons learned)
• Conclusions: future plans, recommendations, etc.
  

Papers, presentations, tutorials and posters will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• Relevance to the conference themes
• Significance of the content
• The extent to which the project / development activity is up to date / novel
• The extent to which the project / development activity could be transferable to other situations
  

Dates and Procedures:

Authors will be able to use the online portal to view abstract approval status and to upload revised versions of the abstract. Completed, final versions of abstracts are due by Friday, 8 February, 2008. Notification of paper/poster acceptances will be announced to authors on 11 March. Final versions of research papers for conference proceedings must be deposited in the ETD2008 submission portal by 5 May. Print poster presenters must deposit a PDF version of the final poster by 5 May. Electronic poster presenters may submit a Camtasia or Flash object version of their "poster", no more than two minutes in length, with narrative, by 5 May.

Each of the parallel strands of the conference (Innovation, Delivery and Impact) will contain a number of one hour slots. In order to allow as broad a range of presentations as possible, individual speakers should aim to talk for 15-20 minutes (including questions). Multifaceted presentations involving a number of speakers may be submitted in the form of a one hour session.

Abstracts should be submitted via the electronic submission portal of the ETD2008 paper repository

If you have queries about the submission procedure, please contact Charles Greenberg

If you have queries about any other aspect of the conference, or the content of papers and posters, please contact either of the conference co-chairs Susan Copeland (The Robert Gordon University, UK) or Christopher Pressler (The University of Nottingham, UK)

Please note that registration for the conference is a separate procedure: registration opens in January 2008.

FYC Program Size

• In academic year 2006-2007, the FYC program served a total enrollment of approximately 9441 students in 383 sections of First-Year Composition. Currently, in Fall 2007, the FYC Program at USF employs a total of 107 faculty, including 87 teaching assistants, 16 part-time teachers, and 4 full time faculty (including the Director and Assistant Director).
• In Fall 2007 we had 176 sections of composition, and in Spring 2008 we will have 159 sections.

Desired Outcomes (related to New Technologies)

• Facilitate collaborative learning by students (peer review, shared readings and resources)
• Facilitate students' first-hand experiences with the power of public writing (publication of student essays, blogs, presentations, student-authored magazines, etc.)
• Provide more varied, substantive reviews of student work (distributed assessment by instructors and peer review)
• Provide for students and teachers a less stressful, more positive introduction to lifelong technologies (use of a single interface to accomplish multiple literacy instruction; provide better training materials)

Software Needed

• Sequel Server License for Student Use (About $8,000)
• Students can then use wikis, disussion forums, and doc. libraries w/o moving from server to server, interface to interace
• Students can then respond to projects-- evaluate, etc.--using Doc libraries
• Students can assess program using survey tools, etc.
• Writingblog/Community Server upgrade ($500)
• License for FYC bulletin ($350)
• Gradebook for Sharepoint

Hardware Needed

• Better equipment for all teachers (about 70% says existing computers are not sufficient to do thier jobs)
• Continued support on IT's servers, perhaps additional load if we get sequel server license and move to expanded use of SPS.
• Better development computer/monitor in English 
• Equipment for podcasting and video work of students and teachers

Personnel Needed

• A good computer science student to help with development. We get 1001 ?s a day. Right now, e.g., why are videos demanding a pw? This is a part of SPS that we need to workaround. How can we develop a program wide database of all essays?

Immediate Questions

• Will USF be expanding its license for Sequel Server?
• As a university-wide writing program, can FYC expect any additional help from CTO? 
• If the writing program wants to require a tool such as Kindle, a pocket pc, etc, can it?

The "positive messages" below were written by faculty in a writing workshop I offered last year....I'm presenting them here as a reminder to current workshop participants:

• Pre-planning and planning always help.
• Setting deadlines and fulfilling work alloted-I did that week.
• Jot down to do tasks for the next day before going to bed.
• I found allocating time for breaks helped me manage time better.
• Checking off completed tasks bought a smile to my face.
• Think! Think! Think!
• Of course you can write more than 250 words.
• You relive the fun, excitement and delight when you write of wondeful moments! So write! Enjoy yourself!
• You are capable of writing well-you have done it before, you can do it now.
• I tried to envisage my "end goal" and realize that it is attainable.
• I thought about the contirbutions to my field that I hope I can make-this is insprirational.
• I thought about the kind of work I enjoy and decided to concentrate on these areas in my teaching research.
• Writing is rewarding...brings with it new idess, greater comprehension, potential to help others.
• Reward good writing with chocolate.
• Writing comes naturally. Everybody does it.
• Getting published is just a process. Only follow the steps, and it will  happen. Stick to the plan.
• This could be Dissertaion Material; that would be a huge leap forward.
• Writing gets easier the more you make it habitual.
• Your research plan is your road map. Follow it and you'll always know what to write/research next.
• Research and writing invest in one another equally. The more you do one, the better equiped you are to do the other.
• You are unstoppable.
• "You shall be as gods".
• Daily Volume is everything.
• Saturdays and Sundays are easy.
• This is who you are.
• Smile and laugh while you type.
• 500 is a wonderful number.
• Don't nitpick yourself.
• Good. Work.
• Expansive Side. Its holistic.
• Good Breath in. Bad Breath Outside.
• The zone is filled with daily prolific activity.
• Isolation is productive.
• Creativity needs an outlet.
• Exhale and start writing again!
• This is so cool. More stuff like this! This is worthwhile.
• I'm having a good time doing this.
• Soon, you get to the fun stuff-charts and pictures.
• This is possible, thought it may take more time than you thought.
• Yes, and agent will call you back.
• This is what I should be doing.
• This new system is defintely workable.
• I freaking rule!
• I am good at what I do.
• I can be better at what I do.
• There is no end to what I can accomplish.
• If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.
• Publishing is everything.
• I love to write and publish.
• It's all in our hands.
• Good Teachers/scholars get jobs.
• It's not to late to "work smart."
• I love my chosen field.
• I look forward to networking with likeminded people.
• I will make daily writing productive.
• The baby boom is retiring.
• Jobs might become more plentiful.
• Elements of Composition & Rhetoric are well applied to Literature studies.
• "Networking on the Network" was profound.
• Ivory towers are hospitable for insiders.
• You've already done ________, you can do this.
• Remember, people come to you for this stuff.
• The hard part is the original idea.
• It's only words, not notes. (You need a lot more than words).
• Baby steps, Bib.
• Other people do want to read this.
• This is cool, bein able to brainstorm and wirte about your own ideas.
• REWARDS-If I can do this, much more, I can do ________.
• Every little bit helps.
• Myabe its original.
• It's not math.
• This is insightful.
• This can lead to bigger and better.
• This is bigger and better.
• That faculty job is an interdisciplinary way.
• How will this help my students?
• Most prople have no idea what I'm talking about-he, he,he!

So now we're working in a password protected space at eportfolio, which I dislike cuz it undermines RSS,  collaboration, etc. but I gotta understand the private discourse model, eh?

"All truths arise out of dialectic, out of the interaction of individuals within discourse communities. Truth is never simply "out there" in the material world or the social realm, or simply "in here" in a private and personal world. It emerges only as all three- the material, the social, and the personal- interact, and as the agent of mediation is language. (Berlin...Rhetoric and Reality 17)

Appeals . . . the FYC newsletter

Below you will find some interesting FYC news!

Salary Increase For the third annual year, graduate students are receiving an increase in salary at both the MA and PhD level thanks to a study completed by the department in 2004. Graduate salaries have increased about thirty-five percent over the last three years. The latest salary increase takes effect immediately. Position Title Previous Salary Per Course $ New Salary Per Course $ New MA 2475.00 2698.00 Return MA 2700.00 2916.00 New PhD 3025.00 3291.00 Return PhD 3294.00 3502.00   Call for Curriculum Ideas In order to improve and update the curriculum, the Policy committee would like to solicit new ideas for writing projects in 1101 and 1102 from current instructors.  We are currently reconsidering the benefits of each paper option for each project in 1101 and 1102. We would like feedback from instructors when creating new projects.  If you would like to submit a proposal just for your class, please review the “creating new projects for 1101 and 1102” page, which can be found under the “Teachers” tab at collegewriting.us. Podcasts for Teaching Travel Writing and Public Writing; Using Technology  The podcasts and links below, which can be found on collegewriting.us, are intended to help instructors teach and students complete the “Public Writing” and the Travel Writing Projects in 1101.  This includes a series of podcasts and a very well developed page on collegewriting.us with a large amount of resources that were uploaded by various instructors in 1101. Thank You! Links Description of Podcast A podcast of two librarians targeted towards students who have questions about what Public Writing is and how to research it A podcast of two collaborators (Taylor Mitchell and Melissa Tully) concerning how they have taught Project One A podcast that responds to questions concerning how to create and modify projects in 1101 and 1102 (Taylor Mitchell, Melissa Tully, and Quentin Vieregge) forthcoming Cameron Logan's interview with her uncle who is a professional travel writer A podcast that responds to instructors' concerns about using technology in 1101 and 1102. It answers the question, "What are the basic requirements?" (Taylor Mitchell, Melissa Tully, Quentin Vieregge)  Public Writing Instructors from across the program have contributed to the Public Writing Project page November Newsletter Contributions We would like to interview you to learn about your most effective teaching practices. What lessons, ideas, methods have you used in the classroom that have worked? If you would like to create a 5 min podcast to share your ideas with the Department, please contact Quentin Vieregge at qvieregg@mail.usf.edu.

FYC Program Size In academic year 2006-2007, the FYC program served a total enrollment of approximately 9441 students in 383 sections of First-Year Composition. Currently, in Fall 2007, the FYC Program at USF employs a total of 107 faculty, including 87 teaching assistants, 16 part-time teachers, and 4 full time faculty (including the Director and Assistant Director). In Fall 2007 we had 176 sections of composition, and in Spring 2008 we will have 159 sections. Collaborators / Mentors by Annie Chow The Mentoring Program has made a positive difference in enabling the new TAs to assimilate into the FYC community.  The bond that has developed between the Mentors, Collaborators, and the new TAs continues to provide an impetus for sharing information. This interchange has lead to a sharper, more focused joint effort by all FYC members. The team members were selected for their teaching experience, technical expertise, and desire to share their knowledge with the incoming TAs. The five mentors are Dr. Mary Madden, Kathleen Blackwell, Marian Conklin, Cameron Hunt-Logan, and Bob Gamache. The collaborators are Melissa Tully, Suzanne Desmond, Patty Remmel, Gina Wilkerson, and Taylor Mitchell; Annie Chow was selected to be the Mentoring Program Coordinator. Each Mentor is assigned four new TAs, and each Collaborator mentors two TAs, in addition to other specific duties.  These mentoring program members met their new colleagues during the two-week training session before the first week of classes. Several hours of individual training were dedicated to helping the new members of the teaching staff integrate into the composition program. The mentors shared their knowledge of creating a syllabus, assisted in composing detailed teaching schedules, gave insight into classroom usage of computer systems, and assisted with the organization of teaching material into the Blackboard system. The Mentors and Collaborators now meet with their assigned TAs once a week to discuss any difficulties, or make suggestions on current projects. They also attend one another's classes twice over the semester to provide support and offer suggestions.    Lunch and Discussion We are thinking about how best to create a sense of community not just online but face-to-face. For instance, the FYC Program is scheduling a lunch/discussion at the Marshall Center (room TBA) on November 9, from 12:30 to 2.  Food will be provided. In order to make plans for this (and reserve an appropriate room), we need to ask you to RSVP.  Just reply by accepting or declining before October 20. If you need to phone in your reservations, do so by calling Kim Murray at 974-9557.  She will provide an update for the room location sometime in October. Improving Computers We have recently sent out a follow-up survey to help determine how best to repair /replace defective office computers. The department is dedicated to improving the technology resources for each individual instructor, so let us know how we can help you.

E-Portfolio Website The E-Portfolio Wiki website has been developed extensively. Please contribute to this website to build the curriculum, lesson plans, sample essays, etc. Also, please review this website to gain ideas about how to teach each writing project. You may access it by going to http://eportfolio.usf.edu/Pages/default.aspx.

Please consider your students' best writing  for the Bullitzer Prize annual awards. The Bullitzer Prize is given to the best two papers in 1101 and the best two in 1102, as well as for the best FYC blogs (1101 and 1102). Now that you've read your students' first projects and are working with them on Project Two, please encourage your best writers to share their work with their fellow students. Past winners have received bookstore gift certificates - and, of course, a nice addition to their résumés. If you have any questions about how to submit a student, please see Kim Murray, Mary Madden, or visit this page at collegewriting.us. (edited by Quentin Vieregge)

l  However, the dominant discourses do not come from English departments, not by any stretch of the most fertile imagination.  They come from commercial software vendors, centers for academic computing, science and technology disciplines, and institutionalized computer literacy initiatives that concentrate on the workings of software programs and hardware devices.  By and large, the dominant discourses can be characterized as well intentioned but not particularly critical, especially when it comes to the facts and implications of design cultures (Selber 178).

This summer I have been experimenting with SharePoint 07 and two courses, and undergraduate course undergraduate course:

	Communication for Engineers, Summer 07
	Practicum, Teaching Technical Writing, Summer B, 07

I absolutely love the increased functionality over the 03 version.Thanks to the tremendousAnd seeminglyNever ending effortOf terry Beavers,We now haveThe 07 versionSharePoint topic collegewriting:

http://collegewriting.us/default.aspx

This yearWe are going to ask all of the teachers in the composition programTo use SharePointTo load and post Their SyllabiAnd detailed schedules.I'm hoping by giving them this tollThatWe will be able toEncourageGreater collaboration.

Extremely busy summer...

Starting to teach a new course, http://waw.taa.usf.edu/sites/waw/techwriting/default.aspx, a practicum on tech writing.

Have been busy teaching http://waw.taa.usf.edu/sites/waw/engineers/default.aspx one of the lessons I've relearned in this course is the weaknesses of relying on e-mail for document sharing.  I also found that the unique shared folders for each student didn't work all that well when it came to facilitating peer review.  The annotation exercise has gone exceedingly well, however in this class.  Teaching this class has once again helped me recognize the incredible power of enabling students to revise for higher grade.  I'm increasingly convinced that this should be a core element of our curriculum.  I recognize that I cannot ask teachers to reread infinitely, however but we really must exist next year that folks to read student documents at least three times.  If we do this and only this in our comments are thoughtful we will have a profound influence on student writing at USF. 

Preparing writing program 4 next yr has been time consuming:

	Letter to FYC Faculty July 07
	Fall Teaching Orientation Schedule
	Policies and Procedures
	Teachers' Guide
	Classroom Resources

Most of my energies are flowing into the writing program, trying to get it ready, trying to redesign http://collegewriting.us/default.aspx

Been playing around w/ SPS 07 to set up a new course:

ENC 3246-141, Communication for Engineers

Summer C 07, Saturdays 9:00am – 1:15pm

Ref. 53414

http://waw.taa.usf.edu/sites/waw/engineers/default.aspx

I just cannot believe that I'm still working on this datagogy article. Jeez, I'm so discouraged...

Today I was doing some final checks on the revision when I thought I'd better check on a block quote from Fred Kemp. Wow, was I surprised; the articled I'd read in pre-manuscript form was since published as a chapter in a book and we had the book in the library. I did a quick look and found that the editors had made some changes, so I typed in those edits.

I should have the revisions done by next Monday and ready to submit back to C and C. Looking back, though, I'm glad I've had this change to make some revisions.

Let's hope that after more than 2 years I can get this puppy published! 

1. Getting ready for 4Cs this coming week: http://writersatwork.us/Presentations/Forms/AllItems.aspx
   
2. Listening to http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail468.html, Wisdom of Crowds
   
3. Finished a new essay, http://writersatwork.us/Joe_Moxley/Diffusion%20Story_Final.doc
   
4. Trying to stay off computer,though.
   
5. Homepage for TeachingWiki has been corrupted; must fix
   
6. Love the new SPS 2007. Think we'll go w/ the wiki feature next year.

Up in State College, PA for the holidays. Rainy north. Christmas night will be in a lodge in 5000 acre preserve...

Struggling to stay off computer. Limiting myself to 20 minutes/day till May.

As you see, we have the new Community Server loaded at WritingBlogs. My thanks to Ryan for our new logo