Project Three: Annotated Mile2
Project Three presents you with a unique compositional opportunity, a shift away from the constraints that typically accompany composing for the 8.5x11 page to those that correspond to the screen. With this shift come new affordances, as well. That is, you can compose for the screen in ways unsuited to the page, creating, assembling, and arranging in images, video, audio, and words. We are not leaving word processors behind as much as we are becoming familiar with the distinctive possibilities for writing made available by new and emerging digital platforms. In this case, we'll work with Timeline JS. Each of you will build a series of moments/panels/frames (what should we call these?) in Timeline JS, and you will learn more soon about how the platform works, how to build its elements, and so on. Some of this is explained below; more of it will be explained in class.
To begin, you will focus on a single square mile, no more, no less. I recommend you work with the square mile you grew up in, or the immediate vicinity of the place you would call home. If, however, you want to work with a different location, you should talk with me about it and be prepared to explain why. To annotate the sq. mile, locate it in Scribble Maps, and apply numbers (1-10 or more) to correspond with the panels in Timeline JS. Getting familiar with Timeline JS is, as well, one of the challenges in this.
Your Annotated Mile should reflect a broad awareness of the space you select. Annotations will be most successful when they reflect stories, memories, oddities, lore, surprises, curiosities (i.e., genuine wonder) as well as researched insights, such as quotations from scholarly articles, local discussion boards, newspapers, etc. You could think of this as a digital version of what William Least-Heat Moon calls a "deep map," a constellation of questions and discoveries that, despite incongruities, gel together to produce a composite perspective on a place. You are, in effect, deep-mapping the mile you select.
Where Can I Find My Timeline Workspace?
Each of you has been assigned a workspace below. Note that Timeline JS works with two files: a viewport (or html file you should view in your browser) and a Google Spreadsheet sandbox
(this is the space where you control what populates the timeline). To access the spreadsheet (Sandbox), you must click on the link and request access. I will grant you access as soon as I receive your request.
Josh Viewport 01 Sandbox 01
Ashley Viewport 02 Sandbox 02
Kim Viewport 03 Sandbox 03
Dorianne Viewport 04 Sandbox 04
Anna Viewport 05 Sandbox 05
Jordan Viewport 06 Sandbox 06
Tyler Viewport 07 Sandbox 07
Raynal Viewport 08 Sandbox 08
Branden Viewport 09 Sandbox 09
Kimmy Viewport 10 Sandbox 10
Breonna Viewport 11 Sandbox 11
Paul Viewport 12 Sandbox 12
Jessi Viewport 13 Sandbox 13
Marissa Viewport 14 Sandbox 14
Erin Viewport 15 Sandbox 15
Oscar Viewport 16 Sandbox 16
Asia Viewport 17 Sandbox 17
Max Viewport 18 Sandbox 18
Tiffany S Viewport 19 Sandbox 19
Allison Viewport 20 Sandbox 20
Carlton Viewport 21 Sandbox 21
Lindsey V Viewport 22 Sandbox 22
Elaine Viewport 23 Sandbox 23
Tiffany W Viewport 24 Sandbox 24
Austen Viewport 25 Sandbox 25
Once you have access to the spreadsheet sandbox, you should begin to explore the possibilities for composing using Timeline JS. Add a hyperlink or a note in the spreadsheet, save it, flip to the viewport, refresh, and you will see your changes immediately. We'll spend plenty of time in class getting a feel for how this works.
What Must My Timeline/Annotated Mile Include?
Create between 10-20 moments/panels/frames corresponding to markers on the Scribble Map. The Scribble Map should appear as the first (opening) panel. You must include two quotations from scholarly sources, a photograph (preferably taken by you), an audio element, and two map views of the mile (e.g., one satellite view, one map view).
In addition to creating the digital component of the project, you will also write an essay of at least four pages that introduces the piece, discusses its significance, and considers the distinctive affordances of the composing platform. A full draft of the digital component is due on Wednesday, November 28. A draft of the essay (4 double-spaced pages, word processed, 12 point font) is due on Monday, December 3. Bring a paper copy with you to class. The finished project is due on Wednesday, December 12, to the appropriate Dropbox in EMU Online.
Assessment Criteria
Your project will be assessed for its strengths in the following five areas.
- Reading critically
- Practicing research
- Writing and representing what you know
- Using evidence
- Following the conventions of syntax and mechanics
Evaluation Criteria
Each criterion listed above will be evaluated on the following scale:
<NA----------NI----------AC----------EX>
EX: Exceptional. The writer has applied the criterion with distinction.
AC: Acceptable/meets expectations. The writer has applied the criterion to a satisfactory degree.
NI: Needs improvement. The writer has minimally applied the criterion in the project.
NA: Not applied. The writer has not applied the criterion in the project.
Contact Information
Derek N. Mueller, PhDAssociate Professor of Rhetoric and Writing
Director of Composition
Department of English
Virginia Tech
Office: 315 Shanks Hall
Spring 2020 Office Hours: T, 12-3
Phone: +1-734-985-0485
dmueller@vt.edu
http://derekmueller.net/rc/
