SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT #1
RESPONSE TO SYLLABUS

THE PURPOSE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT
This will be your first (ungraded) adventure in thinking about how you read electronic texts. By Tuesday of next week, I would like you to read the class syllabus/website carefully and to then write down your understanding of various points and any questions you have as a forum post on http://WRIT501.ning.com. This is so I can be sure you understand what you are getting yourself into. This will be graded 'complete/not turned in'--so you must complete it on time!

WHAT TO DO
Read all the different main pages—Overview, Calendar, Syllabus, Assignments, Students and Resources—and read them carefully. Look over the calendar closely to see what the shape of our work is over the semester (but keep in mind that not all the assignments are yet posted—and that this calendar may change, depending on the needs of the class). You may want to use a blank sheet of paper to sketch out a site map of how the pages relate to each other (that's a good habit to develop as you analyze websites).

After you have read, please write approximately 500 words in response, using the following questions to guide you. (Please do not write your response as a sentence-by-sentence echo of these questions; instead, please work & play to come up with a creative but coherent way to respond... Think about the layout of your response and the typefaces you choose. Make these things be part of your overall argument. Make this be your first creative layout for this class.)

• What are the main abilities I am hoping you will gain by the end of the semester? What do you think you need to learn or do to become fluid with those abilities?
• What are the main projects of this class, and in what order are they due? Do any of these projects make you nervous? Do any of them appeal to you particularly?
• Which of the course goals are most appealing to you? Why? Are there any goals you think you’ll have difficulty achieving?
• What do you need to do to pass this class? To earn an A? Do you have any questions or concerns about my approach to grading?
• What assignments on the calendar look most helpful to you? Does it look as though you’ll be given enough information—both technical and conceptual—to do the assignments and projects?
• Which resources look most useful to you? Do you have any other resources to suggest now?
• Does the class—as it is now organized—look as though it will meet your expectations? What might you change now?
• Do you have any questions about the course now? Is there any more information I could fill in?

Submit your response to the Forum on http://WRIT501.ning.com by the evening of August 31 so that people will have the opportunity to share and discuss your responses. I'll start a discussion thread for the topic.