Author Archives: Amy G.

HOW TO – Share a Google Drive file with an individual

In other handouts under Using Google Docs, I’ve explained how to share files with your class by putting them into the appropriate subfolders in your class folder. Any file you …

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HOW TO – Create a shared collection on Google Drive

This screencast illustrates how to create a shared collection on Google Docs. Once you create the collection, you can then share it with your students, colleagues, or friends and then …

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HOW TO – Make a Screen Recording with QuickTime X for Mac

NOTE: The instructions below are for QuickTime X, which comes on all Macs with OS 10.6 and higher. TIPS: BEFORE YOU START Make a Test Version When using a new …

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HOW TO – Make a screen recording with Camtasia for Mac

UPDATE: The post below refers to Camtasia 1. Camtasia 2 has recently been released and features a new interface. Until I have time to make some screencasts on how to …

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HOW TO – Install Camtasia for Mac (for screen recording)

(1) Go to the Camtasia downloads page, enter your email address, and click on Download for Mac OS X. Your web browser may prompt you to specify a location for …

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HOW TO – Install Camtasia for Mac (for screen recording)

(1) Go to the Camtasia downloads page, enter your email address, and click on Download for Mac OS X. Your web browser may prompt you to specify a location for …

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HOW TO – Remove a File from a Shared Folder on Google Drive

For the latest instructions, see the Google Drive help page: Add or remove something from a folder If you accidentally put the wrong file into a collection (or put a …

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LINKS – Tools for Converting Digital Media Formats

Multimedia applications on Mac and Windows computers don’t always make it easy to save or export files in a format that any computer can open, so if you find yourself …

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GUIDE – Tips for Building a Course Web Site

UPDATE: See this new post, which expands on some of these suggestions: Rhetorical considerations for online course materials NOTE: These tips are under development, but I’m posting what I have …

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HOW TO – Export a shareable video from Windows MovieMaker for XP/Vista

While you’re working on a project in Movie Maker, you should periodically choose Save from the File menu to save your project file. But when you’re ready to share your …

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HOW TO – Save a portion of an online video

If you’re working on a project that would benefit from having clips from videos, such as scenes from TV shows, and you’re only able to find the full episode online, …

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HOW TO – Use Windows MovieMaker for XP/Vista to Compose a CDS-Style Digital Story

MovieMaker for XP and Vista is pretty easy to use as it guides you through the process of adding photos, adding audio, creating title cards, and inserting special effects and …

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HOW TO – Install Audacity for Windows

If you choose to use Audacity for your audio project, you’ll need to download it as well as the separate mp3 encoder that works with it and install them on …

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HOW TO – Use Audacity to record audio

This screencast tutorial demonstrates the basics of using Audacity to record an audio essay and export it as an mp3 file. The tutorial shows the Mac version of Audacity, but …

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TIPS – Improving audio essays

I wrote this handout for students in my 2010 sections of WRTG 1150 as well as my Spring 2011 section of WRTG 2090, to help them with the digital literacy …

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WEB RESOURCES – Technology in Plain English

From the CommonCraft channel on YouTube: Blogs in Plain English [youtube NN2I1pWXjXI] Twitter in Plain English [youtube ddO9idmax0o] Wikis in Plain English [youtube dnL00TdmLY] RSS in Plain English (how to …

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TIPS – Working with video clips

If you’re planning to import video clips into your digital composition project, make sure you have access to the highest quality version of the video clip, saved in a format …

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TIPS – Working with images

If you’re planning to work with photos in your digital composition project, make sure the photos are of the highest quality possible before you import them into the composing tool …

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TIPS – Troubleshooting Problems with Images in Web Pages

Having trouble posting an image on WordPress, the wiki, or another web site? Here are two possible causes: (1) The image you’re using isn’t in the right file format for …

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HOW TO – Export an mp3 from Audacity for Windows

If you followed the instructions on How to use Audacity to record audio and can’t get the Export as MP3 option to work, there are two possibilities: you didn’t follow …

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HOW TO – Screencasts on using Google Docs

Also see other screencasts on Using Google Docs and on the PWR Students channel. More to come — taking requests! [vimeo 28117523] [vimeo 29560945] For more help resources, see the …

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WEB RESOURCES – New collection of resources on "Learning through Digital Media"

Interesting new collection of resources relevant to anyone teaching with and through digital media: Learning Through Digital Media Experiments in Technology and Pedagogy From the site intro (by Trebor Scholz): …

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ASSIGNMENT – Share a Digital Literacy Tip for Classmates

This is an archived version of an activity that asks students to share a digital literacy tip with their classmates, which I used in WRTG 2090 in Spring 2011. SHARE …

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ASSIGNMENT – Contribute an Instructions Article to wikiHow

This is an archived version of an assignment I’ve used in WRTG 1150 and WRTG 2090 that asks students to write an instructions article for the collaboratively edited site, wikiHow.com …

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COMMENTARY – Notes on the Rhetorical Nature of Web Design

These are the notes for a presentation I shared with colleagues on August 10, 2011, as part of the PWR Digital Composition Workshop. Notes on the Rhetorical Nature of Web …

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WEB RESOURCES – Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade

Dave Underwood just sent me this very timely article from a NY Times blog. I highly recommend it! Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade

HOW TO – Using iMovie with an external drive

If you want to use iMovie on a Mac on campus, perhaps because you don’t have a Mac of your own, then you’ll need to take a moment to learn …

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GUIDE – Strategies for study guide layout

NOTE: I wrote this page for my WRTG 3020 students, who have the option to customize a blog as part of one of their projects. The layout of the study …

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HOW TO – Use GarageBand '09 to record an audio essay

This screencast tutorial gives you an overview of how to use GarageBand ’09 to record an audio essay and how to export the file as an mp3. GarageBand comes free …

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TEACHING TIPS – Working Definition of Digital Literacy for College Students

NOTE: Originally posted on the PWR Teaching with Technology blog in October of 2011. I thought a few of you might find it helpful to see one approach to defining …

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STUDENT SAMPLE – Gender Norms in the Top 50 Highest-Grossing Animated Films

Research Report by Pearce (WRTG 3020 – Spring 2011) GENDER NORMS ANALYSIS IN THE TOP 50 HIGHEST GROSSING ANIMATED FILMS INTRODUCTION Gender norms are integrated into children’s lives at a …

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WEB RESOURCES – Re-articulating the Mission and Work of Writing Programs with Digital Video

Interesting article on the value of using video as a way to document and promote the work of a writing program: “Re-articulating the Mission and Work of Writing Programs with …

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TEACHING TIPS – Screencasts to help with using WordPress.com for a class blog

Below are a few screencasts that might be helpful to those of you who are using WordPress.com blogs. For more handouts and screeencasts, see this new page under the Resources …

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TEACHING TIPS – Set up a class blog on WordPress.com

TEACHING TIPS – Using a class blog on WordPress.com

STUDENT SAMPLE – The Social Construction of Kennady Nickell

[youtube WGmzN1EK55U] Amy’s Note: The photos and narrative structure are compelling on their own, but Kennady also provides a piano soundtrack for her story that she played herself, which enables …

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STUDENT SAMPLE – Misidentified

A Personal Narrative by Erin (WRTG 3020 – Sumer 2011) Read Erin’s rhetorical rationale on the class blog.

STUDENT SAMPLE – Gender Identity of a Straight, Suburban Girl

Final Digital Storytelling Project by a Summer 2011 student

WEB RESOURCES – A few videos to inspire and enlighten

Below is a small selection of video projects that demonstrate some of the possibilities of digital composition, and, in a few cases, make commentary on it. Consider what would be …

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STUDENT SAMPLE – The Influence

A Personal Narrative by Renata (WRTG 3020 – Summer 2011) Read her Rhetorical Rationale.