Week 1 Fall 23 ENGL390H (we started in ELMS via announcements)

Here is our first post within this platform. As a courtesy, I will place our first three announcements here, to show you how we use (read) this "text."-->

GoogleMeet link

ANNOUNCEMENT 1
Aug 22 at 12:36pm

I want all of you fine science writing students to have notice when the change went live about 30 minutes ago. I will post details about our tech soon but generally-->

We will meet at the assigned time of 9am and 11am, respectively via the same Google Meet link all semester (will explain why this tech on day 1).
I strongly suggest that you come to the assigned Tawes room for the first week so you can meet each other in person (community is an essential to our writing work together).
Prepare your tech options that can include cell phones (for occasions) but laptops and well enabled tablets. Of course, if your schedule permits you can be on a desktop, too.
Many students find that ear buds and a tiny mike will help you participate in busy, communal settings.

OPTIONAL: We will talk soon about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neural Networks (NN), and specific products/systems like ChatGPT. To prepare, I want you to check out Janelle Shane's blogLinks to an external site. and AI products that are all intriguing and entertaining.

Stay tuned as I will update pieces of the course, including a syllabus, this week.

Looking forward to meeting all y'all.

Update on Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 02:43PM by

Marybeth Shea

ANNOUNCEMENT 2

Read (skimming works) this Adam Kucharski. Substack* short piece of advice. for people writing science knowledge for real audiences. Here, the focus is on scientific writing vs science writing. We will discuss the differences -- and overlap -- of these two types of science communication (sci comm). Indeed, the class focuses on these two types of writing all semester long.

*You will need to subscribe to his writing feed but this is free. By the way, what IS Substack anyway? Think of all the writing and communication platforms or "spaces" the internet offers writers and readers. Substack is one of them: part newsletter feed, part linked author pages, part blogging genre. part long-form social media...

Sci comm is a HUGE practical space. One area I particularly love is visual sci comm. Enjoy this clip from Twitter->

Find her Science Pusheen series here..

See you next week.

Update on Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 02:46PM by

Marybeth Shea

ANNOUNCEMENT

Aug 27 at 1:07pm

No unread replies.No replies.

GOOGLE MEET LINK Is here.

We will use the same link all semester. So, I suggest that you keep this link on your phone, laptop (notes or text file) so you can use on all our Monday, Wednesday, and Friday meetings.

I will answer all the usual questions.

grades
- labor
- non normal distribution
- special population that these classes represent
course policies
technical notes on our class journal (primary text of course and on a Squarespace (built by a TERP!) platform. OUTSIDE of ELMS
Use of Eli Review. to give and receive feedback (requires a subscription of $20 or less)
Three primary assignments, with smaller lessons "shoe-horned" in as we draft, redraft, review, workshop, and polish
and, introduce me, so to help you trust and (even) enjoy my leadership in our learning community

Did you look at the two earlier posts in Announcements? We have two broad topics to occupy ourselves this first week:

Difference between science writing and scientific writing. Hint: audience is key to this distinction. Also, think of these definitions as on a continuum.
Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, machine learning, neural networks: what are these concepts and programs? How are writing and authorship and datasets involved? What is hallucination in these systems?
Culture talk (most Fridays) re visual communication. For this week, we might take up these discussion prompts:
1. Were you surprised about "Science Pusheen". posted in "announcements" earlier?
2. Did you check out Janelle Shane's blog? If not, please do so before Wednesday.
3. Is humor an acceptable "audience accommodation" in science?

Update on Friday, September 1, 2023 at 06:26AM by

Marybeth Shea

Happy Friday! Enjoy the long weekend. Perhaps some outdoor pool time? With sunscreen, off course. I like the mineral based ones, aka with zinc oxide or similar formations.

Three resources for you to skim. We are (re)learning the technical language of rhetoric for thinking and writing.

Short slide set (Google) on Audience?Context/Purpose.
Task for you! Introduction slides by Wednesday AM
Preview of next week: Reading Strategies (Google Doc), one-paer with links that are optional)
- Question: Do you think of hypertext links as a citation and trust buidling strategy? I do.

Posted on Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 02:37PM by

Marybeth Shea | Comments Off

MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Week 1 Fall 23 ENGL390H (we started in ELMS via announcements)