Current Classes
Writing for the Web: Fall 2011
Writing for the Web (ENGL 4814) is an introduction to the development of texts for presentation in online environments. The course focuses on the structure and content of web documents, and students explore the basics of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). No previous experience with markup languages is necessary, and our classes focus on beginner/intermediate aspects of web design. We also explore Wordpress, an open source Content Management System (CMS), as we work to develop content and to organize complex web documents. We study usability and accessibility concerns, conducting tests to understand and explore best practices for the presentation of online content. We also study current web concerns and best practices--responsive web design, for example--as we consider the presentation of web content on an increasing number of connected devices.
- Sample Assignment: Personal Website (pdf)
- Sample Assignment: The Content Mangement System (pdf)
Samples from Past Classes
Intro to College Composition
English 1105 is the first course in the composition sequence at Virginia Tech. The class is centered on the WPA outcomes for first-year writing, focusing on the development of rhetorical knowledge; critical thinking, reading, and writing skills; an awareness of writing as a process; a knowledge of conventions; and experience in composing in electronic environments. At VT, the course is taught with our custom composition textbook, Composition at Virginia Tech, and (often) one supplementary text. Additionally, I situate my 1105 courses within a study of genre, considering how writing (and research) connects to social action. Typical assignments include rhetorical analysis, advertising analysis, academic genres, the review genre, etc. Each of these assignment sequences also provides an opportunity for peer-review, revision, editing, and a development of/reflection on individual processes.
- Fall 2010 Syllabus (pdf)
- Sample Assignment: The Review (pdf)
- Sample Assignment: My Music--Fieldwork (pdf)
- Sample Assignment: Writing Journal (pdf)
Intro to Creative Writing
English 2744 is a course designed for beginning creative writers. We examine works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction with a writer's eye, attempting to gain a stronger understanding of craft--the engines propelling successful work. Students produce and share creative work with their peers, and they also read and respond to both student work and published work with helpful praise and criticism.
- Fall 2008 Syllabus (pdf)
Philosophy & Effectiveness
Download my statement of teaching philosophy (pdf)
Download my evidence of teaching effectiveness (pdf)