Stephanie Tripp, Bradley Dilger, Jane Love, Gisele Fernandez, Brendan Riley, Meg Norcia, Laurie Taylor.

Agenda

• Assignment archive
• CWOnline 2001
• NWE and IMAGE updates from Bradley
• Upcoming conferences
• Introductory materials -- electronic mail, web/hypertext, MOO
• Other stuff

Assignment archive

The assignment archive is up and running on the CLAS server. You can add or view assignments from the CWWG projects page, or here: http://web.english.ufl.edu/~dilger/cwwg/.

We need everyone to post a few of the assignments used in their courses! If anyone has suggestions for ways the format could be improved, email the CWWG list. Laura Sullivan will be the official "hounder" who makes sure folks contribute.

CWOnline 2001

Computers & Writing Online 2001 is coming up very soon -- it runs from 23 March to 31 May. The deadline for proposals is 31 January 2001. Website: http://web.nwe.ufl.edu/cwonline2001/. This is a great conference to be a part of, especially if you can't make it to the onsite C&W conference at Ball State in May. Bradley is one of the co-chairs, so if you have any questions email him.

Laura pointed out importance of networking and making connections with folks through conferences and noted this was a good way to get that started.

We talked a little bit about the C&W conference at Ball State. Stephanie noted that the Graduate Research Network offered a good way to get a paper accepted to the conference and then have it critiqued by professors and editors from journals at the conference. Bradley noted that this year's $100 registration fee included a lot more activities and meals than last year, and The web site for the conference is here: http://www.bsu.edu/cw2001/

NWE and IMAGE updates from Bradley

Allan West is our senior system administrator now. He used to be the junior system administrator but left in late 1997 to take a position at Statistics. He's very personable and an talented admin, and we're very lucky to have him back.

Lee Whitten is going to move along to a better position so we'll be getting a new junior system administrator soon as well. Since CLASnet has been doing many interviews for other open positions it's likely this vacancy won't be around very long.

Some system upgrades are planned for Spring Break or early May, but a firm timeline isn't clear yet -- campus space problems have to be resolved first.

Stephanie wondered about the chances of getting an additional classroom any time soon. Bradley said he felt there just isn't the room right now -- space is at a premium, especially classroom space. All the new and renovated buildings are spoken for as well. Perhaps in the long term the NWE can be expanded (third floor) but the IFAS folks there will have to be relocated and that's probably five years away.

Laura asked about free classroom space. There is not very much now and will be even less in the Fall due to new Tech Writing format. Laura asked if we could point out more about alternative ways to get access to computing, like the CIRCA labs (http://labs.circa.ufl.edu/) used for Harpold and Douglas's classes this Spring.

Upcoming conferences

Bradley wondered a bit about DAC -- perhaps we could get an update from Terry Harpold on the email list?

CCCC 2001 is March 14-17 in Denver. When and where is CCCC 2002? The NCTE web site says it's in Chicago but that's all -- no host is listed. We need to start thinking soon about a CCCC 2002 proposal-writing session. That needs to be an agenda item at or before the next meeting.

Laura asked if we might need a different strategy for getting in? Didn't get a lot of folks this year. But conference was smaller this year than last -- fewer sessions. Stephanie pointed out that it really didn't matter if panels were all UF or mixed -- there was still a low acceptance rate.

Laura suggested workshops could be a good place to focus -- an alternative way to get a paper in the door. Perhaps the group could do something? When more information for 2002 is announced we'll address this again.

Introductory materials -- electronic mail, web/hypertext, MOO

Bradley proposed a model for some introductory materials for the "big three" technologies of web, moo, and email. The format is based on the notes from his presentation in Blake Scott's practicum -- which are on the web here: http://web.nwe.ufl.edu/~dilger/s01/email-intro-rough.html. It's three parts: (1) general information about the technology (2) looking at one or more scholarly texts (essays) which address the technology (3) some examples for how it might be used.

There was general agreement that this format would work. Laura suggested including time estimates so that workload wouldn't be a problem. Both Bradley and Stephanie recalled making very ambitious assignments that took a very long time to grade, and thought that the intros shuld definitely address instructor workload.

Bradley proposed we get volunteers to coordinate producing these intro materials and work together to get them done this semester.

Brendan will coordinate the MOO piece but will want help from others with more extensive MOO teaching experience. Jane Love can help. Bradley suggested talking to Ronan since his teaching in the MOO is extensive.

Laura and Meg will do web/hypertext. Meg said she had done some activities with searching the web which would work well. Laura noted that her work was more oriented toward authoring and wondered if that should be a separate category. Bradley suggested working under one umbrella until size got too big to be useful, then forking off if needed.

Bradley will do email (based on his outline) if nobody else will, but hopes to get someone else to do so.

Other stuff

Gisele is heading back to Brazil. She took a photo of the group. She has subscribed to the CWWG list through Brazil and may continue to ask for help through it.

Laurie Taylor asked if anyone knows about any scholars working with video games? Stephanie suggested Susan Smith. Bradley suggested Phoebe Sengers. [Other folks feel free to send names to Laurie through the CWWG list.]

Laura suggested having a general Q&A at meetings as a way to get more people to attend. She also volunteered to scope downtown locations to find a place to meet besides Rolfs. Laura noted that these both could help us share, and ask questions of each other about pedagogy. This would provide a forum for bouncing around questions, ideas, successes, struggles, and the like.

CWWG definitely wants to integrate folks who (a) have never taught in the lab yet and (b) folks who are just starting to and (c) folks who have a lot of experience teaching in the lab.