Jump to: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 |
CH = This reading is in the book Communication in History
VR = This reading is in the book Voices of Revolution
ER = This reading is available from the library’s E-Reserves
Week 1:
Tues, Jan 5: Welcome and introductions to the course
In class:
Introducing DU’s most famous communications professional and communications tech innovator, Lowell J. Thomas
Introductions; go over syllabus; set up blog accounts
Wed, Jan 6 12:00 – 1:50 Estlow Center Event: Islam & the Media *Come for the Free Lunch at Driscoll Ballroom and stay to hear the talk*
Attend to complete Assignment 1 (see assignment page if you have a class or work at this time and cannot attend)
Thurs, Jan 7: Topic: Blogging, Misquoting, and Death Threats
Assignment 1: 350 word blog: Based on Mona Eltahawy’s talk, what difference do you believe new media applications have made for communication across cultures? Are we as a culture better off, or worse off, because of 24/7 immediate communication? Are we as individuals who might aspire to work in communication better or worse off? (E.g., how would you describe Eltahawy’s “job” or “career”: Is she a model of new journalism, a new kind of freelancer, a spokesperson for a cause, etc.?) – and what’s good or bad about what her career might represent in relation to innovations in media & communication professions? DUE 11:59 PM Wednesday, January 6
In class:
Discussion of event (bring your blog comments w/you so you can refer to them in class)
Discuss Assignment #3: the collaborative video essay
View “A Vision of Students Today” video essay; “The Web is Us/ing Us”
Week 2:
Tues, Jan 12: Innovations in Media & Learning
Readings: Don Tapscott, “The Net Generation as Learners,” Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World (McGraw-Hill, 2009), pp. 121-148 part I; AND Tapscott part II; AND Jill Dierberg & Lynn Schofield Clark, “Media in the Lives of Young Adults: Implications for Religious Organizations,” in Tim Clydesdale, Ed., The Changing Spirituality of Young Adults (forthcoming, 2010).
Assignment 2(1): 350 word blog on readings due 1 minute after 11:59 Wed night. Topic: Dierberg and Clark were writing about young adult experiences for an older audience. To what extent is your experience with technology similar to what they describe? Do you agree with Tapscott that people in your age group have different expectations about learning environments as a result of their media uses? Finally, what’s the most innovative and effective use of technology in the classroom that you’ve experienced, and how was it like or not like what Tapscott calls interactive learning?
In class:
Discuss your blogs.
Begin work on video essays; exchange contact info; Exec Producers and Producers oversee project management details; Creative Consultants, Comedic Consultants, and Writers begin work in small group brainstorming session.
Thurs, Jan 14: Innovations in Media & Learning: Students, Faculty, Digerati & Luddites
Assignment 3: Scripting finalized today in class. Other plans possible: Shooting? Hosting? Cameraperson? You’ll be deciding on today’s plan on Tues Jan 12.
In class: Collaborative work on video essays.
Tues, Jan 19: Innovations in Media & Learning
Readings: CH: “Orality, Literacy, & Modern Media,” pp. 64-70; “A Medieval Library,” pp. 71-74; “Paper and Block Printing: From China to Europe” pp. 87-93; “The Invention of Printing” pp. 93-97
Assignment 2(2): 350 word blog on the printing press
Assignment 3:
In class:
Videos of pre-printing press era
View raw video (you decide on next steps)
Thurs, Jan 21: Reading and Literacy
Readings: CH: “The Rise of the Reading Public,” “Early Modern Literacies,” “The Trade in News,” “The New Journalism”
BRING YOUR LAPTOPS
Assignment 2 (3): 350 word blog about the culture of reading, based on above readings
Assignment 3: Editing begins; post production supervisor discusses editing schedule for Sunday & Monday
In class:
Discussion on blogs about reading and literacy; video on the Internet & new literacies; compare pre-printing press to post- and pre-Internet to post-.
Week 4:
Tues, Jan 26:
Assignment 3: ROUGH CUT OF VIDEO ESSAY DUE FOR VIEWING TODAY
Assignment 2 (4): Read & blog on Info Overload by Singer, Monserrate, & Clark, on college students & consumption of news
In class:
Discussion of your news habits (which you can also include in your blog)
Thurs, Jan 28: Topic: Media & Collaborative Learning
Assignment 2: Reading & optional blog 2 (5): watch an anthropological introduction to YouTube
In class:
WATCH FINAL VIDEO
Discuss uploading and tagging on various video sharing sites; build a google wave on circulation plans (watch the video for ideas, but note: it’s 55 minutes long). If you need more credit toward the video project, come with specific ideas and/or show us what you’ve done to link and promote the video (Technorati, Digg, etc.)
Fri, Jan 29: WORLD PREMIERE, INNOVATIONS CLASS VIDEO!
Week 5:Innovations & Social Movements
Tuesday, Feb 2
Readings: VR: “Fighting for the Rights of American Labor” pp. 3-19; “Awakening a Nation to the Sins of Slavery” pp. 20-35; VR: “Setting a Revolutionary Agenda for Women’s Rights” pp. 36-54; “Dissident Voices/Common Threads” pp. 54-60
Assignment 2 (6): 350 word blog on social innovations in the early dissident press
Handout on midterm exam today
Thurs Feb 4: FIELD TRIP, Denver Open Media: map here
Topic: The Telegraph: Precursor to the Internet?
Readings: CH: “Electricity Creates the Wired World”pp. 120-122; “The Optical Telegraph”pp. 123-131; “Telegraphy – The Victorian Internet”pp. 132-138; “Time, Space, and the Telegraph”pp. 157-162
Assignment 2 (7): blog on readings about the telegraph and the Internet: Videos and discussion on the telegraph and Internet: this day in history, What hath God wrought?, The Man Behind Morse Code, The telegraph in the American civil war; Telegraph as a modern marvel
Week 6:
Tues, Feb 9: MIDTERM (info on midterm here)
Thurs, Feb 11: FIELD TRIP TO OUT FRONT COLORADO (meet at MCOM @ 10:00)
Directions: Take Downing N to 8th. Head W on 8th, then S on Sherman (one street before Lincoln). Out Front Colorado’s at the corner of 8th & Sherman in large building with gold reflective windows. You can enter from the south – they’re on the right. Or come in the front, go L at elevators, then R, then L to end of the hall. Park on a side street that has a 2-hour parking sign. You may have to drive around a bit to find a parking spot.
Readings: VR: “Creating an Agenda for Gay and Lesbian Rights”
Assignment 2(8): See MILK before today, if you haven’t already. Blog on reading &/OR film by midnight Wed.
Week 7:
Mon, Feb 15: EMAIL DUE BY 11:59 (Begin reading about contributing to Wikipedia and sign up to become a contributor by today – indicate you’ve done this in your email).
Tues, Feb 16: Topics: The Telephone: Media in an Expanding Nation; Photography & Film
GROUP I PRESENTS AND LEADS DISCUSSION 10:05 – 10:45; GROUP II PRESENTS AND LEADS DISCUSSION 10:55-11:35
Readings: CH: “The Telephone Takes Command” pp. 145-151; “Inventing the Expert” pp. 152-157
Assignment 2(9): blog on the telephone readings
Readings: “On Photography,” “Early Photojournalism,” “Dream Worlds of Consumption,” “Early Motion Pictures”
Assignment 2(8): Blog on photography and film readings
Wednesday, Feb. 17: WILDCARD DUE; MEMO DUE
Thurs, Feb 18: Topics: Sound Recording & Radio; Television, the Post War Era, and Civil Rights
GROUPS III & IV LEAD DISCUSSION
Readings: CH: “Wireless World,” “Early Radio,” “The Golden Age of Programming,” “Radio and Race”
Assignment 2(10): Blog on sound and radio readings
Readings: CH: “Television Begins,” “Making Room for TV,” “The Sixties Counterculture on TV,” VR: “Standing Tall and Tough Against Racial Oppression”
Ironic humor: Television news & its visual presentation
Week 8:
Tues, Feb 23: Topic: The Computer, Corporate Power, & Globalization
GROUP V LEADS DISCUSSION
Readings: “The Control Revolution”, “How Media Became New,” “Popularizing the Internet,” “The World Wide Web,” danah boyd, “Streams of Content, Limited Attention: The Flow of Information Through Social Media”
Assignment 2(11): blog
Thurs, Feb 25: Topic: Digital media and opportunities for social & technological innovation
Readings: VR: “Sex, Drugs, & Rock & Roll & Social Justice,” “Standing Tall & Tough Against Racial Injustice,” “Liberating the American Woman”
Assignment 2 (12): blog
Week 9:
Mon, Mar 1: Wikipedia entry uploaded 11:59 PM
Tues, Mar 2: Guest speaker panel: changes in the industry: Megan Feldman (DU’01), Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Dallas Observer; Bob Jones (DU’65), Philadelphia & Denver tv stations; Jon Clark, President, Eagle Ridge Media
Wed, Mar 3: UPLOAD YOUR ARTICLE (follow directions here.)
Thurs, Mar 4: FIELD TRIP to Paramount Theater, Denver
Week 10:
Mon, Mar 8:FINAL Wikipedia entry uploaded 11:59 PM
Tues, Mar 9: Informal presentations: Your Wikipedia Entries
Thurs, Mar 11: Final exam meeting: discuss final reflections, eat breakfast, discuss any final feedback you received on your Wikipedia entry.
Assignment #8: Final Reflection Paper: DUE 11:59 Wednesday, March 10.