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English-1302IN: A brief overview of our Wiki
You're at the right place! I'm Mythdog (please, don't ask...it's too embarrassing) and this is 1302 Project Central. That's the name of our Wiki, where we will collaborate, create, and learn. I hope that you will have a good time working in these spaces!

Getting Started: The Project Handout

 * 1) The detailed assignment document for the Project is available via the Project link on our course's homepage. Read this handout carefully. It explains the nuts and bolts of the assignment, including the required parts of the project and the format and deadlines for submitting them.
 * 2) Topics should be equivalent in size and scope to a topic for a 10-page researched essay with multiple sources. You want to choose a topic that will interest your audience (your classmates and your instructor) and demonstrate your depth of knowledge.
 * 3) Submit your project proposal via Blackboard message (email). Make sure to follow directions in the Project handout.

Getting Started: Creating Your Wiki Page

 * Once you have chosen your topic and I have approved it, you're ready to create a new page (see menu on the left of this page). Required: The title your Wiki page __must__ include your __project topic__ and __your name__. **You can continue to add to and organize your page until the project deadline ,5 p.m, Sunday, May 1st . After that deadline, I will ask each of you to evaluate the pages of your classmates. The details for this feedback method will be published at Blackboard.

Your page content will most likely include uploaded images, weblinks, content that you have developed, perhaps even video and audio, but there is a 10MB __per file__ size limit. If you are more experienced at web-authoring, you may be able to include a larger video or audio file if you embed it (like I embed our video podcasts at Blackboard). Of course, you will cite sources for all of the material that you have used (words and images).

Because content can be delivered in many ways (text, images, links, etc.), the Wiki page that you create may be shorter or longer than the pages that your classmates create. You must offer content that you create, including some analysis of your subject; therefore, a list of links and a few images will not earn more than 20% of the available points. You should teach your classmates something that they could not learn from a quick visit to Wikipedia or similar source.

Security: The Public Nature of Wikis
This is an "open" wiki, which means that everyone in the class has editing access to all of the pages. (I have limited editing privileges to members I allow to join. Outsiders will be able to view the Wiki but they will not be able to edit any of its pages.)

Because others have access to your page, you must save a copy of all content in a file on your computer so that you can repost the content if anything happens to the version at our Wiki. I will be able to track who is making changes to each page, so if you believe someone else in the class is adding to or deleting from your page, let me know so that I can take care of the issue immediately.

"Appropriate" Content
I will be checking in on your pages as the semester continues. I won't comment on your page as you develop it unless you ask me to. If I see content that's inappropriate or that infringes on copyright issues, I will let you know and ask you to take it down. If you fail to take it down, I'll delete if for you. If you see inappropriate content on one of the pages, however, please let me know as soon as possible.

Permissions
We will operate under the Creative Commons Fair Use policy for educational websites. Put simply, educational projects can use material from other sources AS LONG AS THOSE SOURCES ARE GIVEN FULL CREDIT. You are also creating your projects with full knowledge of the Humanities Department's plagiarism policy.
 * You'll need to indicate direct quotations of material from sources with quotation marks and citations.
 * That means that you must indicate when you paraphrase material and you must cite it, too.
 * That means that you have to acknowledge sources for images as well as words.
 * That means that you have to include a comprehensive list of sources at the bottom of your page.

I am really looking forward to this adventure and hope that you enjoy it, too! ---