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SIMON FRASER UNWERS1TY

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EDUCATION 3834

SPECIAL TOPIC: WRITING 114 THE ELECTRONIC CLASSROOM

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(E1.00)

Spring Semester, 1992

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Instructor: Trevor Owen

(January 6— April 3)

PREREQUISITE:

Educ. 401/402.

DESCRIPTION

WRITING IN THE ELECTRONIC CLASSROOM

will explore the impact of telecommunications

on the writing process, the experience of written interaction both online and in the

classroom, and the role of reflection in written expression in projects such as the

Writer in

Electronic Residence

program, which has been operating at Simon Fraser University

since 1988.

Given the time of this intersession course, it may also be possible for students to participate

in

WIRED.WRITERS, the 1992

Writer in Electronic Residence

project.

OBJECTIVES

This course will be undertaken electronically, using telecommunications to link

participants throughout the province. Students will examine several online writing

projects and consider the impact of telecommunications on the writing process, classroom

interaction, and the use of original student writing as reading material in existing

English and Language Arts programs. We will also use telecommunications technology

to undertake our own learning, working collaboratively in online conference groups.

Accordingly, there are two objectives for this course:

(1)

to consider the medium of telecommunications as an instrument of language-

learning, both for our students and ourselves; and,

(2)

to develop models of implementation appropriate to our own classrooms and school

districts.

Students will require access to a computer with word-processing and telecommunications

software, and a 1200 or 2400 baud modem. Access to a printer is highly recommended.

Previous computer experience is not required, but participants will

be expected to be able to

use their equipment for the course.

REQUIRED READINGS

Mindweave: Communication, Computers and Distance Education

R. Mason and A. Kay

(Eds.), Oxford: Pergamon Press. ISBN 0-080-037755-6.

New-Voices,

Writer in Electronic Residence project, SFU, 1989

Wired. Writers,

Writer in Electronic Residence project, SFU, 1990

Wired.Writers,

Writer in Electronic Residence project, SFU, 1991

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A collection of journals and readings will be available from the instructor in either

print or electronic versions. Participants in this course will also be asked to

contribute student publications from their own schools that feature original student

writing.

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Any of the works by Canadian writers participating in the Writer in Electronic Residence

programs: Lorna Crozier, Katherine Govier, Lionel Kearns, Crawford Kilian, Emily

Hearn, David McFadden, Susan Musgrave, Daniel Poliquin, Rick Salutin, Robert J.

Sawyer and others.

It is recommended that students consider taking out a one-year subscription to The

Computing Teacher, and T.I.E. (Telecommunications in Education).

News, ISTE, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon

Frye, Northrop, The Educated Imagination.

MacNeil, Robert, Wordstruck.

Knowlton Nash, et al., More Than Words Can Say: Personal Perspectives on Literacy.

Woolf, Virginia, A Room of One's Own.

STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS

&

EXPECTATIONS

50 0

10

Participation in computer conferencing activities

25%

Writing Folder (a kind of electronic portfolio containing any writing you do in

response to the course & papers developed collaboratively in the computer

conference.)

25%

A plan to implement language-based telecommunications into the curriculum of

your classroom, school and/or district.