Web-X Assignment—What's Available Online?

Requirements:

Commentary: 200-300 words. Due date depends on the book chosen.
Response: 50 words minimum-must be completed by April 30 to receive

Objective

To make an argument for a means of appreciating literature with the assistance of online resources.

Procedure

1. Sign up before the end of the third week of class for one of the class's five books. I will pass a sign-in sheet around in class. For the poetry anthology, plan to focus on one poem that is on the syllabus.

2. Sign in to Web-X:

   1. Go to "http://www.d.umn.edu/webx/".
   2. DO NOT REGISTER. Simply log in instead.
   3. Log in using your UMD login ID (the first part of your e-mail address) and the password I gave you in class.
   4. Once you are logged in, a list of folders will appear. You will want the one titled "John Schwetman."
   5. At some point, click on "Preferences" to give yourself a new password and an image to identify yourself with. I have provided some images for this purpose on the course web page at "extra.html". You can obtain one of these pictures by right-clicking (PC) or control-clicking (Mac) on it and saving it to your local computer's hard drive and then enter it from there into your Web-X preferences.

3. Choose a website that addresses a topic related to the work in question and that offers you a clearer understanding of that topic. Do not post a link to the Sparknotes page for the work in question or to a similar resource. Instead, be creative in your choice of topic and think of some new way to approach your chosen work.

4. By the deadline for your book, post your link with a commentary (200-300 words) that explains why we should find this link helpful. Two basic rules for links:

   1. It cannot be a link that someone has already posted to the forum.

   2. It cannot be a link to the Sparknotes, Cliffnotes or other obvious page for this work.
      You need to be creative in choosing a site.

   Commentary should provide a brief overview of what the site has to offer and an argument for why your classmates should bother looking at the site-how the site will give your classmates a new perspective on the chosen book. Type the URL for the link directly in your commentary. Web-X can usually figure out that you are using a URL and will turn it into an active link automatically. You can make extra sure that it does this by typing it in with html markup (if you know how to do that).

5. By April 30, 2004, respond to two of your classmates' links. Choose one that looks interesting to you, and follow the link. Then post a message to that thread, and respond to your classmate's link. Do you agree or disagree that it is a useful link? What makes it good or bad? You are welcome to include other links in your responses if they contribute in some way to the point you are trying to make.

Grading Standards

You will receive a grade on this assignment based on the following factors:

Clarity of the arguments that you make at each stage of the project.

Originality of your choice of a link and of insights regarding the link and the literary work in question.

Understanding of the subject matter.

Persuasiveness.

This project contributes to 3/4 of your participation grade for this course.