This is the post for the week of January 19, 2016.

This site is the official home for our Spring 2016 course (CRN #13826). Information on all assignments, weekly activities, and related resources will be posted here. Check this site regularly for the details on what to do for the course.

Readings for the Week of January 19

For today’s session, please read the following:

• Introduction to English 3764 (Announcement in Canvas)
• The pages for the Syllabus and Assignments.
• Information on course logistics.
• Details on the characteristics of technical writing and chapter 1 of Markel.
• Suggestions for writing collaboratively and chapter 3 of Markel.
• The assignment for Project 1: Professional Biographies.
• Getting Started on Project 1.
• Student Getting Started with Canvas Guide.
• From Scholar to Canvas – Tool Map.

Work for the Week of January 19

This week is about making sure you understand the course policies, getting set up, and generally touching base with one another. If you have technical difficulty with this week’s class work, don’t panic! Send an email to tengrrl at vt.edu and let me know what you need help with.

Please complete these tasks by 11:59 PM on Monday, January 25:

• Log into Canvas, using your PID and password. Contact 4HELP if you need assistance with your login. You can find help for Canvas 24/7 by using the Help link on the Canvas site and in the Canvas: Getting Started for Students article.

• Confirm that your notifications in Canvas are set the way you want them. Note that Canvas uses your notification preferences to determine whether to email you or text you (or not tell you at all) about information in the site. See the section "How do I adjust my notification preferences?" in the Student Getting Started with Canvas Guide for more information on setting up your notifications. Note that for any time-critical announcements, I will email the class.

• Verify that you understand how the course works:
  Go to the Discussions tool in Canvas, and respond to these posts:
  • If you have any questions about the syllabus or course logistics, reply to the Discussion for "Questions about the Syllabus and/or Course Logistics." If you have what feels like a personal question, you can email me.
  • Once you understand the information for the course and any questions you have are answered, reply to the "Syllabus Verification Discussion" to confirm that you have read the Syllabus and information on course logistics.

• Begin work on Project 1:

  • Go to the Discussions tool in Canvas, and choose the “Readings on Professional Bio Statements” topic. Discuss what you read from the readings on the Getting Started on Project 1 page with the members of your group.

• Complete the quizzes for the week’s readings:

  • Go to Quizzes in Canvas, and complete the reading quizzes on Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 of Markel. See the policies for quizzes on the course logistics page.