Assignment 1: Introduction

Due date: Sunday, 5/20, 11:55PM

This assignment has three parts:

1. Create a personal blog on www.wordpress.com. You can choose to use your name or an alias for your blog. You will use this blog to post most of your online assignments, so spend some time configuring it to your liking.

2. Create a new posting called “Introduction.” Your “Introduction” post should contain the following information:

• A general introduction (academic background and any interesting details you would like to share with the class, and, by extension, the general public). Feel free to use an alias or your first name only if you’re concerned about privacy. Just let me know offline what your alias is so that I can give you credit for this (and future) assignments.
• Tell me about your interest in narrative or storytelling. Are you a lifelong reader? An avid viewer of films?
• Tell me about your interest in media. Do you play video games? Work in the simulation industry? How comfortable are you in working with computers? Are you a casual or an experienced Internet user?
  
• Add a link from your  blog back to this main blog.  Name this link “Transmedia Course Hub.”  You can add this link using the “Blogroll” link in the administrative control panel.
• You will be posting your blog’s link to our central wiki Web site so that all of our postings are interconnected. Link your blog to the “Student Blogs” sidebar in the right-hand panel of our Wiki.

3. Sign up for your group module presentation on http://transmedia.pbwiki.com/Group-Presentation-Schedule. Use your first initial and last name or an alias to claim your spot. Each team may have no more than two members. See the group module presentation assignment for details. See the course syllabus for the password to this Wiki (you’ll need this to edit the schedule and student blogs page). Edit the student blogs page to link to your newly created blog.

That’s it! Bookmark the course Wiki, this blog, and your personal blog. We’ll be accessing all of them throughout the course.

Grading Rubric (out of ten points):

__ /3 Introductory posting is complete
__ /3 Grammar and mechanics
__ /2 Student blog is created and linked from our course Wiki
__ /2 Group module is selected on the course Wiki

Directions to the Digital Media Building

Hi Everyone,

Here are the directions to the OTC-500 building:

- Pass the last entrance to UCF on Alafaya Trail / 434 heading towards SR50
- Take a left at the next light (Research Parkway)
- Pass the light at Progress Drive
- Turn left into the turn in for UCF Foundation / Orlando Tech Center.  Update: this is actually the 2nd turn in.  Drive past the first sign that says UCF Foundation / Orlando Tech Center and then turn left at the 2nd sign that says this.
- Proceed to the right around the bend, then take an immediate left
- Drive past a couple buildings on the right, then head left over a few speed bumps
- Our building is OTC500, and will be on the right. Park anywhere. There will be a sign on the door that says School of Film and Digital Media. It is in the small, lighter-colored building.

Google Map to the OTC-500 building

Where are you meeting?

Larger classes (15 or more) are usually scheduled in the large classroom or the Mac lab.  To find the large classroom, proceed through the double doors then turn left at the first corridor and follow the hall until it dead ends at the large classroom.  The Mac lab is directly across the hall from Rudy McDaniel’s office (see below).

Smaller graduate classes or groups of independent study students (or meetings with colleagues) are usually in the DM conference room.  The conference room is directly to your left as soon as you enter the building.

If you are meeting directly with professor McDaniel, you will probably be meeting in his office.  Rudy McDaniel’s office is directly through the double doors and a few offices down on the right-hand side, room 144.

It can be a bit tricky to find the building if you are searching for the first time.  If you have any trouble, please call the Digital Media department at 823-6100.  Our office manager Ryan Browne will be happy to assist you.  If you are unable to reach Mr. Browne you can contact Rudy McDaniel at 823-2488.