LAB ONE

Please wait for a spoken demo before starting the projects
 

1. Communication via Blackboard

The following steps are meant to be a reference to be used throughout the quarter.  Read them over for general understanding before you do the specific actions for this lab.  The specific actions for today are identified in red italics.

1. If you don't already have a window open with Blackboard 7 showing, go to bb7pilot.ohio.edu and login with your oak ID and password
    
2. Click on our Blackboard listing (ENG_153: WRIT/READ: SPEC TOPICS)
    
   • don't click on the Announcement link that enters the course website, if one is showing
      
3. Click on the "Communication" button on the left
    
4. Choose Group Pages, then All, then File Exchange

2. Open a paper

1. Click on the file name and choose Open (not Save) with Word.
    
   • for Lab One, choose Feedback: Sample

For your own computer, these steps need be done only once.  Your computer will remember them for future use.

1. In Word, click the Review tab at the top, then click on the words "Track Changes"
    
2. Click on Change Tracking Options

• for Insertions, change the color to Blue
• for Deletions, change the color to Red
• for Changed lines, change the choice to (none)
• for Use Balloons, change the choice to Never
• click on OK

4. Click on the Office button (large, in the upper left corner), then Word Options, then Advanced.  Look for "When selecting, automatically select entire word."  If there is a checkmark there, remove it and click OK.
    
5. To turn Track Changes on or off at any time, click the Review tab at the top, then click on the icon ABOVE the words "Track Changes"

4. For Lab One, take a look at a sample of feedback comments using Word 

   This is to give you an overview of how comments should look.  You won't be adding or changing anything in this document.  Once you have taken a look, go on to the next section to practice giving feedback.
    

   1. Look over Feedback: Sample for ideas on what to say when you are giving feedback
       
   2. Switch back and forth between two views of the document (you'll see a box that lists the current view at the top of the window) -- try "Final Showing Markup", and "Original"

2. Adding suggestions and comments to papers

1. Get a paper to add comments
    
   1. In File Exchange, click on the file name and choose Open (not Save) with Word.

   • for Lab One, choose Feedback: Exercise

2. Make changes to the paper, directly in the document

1. Make insertions and deletions that you think improve the writing.  Comment within the text on what you think is written well and give specific re-wordings that might work better. Can the language be more efficient and direct? Try cutting words without damaging the meaning. IMPORTANT: you are not attempting to say that your suggestions are Right versus Wrong … you are offering an opinion in the clearest possible way, and the author is free to consider the change or ignore it.

• in every case, don’t point out an error or weakness without suggesting a solution (that makes your comments constructive and improves your own writing abilities)

• briefly explain why you are suggesting the change.  Add comments by typing directly in the text and surrounding them with [[ and ]] to make the comments easily visible.
   
• Please don’t use the "New comment" feature (it’s not compatible with some versions of Word)

2. Write a response at the bottom of the paper, addressing your remarks to the writer (see Feedback: Sample for ideas).  You would talk here about points that are larger than particular changes within the text. Talk about the ways you think the paper is strong, either in the content of what is being said, or how it is said, or both. Point out ways in which it could be more effective. Raise unanswered questions or objections, and suggestions on how to deal with them. How can the paper be more persuasive?
    
3. Save and close the file (for Lab One, the name should be feedback_exercise_yourlastname.doc)

3. Add the file with your comments and suggestions in Blackboard

1. Return to Group Pages / All if you aren’t there, then click File Exchange
    
2. Click Add File
    
3. For "File Information: NAME", enter a short document title (not your own name!)

• IMPORTANT: use the assigned keyword for each project at the beginning of the title, e.g. Review:
   
  • don't add your own name here (Blackboard automatically identifies your paper)
     
  • for Lab One, you will use Feedback: Exercise

4. Browse for the file you want to add

• IMPORTANT: choose the right file -- if a file has strange characters added to the name, look further for the file with a clean name
   
• for Lab One, you will be looking for feedback_exercise_yourlastname.doc

3. Exercise on Cutting Words

Go only as far as you can in this exercise until the time runs out.  You don't have to continue work on this after the lab.  Just save as far as you completed, send that to me, and you'll receive full credit for participation.  We'll complete any missing parts of the exercise during the next class.
 

1. Read over the following steps before starting the exercise
    
2. You will be opening a document using a link below
    
3. Copy/paste the document into Word
    
4. Save the file as cutting-words_yourlastname.doc in the Desktop or on your own flashdrive
    
5. In the space after each sentence, rewrite the sentence to show how you would cut or reword everything you can without changing the meaning.  Stay as close to the original wording as you can.
   • since this is not adding comments for another writer to view, don't use Track Changes here
      
6. Send your leaner version to me (sharpe@ohio.edu) as an attachment using any method of email that you normally use.  Enter cutting words for the Subject Line.
    
7. Okay ... go ahead and open Cutting Words, complete it, and send it.

1. After you have sent your original exercise to me, open a new document in Word called cutting-check_yourlastname.doc and save it in the Desktop or on your own flashdrive
    
2. Look at Cutting Words: suggested changes and copy its contents into your Word document. Follow the instructions written at the top. Add your comments to the key using a different font color.
    
3. Save your comments and send them to me by email with cutting words check for the Subject Line