Demonstrating Computer Proficiency |
This assignment will allow you to gain some understanding of the fundamental issues we’ll be dealing with this semester in our study of women writers, and will also allow you to demonstrate your proficiency in the skills necessary to function successfully in this course. These computer competencies range from basics like checking email and knowing how to use the internet to more complicated enterprises such as being able to search for very specific information in the library and online.
You must use a current web browser to complete this assignment; please see System Requirements if you have an older browser or if you are using a dialup modem. Please print these instructions out now before proceeding.
To begin, please log into Blackboard 
with your USC network user name and password; if you don’t already know these, please follow these instructions for Setting Your Password.
Once you’ve logged in, enter our Blackboard course by clicking on the title of the class, ENGLP437-000-FALL-2005: WOMEN WRITERS. Then click on Assignments, where you should see several items listed, including the one you want, titled Demonstrating Computer Proficiency.
You'll see several links here; I've split this presentation into different sections since video files tend to be rather large. Please start with Part 1: right click on that link and choose Open in New Window. When you do, a presentation will open and begin to play; you’ll see my computer screen and hear me talking. Depending on the size of your screen, though, you may not be able to see my entire computer screen. If not, hit F11 to go to full screen mode, which should enable you to see the entire screen. Hitting F11 again will return you to your usual browser view. When Part 1 ends, close that window down and right click on the next segment in Blackboard, etc.
This presentation will take approximately 35 minutes to listen to, and you will need to listen to the entire presentation before you can complete the assignment. Please note that this was recorded over the summer, so the course website will look a little different, and we have a new library catalog since then, but the information and steps are essentially the same. The following two lists may be useful for you to have in hand as you listen. Good luck!
Poets to Choose From |
- Lydia Huntley Sigourney
- Francis Anne Kemble
- Elizabeth Drew Barstow Stoddard
- Lucy Larcom
Materials to Submit for Your Poet |
- one poem by your author
- one picture of your author
- a biography from the internet
- a biography from a library source
- a citation for one scholarly source about your author’s work
Submitting the Assignment |
Once you've compiled all the information above about your poet, you will submit your word processing document in Blackboard. You'll notice that I've used Microsoft Word to complete this assignment; all computer labs on our various campuses have Word, and most of you have it on your home computer. If not, please see Using Microsoft Word (or Not) for instructions on how to save your file in Word format.
You'll send your paper to me through Blackboard using the Digital Drop Box. If you haven't used the Digital Drop Box before, please read Posting Finished Papers in Blackboard.
This page copyright 2000-2007 by Lisa Hammond | last update 23 August 2005