Webbed Writing: Helping Students Find a Voice Online In a Changing World

by

Marcia Peoples Halio

English Department

University of Delaware

Newark, DE 19716

mhalio@udel.edu

Abstract: Writing on the Internet, students can use e-mail, listservs, Usenet groups, and the WWW to find real audiences and purposes. In Cyberspace, students can also find new communities to help them cope with a changing world.

E-Mail

Notes to Yourself: online journals, etc.

Introduction to Class

Debate Topics, Readings

Post Thesis -- Play Devil's Advocate

New Relationships: family, friends, teachers

Quiet Students (minorities and women)

Local and National Communities

International Readers

Rhetoric of the Screen

Listservs

Sharing Resources

Helping Other Writers

Joining a Specialized Listserv

"Lurking"

Analyzing the List

Critiquing Individual Messages: style, audience, and purpose

Introducing Yourself

Adopting a Persona

Participating in Discussions

Gathering Research Materials

Following the Threads of Discussion

Critical Reading

Usenet News Groups

Values and Standards

Who's Who

Who's Online

Who Isn't

Finding Your Place

Playing with Audience: Clarity and Support

World-wide Readers: Other Languages

"Chat" Groups

"Serious" Conversations

Filtered and Unfiltered Information

Critical Thinking

Critiquing a Thread: Multiple Points of View

Source Evaluation

Finding Sources Online

Browsing: Surfing the Web

Evaluating Sources

Documenting Online Sources

Using a Gopher

Library Sources Online

Using a Search Engine

Focusing Your Topic

Keyword Searches

Boolean Operators

 

Joining the WWW

Developing a Web Site

Defining Audience, Subject, Purpose, and Style

Making Links

Writing with Sound

Composing with Graphics

Writers and Readers Redefined

Comment Forms

Style on the Web

Intellectual Property Issues

PresentationL College Conference on Composition and Communication, March 1997

 

(This document reprinted with the permission of the author)