Week 15 and Finals Week: Wrapping Up the Online Advocacy Project

I know it will break your hearts to read these words, but here goes: this is the final website update for the semester. Congratulations — you’re almost done with Writing and Digital Media! I have been so impressed with your flexibility, your willingness to experiment with new tools, and your collegiality with one another this semester. Our small class has allowed us take different approaches to some of our assignments, and I think the results have been excellent. I’m especially excited to see how our Online Advocacy Project takes off.

Between now and May 13 (the date of our final), all of your attention for this class should be directed toward our “Be VT” project. Your homework is to do something (anything!) related to our collaborative project every day for the next 11 days. Document and share your efforts on multiple social media platforms, convince friends and roommates to get involved, generate new memes, and monitor all of our online venues to see what’s getting noticed:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Tumblr
• Instagram

You’ll notice that some of our social media accounts need to be updated with pictures, bios, and content, so please don’t wait for someone else to take charge. (The usernames and passwords for all of these accounts can be found in our class’s shared Google Drive folder.)

Here’s how we’ll spend our last few days of class:

• On Monday, we will catch up on the readings we didn’t have time to discuss yesterday. You’ve already read these articles on “virality,” but please review them before you come to class: “What Makes Something Go Viral?“, by Andrew Phelps, and “How to Improve Your Chances of Going Viral.” After our discussion, we will check in on our collaborative project to see what’s working, what isn’t, and what we want to change during the final week of class. Please be ready to report on what you’ve done to help the “Be VT” cause so far.
• On Wednesday, we will spend class “doing random acts” for the Be VT project. You can work alone or with a partner, but you should have a specific plan of action for doing something to advance our cause during class. (We’ll prepare for this a bit on Monday, but start thinking about it now.)
• On Monday, May 13, we will meet during our final exam (2:05–4:05 p.m.) to hear brief, informal presentations about your individual contributions to the Online Advocacy Project. Before you come to the final, pelase submit your individual memo to me, following the guidelines in the assignment description. You are also welcome to bring some snacks or treats to share with everyone. (I’ll bring a few things, too.)

And that’s all there is! It’s been a great semester, and I feel lucky to have taught such an outstanding group of students. If there’s anything I can do to help you finish this semester on a high note, please let me know. Otherwise, go forth and change the world with your final project!