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Protocols

Course protocols#

  • If you have ever labeled yourself as “bad at technology,” you are welcome in this course. There is no assumed technical skill.
  • "Technology" is a lot of things. Chances are you will know something about it that your classmates do not. Be generous about teaching and learning from each other. See also: https://xkcd.com/1053/
  • Your laptop will be a major player in this course, even more than usual. Please make sure it is good working order by updating software (operating system, browers, etc) and visiting the IT help desk as necessary.
  • That being said, using your laptop in class is not an invitation to distraction. Look up how to disable notifications since you will have to share your screen in class.
  • This course will mix theory and hands-on work. Be prepared to think critically about technology AND to get your hands dirty in a little bit of code.
  • The DCI community experimentation and productive failure, often in public. We will learn from how and why things don’t work. We are not just going to talk about what we’re learning but how we’re learning it. Give yourself a break from perfectionism!

Land Acknowledgment#

Just because this course is about digital stuff does not mean we're exempt from thinking about land. The Internet is very much a physical thing, full of fibers and networks and cables connecting computers to one another. It's a utility, just like electricity or water or natural gas, and it must traverse many miles to be accessible to each individual. Remember our submarine cable map and or the US map of cables? We still need to consider the question - whose land?

The land we are on was but a small portion of land inhabited by people who called themselves Yesa (yeh-saw, which means the people). These Eastern Siouan Speaking people inhabited the land in the interior portion of Virginia from the New River to the Fall Lines at Richmond for well over a thousand years before the arrival of the Europeans.

Through years of warfare, disease, forced migration, and broken treaties, the original people were reduced to a fraction of their original numbers living on a small portion of their original land. They were forced into assimilation by the dominant culture.

The descendants of these original inhabitants are still here today. We know them as the Monacan and they understand the land is the people and the people is the land and are not strangers on any of the land that was once considered their territory. As we are able to have air to breathe and water to drink remember the original people have been stewards of the land for centuries and have made it possible for us to enjoy many of the natural resources we still have today.We honor the Monacan and their ancestors.

- Written by Victoria P. Ferguson

Harte Center Resources#

The Harte Center for Teaching and Learning (Leyburn Library, Lower Level 1) is designed to support students at all stages of their learning, from first year to senior year, and engaging all topics in all fields.

Whether you are experiencing challenges with your studying and learning or just want to perform better in college, academic coaching can help. Students benefit from academic coaching in many areas, including study strategies, time management, note taking, and exam preparation.

In addition, peer tutors are available to support you with the academic content of your courses. Upper-division students are available to tutor in most lower-level courses at the University, free of charge.

To explore these and other academic resources, please visit the Harte Center’s website.