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Monday, December 09, 2013

GIFs and the Comp Classroom

This GIF gallery on Imgur has me thinking about my composition classroom.

GIFs have become an important part of the internet landscape, but it can be difficult to take them seriously.

These GIFs, however, are excellent examples of the format's ability to demonstrate things that would be difficult with a static picture and words alone. They even take advantage of the GIF looping feature.
How the Geneva drive — the mechanical step that makes the second hand on a clock work by turning constant rotation into intermittent motion — functions

I ask many of my students to compose at least one text intended for electronic publication, and most of the final exams I give are submitted as electronic portfolios.
How a sewing machine functions

I think I'll try to work this gallery into a lecture on document design, visual aids, and digital literacy.

Good stuff.

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