Assignment Overview

The goal of the portfolio assignment is to prepare you for the last required course you will take as a Writing Arts major: Portfolio Seminar. In this course, students write one paper in which they discuss work they have completed over their time in the major in terms of the 9 Core Values of the Writing Arts department. Students choose 5 work samples from 5 different courses to compete help them complete the paper. In order to ensure each student has their work when they need it (and it hasn’t been left on a lost flash drive or a stolen computer, and so on), we will be designing a cloud storage portfolio which you can use to back up work throughout your time at Rowan (and beyond).

To complete your portfolio this semester you use the cloud-based backup application, Dropbox. Dropbox is free for up to 2GB of space and allows you to backup your work and be able to access it from any computer or smart phone. It also allows you to create spaces where you can share your work with others. While Dropbox is an excellent application, it does have its problems. Here are the benefits and drawbacks:

Dropbox Benefits
Dropbox is the industry standard because it was first-to-market. It is very easy to set up and use. Sharing is quite intuitive and users can download and upload content to shared folders. This allows multiple people to upload documents to a shared space when they are, for example, collaborating on a project.

Dropbox Drawbacks
Dropbox has security issues, namely, as Dave Parry explains in his post, “Why I Might Be (although I would rather not be) Leaving Dropbox,” “if the government subpoenas Dropbox, Dropbox has the ability to turn over your files in unencrypted form to the officials.” This is an important issue and you should read his full post as to why everyone should be concerned about it (such as, if hackers find their way in to Dropbox, they would have access to some of your documents that might have private information, such as addresses, social security numbers, and so on). One work-around is to use local encryption software, like TrueCrypt, which is free and encrypts your data before sending it to the Dropbox server. If you choose to use TrueCrypt I recommend following their Beginner’s Tutorial quite closely.

When completing this assignment, you have the option of using Dropbox as-is or you can address the security concerns by installing TrueCrypt. The choice is yours. Watch this video to learn how Dropbox (and cloud storage) works:

Part 1. Getting Started with and Setting up Dropbox

To download and install Dropbox and create your portfolio, compete the following steps:

1. Go to Dropbox and click the giant blue Download Dropbox button and then follow the very easy instructions. Because the instructions are so easy and their help instructions so clear I’m just going to link to how to do things rather than replicate them.

1a. If you want to install TrueCrypt, here is the time to do it. Following their Beginner’s Tutorial quite closely.

2. Either create your Portfolio (see below) in the new Dropbox folder that has been created or move an already created folder to the Dropbox folder. These folders should automatically sync with the server. And, any time you add something new to the portfolio (or anywhere in the Dropbox folder), as long as you have auto-sync set up, it will automatically sync with the server and back up your work.

And that’s it.

Part 2. How Syncing Works

Syncing in the process by which documents and folders on your computer are backed-up to a server, and documents and folders on the server are replicated on your computer. The goal is to have the items on your computer and on the server be exactly the same.

When you install the Dropbox software a Dropbox folder will be placed on your computer. Anything you put in that folder will be synced with the server (and any other device that has access to your Dropbox account, such as a smart phone or another computer). You can also install the Dropbox app on your phone and/or tablet so you have access to all your files on those devices, as well.

Part 3. Creating the Portfolio

The Portfolio we create here will allow you to store work completed during your time in the Writing Arts major in a structured way so when you get to Portfolio Seminar you are able to find and access it without any problems. In Portfolio Seminar you will be writing a paper in which you refer to and cite from your own work. Therefore, you need to have that work available to you when you get to the course. By designing this portfolio and backing up your work, you can be sure to have access to it regardless of if your computer crashes, your flash drive is lost, and so on.

To complete the assignment, you first need to know what courses are required and what you will take them. To find this, info you can go to the Writing Arts Undergraduate Programs web page and find the advising sheet that matches your Writing Arts status:

• Writing Arts Major Advising Sheet (.pdf) for those who entered major prior to Fall 2013
• Writing Arts Major Advising Sheet (.pdf) for those who entered major Fall 2013 or later
• Writing Arts Minor advising sheet (.pdf)
• Liberal Studies: Humanities/Social Science Program Sequence B in Writing Arts Advising Sheet (.pdf)

Print out your advising sheet and write in the blanks the semester and year you think you will take the Required Courses (not Specializations or Electives). If you have taken some, note semester and year you have taken them. Write your name on the top as well as your Writing Arts advisor’s name. Your advisor’s name can now be found via GRAD, which you can access through your Banner account.

Once you have completed the advising sheet for the Required Courses (as described above), I’d like you to create a folder structure in Dropbox that mirrors what you have written on the advising sheet.

In your Dropbox folder, I’d like you to create a folder structure that looks something like this (created in Fall 2011; yours will obviously look different):

And so on. All work for those classes will go in the appropriate folder and because it is synced with Dropbox that work will automatically be backed-up. This will ensure your work is backed-up in a secure location and ready for you when you need it for Portfolio Seminar.

Assignment Due Dates and Specifics

Mod 3: 12/11: Due by class time; in class BW will check that it is completed

1. Install the Dropbox software (with TrueCrypt if you’d like) on your home or laptop computer.
2. In the Dropbox folder that was created when you installed the software, create a Writing Arts folder structure (as pictured above) that mirrors when you will take the required courses as written on your Advising Sheet.
3. Go to dropbox.com, log in, and verify that the folders you have created have been synched online.
4. In class on 12/11, you will share the folder with BW to bill.wolff.rowan@gmail.com (do not share with BW before class). Bring your printed and completed Advising Sheet to class (do not put grades for courses you’ve already taken on the sheet).
   

Mod 2: 10/30: Due by class time; in class BW will check that it is completed

1. Install the Dropbox software (with TrueCrypt if you’d like) on your home or laptop computer.
2. In the Dropbox folder that was created when you installed the software, create a Writing Arts folder structure (as pictured above) that mirrors when you will take the required courses as written on your Advising Sheet.
3. Go to dropbox.com, log in, and verify that the folders you have created have been synched online.
4. In class on 10/30, you will share the folder with BW to bill.wolff.rowan@gmail.com (do not share with BW before class). Bring your printed and completed Advising Sheet to class (do not put grades for courses you’ve already taken on the sheet).
   

Mod 1: 9/30: Due by class time; in class BW will check that it is completed

1. Install the Dropbox software (with TrueCrypt if you’d like) on your home or laptop computer.
2. In the Dropbox folder that was created when you installed the software, create a Writing Arts folder structure (as pictured above) that mirrors when you will take the required courses as written on your Advising Sheet.
3. Go to dropbox.com, log in, and verify that the folders you have created have been synched online.
4. In class, you will share the folder with BW to bill.wolff.rowan@gmail.com; bring your printed and completed Advising Sheet to class.