This is the post for the week of August 7, 2017.

This week you will finish working on your Genre Analysis Report, and then you’ll turn the report in by 11:59PM on Tuesday, August 8, 2017. You will also work on your Final Exam, which is due by 11:59 PM on Monday, August 14, 2017. There is no grace period for the final.

Readings for This Week

Our remaining readings relate to your final exam:

• Final Exam Assignment
• Similar Exam Examples by Students (note that the focus of the examples differs from your assignment)
• Advice on Writing Self-Evaluations
• How to Talk About Your Accomplishments Without Sounding Braggy and Annoying
• A Guide to Giving Your Cats Their Annual Performance Review (yes, it’s silly, but some ideas may apply to your final)

Tasks for This Week

At this point, all your attention will be on finishing your work in the course. Share drafts with your group for feedback as you need to.

1. By 11:59 PM on Tuesday, August 8, submit your Genre Analysis Report in Canvas. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, August 11.
2. By 11:59 PM on Friday, August 11, submit all outstanding revisions for your Major Projects. To ensure that I have time to grade everything before course grades are due, I will not accept revisions after August 11. If you have some incredible issue that causes you trouble meeting this deadline (for example, you were trampled when you participated in the running of the bulldogs), let me know immediately. I will be reasonable, but I have to be relatively firm about this date.
3. Complete the SPOT survey. You should include completing the survey as evidence of work in your Final Exam. I cannot see your responses until after the course grades are submitted, so I will trust your statement in your final. Here’s the response rate as of 1 AM Sunday, August 6:
   
4. By 11:59 PM on Monday, August 14, review your Labor Log and submit your Final Exam in Canvas. 
• The Final Exam Assignment is on the course website, with examples that are similar to the work you will do.
• Remember that your exam must include a conclusion of the grade you should receive for the course.
• Your grades are private and protected by FERPA; therefore, there is no peer review requirement for the final. You may share drafts if you want to, but that is your own individual decision.
• There is no grace period for the exam.
5. Celebrate, because there is no Labor Log due this week. As your final is a summary of your work in the course, adding a Labor Log on top of all the other work seems redundant.
6. Check this site next week for info on your grades and leaving the course sites. I will post once everything is graded and course grades have been submitted.

 

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This is the post for the week of July 31, 2017.

This week you will continue working on your Genre Analysis Report, which is due by 11:59PM on Tuesday, August 8, 2017. Your Progress Report is due by 11:59PM on Monday, July 31.

Readings for This Week

Since you have your big project to write this week, go back and review any readings that you need and whatever research you have found. You control your readings for this week.

If you have questions about readings, research, or writing, ask in our #general channel in Slack.

Tasks for This Week

Because I want you to have the whole week to work on your Genre Analysis Report, there are no extra tasks this week. Just the essential work.

1. By 11:59 PM on Monday, July 31, submit your Progress Report in Canvas. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, August 3.
2. Share a draft of your Genre Analysis Report in the Feedback on Genre Analysis Reports on Canvas by 11:59 PM on Friday, August 4.
   • In your message, ask your group to look at anything you are trying to improve. Let them know the kind of advice you need.
   • By noon on Monday, July 24, provide feedback to your group members, using the strategies in the Peer Review Commenting Strategies video.
   • Post your Genre Analysis Report in Canvas by 11:59PM on Tuesday, August 8. The grace period ends at 11:59PM on Friday, August 11.
3. By 11:59PM on Friday, August 4, write your 08/04 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, August 7.

 

Photo Credit: Corps of Engineers Takes Blue Roof Applications in Texas After Hurricane Ike by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Flickr, used under a CC-BY license

 

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This is the post for the week of July 17, 2017.

Thanks for your patience last week while I was at the Council of Writing Program Administrators Conference in Knoxville. I caught up on all the missing posts Saturday afternoon. If the info in those posts makes you want to change your proposal significantly, please use the Grace Period to give yourself a little extra time.

This week you will move on to writing your Genre Analysis Report, which is due by 11:59PM on Tuesday, August 8, 2017. After your work this week, you will write a Progrress Report that tells me about your project. Your Progress Report is due by 11:59PM on Monday, July 31.

Readings for This Week

• Genre Analysis Report Assignment
• Genre Analysis Examples
• Progress Report Assignment
• From Technical Writing by Hamlin, Rubio, and DeSilva
  • 6. Progress Reports
    • 6.1 Functions and Contents of Progress Reports
    • 6.2 Timing and Format of Progress Reports
    • 6.3 Organizational Patterns or Sections for Progress Reports
    • 6.4 Other Parts of Progress Reports
    • 6.5 Revision Checklist for Progress Reports
• From Style for Students Online: Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age by Schall
  • Progress Reports
  • Sample Progress Report

Tasks for This Week

1. By 11:59 PM on Monday, July 24, submit your Short Report Proposal in Canvas. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, July 27.
2. Make 2 replies in the Discussing Example Genre Analysis Reports, following the instructions that you find in the post. Your responses are due Friday, July 28 by 11:59 PM. Grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, July 31.
3. Share a draft of your Progress Report in the Feedback on Progress Reports on Canvas by 11:59 PM on Friday, July 28.
   • In your message, ask your group to look at anything you are trying to improve. Let them know the kind of advice you need.
   • By noon on Monday, July 24, provide feedback to your group members, using the strategies in the Peer Review Commenting Strategies video.
   • Post your Progress Report in Canvas by 11:59PM on Monday, July 31. The grace period ends at 11:59PM on Thursday, August 3.
4. By 11:59PM on Friday, July 28, write your 07/28 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, July 31.

 

Photo Credit: Progress Report by Forest Hill Society on Flickr, used under a CC-BY license.

 

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As you work on your proposal this week, you need to spend time focusing on the document design to make sure that your proposal is reader-friendly. Writing in the workplace needs not only to have great content, but also a layout and design elements that help the reader find all the important information in the document.

This week’s #TuesdayTutorial is a short video from Lynda.com: Constructing a Reader-Friendly Design (3m6s). The video demonstrates how to use headings and layout to break up your text, making it easy for readers to find the information they are looking for. As you think about breaking up and organizing your text with the ideas in this video, be sure to keep in mind the tips for
Creating Information-Rich Signposts.

This video is part of a course on writing proposals, and I will share some other sections from the course later this week. If you have time to watch the entire course, it will help you as you write your proposal.

 

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This is the post for the week of July 17, 2017.

This week, you will write your Short Report Proposal, which explains what you want to focus and how you will conduct your research and writing for your Genre Analysis Report. All of the remaining major projects in the course are connected. Here’s how:

The take-away message is that you have to decide on your plan for both the proposal and the genre analysis report this week.

Logistics Note for This Week

I leave Tuesday for the Council of Writing Program Administrators Conference in Knoxville. I will drive back on Sunday. I will have internet access and check in often (except while driving, of course), but there may be minor delays in my responses to your questions and in my daily posts on the course website.

Readings for This Week

• Short Report Proposal (assignment)
• Genre Analysis Report (assignment)
• Examples, Cases & Models: Proposals from Online Technical Writing
• Proposals from Online Technical Writing

Tasks for This Week

1. By 11:59 PM on Monday, July 17, submit your Analysis of Writing Project in Canvas. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, July 20.
2. Review the assignments for the Short Report Proposal and Genre Analysis Report. The Examples, Cases & Models: Proposal provides some models you can use as you works. Post any questions you have about the assignments in #general on Slack.
3. Share a draft of your Short Report Proposal  in the Feedback on Short Proposals on Canvas by 11:59 PM on Friday, July 21.
   • In your message, ask your group to look at anything you are trying to improve. Let them know the kind of advice you need.
   • By noon on Monday, July 24, provide feedback to your group members, using the strategies in the Peer Review Commenting Strategies video.
   • Your Analysis of Writing project is due Monday, July 24 at 11:59PM. The grace period ends at 11:59PM on Thursday, July 27.
4. By 11:59PM on Friday, July 21, write your 07/21 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, July 24.

 

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This is the post for the week of July 10, 2017.

This week, you will turn in your Professional Bio project and move on to the second major project, which asks you to consider the kinds of writing that people in your field do. We’ll also spend time developing the writing groups.

Anonymous Survey

To get started on our next project, add a kind of writing or two to the PollEverywhere survey shown below. The answers will show up on this page in a word cloud. You can take pertinent answers from the responses to help fill out your second major project.

You need to use one word answers OR hyphenate the words so that they stick together in the word cloud. For example, as an English teacher, I see short stories as a kind of writing in the workplace. I’d enter that as short-story so that the word cloud shows the words properly.

Note that I’m using the free version of PollEverywhere (because I just don’t have $349/semester for this thing), so you can only answer the survey twice (40 answers total for the class).

Readings for the Week

• Analysis of Writing in Your Field Assignment, including the Google Slideshow
• Ten Ways to Improve Your Writing, and links from that page that explain the concepts
• Writing Groups Overview
• Chapter 19: Group Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership from Business Communication for Success
  • 19.1 What Is a Group?
  • 19.2 Group Life Cycles and Member Roles
  • 19.3 Group Problem Solving
  • 19.4 Business and Professional Meetings
  • 19.5 Teamwork and Leadership
  • 19.6 Additional Resources
• #WeekendWatch: Peer Review Commenting Strategies (if you haven’t watched it already)

Tasks for the Week

1. By 11:59PM on Monday, July 10, submit your Professional Bio Statement in Canvas. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, July 13.
2. Collaborate to set ground rules for your writing group. The primary work of your writing group is explained in the Writing Groups Overview. You may also collaborate to write some short documents. Your group should make a set of guidelines that covers all of the following:
   • If you want, contact information that group members can use to contact one another outside Slack and Canvas.
   • Group responsibilities (division of labor) for the project. For instance, do you want a leader? Who is responsible for making sure everyone gets feedback on drafts?
   • Communication policies that account for how the group will deal with any issues that arise, such as someone being offline for a few days.
   • Revision strategies and plans.
3. Read the Analysis assignment, and ask any questions you have. If you have any questions about the assignment, check in #general in Slack to see if they have already been answered. If they have not, post your question there, and I will answer when I check in. Asking a question is not required.
4. Begin work on the Analysis assignment. Use the suggestions in Step 3 of the Analysis assignment (Research writing in your field) to begin work on your project. The information in items a to e (below) will help you with specific parts of your project:
   1. Find info to help with the Audience column in your project in Audience Analysis: Primary, Secondary, and Hidden Audiences (from Writing Commons).
      There is a missing image that is here: http://writingcommons.org/images/Audience_Analysis.JPG
   2. Find info on ethics. If you are focusing on ethics in your table, check out Chapter 9 (9.1–9.6) of Technical Writing by Hamlin, Rubio, and DeSilva. You need to click through to access all the sections of the chapter.
   3. Find info on intercultural and global issues. If you are focusing on intercultural and global issues in your table, check out Practicing Intercultural Communication from Writing Commons.
   4. Work on the design and phrasing of your Analysis of Writing project. Apply information from the Ten Ways to Improve Your Writing and from the slideshow in the assignment to your project. For instance, pay attention to things like the layout of the columns, how you phrase the information in your table, and the alignment of the information in the columns. You will find more information in the linked resources.
   5. Check any of the textbooks for information on the specific kinds of writing. The textbooks can especially help with describing the characteristics of kinds of writing.
5. Share a draft of your Analysis of Writing project  in the Feedback on Analysis of Writing Projects on Canvas.
   • In your message, ask your group to look at anything you are trying to improve. Let them know the kind of advice you need.
   • Provide feedback to your group members, using the strategies in the Peer Review Commenting Strategies video.
   • Your Analysis of Writing project is due Monday, July 17 at 11:59PM. The grace period ends at 11:59PM on Thursday, July 20.
6. By 11:59PM on Friday, July 14, write your 07/14 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, July 17.

 

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This is the post for the week of July 5, 2017.

This site is the official home for our Summer II 2017 course (CRN #70933). Information on all assignments, weekly activities, and related resources will be posted here. Check this site regularly for the details on what to do for the course.

Work Hours: Normally, I am online from late afternoon through early morning hours. I’m not a morning person. So look for responses from me during those hours.

Tasks for the Week of July 5

You will notice that there are a lot of tasks. Remember that this is the work for the week, and that each week in this course is like three weeks during the regular semester. I try to post everything that you need to do at the beginning of each week. In my experience, many online students in summer sessions are also have internships, summer jobs, or other work. By posting everything at the beginning of the week, I hope that I give you enough lead time to fit the coursework around your other obligations.

Here’s what you need to do for this week:

1. Complete the Course Overview Module in Canvas. You will read the various course documents and then take a syllabus verification quiz.
2. Confirm that your notifications in Canvas are set the way you want them. Note that Canvas uses your notification preferences to determine whether to email you or text you (or not tell you at all) about information on the site. See the section "How do I adjust my notification preferences?" in the Student Getting Started with Canvas Guide for more information on setting up your notifications.
3. Add a professional profile picture to your Canvas account. Follow the Canvas documentation to add a profile picture in your user account. Since this is an online course, your profile picture helps me see you as more than just a name on the course roll.
4. Post a self-introduction in Getting Acquainted with Your Writing Group Discussion in Canvas. Take the first step in getting to know one another by saying hi to the others in your group. You can reply or like posts as you are getting acquainted.
5. Join our team on Slack and say hello in #general. Check out the information on the Help with Slack page for details on how to choose a username and how to use the discussion tool. You can also ask for help in #general—and if you see someone ask a question you can answer, please chime in. We will use Slack for informal discussion and real-time conversations.
6. Add a professional profile picture to your Slack account. Photos will help us all get to know one another and will personalize the discussion. Without photos, it’s just a list of names for your classmates. If you need help, check the Slack documentation on editing your profile.
7. (Optional) Participate in my AMA: Ask me anything discussion on Canvas. Post any questions you have about me, my background, or the course. Read whatever has been posted. Add replies or follow-up questions as desired. Please keep the conversation classroom-friendly.
8. Read the Professional Bio Statement assignment, and ask any questions you have. If you have any questions about the assignment, check in #general in Slack to see if they have already been answered. If they have not, post your question there and I will reply when I can. Asking a question is not required.
9. By 11:59PM on Friday, July 7, write a draft of your professional bio and share it with your writing group in the Drafting Professional Bios Discussion on Canvas. Provide constructive feedback to your writing group members by replying to the members of your group by noon on Monday, so that everyone has time to revise. Use the details on the Writing Groups page to guide your feedback. Your professional bio is due in Canvas by 11:59 PM on Monday, July 10. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, July 13.
10. By 11:59PM on Friday, July 7, write your 07/07 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, July 10.

 

 

[Image: Detail from Why Good Writing Is Needed for Better Jobs] 

 

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Welcome to the Summer II 2017 session of Technical Writing. The Term begins on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

If you want to get a headstart on the course, you can do these things:

1. Check out these pages on the course website:

• Syllabus
• Course Logistics
• Requirements
  • Labor Logs
  • Writing Groups
  • Major Projects
  • Final Exam

2. Sign up for the Slack team for the course by visiting https://join.slack.com/3764su17/signup. Please follow the course guidelines for Choosing Your Username. You can find additional tips on the Help with Slack page. Once you join the site, you can say hi to me in #general, and if I’m online, I’ll respond.

3. If you have any questions about the course, you can ask in the #general channel on Slack.. Naturally, if you have a personal question, you can send me an email message at tengrrl at vt.edu.

4. Watch for a post around midnight on Wednesday, July 5, 2017, with the instructions for the first week of class. There will be an assignment due the first day of class, so do not delay checking the instructions.

 

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