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Posts from January 2017

Analysis Overview

Analysis Overview published on

This is the post for the week of Monday, January 30, 2017.

Notes for Today

  • Reminder: If you are taking advantage of the grace period, complete the 01/23 to 01/27 Self-Assessment in Canvas by 11:59 PM tonight (Monday, January 30).

  • My Responses in Slack: Obviously I cannot reply to every message, so I try to leave a thumbs up or happy face to indicate that I saw your post. If I skipped you, it wasn’t on purpose. Conversation will become easier once we break out into writing groups.

  • BTW Writing Assignment Collection: I’m building a site for all the project assignments for this course. Right now, there is only one assignment there. More will come, but for now, be aware that there are links that do not go anywhere yet.

  • My Work Hours This Week: As usual, I will be around in the afternoon and later evening most days. I will be mostly unavailable during the day on Thursday (helping with the weekly Girl Scout cookie delivery).

Readings for This Week

Major Project Assignment #1

The first major project is the Analysis of Writing in Your Field. Since this assignment is tied to your major or career choice, students in both Business Writing and Technical Writing will complete the same project.

Here are the critical dates for the project:

  • Week of January 30: Research and draft your project.
  • Week of February 6: Share your draft with your writing group, and provide feedback to your group members.
  • Submission Due Date: Wednesday, February 15 at 11:59 PM
  • End of Grace Period: Tuesday, February 21 at 11:59 PM (3-day grace period, excluding weekend + President’s Day holiday)

Activities for This Week

  1. Join a writing group. The feedback on Slack suggested that some of you were happy to stay with your majors or colleges. Some of you wanted to mix things up since you already spend so much time with folks in your majors. Rather than trying to decide, I am asking you to sign up for whatever you want. Go to the Google Sign-up Document, read the instructions, and add your name to a group by 11:59 PM on Friday (no grace period). I will set up your groups during the weekend.

  2. Share an audience analysis of an emoji. If you have trouble, think about how you use the emoji and how someone older might use it. Have some fun with this, but keep the explanations polite.

    • Go to the Slack channel for the course you are taking (either #_business-writing or #_technical-writing).
    • Choose an emoji that shows up in Slack (emoji help in Slack).
    • Write a post that includes the emoji and explains how different audiences might interpret the emoji.
    • Indicate whether you would use the emoji in the workplace as well. If not, explain why.
    • Once you post your analysis, read through some of the other comments and add some emoji replies to three.

  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 be sure to include #analysis-asgt so that I can find it. 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.

  5. Complete the Self-Assessment for the week. Download the 01/30 to 02/03 Template and follow the instructions to share details on your work this week. Upload your completed self-assessment to the 01/30 to 02/03 Self-Assessment in Canvas by 11:59 PM on Friday, 02/03. If you need extra time, take advantage of the grace period, which ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, 02/06.

 

Total weekly activity points for 1/30 to 2/3: 8

 

[Image: Detail from Think Emoticons are NSFW? Think Again.]
 
Last updated on 30th January, 2017, 7:12 AM

Introductions and Collaboration

Introductions and Collaboration published on

This is the post for the week of Monday, January 23, 2017.

Detail from Communicating in the Modern Workplace: How Millennials and their Managers CompareNotes for Today

  • Reminder: If you are taking advantage of the grace period, complete the Syllabus Verification Quiz in Canvas by 11:59 PM tonight (Monday, January 23).

  • Building Teams with Slack: We are using Slack heavily this week to begin the process of getting to know one another and work together. If you have trouble with the software, check out the information on the Help with Slack page. You can also ask for help in Slack itself—and if you see someone ask a question you can answer, please chime in.

  • My Work Hours This Week: As usual, I will be around in the afternoon and later evening most days. I will be mostly unavailable during the day on Thursday (helping with Girl Scout cookie delivery), and I will be at a meeting on Saturday during the day.

Readings for This Week

These infographics present details about writing in the workplace. As you review what they say, think about whether you agree, how believable the research they share is, and any information you think could be added to improve them.

Activities for This Week

  1. Add a professional profile picture to your Slack account. To help us all get to know one another, please add a professional profile picture to your account. Photos will help us get to know one another and will personalize the discussion. Without photos, it’s just a list of names. If you need help, check the Slack documentation on editing your profile.

  2. Add a professional profile picture to your Canvas account. To help us connect you from Slack to Canvas, please use the same profile picture in both places. Follow the Canvas documentation to add a profile picture in your user account.

  3. Participate in my AMA discussion. Post any questions you have about me or my background in the #iamtraci channel on Slack. Read whatever has been posted. Add emoji, replies, or follow-up questions as desired. Please keep the conversation classroom-friendly.

  4. Write a professional bio and post it in #intros on Slack to introduce yourself. In the workplace, it’s typical to write a short bio that would appear in a company newsletter or be shared with clients. You will frequently find these bios online on a “Meet the Team” type webpage. Here are some examples: 

    Write a similar, short bio that introduces yourself to the class. A photo is not required as there is already one showing for your profile. After you post your bio, read through your classmates’ bios and add a reply to at least three with a friendly comment or question. Try to build some connections.

  5. Weigh in on the writing group discussion in #general on Slack. I’d like your input on organizing writing groups for the courses. As you will be focusing primarily on writing in your fields, arranging teams by major makes the most sense. The numbers for each major vary widely. For some there are plenty for a team (or even too many). For other majors, there is only one student (not really a team). So read the additional information in Slack, and offer your suggestions. Add emoji votes, replies, or new ideas.

  6. Explore how the 4 infographics connect (or don’t) to your experience or knowledge of your field. Go to the Slack channel for the course you are taking (either #_business-writing or #_technical-writing). Choose the infographic you want to comment on (all four have been posted), and add your reply. Read the comments of your classmates and add some emoji reactions to their ideas. You can contribute additional replies as well.

  7. Complete the Self-Assessment for the week. Download the 01/23 to 1/27 Template and follow the instructions to share details on your work this week. Upload your completed self-assessment to the 01/23 to 01/27 Self-Assessment in Canvas.

 

Total weekly activity points for 1/23 to 1/27: 10

 

 

[Image: Detail from Communicating in the Modern Workplace: How Millennials and their Managers Compare]

 


 
Last updated on 29th January, 2017, 8:47 PM

Welcome to Business & Technical Writing

Welcome to Business & Technical Writing published on

This is the post for the week of Tuesday, January 17, 2017.

OverviewSurprise! People with Stronger Writing Skills Are Better at their Jobs, Get Paid More

This is the course website for English 3764, CRNs #13920 and #13921, and for English 3774, CRNs #19069 and #19070. All four courses are taught by Traci Gardner at Virginia Tech during Spring Semester 2017.

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.

Notes for This Week

  • Course Pacing: This week we are getting a gentle start. Take time to work through the course documents on the site so that you are ready to hit the ground next week.

  • Two Courses, One Site? It may seem strange, but yes, this site and the various resources we are using are for two different classes: Business Writing and Technical Writing. Why? The policies and general set-up for the courses are the same. The readings, activities, and assignments are usually different. Sometimes they do overlap, as in the case of Job Application Materials. Basically, I would rather spend my time helping you than maintaining two nearly duplicate sites.

  • 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.

Readings for This Week

Activities for This Week

  1. Take the Syllabus Verification Quiz in Canvas to confirm that you have read the Syllabus and information on course logistics. This quiz comprises your weekly activity for the week and is worth 10 points. The quiz is due by 11:59 PM on Friday, January 20. If you need more time, take advantage of the grace period and complete the quiz by 11:59 PM on Monday, January 23.

  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 in 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. Watch later this week for an announcement about our Slack Team site, where we can begin discussing the course. Naturally, if you have a personal question in the meantime, you can send me an email message at tengrrl at vt.edu.

 

[Image: Detail from Why Good Writing Is Needed for Better Jobs]
 
Last updated on 22nd January, 2017, 1:18 AM

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