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Posts from April 2017

Grades on the Group Writing Guides

Grades on the Group Writing Guides published on

I have graded all of the Writing Guides for the Workplace. In this post, I am providing details on how you all did on the projects so that you know what you can work on to improve in your next project.

Overall Feedback for the Class

  • Basic requirements met by all teams: Every writing group had a guide that fulfilled the minimum requirements for the assignment. There was an introduction, discussion of the necessary number of kinds of writing, and a conclusion. Many, but not all, included professional bios for the writers at some point in the document. Most incorporated graphics into the design and layout appropriately.
  • Cohesive, unified content and design in the best work: The best writing guides had a strong, unified first appearance. It was clear that all of the information belonged together in a single document. Deeper examination showed that the content matched in length and detail as well, contributing to an overall polished, professional document. In guides that struggled with this quality, the layout and headings did not always match from one kind of writing to the next, and the content for the different kinds of writing showed different amounts of detail and effort.
  • Underdeveloped sections: In some cases, the information in the text was the bare minimum, showing little work or effort on the part of the group. It appeared to be little more than a reformatted version of the information that was included in the Analysis Tables. After a month to work on the project, guides should have had much more detail.
  • Ineffective design choice: The most common design error was an overuse of centered text for the content of the guide. In terms of design, remember that the best design for text is flush left, ragged right. Centered text is harder to read. More details are on the Ten Ways to Improve Your Writing page on the course website.

Grade Strategy

A Earned by groups with the best work. These guides were extremely thorough and well-detailed. They fit the publishing format well and demonstrated strong attention to the design of the overall guide. The content was unified and cohesive.
A- Earned by groups with thorough work that was unified and cohesive, but lacking in some minor area.
B+ Earned by groups with complete work that lacked unity and cohesion in one or two places.
B Earned by groups with complete work that lacked unity in several places and/or had several ineffective design choices.
B- Earned by groups that met the minimum requirements for the assignment. These guides were underdeveloped, with few details. The content was little more than a reformatted version of the analysis tables from the first assignment. The overall project needed much more effort from the group members.
C+ Earned by groups that met the minimum requirements for the assignment. These guides had both issues with unity and cohesion and with underdevelopment and missing details.

 


 
Last updated on 30th April, 2017, 5:38 AM

Continuity Document & Final Exam

Continuity Document & Final Exam published on

This is the post for the week of Monday, April 24, 2017.

Notes for This Week

  • Detail from Slack Infographic
    Click the image to see the full infographic
    Tentative Grades for Graduating Seniors: Tentative grades are due on Wednesday, 4/26. Remember that your grade will not include your fourth project or your participation grade. If you do not complete the remaining assignments, your grade will be lower.
  • Fourth Major Project: Your final project is to collaborate with your group to create a continuity document. While I liked all the suggestions that were shared in Slack for the last assignment, I am afraid that with just a week and a half left in the course, there isn’t time to do your best work on a longer document. This assignment will draw on your experience during the term while preparing you for a kind of writing you will likely do in the workplace.
  • Final Exam: Your final exam isn’t due until exam week, but you can begin work on it now. Don’t wait until the last minute to make sure that you have all the materials you need for your completion report.

Readings for This Week

These resources can help with your Continuity Document. Read whatever fits the project your group decides on.

Activities for This Week

  1. Begin work on the Continuity Document with your group. Follow the step-by-step directions to work through the requirements. Your group will write ONE document to add to a continuity folder for students who take these courses in the future. The more members in your group, the longer your document should be. For instance, if you have five members in your group, I expect five tips, averaging about a page in length. If you have elevent members, I expect eleven tips, and about two pages in length.
  2. Set a hard schedule for work on the Continuity Document with your group. Your document is due in Canvas by 11:59 PM on the last day of class, Wednesday, May 3. I encourage you to choose a topic and format and set up a shared document for your draft by midweek. Work to have a draft by Monday, so that you can revise on Tuesday and Wednesday.
  3. Share your basic decisions with me in your team channel in Slack. Post the information and tag @tengrrl so that I am sure to see it. By the end of the week, I want to see the following information posted:
    • your specific topic
    • your publishing format
    • a link to your shared draft
  4. Review your participation log and begin work on your final exam. The assignment for the final is on the course website, with examples that are similar to the work you will do. The exam is due by 11:59 PM on Monday, May 8. There is no grace period for the exam. If you do not submit your exam on time, you will receive a zero for the participation portion of your grade.
  5. If you are relying on the grace period, submit your writing guide by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, 04/25.
    • Logistics: One member of your group will submit your link in Canvas. One submission works for the entire group. Since your guide is published on the Internet, one person will submit the link. If you use a Google Share link, be sure that you have shared your document with tengrrl@vt.edu so that I can add comments.
    • Technical Help: Check out the How do I submit an assignment on behalf of a group? guide on the Canvas Help site.

 
Last updated on 24th April, 2017, 2:45 AM

Finishing Your Writing Guides

Finishing Your Writing Guides published on

This is the post for the week of Monday, April 17, 2017.

Notes for This Week

  • Working to the deadline: This is your last week to work on your group’s writing guide, so make the most of it. You have no other work due this week, so your time is clear to collaborate and revise.
  • Thanks for suggestions: I appreciate the ideas for the fourth major project. I will let you know what we will be doing next week.

Readings for This Week

Activities for This Week

  1. Go through the assignment and make a checksheet for your project. Return to Step 4 of the assignment and make sure that your writing guide includes all of the required information. Each of you should check the guide carefully. Your grade depends upon ensuring that the guide is complete.
  2. Consult the resources on the syllabus and those below for help.
  3. Review your group’s writing guide with the Ten Ways to Improve Your Writing. Check your writing against each of the ten tips and using the suggestions from the Lynda.com course Editing and Proofreading Made Simple. 
  4. Submit information on your writing guide.
    • Dates: Your writing guide is due by 11:59 PM on Friday, 04/21. If your group needs extra time, take advantage of the grace period, which ends at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, 04/25.
    • Logistics: One member of your group will submit your link in Canvas. One submission works for the entire group. Since your guide is published on the Internet, one person will submit the link. If you use a Google Share link, be sure that you have shared your document with tengrrl@vt.edu so that I can add comments.
    • Technical Help: Check out the How do I submit an assignment on behalf of a group? guide on the Canvas Help site.

 
Last updated on 17th April, 2017, 1:51 AM

Peer Review of Your Writing Guides

Peer Review of Your Writing Guides published on

This is the post for the week of Monday, April 10, 2017.

Notes for This Week

  • Out of town Monday: I’m on my way back hone from Savannah, Georgia today. I’ll start catching up tomorrow on feedback on your work.
  • Overview for April: Here is an tentative overview of the work that will be due during the next few weeks:
    Week Work
    Apr 10 to 14 Draft of your guide should be complete.
    Groups should be doing peer review.
    No self-assessment due, in respect of Passover and Good Friday
    Apr 17 to 21 Writing Guide due Friday, 4/21.

Readings for This Week

These resources can help you with the design of your projects. Choose whatever is closest to your project

Activities for This Week

  1. (Optional) You can still weigh in on the last major project. We’ve only had one suggestion for the fourth major project. The paragraph below has the details on how you can add a suggestion.

    I originally planned to have you do a presentation of your writing guide, but the publication choices you have made for your group writing guides may not work well for a presentation. As a result, I am opening discussion in #general in Slack for suggestions for what would be the most valuable group writing activity to do for your last major project. You can make a suggestion or add an emoji vote/reaction to someone else’s suggestion. Please use the hashtag #altassignment when you post an idea so that I can find all the suggestions easily.

  2. Share your draft among your group members and provide one another peer review feedback. At this point, you should have a nearly complete rough draft of all the sections of your writing guide. Spend this week going over sections of the draft that you didn’t write and give the members of your group advice on how to improve the document. Aim to give everyone feedback by the end of the week. You can then spend next week revising and polishing the guide, which is due on Friday, 4/21.
  3. Enjoy the weekend. Since this weekend is part of Passover and also marks Easter Sunday and the 2017 Day of Remembrance, you do not have any work to turn in at the end of this week. Enjoy whatever you do, and come back ready to finish your Writing Guide next week.

 
Last updated on 10th April, 2017, 12:26 AM

Writing Progress Reports

Writing Progress Reports published on

This is the post for the week of Monday, April 3, 2017.

EPA Infographic on Recycling, Composting, and Disposal of MSWNotes for This Week

  • Out of town Thursday to Monday: There will be some delays in my responses this weekend. I will be in Savannah, Georgia, to present a paper on infographics.
  • All those readings: The reading list this week looks extensive, but the readings are relatively short and all related to your progress reports.
  • Tips for your projects: These resources can help you with the design of your projects. Choose whatever is closest to your project
  • Overview for April: Here is an tentative overview of the work that will be due during the next few weeks:

    Week Work
    Apr 3 to 7

    Progress Reports due Friday, 4/7. Serves as your weekly grade.
    No self-assessment due.

    Apr 10 to 14 Draft of your guide should be complete.
    Groups should be doing peer review.
    No self-assessment due, in respect of Passover and Good Friday
    Apr 17 to 21 Writing Guide due Friday, 4/21.

Readings for This Week

Activities for This Week

  1. (Optional) Weigh in on the last major project. I originally planned to have you do a presentation of your writing guide, but the publication choices you have made for your group writing guides may not work well for a presentation. As a result, I am opening discussion in #general in Slack for suggestions for what would be the most valuable group writing activity to do for your last major project. You can make a suggestion or add an emoji vote/reaction to someone else’s suggestion. Please use the hashtag #altassignment when you post an idea so that I can find all the suggestions easily.
  2. Write a progress report on your group Writing Guide. You should be about half-way through work on your writing guide at this point. It’s time to assess what you have done to make sure you are still on track and determine if there are any changes that you need to make.
    1. Read through the Group Progress Report Assignment. Your group will write and submit one progress report, which will count as the weekly activity grade for all group members.
    2. Follow the instructions in the Group Progress Report Assignment to ensure that you include all the required information.
    3. Choose one person to submit the progress report in Canvas for your entire group. The progress report is due by 11:59 PM on Friday, April 7. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, April 11.
  3. Continue work on your group’s writing guide. Your team can work on whatever is best for your project. You are in control of your work.

 
Last updated on 3rd April, 2017, 12:51 AM

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