This is the post for the week of Monday, March 13, 2017.
Notes for This Week
- Work for the Week: This week you will finish your group proposal. Keeping in touch with one another this week will be very important. Be sure that you check in with everyone early in the week to make sure everyone is on board with the plan for writing and revising.
- Readings for the Week: Nothing new this week. Use the readings from last week (listed below) to inform your work on your proposals.
- Grading the Analysis Project: As is often the case with Spring Breaks, mine was not long enough, and I am still grading your analysis tables. You should have them back by midweek.
- Grading System for the Course: Grades in this course are based on your labor—on the time and intensity that you put into your writing. You are not punished for making mistakes as long as you work to improve throughout the term. I created the infographic on the right during break to help tell you a bit more about this way of grading.
Readings for This Week
| Everyone | Writing Guide for the Workplace (assignment) Proposal for Writing Guide Group Project (assignment) Examples, Cases & Models: Proposals from Online Technical Writing |
|---|---|
| Business Writing Students | Proposal Writing Basics from Business Communication for Success |
| Technical Writing Students | Proposals from Online Technical Writing |
Writing Group Due Dates
| Major Projects | Due Date |
| a proposal for your group’s writing guide | 11:59 PM on March 17 |
| the writing guide itself (which can take several forms) | 11:59 PM on April 14 |
| a presentation of primary information from your report | 11:59 PM on May 1 |
Activities for This Week
- Review the assignments for the Writing Guide for the Workplace and Proposal for Writing Guide Group Project. The Examples, Cases & Models: Proposal provides some models you can use as your group works. Post any questions you have about the assignments in #general on Slack.
- Read the “When Your Grades Are Based on Labor” infographic to understand how your major projects will be graded in this course. It’s probably not the system you are used to, but I have had success with it. You will notice as you work on your group project that I ask you to track the work that you are doing in your reflections. More information on the system is on the infographics page.
- Complete steps 3, 4, and 5 of the Proposal. You should have completed steps 1 and 2 before Spring Break. Your work this week is to collaborate on writing, revising, and submitting your proposal. For an easy way to begin drafting your proposal, I recommend copying the required section details from the assignment and pasting it into your group’s Google Doc. That process will give you the details you need to include within the document, so you an begin adding your specific information under each heading.
- Complete a Self-Assessment for the week. [Links will be added soon] Download the 03/13 to 03/17 Template and follow the instructions to share details on your work this week with me. Your self-assessment will account for your contributions to the group project and provide some evaluation of the group’s collaboration. Upload your completed self-assessment to the 03/13 to 03/17 Assessment in Canvas by 11:59 PM on Friday, 03/17. If you need extra time, take advantage of the grace period, which ends at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, 03/21.
- Submit your group proposal.
- Dates: Your proposal is due by 11:59 PM on Friday, 03/17. If your group needs extra time, take advantage of the grace period, which ends at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, 03/21.
- Logistics: One member of your group will submit your Proposal in Canvas. One submission will work for the entire group. You have two options:
- upload a Word Doc or PDF.
- submit your Google Share link, using the Website URL option. If you use your 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.
