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Posts authored by Traci

Overview of Project 3: Job Application Materials

Overview of Project 3: Job Application Materials published on

This is the post for the week of February 23, 2016.

Readings for the week of February 23

Work for the week of February 23

  • Complete the quizzes on Chapters 10 and 11 by 11:59 PM on Monday, February 29. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, March 2.

  • Respond to the Discussion on "Improving Networking Advice" by 11:59 PM on Monday, February 29. The grace period ends at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, March 2. Most of you are graduating seniors so you will probably work on something other than a traditional résumé and cover letter (as you are already busy with your job searches or already have jobs secured). This discussion post will help you begin thinking about the possibilities for building your professional network.

  • Begin conducting research for Project 3. Take time this week to explore the various resources on job application materials listed in the readings so that you can make an informed decision about what you will propose.

  • Start writing the proposal for your job application materials and submit it by 11:59 PM on Monday, March 14. Early submisssion is recommended if you are thinking of a job application project that might be unusual. Use the proposal instructions to know what information to include and how to submit your proposal.


 
Last updated on 23rd February, 2016, 3:28 AM

Peer Review and Submission for Project 2

Peer Review and Submission for Project 2 published on

This is the post for the week of February 16, 2016.

Important Dates

  • Feb 16: Project 2 Draft due by 11:59 PM for peer review (no grace period)
  • Sept 18: Project 2 Peer Feedback due by 11:59 PM (no grace period)
  • Feb 22: Project 2 due by 11:59 PM
  • Feb 29: Project 2 Grace Period ends at 11:59 PM

Readings for the week of February 16

For this week, please read the following:

Work for the week of February 16

By 11:59 PM tonight (2/16)
Post your draft, following the instructions on the course website.

By 11:59 PM Thursday (2/18)
Give feedback to the two classmates who are assigned to you, following the instructions on the course website.

After 12:01 AM on Friday (2/19)
Revise your draft based on the peer feedback you received, using the Canvas Documentation to find your peers’ feedback.

By 11:59 PM Monday (2/22)
Submit your revised draft, following these instructions. If you need more time, use the grace period and turn in your work by 11:59 PM on February 29. Remember that there are no revisions or rewrites after your work is graded.


 
Last updated on 13th February, 2016, 2:34 AM

Project 2 Overview

Project 2 Overview published on

This is the post for the week of February 9, 2015.

Readings for the Week of February 9

Tablet, showing a text on screen (indicating a reading)For today’s session, please read the following:

Work for the Week of February 9

  • Hand-drawn open book iconGo to Tests & Quizzes in Scholar, and complete the reading quizzes on Chapters 5, 7, and 9 of Markel by 11:55 PM by 11:59 PM Monday, September 21. See the policies for quizzes on the course logistics page.

  • Get started on your second project:
    • Think of your audience as yourself. A year from now, if you are in the workplace, you should be able to come back to this analysis to remind yourself of the features to include in whatever you are writing.
    • Brainstorm a list of all of the kinds of writing you can think of that people in your field do.
    • Search for job descriptions for your field and note the kinds of writing and communication that they mention.
    • Browse through the table of contents for Part IV of Markel (Chapters 9 to 15) and add any kinds of writing you missed. (NOTE:
      You are NOT limited to the kinds of writing in Markel. Consider the book one resource, but not your only resource.)
    • Don’t panic if you have an empty cell in your table. If a cell is irrelevant for one of the documents, that is okay. You should not have any empty columns however.
    • See the formatting and grammar tips below to help arrange your table.

Formatting and Grammar Tips

  • Use short fragments as you fill in your table. Don’t worry about writing in full sentences. Focus on clear and concise language.

  • Make sure that all the cells in a column use parallel grammatical structures. In basic terms, parallel structures are structures that match.

    • If you start with a verb, be sure all the items in the column start with a verb.
    • If you are using a noun phrase in a column, make sure that all the items in the column start with a noun phrase.
    • If there is a period at the end of one item in a column, make sure there is a period at the end of every row in the column.

  • Get a larger writing space by changing your document to landscape orientation and changing the paper size to legal (8.5" by 14").

  • Be use the text in your table is flush left and vertically aligned to the top of the cell. This choice is the most readable according to readability studies.


 
Last updated on 8th February, 2016, 12:48 PM

Peer Review and Submission for Project 1

Peer Review and Submission for Project 1 published on

This is the post for the week of February 2, 2016.

Important Dates

  • Feb 2: Project 1 Draft due by 11:59 PM for peer review (no grace period)
  • Feb 4: Project 1 Peer Feedback due by 11:59 PM (no grace period)
  • Feb 8: Project 1 due by 11:59 PM
  • Feb 15: Project 1 Grace Period ends at 11:59 PM

Readings for the week of February 2

For this week, please read the following:

Work for the week of February 2

By 11:59 PM tonight (2/2)
Post your draft, following the instructions on the course website.

By 11:59 PM Thursday (2/4)
Give feedback to the two classmates who are assigned to you, following the instructions on the course website.

After 12:01 AM on Friday (2/5)
Revise your draft based on the peer feedback you received, using the Canvas Documentation to find your peers’ feedback.

By 11:59 PM Monday (2/8)
Submit your revised draft, following these instructions. If you need more time, use the grace period and turn in your work by 11:59 PM on February 15. Remember that there are no revisions or rewrites after your work is graded.


 
Last updated on 1st February, 2016, 10:47 PM

Audience and Purpose

Audience and Purpose published on

This is the post for the week beginning January 26, 2016.

Readings for the Week of January 26

For today’s session, please read the following:

Work for the Week of January 26

Please complete these tasks:

  • Go to Tests & Quizzes in Canvas, and complete the reading quizzes on Chapters 2, 4 and 6 of Markel by 11:59 PM on Monday, February 1. See the policies for quizzes on the course logistics page.

  • Go to Discussions in Canvas, and choose the "Analyzing Example Bio Statements" discussion. Analyze the examples for Project 1 using the discussion questions in Canvas. You will be working in small groups again to help manage the conversation.

  • Continue working on the drafts for your bio statement. You will post your draft for peer review feedback on Tuesday, February 2, and provide feedback to two partners by 11:59 PM on Thursday, February 4. There is no grace period or extension for peer review drafts or feedback. Project 1 is due on Monday, February 8. The grace period ends on Monday, February 15.


 
Last updated on 27th January, 2016, 9:35 AM

Intro to Technical Writing

Intro to Technical Writing published on

This is the post for the week of January 19, 2016.

This site is the official home for our Spring 2016 course (CRN #13826). 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.

Readings for the Week of January 19

For today’s session, please read the following:

Work for the Week of January 19

This week is about making sure you understand the course policies, getting set up, and generally touching base with one another. If you have technical difficulty with this week’s class work, don’t panic! Send an email to tengrrl at vt.edu and let me know what you need help with.

Please complete these tasks by 11:59 PM on Monday, January 25:

  • Log into Canvas, using your PID and password. Contact 4HELP if you need assistance with your login. You can find help for Canvas 24/7 by using the Help link on the Canvas site and in the Canvas: Getting Started for Students article.

  • 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. Note that for any time-critical announcements, I will email the class.

  • Verify that you understand how the course works:
    Go to the Discussions tool in Canvas, and respond to these posts:

  • Begin work on Project 1:

  • Complete the quizzes for the week’s readings:

    • Go to Quizzes in Canvas, and complete the reading quizzes on Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 of Markel. See the policies for quizzes on the course logistics page.

 
Last updated on 20th January, 2016, 12:04 AM

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