Calendar
Follow the links at the bottom of this page for a schedule of assignments for each week this semester. Within each week, you will find daily listings of assignments. Each bullet point for the day is a different task for you to complete. Unless specifically noted otherwise, all assignments are to be completed before class on the day listed.
This course calendar may be updated throughout the semester. I'll notify you about any major changes, but you are still responsible for keeping up with the current schedule.
IMPORTANT: You must visit all of the links provided within the course calendar. There are many links to follow and read. Make sure you visit all of them. Some links provide easy access to other parts of the class site which will help you in your assignments. Some links are to required readings. Others provide you with detailed instructions on completing the assignments. Eventually, you may come to know the instructions which supplement assignments that are repeated throughout the course, but it's still a good idea to continue to revisit the instructions to make sure that you are satisfying all of the requirements.
Week 1
Monday 1/7
- Introduction to the course
- Review syllabus
- Discuss course technologies
Wednesday 1/9
- Make sure that you have your login and password for accessing Purdue ITaP machines and an e-mail address that accommodates attachments. If you have questions about your accounts, you can visit the ITaP Customer Service Center in STEW 068. You can also visit the ITaP Instructional Computing Division webpage for information about campus technologies.
- Read E-mail Guidelines
- Purchase Professional Writing Online at the book's website or at Follett's or University Bookstore.
- Review the Professional Writing PowerPoint (attached below)
- Begin finding job advertisements or internships - explore job search resources in class.
Friday 1/11
- Read Rhetoric of Professional Writing: Understanding Purpose. Write a blog post describing an experience where you had to adjust your writing to suit a particular audience (at least 150 words). Title your blog "Audience."
- Read the Employment Project Description on this site.
- Refer to the Job Skills Checklist.
- Refer to the Purdue Center for Career Opportunities in your search.
- Read Resources for Job Seekers (pwonline).
I will create a post on the course home page inviting everyone to introduce themselves. Post a comment to that post in which you:
- Describe where you are from
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Give your course of study and year
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Talk about your career goals
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Tell what you would like to get out of this course
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Share at least one thing personal about yourself (a hobby, your favorite sport, a favorite activity, etc.
- Reminder: As you work on assignments for this course, always read ahead a few days to give yourself time to ask questions about future assignments.
Week 2
Monday 1/14
Wednesday 1/16
- In PWOnline, read the following under Rhetoric of Professional Writing:
- Types of Documents (Genres)
- Terminology: What is Professional Writing?
- The Importance of Technical Communication to Engineers
- The Importance of Business Communication in Managerial Work
- In PWOnline, read The Rhetoric of Employment Documents
- Read the Job Ad Analysis document (attached below) and come with questions about the assignment
- Due: Bring two job ads to class (print them from the source)
Friday 1/18
- Review the Resume PowerPoint (attached below).
- Review the "BadResume" (attached below).
- Post a blog detailing your progress in the course. How are you doing on the project? What is working or not working for you? What questions, comments, or concerns do you have?
- Post a reading response. Suggested prompts (not an exhaustive list and you do not have to use one of these):
- How might writing for the workplace differ from writing in college?
- Describe some of the important ways that writing functions in the workplace or other professional contexts.
- How do Gareth's tips help you understand these differences?
- Why do you think writing is such an important component of effective business practice?
- Due: Select ONE job to apply to and complete the Job Ad Analysis (attached below). *To do this you need to:
- Type your answers on the attached document.
- Print the document - I will not accept handwritten assignments.
- Staple the pages together before you hand them in to me.
- Make sure you save this document for future reference.
- Start searching for online resumes in the field of the job you are applying for.
Week 3
Monday 1/21
- No class - Official University Holiday
Wednesday 1/23
- Review Information on Resumes.
- Read discussion of resumes on PWOnline
- Read "Skeptical Resume Reader Tells How He Really Thinks"
- Read this resume advice to students
- Read about resume design on Purdue's Online Writing Lab
- Work on tailoring your resume to the job you're applying to. *You will need to bring a copy of your resume to class next week for peer workshops.
- Resume Extravaganza (in-class) :
- Open the file below, and read through all the resumes in no more than 10 minutes.
- As you read, pay attention to where you are looking on the resumes and how you are evaluating them.
- Choose 5 people you would call for an interview at a hypothetical company.
- In a blog entry tagged with the "Blog 3" tag, list those five (by page number) and discuss the activity.
- What aspects of the resumes stood out? Why did you choose the 5 you did?
- How will this activity inform your own resume revision?
- As you post, see which resumes are chosen repeatedly. Do the same ones emerge as favorites? Why or why not?
Friday 1/25
- Post a Reading Response
- Review The Rhetoric of the Job Application Letter in PWOnline
- Read all sections on the Application Letter in PWOnline
- Look at sample Application Letters in PWOnline
- Boise State Cover Letter advice
- Review the Cover Letter PowerPoint (attached below)
- In-Class Group Exercise:
- In groups of three to four students review the six resumes below according to:
- Design Principles
- Column and Quadrant Test
- Rhetorical Features
- Then rank the resumes 1 through 6 (with 1 being the highest/best)
- Articulate your criteria and why the resumes (referencing specific form and
content) were ranked the way they were. Keep in mind that these resumes
are not all applying for the same position nor do they share the same
qualifications or experiences. Address them primarily with regard to
how they are composed and designed. Do so in a Word document that you
hand in to me.
- Sample Resumes (be sure to zoom in):
- Work on your cover letter - you will need a finished draft next week.
Week 4
PEER EDITING WEEK
Monday 1/28
Wednesday 1/30
Friday 2/1
- Due: Cover Letter & resume & job ad (for Peer Editing) - bring 3 stapled packets that include these 3 documents
- Read "Junk Cover Letters Kill Good Resumes"
- Post a Reading Response.
- Post a blog that explains in detail how your cover letter will
be different from your resume. For example, what are you planning on
highlighting in your cover letter? What kind of specific evidence do you plan to include to improve your professional ethos?
- DON'T FORGET your project assessment document (details under the project description). This is your 4th deliverable for this project and is due next Wednesday.
Week 5
Monday 2/4
- One more day of peer review - bring 3 copies of resume and cover letter with job ad.
- We will review deliverables for Employment Project. Read the project description again and come with any last questions.
- For Wednesday: Make sure you have correct business letter format for your cover letter.
- DON'T FORGET your project assessment document (details under the
project description). This is your 4th deliverable for this project and
is due Wednesday along with your resume and letter.
Wednesday 2/6
- DUE: EMPLOYMENT PROJECT IN MANILA ENVELOPE
- Remember all deliverables: Resume, Letter, Project Assessment
- Also include peer reviews in your packet
- Read White Paper Project description.
Friday 2/8
- Read about White Papers in PWOnline
- Read White Paper on How to Write a White Paper (attached below)
- Take a look at this White Paper
- Look at Sample White Papers for ideas
- Post a Reading Response.
- Post White Paper Topic Idea by class time on Friday and form groups by Monday (all done through blog). Refer to 'Individual Deliverable 1.' Your subject heading should say "Topic Proposal: __________". Make sure you tag your blog with your class time: (7:30, 8:30, 9:30). You cannot start negotiating a group until you've posted your own topic proposal. Once you've posted your topic, all negotiating will be done through comments on the blogs.
Week 6
Monday 2/11
- You must have chosen your group (through the blog) by class time.
- Read the guidelines for memo writing outlined at Purdue's Owl.
- Read in PWOnline, Principles: Research (Some of this is short, some long!)
- Why Writers Need to Find and Use Information
- Locating and Evaluating Information that Already Exists
- Copyright, Plagiarism, and Fair Use
Wednesday 2/13
Friday 2/15
- Due: Group Deliverable 1 - Topic Proposal for White Paper.
- Each potential group (as established over drupal) will turn in one hardcopy
of a 250 word topic proposal, in the form of a memo, by Friday. This memo will include information about the topic under consideration, the potential solutions to be examined, and possible resources. Follow the guidelines for memo writing outlined at Purdue's Owl. Remember that you are selling an idea, specifically, to me -- this is a persuasive, not descriptive, document. This means presenting the issue as worthy of consideration, and the solutions (three) as relevant, while demonstrating the feasibility of the project within the parameters of the assignment.
- Your MEMO should, at the least, consist of the following sections:
- 1. Background/Context/Problem
- 2. Proposed solutions (3)
- 3. Formal Request for "go-ahead," which should be addressed to me. You are to convince/persuade me that this is a viable project.
- 4. List of potential resources (this is not part of the 250 words).
- Begin researching topic for white paper
- Post a Reading Response.
- Post your research and work blog (Individual Deliverable 2) with at least 3 sources. In your blog, you must explain why each source you've found will be important in your research. Therefore, you must read each of your sources. Briefly summarize each source and explain why it is relevant to your white paper. Title your blog in this way: Team # _____ Work Blog: (Your first and last name).
- In PWOnline, read the following under Managing Projects:
- Versioning Documents
- Organizing Files
- Troubleshooting.
- Read the PowerPoint (attached below) on format and composition. This will really help you begin to see what will be included in your white paper.
Week 7
Monday 2/18
- Read the Identity Theft and Sophos sample white papers below. Note the design and the notes made on the designs.
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Start reading the booklet on Group Work and Collaboration
on the University of California, Davis website. This is very helpful,
not only for this project but also for any future projects you work on
in the workplace.
- Continue your research
Wednesday 2/20
- Read the Fuel and Urine Trouble sample white papers below. Note the design and the notes made on the designs.
- By class time, you should decide the division of labor in your group. Create some kind of contract that details who is responsible for what.
- Start writing your white paper - seriously!
Friday 2/22
Week 8
Monday 2/25
- Finish reading the booklet on Group Work and Collaboration on the University of California, Davis website.
- Review the Global Warming whitepaper with comments (attached below).
- Review the PowerPoint presentations attached below.
Wednesday 2/27
- 8:30 & 9:30: Class meets in the DLC (Hicks Undergraduate Library Rm B853)
Friday 2/29
- DUE: Rough draft of White Paper - 1700-2000 words. All your written content, including citations, must be included in this rough draft. Each team must bring 5 stapled copies of their white paper to class.
- Post a Reading Response
- Post Weekly Project Log by class time. Refer again to the Project Log guidelines.
Week 9
Monday 3/3
- Continue working on white paper. Bring revised version (2 copies) to class for peer review.
- Peer Review: Document attached below.
Wednesday 3/5
- Review peer reviews your group received on Monday
- Bring 2 revised versions (per team) of white paper to class.
Friday 3/7
- Post a Reading Response
- DUE: Post Project Log before class. Again, refer to Project Log Guidelines.
- DUE: Final copy of white paper - one copy per group
- Oral Presentations will begin on Monday 3/17.
Next Week: Spring Break! Enjoy and see you on 3/17.
Week 10
Monday 3/17
Wednesday 3/19
Friday 3/21
- Resume/Letter Revisions Due
- If you did your oral presentation on Wednesday, your Collaboration Evaluation is due, typed, in complete sentences.
- Do research on possible organizations for Service Learning Project
- Read the Client Criteria
- Post a Reading Response.
- Write a blog post describing two possible clients. Explain why each would make a good client and what kind of documents you might be able to produce for them.
Week 11
Monday 3/24
- Have groups chosen for Service Learning Project (2-4 people per group)
- Read the following section on Proposals in PWOnline:
Overview, The Rhetoric of Proposals, Types and Contexts of Proposals,
Content and Organization, Proposal: Biomedical Engineering Design
Project
- Read the Sample Student Proposal (attached below)
- Review the Proposal PowerPoint (attached below)
Wednesday 3/26
- Due : Group Deliverable 1: Short Memo
This 300-word memo should inform the instructor of your group members, and
suggest three organizations the group will contact and the kinds of projects/deliverables (needs) that the group is interested in undertaking. This will be composed before meeting with potential clients. In your memo, you should rank the organizations/businesses according to your first, second, and third choice and explain the reasons behind your ranking. This memo should reflect that you've done some research into each of the three organizations in order to anticipate what kind of materials they may be in need of (for example, don't just write that you'd like to work on their website if they've already got a great website). Refer again to the OWL's Guidelines for Writing a Memo. Do not set up meeting with client until I approve your choices.
Friday 3/28
- DUE: Project Log by class time - Remember, this time each group will post only one blog. Again, refer to Project Log guidelines
- Field Research day
Week 12
Monday 3/31
- Review readings from last week about proposals from PWOnline
- Continue working on securing a client/conducting first interview
- Read the article attached below (labeled Luntz.pdf)
Wednesday 4/2
- Have client secured no later than today; complete first interview by Friday
- Read this section on proposals and look at examples
- Read directions on how to create Gantt Chart
- Watch YouTube video on creating a Gantt Chart in Microsoft Excel 2007
- If you are using an older version of Excel, watch this YouTube video or do a Google search of "Gantt chart excel directions" and read the second result (it's a pdf)
- Review the sample Gantt chart (attached below)
Friday 4/4
- White Paper Revisions Due
- Complete first interview with client
- Watch 5 Steps to Project Success
- In PWOnline, read the following sections under Social and Cultural Issues:
- Ethics and Professional Communication
- Basic Principles of Ethics
- Ethical Guidelines for Teamwork and Project Management
- DUE: team Project Log by class time
Week 13
Monday 4/7
- Due: 2-page Proposal for Service Learning Project
Wednesday 4/9
- In PWOnline read the following sections:
- Copyright, Plagiarism, and Fair Use of Others' Writing
- Gender in the Workplace
- Ethics Editing Checklist
- Deliver Proposal to client
Friday 4/11
- DUE: Team Project Log by class time. In addition to reporting on the progress you've made on the project this week, you will also answer the questions listed in the Client Meeting Report (attached below)
- Take a look at these templates from Microsoft - they might give you some ideas for your own documents
Week 14
Monday 4/14
Wednesday 4/16
- Group conferences (as time allows)
- Add to your list of peer review questions
- Read Rough Draft Peer Review document (attached below)
- Read the Rough Draft Peer Review Questions document (attached below)
- Read the following in PWOnline on Oral Presentations:
- Informal Oral Presentations
- Tips for Giving Oral Presentations
- Worksheet: Evaluating Oral Presentations
Friday 4/18
- DUE: Weekly Project Log before class time
- DUE: Rough draft/peer review - bring two copies of each of your documents
- Group conferences (as time allows)
Week 15
Monday 4/21
- Meet with clients to formally present client documents (as scheduled)
- Oral Presentations:
- Everyone should be ready to present.
- Read Oral Presentation Review (document attached below) as a checklist for your oral presentation.
- Also, review the PowerPoint on your Oral Presentations (attached below). This contains questions you could answer in your presentation.
-
DUE: Final documents for Service Learning Project
Wednesday 4/23
- Meet with clients to formally present client documents (as scheduled)
- Oral Presentations
- Due: Hand in typed, stapled copies of the following two documents: Collaboration Evaluation & Project Assessment (document attached below). Remember, each of
these documents is worth 5% of your overall project grade - please provide thoughtful answers.
Friday 4/25
- Meet with clients to formally present client documents (as scheduled)
- Course Evaluations
- Assignments returned and final course grades assigned.
Week 16
Exam schedule in effect. Class does not meet.
