Instructor Blog #1: Welcome to English 420Y: Business Writing Online
Submitted by eplough on Sat, 06/07/2008 - 12:40.
Welcome to English 420Y: Business Writing Online! This is the first of several Instructor Blogs that I will be writing over the course of the summer. They should be both informative and helpful as we navigate our way through the various lessons. They will also clear up concerns regarding expectations and grading. Before we can dig in, some definitions of terms we will be using this summer will help us all be on the same page.
First and most importantly, what is professional writing? 'Writing' in our class is broadly interpreted as 'composition,' which includes any act of expression or communication. Having that said, visual design will play a big part in our coursework and should be thought of as an element of 'composition.' Though it will obviously not factor into our online course, 'composition' even includes what you say or what you wear, since they are acts of expression and tell the world who you are. The term 'professional' is quite a bit easier to define. 'Professional' describes the situation in which your composing will occur. While this may sound obvious, it has interesting implications. Because your professional ethos, or identity, is not the same as your everyday ethos (you talk to your friends differently than your co-workers, and so on), part of the challenge in this class will be to figure out how to present yourself and your work in a professional way.
Another major term we will be using is rhetoric. Though there are many ways to define this term, I feel the easiest definition for our class to go with is: "Strategic Expression." If you have ever had to tell your parents that you got a speeding ticket, or something similar, chances are you have used rhetoric before. In fact, you are probably an expert at rhetorical expression and you don't even realize it! Strategy is a vital part of this course. There should always be a reason for every choice. Why did you use that font? Why did you choose that graphic? Why did you choose that alignment? The answer should never be "I don't know." So, how do you make these decisions? How do you form a strategy? The answer will always be: "consider your audience." An important part of strategic expression (rhetoric) is considering your audience or reader. In other words, if your parents are in a bad mood, you might wait until later to tell them about your speeding ticket! You just made a rhetorical decision!
'Context' is another important term and is essential to making rhetorical decisions. Before you can compose effectively, you must consider the context, or rhetorical situation, surrounding your project. For example, my friend Marc applied to be a ranger at a national park in Utah. As a result, Marc's resume includes all of the camping he has done over the years. If Marc were to apply for a customer service job at a software company, he would certainly not make any mention of his camping experience on his resume. So, your resume and really anything you compose will be largely governed by context. 'Ethos,' a term I mentioned previously, is a Greek term that basically means 'identity,' 'character,' or 'self.' Everything that you compose, again including even what you wear, reflects your ethos to other people. You may be the best accountant in the world, but if you can't write a complete sentence, who will hire you? When you write blogs for this class, or when you email your peers or me, what will we think about your ethos when that email is full of errors? Ethos maintenance is a highly important part of this class and you should set your personal standards high.
Non-Liberal Arts majors can sometimes downplay the importance of writing. You have taken English 106, so why are you taking another writing course? Why should you care about terms like 'ethos' and 'rhetoric?' You will soon discover, if you have not already, that effective writing is directly relevant to your career. Because of the importance of writing to corporate America, recruiters and business schools are now placing more emphasis on writing.
Career Journal reports:
More M.B.A.s who can compose a cohesive memo or letter would make investment banker Darren Whissen of Ladera Ranch, Calif., happy. "I have found that many seemingly qualified candidates are unable to write even the simplest of arguments,' says Mr. Whissen, who is director of research at Waveland LLC. "No matter how strong one's financial model is, if one cannot write a logical, compelling story, then investors are going to look elsewhere. And in my business, that means death."
The Seattle Times reports:
Business students at Miami University's Farmer School of Business in Ohio work on rhetoric and are reminded to tailor their writing style to the purpose. They are told that conciseness and understanding one's audience are more important than ever. "People have been complaining about the quality of student writing since Plato," said Kate Ronald, an English professor who runs the school's Howe Writing Initiative. "But I think businesses are paying more attention to it. Businesses today are doing so much more writing, and doing it so much more publicly—because so much of the discourse is discussed on the screen rather than on paper."
So, the goal of this class is to learn how to compose effective documents for any rhetorical situation that might come your way over the course of your career. Since every single person in this world is different, you will quickly learn that often there is no one right way of doing things. So, in order to compose effectively, you will need to use abstract thinking as well as concrete thinking to get most jobs done. Think of concrete thinking as being able to follow rules and instructions, and think of abstract thinking as decisions based on your ability to assess a situation and what needs to happen to make a thing work. If you are good at concrete thinking, you will have a fantastic job some day. If you are good at abstract thinking, you will own the company.
A concept you will need to get used to is persuasion. Everything you compose for this class (and elsewhere) needs to have a persuasive component to it. For example, your resume is not merely a list of what you've done, but rather it is a persuasive document designed with your newly acquired rhetorical expertise! Other documents that you compose for this class need to be persuasive as well. This includes emails, blogs, reading responses, etc. For example, reading responses are partly designed to persuade me that you have read and understood the materials. Work blogs and activity reports inform me about what you have done AND persuade me that you and your group are working hard.
So, if you haven't been able to tell yet, I should make it very clear: I will be judging everything you compose for this course from emails to major projects. As this is a 400 level course (the highest undergraduate level), standards will be very high. The main reason for this is that the business world also has high standards. If you email your boss and your email is full of misspelled words, what should your boss think of you? If you design a brochure for your company and the brochure is full of cheesy, pixilated clip art, what will your clients think of your company?
I am very excited about this course. The online nature of this course is highly productive towards learning about professional writing because it very closely resembles today's high-tech workplace where a large amount of communication takes place online. Things should become more and more clear as we go, but it is in your best interest to 'hit the ground running' in this class. If nothing else, 420Y will show you the value of being a self-starter. You are encouraged to work ahead, plan ahead, and also to ask questions, no matter how big or small. I am here for you and will work very hard to make sure that your 420Y experience is as beneficial as possible. (Thanks to Ryan Weber for content)
Welcome to English 420Y!
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My Response to First Blog
The ideas presented in this blog interest me and made me think more about the way that I approach situations and the way I write. I had never really thought about or considered the way I have used the subjects of context and rhetoric throughout my undergraduate and pre-professional career. I have had to write scientific papers and research reports for most of my science courses and for each paper I have had to customize and tailor it for each subject. I have already studied and learned a little bit about the subject of ethos in other classes, but I believe I will find it interesting and informative in this class because it will pertain to and help me identify proper ethos for my professional career. The subject of writing with a purpose of persuasion is one area that I will probably learn the most about because I feel it is an area that I am not familiar with and struggle with now in my current writing ability. I feel that this class, and the subjects presented, will be both challenging and rewarding, and I am looking forward to learning all these different talents and tools.
First Blog Comment
Upon reading this blog I could not help but think of something that happened recently that demonstrated exactly what this blog was introducing as what this class is going to teach us not to do. I believe this incident will further explain the importance of rhetoric at every point in one's professional life. My friend Brandon works at a Pizza King in town, one can safely assume that one does not need much education or experience to get a job at such place. However, a gentleman came in and rather than asking if they were hiring, or if they had an application he should fill out if he desired to work there, he dropped off his resume. His resume included information regarding his education in the areas of psychology and criminal justice, his impressive GPA, and various research projects he had worked on with professors. Brandon called and asked if he could please read me a resume they just received from someone who wanted to get a job at a pizza place, putting a clear emphasis on pizza place, I agreed and he read off the resume I previously described. The manager did not even consider calling the gentleman for an interview.
Further more, I agree with the emphasis on persuasion, and I hope that by the end of this class I will be better equipped to persuade the admissions office at the John Paul the II institute accept me. I also hope that by the end of this comment I have been able to persuade you that have indeed read Instructor Blog #1.
Response to Instructor Blog #1
While reading this first blog, I was very intrigued. I agree with it 100 percent. In my line of work, construction management, it is crucial that you can communicate effectively and professionally. Rhetoric or strategy and ethos are important to consider. For example, let's say that I am the construction manager on a job where a hospital is being built and there have been some changes in the drawings that will affect how the building is being built. I must be able to communicate the changes to the foreman on the site. If this is not done effectively the building may be built incorrectly. Ultimately, if the building is not built correctly it could fall down and people could be injured. That is why communication is crucial in my profession.
I think that I have always thought about rhetoric and/or ethos, but I didn’t necessarily realize it. I am hoping that after this class I will be more effective at communicating in a professional setting as well as on a day to day basis.
First Response
As I was reading this blog it occurred to me that I never thought about how important writing is in business. I know being able to write a letter is important but I never thought about how people might think of you based on your writing. I do think it is important to be able to write in the proper format and that when someone doesn't write in the correct way you judge them. When someone has a number of errors in their writing you automatically assume that they didn't care or are unintelligent. Overall, I think this class will help me be more successful in my future career.
First Blog Response
-katie
While I was reading this particular blog, it occurred to me that this is not just any ordinary English course. This is a course that will directly relate to the business world that I will be entering in a few short years and will have a significant impact on my success upon entering that world. I am familiar with the term ethos and also believe that how one writes can be a strong indicator of one's personality and them as an individual. I agree with all of the ideas presented throughout this blog, especially the fact that poor professional writing skills can be very detrimental to one's career. I have heard of several intances where someone had graduated from a respected university where they had the potential to be one of the best in their field, but something such as poor professional writing skills hindered their success. As mentioned in the blog, businesses today are putting a much stronger emphasis on writing skills. I think that part of this is because the media is so popular today that everything people do is listened to and judged by others and if you have someone who does not know how to write or present an idea, that can shed a negative light on that particular company. I look foward to all of the information that I will be learning throughout this course as well as being able to apply this knowledge to many real life situations that I will soon face.
Blog Response 1
I believe that writing is a direct reflection of an individual person or a group of people. Through examination of one's writing you can start to gain insight to why they have chosen the words they did. The author leaves many clues when composing a work, no matter the size or importance of the work.
If the work is small in importance and the author exercises standard practices and procedures, then one might think highly of the author. Conversely, if the author provides sub-par material with many errors, one might think that the author is lazy or incapable of basic tasks. I am excited to peek inside the world of business writing. I hope that it will provide me with the tools to obtain a well rounded knowledge in this area. It is important to me that I learn these things because everything you write reflects who you are and your frame of mind at the time of publication. These are important factors when deciding how to communicate with others in the business world. Through review of the blog above, I can see a more in depth study of topics pertaining to my interests.
Comment to Instructor Blog #1
While reading this blog, I realized how important writing is in our world. I did not realize visual design and how one dresses are thought of as part of composition. What you wear and how you act are very important in any situation, at work or with friends. I have had little experience working in a professional atmosphere and this class will help me better my professional writing skills. After I read the defintion and explanation for rhetoric, I realized I do use that quite often. I will not mention something to my roommate about our apartment that could upset her if she is already not having a good day. Ethos is something I use everyday when I go to school by wearing certain clothes and talking a certain way. I want people to see the real me and learn about me just by having a conversation for a few minutes. My major is not Liberal Arts. In the past I thought writing was not important to my future career or possible careers, but as I have talked with professionals in the fields I would like to pursue, I have learned how important it is to wrtie professional emails and reports. This class is going to take a lot of thinking, reading, and writing. All of the activities will help me practice and learn how to compose professional writings for my future career. I am looking forward to the possibilties this class will present for me.
Response to Instructor Blog #1
Writing has always been a passion of mine. By exerting myself into the world of English, I have become increasingly aware of the significance of rhetorical decision making. Having the ability to connect with one's audience, one can define a message successfully through persuasion. I firmly agree that our society is becoming more focused on correct composition. Without being able to express one's self through writing, one cannot portray his or her message to an audience. I believe that the most abstract and successful people in this world are terrific writers, because of their own passion. These people can have more than one kind of effect on others. I also agree with the subject of enriched resumes in this blog. By centering one's resume on the qualifications that enable one to receive a position in a selective company can only benefit oneself. Describing all aspects of one's life can discourage the reader of a resume to assuming that one doesn't have enough specialization in one area. Overall, I am entirely thrilled to begin with this online course. I hope to better my writing skills in leading me to my ultimate dream of being an editor for a magazine.
First Blog Response
While reading this blog, I thought a lot about the writing I have done over the years and how I have presented myself to my audience. I have never really thought about how the different types of writing I have done has reflected right back to me as a person, and a professional.
After reading this blog, I agree completely with the ideas that were presented. I have especially realized how important writing is to everyone in all careers. Even though one might only write certain types of writing it is important to present yourself, company or anyone else involved as professionally as possible. I believe that ethos is something that everyone really needs to pay attention to and think about when writing. Some people might forget how much their writing really does reflect them.
The ideas above are all great factors in helping people learn how to communicate with different types of audiences. I am interested in learning more tips on how to really express my writing to my audience.
Instructor's Blog 1 Response
After reading the blog entry, I agree that online communication is essential in today's business world. It can be difficult to figure out how to present oneself and their work in a professional way; especially for students from my generation. With instant messenger and facebook, students are able to communicate using abbreviations, misspellings, and slang, while having the receiving party understand the intended message.
This past year at Purdue, professors were encouraging their students to write professional style emails when communicating online. They did not want to be talked to like a peer just because it was through the computer. Many students had not written professional emails (including myself); and by taking advantage of the learning opportunity, I now understand the difference of using professional ethos and everyday ethos.
I understand now, that there are many situations in which you can express yourself differently. This course will allow me to differentiate the situations in which I can express myself in properly.
FIRST BLOG RESPONSE
After reading this blog my interest in this course has increased. The whole concept of professional rhetoric and writing in context is very interesting to me. Also, the idea of always writing persuasively is a very intriguing idea. I look forward to learning how to improve my all my compositions to be more persuasive. I found this blog very informative as to what to expect in this course. I look forward to everything we will learn.
Nicholas A. Neumann
Response to Instructor Blog No. 1
The ideas presented in this first blog were indeed informative and helpful. The online nature of this course will make me consistent in a professional regard since we are graded on any and all forms of communication. After completing this course, my professional ethos should closely resemble my everyday ethos. I will be graduating in a year; therefore, this course will assist me in my career after college.
Before reading this blog, I couldn't even give you a reasonable definition of the word, "rhetoric." Thank you for explaining it so clearly. I look forward to learning how to recognize and utilize different strategies in different situations. And yes, I think we have all had to "strategically express" ourselves before.
Ethos maintenance might be challenging with all the instant messaging and e-mails being used today. I am glad someone is going to be there to let me know when an e-mail doesn't appear or sound professional because everything I compose in a work environment needs to be professional.
I shouldn't struggle with the concept of persuasion. I have used persuasion in several past papers and have almost perfected it persuading my parents for so many years.
You know, persuasion and strategic expression have a lot in common if you think about it.
Ryan L. Ross
Blog Response #1
As a current intern at a major consulting firm, there could not have been a more ideal time for me to take this course. Everything I will learn in this course can and will be directly applied to my everyday work. For instance, professional writing and the concept of rhetoric have become a part of my daily life. I am constantly writing e-mails to coworkers and supervisors. As a consultant, many opportunities arise where I am required to present my suggestions or opinions on a particular subject. In order to do my job well, I need to be able to explain why I have these suggestions or opinions. I am frequently challenged with the task of presenting difficult mathematical concepts in ways that are simple to understand. Also, I need to constantly be aware of my ethos when dealing with my coworkers and clients. As you can see, I will be putting what I learn in this course to good use. I am excited to improve my communication and professional writing skills. I hope this course will aide me in accomplishing my goal of receiving a full time offer after my summer internship.
As I read this blog I began
As I read this blog I began to think abut my own personal writing style. In the past I have always thought of myself as a good writer, but I know that I am not always as professional as I should be. In March of this year I began to look for summer intenships. I sat at my computer for five hours completing my resume and coverletter. At times it was hard for me to write my cover letter because I was trying to sell myself on paper. When I meet someone face to face I have no trouble expressing myself, but I found it hard to write about myself. I enjoyed the papragraph in the blog that said that, "your resume is not merely a list of what you've done, but rather it is a persuasive document ." This statement is very true. After completing this course I hope that I can imporove upon my professional writing skills.
(No subject)
#1 blog response
Reading this first blog, I feel that this course will change me into a more professional person who is able to write effectively by asking and answering questions about contexts, purposes, and readers. Moreover, it is interesting to know that people make rhetorical decisions in their daily life, and I am willing to learn more about composing effective documents in any rhetorical situation in my career. It is also fascinating to understand how persuasion can be applied in professional writing. To be honest, I never like writing, but with such a great instructor who made the first blog very attractive and convincing, I hope I will enjoy writing in this course.
First Blog Response
I found reading this to be very interesting. I think that a lot of times I tend to do things and not realize why I have done them. I never thought of waiting to tell your parents about your speeding ticket till later as having something to do with rhetoric. I think that the power of persuasion is a very important thing and after this class I really hope to have a better grasp of that. I intend to apply to a very prestigious culinary school after graduating from Purdue and a lot of their decision on admitting you is based on your interview. So I hope that taking this class will better prepare me for that interview and the many others that I am sure to face in my professional career. I also in vision this class helping a great deal once I hold a full time job in the restaurant world after culinary school. If you have ever worked in a restaurant you know it is one of the most stressful and fast paced places you can work so effective communication is key and I think this class will greatly help to prepare me for that.
First blog response
After reading this blog, i now have a better understanding of what professional writing really means. I believe that this class will help me attain skills so that I may be able to communicate accurately and concisely in a professional business environment. It feels as if this class will help me embrace a more professional aspect of my persona by making me more comfortable with business related documents. This blog also shows how rhetoric will be used in this class which is very important in gaining success in the business world. People react differently to the way someone communicates something, but by having the proper technique (which this class will teach), one can successfully communicate their point. This class will help me find my niche in communicating through business documents. I am excited about starting this class and i look forward to what it has to offer me as a student.