Unsubscribing from the Course Website

If you subscribed to the course website at the beginning of the term, you probably want to unsubscribe now. Look for an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email message that you get from the course website.

Moving Forum Posts

I’ve moved the forum posts to a private archive, so that my students in the future won’t find your work and get confused. I’ve also set the permissions so that only people who were in the course can see those messages. They are no longer available to the general public.

This is our last post for the course. We will go over the instructions for submitting Project 6, your final exam.

Class Work for December 9

These are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Go over the requirements for Project 6.
• Review the location of the FAQs for using Google Drive.
• Discuss the reflection memo and how to submit Project 6 in Scholar.

Requirements for Project 6

You need to turn in a reflection memo as well as a share link to your Forum Completion Report. Use the project assignment to check your work. In particular, make sure that your report addresses all five areas that fall under the participation portion of your grade: participation, SPOT evaluation, daily work, number of posts, and quality of posts. Also remember to check your spelling and proofread for grammar and punctuation.

Google Drive FAQs

To make sure that you can submit your project smoothly, pay attention to the following FAQs:

• If you worked in something other than Google Drive, you can use your preferences to automatically convert files you upload to Google Drive automatically.
  This step is important so that I can use the commenting features in Google Drive.
• If you already uploaded a document to Google Drive, check the format of your files and manually convert the files on Google Drive if necessary.
• Follow the instructions on how to set permissions and get the Google Drive Share link to get a link that will allow me to read and comment on your document.

Writing Your Reflection Memo and Submitting Your Project

Your reflection memo is your chance to tell me anything you want me to know before I read your project. For this project, your reflection memo will give me the link to your report on Google Drive. You will also tell me about what you have written. Follow these instructions to submit your work:

1. Go to the Assignments tab on the left menu in Scholar.
2. Choose “P6: Course Completion Report.”
3. Scroll down to the text box below the headings Submission and Assignment Text. You will write your memo in this box. (Alternately, you can write in a word processor/Google Doc, and copy/paste your text into this box.)
4. Add your memo headers (To, From, Subject, and Date). For your reflection memo, you’ll use the following:
• Address your memo to me (Traci) and from yourself (use your name).
• Add a subject line that indicates this is your reflection memo and which project it is for.
• Add the current date.
5. Insert a horizontal divider line using the button indicated with the red arrow in the image below:
   
6. Introduce your project—what are your overall goals, what grade have you aimed for for Project 6, and what documents have you written for the project? Note this is the grade for the project, not your participation grade.
7. Convert your document to Google Drive format if you worked in another word processor.
8. Add the Share link to the document on your Google Drive. Use the instructions for how to get the Share link on the FAQ site if you are unsure how to share documents. Make sure you set permissions so that I can add comments.
9. Tell me what I need to know to understand the information you have included in your document.
10. Tell me anything else you want me to know about the the layout and design..
11. Add a concluding section that tells me anything else you want me to know about your project.
12. Agree to the Honor Code by clicking the checkbox at the bottom of the page in Scholar. You cannot finish submitting the project without clicking that checkbox (and it’s easy to miss).
13. Submit your Project, and save a copy of the confirmation and submission ID. If something goes wrong in Scholar, you can contact 4HELP with that information.
14. You’re done! I will publish a blog post and send out an announcement in Scholar when final grades are posted. Thanks for all your hard work this term. Have a fantastic break.

Today, we have peer review for Project 6 scheduled. We’ll follow the same process as we have on the other assignments, so this should be routine for you this time.

Class Work for December 4

Today we focus on peer review for Project 6, using Google Drive. Here are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Refresh yourself on the documentation for the comment system in Google Drive.
• Post drafts for Project 6 in the forums.
• Respond to two students on Google Drive and in the forums.
• Review the comments on your own work.

Refresher on the Google Drive Comment System

If you need a reminder on the comment and sharing systems in Google Drive, use the step-by-step instructions for how to use Google Drive for peer review on the FAQ site, which includes details on how to share your document, how to comment, and how to respond to comments.  If you need a more detailed explanation, be sure to check out the Lynda video on “Commenting on a file.”

Posting Your Drafts for Project 6

You will post the share link to your draft in the forums:

1. Go to the Project 6: Course Completion Report forum, and create a topic for your draft with your name or your username (e.g., “Traci’s report”).

2. Post a reply in your topic, doing the following:
   • If you do not want to share your last name in the forums, change it in your draft to a pseudonym. You can use a generic last name like Doe or Smith, or you can change it to Lastname.
   • You can obfuscate details about your grade if you prefer. You do not have to confess to one another that you believe you have earned an A or a B, etc. You can remove that sentence or just use the grade X as a placeholder. Just be sure to add the real grade details back before you turn the report in.
   • Share the link(s) to your Project 6 draft in Google Docs, using the FAQ linked in the Refresher section above.

3. Let your classmates know about any specific concerns that you want them to consider as they comment on your draft.

4. Be sure to Preview your draft to make sure everything shows up the way you want it to, and then submit your post.

Responding to Your Classmates’ Drafts

Follow these instructions to respond to your classmates’s drafts:

1. Read and comment on the drafts of at least two of your classmates:

   • Find one post that no other student has replied to (so that we can be sure everyone gets a reply).
   • Find a second post that has only one other student reply.

2. Use the Share link to go to your classmate’s draft on Google Drive and do the following:

   • Check the title of the document(s), and add a comment to tell your partner if it is clear and effective.
   • If you notice any spelling errors, punctuation errors, or typos, mark them as you read, but please focus more on the content rather than editing.
   • Add comments on the content of the draft. Comment on at least three things your classmate does well and at least three things that your classmate could improve on. It’s fine (excellent, even) to include more than the minimum number of comments.
   • As you check the documents, check that the report
     addresses all four areas that fall under the participation portion of your grade: participation, SPOT evaluation, daily work, number of posts, and quality of posts. Consider whether the document has used design and layout to make the information for four areas easy to find and understand. Leave a comment if you notice anything missing or can offer advice on design and layout.

3. Once you finish commenting on the document, go back to your classmate’s post in the forums and add an overall comment that sums up what you thought of the paper and gives your partner some encouragement.

Reviewing the Comments You Received

Once you have finished adding comments to your classmates’ projects, return to your own draft, read the comments that your classmates have given you, and add replies as appropriate. For instance, you might thank your partner for catching an error, ask your partner for more detail on feedback you don’t understand, or share a revision and ask your partner if it is an improvement. Your goal is to reply today so that your classmate can respond if you need more information.

Today, we will look at some examples that relate to Project 6. There will be two more posts before the exam: peer review for Project 6 on 12/4 and submission details on 12/10.

Class Work for December 2

These are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Find comments on graded work.
• Discuss powerful word choice.
• Complete the course evaluation.

Finding Comments on Graded Work

Projects 1, 2, 3, and 4 are all graded. I always include notes that explain the grade you earned. If you are unfamiliar with Scholar, you can use these instructions to learn how to find feedback on your Assignments.

The grace period for Project 5 ends Tuesday, December 2, at 11:55 PM, and I will return those grades in the next week.

Discussing Powerful Word Choice

Choosing strong, powerful verbs is an important part of Project 6. Review Power Skills for Your Resume and Resume Bullet Formula (p. 37–40) in the 2014–2015 Career Planning Guide. These resources demonstrate the kinds of verbs you can use to show yourself as a strong, active person.

Notice in particular how the example in the bullet formula in the 2014–2015 Guide moves from a generic idea (“communication skills”) to a very strong statement about what the person has accomplished. That idea of highlighting your “Demonstrated Accomplishment/Contribution” is what you should work for in your report for Project 6. For instance, rather than saying you were a strong forum participant in your Project 6 report, choose a strong verb and add clarifying details the show your accomplishment or contribution.

Go to the Project 6: Course Completion Report in the Forums and respond to at least one of the three self-assessment statements there:

• National Guard Self-Assessment  
• USDA Self-Assessment Statements  
• Denver Schools Self-Assessment Statement  

You will find questions there to get your conversation started. As always, feel free to engage each other in discussion by quoting one another as you reply. You are only required to post a reply to one of the three statements; however, you may feel free to reply to more than one. In fact, if you have not met your minimum requirement for the forums yet, you can take advantage of this chance to post some extra replies.

Course Evaluation

Please fill out the Student Perceptions of Teaching (SPOT) survey for this course. I do not see the feedback until January (after grades are submitted), and your comments are anonymous.

The feedback helps the department make important decisions about teaching methods, course content, and faculty promotion. Written comments help me decide what to keep or change the next time I teach the course.

More importantly, you can say you completed the course evaluation in your Course Completion Report as evidence of your participation in the course. Please do NOT talk about what you said in your evaluation in your report!

For your last work before Thanksgiving break, you will read through the assignment for the final exam and post any questions you have. There is no required forum work for the session. Have a great, safe holiday.

Class Work for November 20

These are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Review the assignment for Project 6 (the final exam).
• Post any questions you have about the assignment.
• Consider replying to optional discussion questions.
• Have a great Thanksgiving break.

Getting Started on Project 6

For Project 6, you will review your work in the course and write a completion report that outlines what you have learned and done during the term. In particular, you will review your posts on the Forums and point out some of your best work. In addition to grading your report, I’ll use the information you present to help determine your participation grade for the course. In the workplace, you could think of this report as a self-evaluation for a performance review.

Here’s what you need to do to get started:

1. Read the assignment for Project 6 completely. Begin gathering data on your forum work, explained in Step 2 of the assignment.

2. If you have any questions (today or in the future) about the assignments, post in Questions about Project 6 topic if you have questions about the report.

Optional Forum Posts

As you review your goals and the work you’ve completed for the Forum Posts and Participation portion of your grade, you may find that you want to make some additional posts. I have added an Optional Discussion Questions forum where you will find questions that touch on topics we have considered during the term and general issues related to technical communication. Add replies there as you wish to better the Forum Posts and Participation portion of your grade. You may be too far behind to argue that you completed your work in a timely manner, but you can still increase the quantity of posts. Your responses should be posted by December 2.

Today is the due date for Project 5. The grace period will end at 11:55 PM on Tuesday, December 2.

Class Work for November 18

These are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Go over the requirements for Project 5.
• Review the location of the FAQs for using Google Drive.
• Discuss the reflection memo and how to submit Project 5 in Scholar.

Requirements for Project 5

You need to turn in a reflection memo as well as a link to the documents you have chosen to write (extended definition, instructions, and glossary). Use the Writer’s Checklist on pages 388–389 of Markel to check your work. In particular, check the following:

• Make sure that your Extended Definition is clear and complete, and that it uses layout and design to make the information easy to read.
• Be sure that your Instructions include numbered steps, use imperative verbs, and have an open and airy layout.
• Check that your Glossary uses layout and design to make the terms and definitions clear, that the entries in alphabetical order, and that the glossary entries use broken sentences.

For all the documents you turn in, remember to check your spelling and proofread for grammar and punctuation.

Google Drive FAQs

To make sure that you can submit your project smoothly, pay attention to the following FAQs:

• If you worked in something other than Google Drive, you can use your preferences to automatically convert files you upload to Google Drive automatically.
  This step is important so that I can use the commenting features in Google Drive.
• If you already uploaded a document to Google Drive, check the format of your files and manually convert the files on Google Drive if necessary.
• Follow the instructions on how to set permissions and get the Google Drive Share link to get a link that will allow me to read and comment on your document.

Writing Your Reflection Memo and Submitting Your Project

Your reflection memo is your chance to tell me anything you want me to know before I read your project. For this project, your reflection memo will give me the link to your spreadsheet on Google Drive and the link to your analysis memo if you created one. You will also tell me about what you have written. Follow these instructions to submit your work:

1. Go to the Assignments tab on the left menu in Scholar.
2. Choose “P5: Definition and Instructions.”
3. Scroll down to the text box below the headings Submission and Assignment Text. You will write your memo in this box. (Alternately, you can write in a word processor/Google Doc, and copy/paste your text into this box.)
4. Add your memo headers (To, From, Subject, and Date). For your reflection memo, you’ll use the following:
• Address your memo to me (Traci) and from yourself (use your name).
• Add a subject line that indicates this is your reflection memo and which project it is for.
• Add the current date.
5. Insert a horizontal divider line using the button indicated with the red arrow in the image below:
   
6. Introduce your project—what are your overall goals, what grade have you aimed for, and what documents have you written for the project?
7. For each part of the project you have written (e.g., extended definition, instructions, glossary), do the following:
   1. Label the link so I know which document it will take me to.
   2. Add the Share link to the document on your Google Drive. Use the instructions for how to get the Share link on the FAQ site if you are unsure how to share documents.
   3. Tell me what I need to know to understand the information you have included in your document.
   4. Tell me anything else you want me to know about the the layout and design.
8. Review the information for Project 5 in the reflection memo. You should have a block for each piece you have written that tells me what it is, gives me the link, and tells me about it.
9. Add a concluding section that tells me anything else you want me to know about your project.
10. Agree to the Honor Code by clicking the checkbox at the bottom of the page in Scholar. You cannot finish submitting the project without clicking that checkbox (and it’s easy to miss).
11. Submit your Project, and save a copy of the confirmation and submission ID. If something goes wrong in Scholar, you can contact 4HELP with that information.
12. You’re done! Project 6 (the final exam) will be a progress and completion report (similar to a self-evaluation for a performance review in a workplace) that focuses on the work you have done during the term.

Today we do peer review on Project 5, which is due on Tuesday.

Class Work for November 13

Today we focus on peer review for Project 5, using Google Drive. The process will be just like the peer review you have done on the previous projects. Here are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Refresh yourself on the documentation for the comment system in Google Drive.
• Post drafts for Project 5 in the forums.
• Respond to two students on Google Drive and in the forums.
• Review the comments on your own work.

Refresher on the Google Drive Comment System

If you need a reminder on the comment and sharing systems in Google Drive, use the step-by-step instructions for how to use Google Drive for peer review on the FAQ site, which includes details on how to share your document, how to comment, and how to respond to comments.  If you need a more detailed explanation, be sure to check out the Lynda video on “Commenting on a file.”

Note that if you do not convert your documents to Google Doc format, your classmates cannot comment on your work properly and your participation grade suffers. After all, you cannot participate in the peer review fully if no one can comment on your work.

Posting Your Drafts for Project 5

You will post the share link to your draft in the forums:

1. Go to the Project 5: Definition, Description, and Instructions forum, and create a topic for your draft with your name or your username and career or field (e.g., “Traci, college writing instructor”).

2. Post a reply in your topic, doing the following:
   • If you do not want to share your last name in the forums, change it in your draft to a pseudonym. You can use a generic last name like Doe or Smith, or you can change it to Lastname.
   • Share the link(s) to your Project 5 drafts in Google Docs, using the FAQ linked in the Refresher section above.

3. Let your classmates know about any specific concerns that you want them to consider as they comment on your draft.

4. Be sure to Preview your draft to make sure everything shows up the way you want it to, and then submit your post.

Responding to Your Classmates’ Drafts

Follow these instructions to respond to your classmates’s drafts:

1. Read and comment on the drafts of at least two of your classmates:

   • Find one post that no other student has replied to (so that we can be sure everyone gets a reply).
   • Find a second post that has only one other student reply.

2. Use the Share link to go to your classmate’s draft on Google Drive and do the following:

   • Check the title of the document(s), and add a comment to tell your partner if it is clear and effective.
   • If you notice any spelling errors, punctuation errors, or typos, mark them as you read, but please focus more on the content rather than editing.
   • Add comments on the content of the draft. Comment on at least three things your classmate does well and at least three things that your classmate could improve on. It’s fine (excellent, even) to include more than the minimum number of comments.
   • As you check the documents, check them for the following:
     • Extended definition: Does the document use layout and design to make the information easy to read?
     • Instructions: Are the steps numbered? Does the document use imperative verbs? Is the layout open and airy?
     • Glossary: Does the document use layout and design to make the terms and definitions clear? Are the entries in alphabetical order? Do the glossary entries use broken sentences?

3. Once you finish commenting on the document, go back to your classmate’s post in the forums and add an overall comment that sums up what you thought of the paper and gives your partner some encouragement.

Reviewing the Comments You Received

Once you have finished adding comments to your classmates’ projects, return to your own draft, read the comments that your classmates have given you, and add replies as appropriate. For instance, you might thank your partner for catching an error, ask your partner for more detail on feedback you don’t understand, or share a revision and ask your partner if it is an improvement. Your goal is to reply today so that your classmate can respond if you need more information.

Today, I have some tips for you and examples for the project you are working on. Peer review is on Thursday the 13th and the Project is due on Tuesday the 18th. The grace period ends Tuesday, December 2.

Class Work for November 6

These are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Review Scholar how-to’s.
• Check your forum posts to make sure you are making progress.
• Read and discuss examples for Project 5.
• Go over a few FAQs about the project.

Scholar How-To’s

Never open Scholar in more than one tab or browser window. Scholar will overwrite or lose the data in your tabs. If you want to have access to something you wrote for another project, copy that information and paste it into a Google Doc or another word processor window. You risk losing everything you have written when you open more than one tab for Scholar.

Projects 2 and 3 are graded in Scholar. Check this FAQ for details on how to find any comments I left for you: How do I find feedback on my Assignments in Scholar?

Another Reminder about Forum Posts & Participation Grade

Be sure you are where you want to be for the Forum Posts and Participation portion of your grade, which is worth 16% of your overall course grade.

Analyzing a Project 5 Example

I have posted some examples for Project 5, written by students who took the course during the summer. Read through them and think about your drafts for the project. Go to the Analyzing P5 Examples topic in the forums and use the questions there to talk about how the examples compare to the work you are doing for Project 5.

News Anchor Project

• Definition
• Instructions
• Glossary

Construction Project Engineer

• Definition
• Instructions
• Glossary

Some Project 5 FAQs

Do we have to choose a STEM career since the assignment is for students interested in those careers? 

Use whatever career you are planning on for yourself. We’ll assume a very wide definition of STEM.

Do I have to use the same career choice that I used for other projects this term?

No, you can focus more (e.g., Web Developer instead of Computer Science) or choose something else if you wish.

Does it have to be exactly 500 words?

It’s hard to say precisely how many words you will need since I do not know how you might incorporate headings or images. The best advice is to use your space wisely by trying for one of these lengths:

• Fill up one sheet of paper with words and images.
• Fill up a page and a half with words and images.
• Fill up two pages with words and images.

Essentially, create a nice looking sheet of information, and worry more about making it look nice on the page than about the precise number of words.

There are lots of resources to share today, and you’ll post several times in the forums and send me an email message. Let’s get to it.

Class Work for November 6

These are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Look at some resources for choosing and using graphics.
• Go over some information on instructions and definitions.
• Discuss some examples in the forums.

Choosing and Using Graphics

You can find tips for adding graphics to your documents on the FAQ site. Most importantly, know that unless you take the photo yourself, you need to be sure that it’s okay to use it in your writing. In the workplace, you will frequently have staff who curate photo collections you can use if you need to illustrate a document. For our purposes, however, you have to think about issues like copyright and citing your sources.

Work through these FAQs for details and resources, including places to find images that you can use freely (as long as you credit your source):

• How does copyright work with images?
• How do I choose images for my projects?
• How can I tell if an image is protected by copyright?
• Where can I find graphics that I can use in my projects?
• How do I use images in my project?

Writing Instructions and Definitions

I pointed out the key information from the textbook in the last post. Today I have some slideshow presentations that review the information from the text and add some details that help you as you work on your project:

1. The Writing Instructions slideshow includes a List of Required Parts (all the things you need to include in your instructions). Check the last slide for Tips for Instructions (a list of things I sometimes see people struggle with).

2. The Writing Definitions slideshow focuses on sentence and paragraph definitions, which you are likely to use if you create a glossary. Most glossary entries will be no more than a sentence or two. You will also find information on glossary format. If you are creating a glossary, pay particular attention to slides 11–14.

Discussing Example Instructions and Definitions

You will post two forum replies today, one for instructions and one for glossaries:

• Review these instructions, and then go to the Discussing Instructions  topic in the forums to talk about what they do well and how they might be improved:
  1. Virginia Tech – ROLM 751 DIGITAL CBX, Faculty / Staff Telephone Quick Reference
  2. Employer’s Accident Report Instructions
  3. Instructions on how to pay the $3000 deposit
  4. Join Virginia Tech’s McNair Listserv
  5. PlantSimLab Basic Tutorial

• Review these glossaries (written by students), and then go to the Discussing Definitions topic in the forums to talk about what they do well and how they might be improved:
  • Distillation Glossary 1
  • Distillation Glossary 2
  • Engineering Glossary
  • Food Allergy Glossary
  • Nitrocellulose Glossary
  • Soccer Glossary

This week, we start discussion of definitions, descriptions, and instructions.

Class Work for November 4

These are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Present details on your forum posts and participation grade.
• Go over the assignment for Project 5.
• Read about the genres of technical description, definition, and instructions (chapter 14 of Markel).

Forum Posts & Participation Grade

With about five weeks left of class time, be sure you are where you want to be for the Forum Posts and Participation portion of your grade, which is worth 16% of your overall course grade. The information will help you make sure you meet your goals for the course as well as help you when we get to Project 6, which will report on your progress and accomplishments in the course.

Getting Started on Project 5

The fifth assignment is to create documents that will tell a middle or high school student about your field, in preparation for a career day event. You can write up to three documents: a description, step-by-step instructions, and a glossary.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1. Read the assignment completely. Begin thinking about the goals you will set for the assignment and the specific field you will choose.

2. If you have any questions (today or in the future) about the assignment, go to the Questions about Project 5 topic in the forum and add them. You can skim through this topic for answers as well.

Discussing Technical Description, Definition, and Instructions

Nearly everything you need to know to complete Project 5 is included in chapter 14, so I urge you to read the textbook thoroughly and follow the advice that it offers. To help you navigate the chapter, let me provide a few tips:

• The extended definition that you are writing should provide someone who knows nothing about your field with a clear understanding of what your job will involve. Pay particular attention to the strategies on pages 362–66, which demonstrate different ways you can organize your definition.

• Instructions follow very specific formats, with numbered steps and imperative verbs (commands). Pay particular attention to the information on page 377 about open, airy design. Also notice the details on adding appropriate warnings and the use of signal words. Finally, follow the guidelines for “Drafting steps in Instructions,” on pages 382–383.

• A glossary usually uses sentence definitions, so pay attention to the information on pages 361–362 if you decide to complete that document. Remember that a glossary should be alphabetized and that the layout should make the defined terms stand out. Someone should be able to look at your glossary and know immediately what it is by the design and layout. There’s an excerpt of a glossary on page 330.

The information in the textbook is very important to your success for the project. Rather than asking you to respond to discussion questions today, I am asking that you read the chapter closely, looking for details that will help you with your project. As you read if you have any questions, please post them in the forums.

On Thursday, I will share some tips on finding and using graphics and provide some examples documents. I want you to be ready to tell me what your plan is for Project 5—in particular, I want to know what you will focus your instructions on, if you choose to write them, so that I can make sure you have chosen something that fits the length expectations.