Class Notes

Overview of Project 1: Bio Statement

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This is the post for the August 28, 2014 class meeting.

Thanks to everyone who has logged into the forums. If you have not yet added a reply to the “Syllabus Verification Thread,” please do so immediately to confirm that you are enrolled in the course.

Class Work for August 28

These are the goals for today’s work:

  • Go over the assignment for Project 1.
  • Read some resources for Project 1 and discuss them in the forum.

Getting Started on Project 1

I have tried to design the assignments for this course that will have some real-world use for you, if not now, at some point in the future. You can find an overview of all the projects by clicking on the Assignments link at the top of the page.

The first assignment is to work on Professional Biography Statements. At some point in your career, you will almost certainly have to write this kind of self-introduction. It might be as part of a conference proposal, a scholarship application, or for a company newsletter where you are interning. This kind of biography statement can also become part of your job application, so you may reuse some of what you write when you work on your job application materials in Project 4.

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 audience you will choose. You don’t have to commit to anything yet, but start thinking about it.

  2. If you have any questions (today or in the future) about the assignment, go to the Questions about Project 1 topic in the forum and add them. You can skim through this topic for answers as well.

Discussing Readings for Project 1

The textbook doesn’t include much information on biography statements, so I have gathered a collection of websites (in no particular order) that offer advice to help you as you work on this assignment:

Here’s what I want you to do:

  1. Read through several of the resources. Most of them are short, and you should be able to skim through them quickly. Pay attention to the advice you see them repeating and anything that catches your eye (whether it’s good or bad).

  2. Go to the Readings for Project 1 topic in the forums and post your response to the articles. You will find some questions to help you get started in the forums. Aim to post two replies to the topic. I hope to get some good discussion of the advice in these columns, and I hope that you will interact with each other in writing just as you might talk if we were meeting in a classroom on campus.