portfolios ENGL202 Business Writing
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LEE TORDA 310 Tillinghast Hall Bridgewater State University 508.531.2436 [email protected] www.leetorda.com |
Fall 2017 Office Hours:
T/R 11:00-12:00 M 12:30-1:30 and by appointment. Need to make an appointment? Click here: https://goo.gl/3CqLf |
Overview: Portfolios work in different ways in different classes. Sometimes they are used to simply collect the work that a student has done over a period of time. Sometimes they are used to mark progress via revision. And sometimes they are used as a way to assess student work—not simply his writing work but his effort and progress in class.
The portfolios you will turn in will do a little bit of all three of those things. This is a chance for you to collect/reflect on your work, to think about what you’ve done well and what you still need to learn. I’ll ask you to write about this in a reflection letter that you include with the portfolios. Another way you will showcase your progress is through revision. You will revise some of your work from this summer. You’ll write about this in your reflection letter as well.
In this course, in particular, a portfolio is a very appropriate form of assessment and evaluation. Most professional writers have some form of a portfolio that they can show to prospective employers. It showcases their best work. It shows the depth and breadth of their experience as a writer in professional settings. It's sort of like the most important writing sample of your life. Also, in the professional world, people don't get grades for their work. They have yearly reviews of all of their collective work. The portfolio and evaluation system in this class models that practice as well.
Finally, I will use the portfolios as a way of assessing your effort, progress as a writer and as a student, and the quality of your written work. I will assess the portfolios and include a lengthy letter to you when I return them. That letter will detail your entire career in this class up to that point. It will give you feedback on the quality of the portfolio itself, and I will give you a letter grade that marks your progress in a way that is valued by the college.
Details for the Midterm Portfolio
Your midterm portfolio is a collection of your work so far. It is a place for me to give you feedback on the work you've done in the class to date, including what you still have to work on as a writer and student. In order to earn a "B" grade for your portfolio, you need to include the following in your midterm portfolio:
Midterm Portfolio Reflection Letter: In addition to these materials (which you should assemble and have ready to turn in by the time class starts) you will write a two-page, double-spaced, typed cover letter IN-CLASS. See the syllabus for dates. You should bring your lap top to class so you can complete the reflection. You can email me the reflection cover letter at the end of class or as soon as you have a good signal. I will give you a manila envelope at the start of the class that the portfolio is due for you to put all your stuff in--no need for any fancy folders or binding. It's inconvenient for me to have to lug the fanciness around.
Your cover letter/reflection should be written to this question: What has challenged you about writing as a pseudo-professional (rather than a student)? What has been interesting to you? As you answer these questions, please refer to the documents you are including in this check in portfolio to use as evidence of what you say.
Other Things you should know about how I will evaluate your portfolio:
*The above describes what you must do for "B" grade
*If any of these materials are not included, you can only earn a C for your portfolio.
*Failure to turn in either 3 or 4 will mean you've failed the portfolio.
*An A portfolio is the result of doing everything required for a B; thoughtful and substantial revision on the major projects that reflects the feedback you got from me and/or your classmates; your effort to be thoughtful about what you've learned in your portfolio cover letter; and, finally, your effort to write about that revision in your portfolio cover letter.
Final Portfolio & Cover Letter
The final portfolio, like the midterm portfolio, is part reflective but it is also a showcase. Your final portfolio is worth 10% of your total grade; in order to earn a "B" grade you must include the following in your portfolio:
Other Things you should know about how I will evaluate your portfolio:
*The above describes what you must do for "B" grade
*If any of these materials are not included, you can only earn a C for your portfolio.
*Failure to turn in either 3 or 4 will mean you've failed the portfolio.
*An A portfolio is the result of doing everything required for a B; thoughtful and substantial revision on the major projects that reflects the feedback you got from me and/or your classmates; your effort to be thoughtful about what you've learned in your portfolio cover letter; and, finally, your effort to write about that revision in your portfolio cover letter.
The portfolios you will turn in will do a little bit of all three of those things. This is a chance for you to collect/reflect on your work, to think about what you’ve done well and what you still need to learn. I’ll ask you to write about this in a reflection letter that you include with the portfolios. Another way you will showcase your progress is through revision. You will revise some of your work from this summer. You’ll write about this in your reflection letter as well.
In this course, in particular, a portfolio is a very appropriate form of assessment and evaluation. Most professional writers have some form of a portfolio that they can show to prospective employers. It showcases their best work. It shows the depth and breadth of their experience as a writer in professional settings. It's sort of like the most important writing sample of your life. Also, in the professional world, people don't get grades for their work. They have yearly reviews of all of their collective work. The portfolio and evaluation system in this class models that practice as well.
Finally, I will use the portfolios as a way of assessing your effort, progress as a writer and as a student, and the quality of your written work. I will assess the portfolios and include a lengthy letter to you when I return them. That letter will detail your entire career in this class up to that point. It will give you feedback on the quality of the portfolio itself, and I will give you a letter grade that marks your progress in a way that is valued by the college.
Details for the Midterm Portfolio
Your midterm portfolio is a collection of your work so far. It is a place for me to give you feedback on the work you've done in the class to date, including what you still have to work on as a writer and student. In order to earn a "B" grade for your portfolio, you need to include the following in your midterm portfolio:
- Select two to three of your Top Five Documents that represent parts of class/reading/discussion where you really feel like you learned something and/or rethought something you thought you knew. Alternately, you can select a Top Five where you feel like, if you had to do it over again, now that you know more, you'd stress a different top five. You do not need to revise them. Include with these selections a half page, typed, single-spaced discussion of why you picked these documents. Only write one half page document for all of the Top Fives you select NOT one for each.
- Your revised resume and cover letter. Include the draft you turned in to me as well as your revisions.
- Your completed New Minor Campaign. Remember: I need only one promotional document for each group. I need one two-page, double spaced reflection letter from each group member. Include that reflection letter in this portfolio. Include the workshopped draft of the material along with the finished product (one group member can include the materials in his or her portfolio).
- Your completed Personal Webpage. Include in your portfolio a half-page, single-spaced reflection that identifies the design decisions you ultimately made and why you think it's the best for users of your site.
Midterm Portfolio Reflection Letter: In addition to these materials (which you should assemble and have ready to turn in by the time class starts) you will write a two-page, double-spaced, typed cover letter IN-CLASS. See the syllabus for dates. You should bring your lap top to class so you can complete the reflection. You can email me the reflection cover letter at the end of class or as soon as you have a good signal. I will give you a manila envelope at the start of the class that the portfolio is due for you to put all your stuff in--no need for any fancy folders or binding. It's inconvenient for me to have to lug the fanciness around.
Your cover letter/reflection should be written to this question: What has challenged you about writing as a pseudo-professional (rather than a student)? What has been interesting to you? As you answer these questions, please refer to the documents you are including in this check in portfolio to use as evidence of what you say.
Other Things you should know about how I will evaluate your portfolio:
*The above describes what you must do for "B" grade
*If any of these materials are not included, you can only earn a C for your portfolio.
*Failure to turn in either 3 or 4 will mean you've failed the portfolio.
*An A portfolio is the result of doing everything required for a B; thoughtful and substantial revision on the major projects that reflects the feedback you got from me and/or your classmates; your effort to be thoughtful about what you've learned in your portfolio cover letter; and, finally, your effort to write about that revision in your portfolio cover letter.
Final Portfolio & Cover Letter
The final portfolio, like the midterm portfolio, is part reflective but it is also a showcase. Your final portfolio is worth 10% of your total grade; in order to earn a "B" grade you must include the following in your portfolio:
- Your completed Pecha Kucha. Because the technology for the Pecha Kucha is cumbersome, you do not need to revise your final product, but you should include a 1/2 page, single-spaced, typed reflection about what you would change if you were to revise. Of course, actual revised Pecha Kucha's are also welcome.
- Your revised Grant proposal. Please include the draft that I commented on in one of your portfolios. You can revise as a group or you can revise as an individual. Let me know which way you decide to go, though, someplace in the portfolio. In this revision, I am looking for your care with language--with sentences, word choice, punctuation.
- Your Completed Final Project materials and reflection letter. For complete details, see the Final Project page on this website. Include at least one copy of the final project materials from your group, as well as your individual two-page reflection on the relative success of the document. Include, as well, the extra credit recommendation report if you chose to include it. If you do, indicate if you are turning in the report for the group or for you as an individual.
- Your Final Portfolio Cover letter: The Ultimate Top Five. All semester long you've been writing top-five documents about individual chapters. For the final portfolio, please write your ultimate Top Five--and only Top Five. Follow all of the rules for the day-to-day Top Fives in terms of format and design. For the content: cull what, in the end, seemed like the most important things you learned over the course of our five weeks that you wrote about in your Top Fives. Please reference the top five document or documents where you first identified a particular point as you write. Is there a Top Five you wish you had written before but didn't know enough to write until now? Well, here is your chance. Write about why you see something as important now in a way that you didn't when you first encountered it. Remember: follow the format rules that you have been using all semester long.
Other Things you should know about how I will evaluate your portfolio:
*The above describes what you must do for "B" grade
*If any of these materials are not included, you can only earn a C for your portfolio.
*Failure to turn in either 3 or 4 will mean you've failed the portfolio.
*An A portfolio is the result of doing everything required for a B; thoughtful and substantial revision on the major projects that reflects the feedback you got from me and/or your classmates; your effort to be thoughtful about what you've learned in your portfolio cover letter; and, finally, your effort to write about that revision in your portfolio cover letter.