Tentative Syllabus ENGL202 Business Writing
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LEE TORDA 310 Tillinghast Hall Bridgewater State University 508.531.2436 [email protected] www.leetorda.com |
Spring 2018 Office Hours:
M 2:00-3:00 W 11:00-12:00 and by appointment. Need to make an appointment? Click here: https://goo.gl/3CqLf |
22 JANUARY 2018
First Day of Class. IN-CLASS: What is Professional Writing?
29 JANUARY 2018
READ: Chapters 1 in Markel available here, read both the information on resumes and read the material on the two embedded links on this page entitled "Establishing Your Professional Self: Resume Writing." Read this, the most useful page on how to compose your resume. Read these articles (they are short) on good things to do in resume’s and cover letters: here, here, and here, IN-CLASS: Explanation of Top Five Documents. Work in-class on writing a practice Top Five document. Also, in-class exercise included in tonight's reading on resume writing identified above entitled "creating your list." Overview of Resume/coverletter assignment. Bring a laptop or tablet you can type on to class to work on resumes right then and there. If you DO have a resume, please bring that document with you to class IN HARD COPY.
5 FEBRUARY 2018
READ: Chapter 2 and 15 in Markel available here. Read also about Digital footprints available here and here. In preparation for workshopping your resume, read this. DUE: Top Five Document. One top five document for ALL of the reading, not one top five for EACH of the readings. Need a sample? Check one out here. DUE, also, Draft of Resume and Cover Letter for workshopping. Overview of Workshop Philosophy. First Workshop on resume and cover letter. IN-CLASS: Bring one copy of resume and cover letter (with job description) to class for workshopping IN HARD COPY. In-Class exercise (called google-me) that you’ll need your laptop/tablet to do. Also, introduction to Writing Minor campaign. Please read the assignment information for the Writing Minor campaign. on this class website.
12 FEBRUARY 2018
READ: The following articles on Audience Analysis here, here, and here. DUE: Top Five Document on the reading for this week—one top five document for ALL of the reading, not one top five for EACH of the readings; need a sample? Check one out here. DUE ALSO, Your resume and cover letter to turn in to me. Please remember to bring your workshop drafts to turn in at this time IN-CLASS: Bring your laptop to class to complete this audience analysis worksheet—one per group. Time in class to work on your Writing Minor campaign. with small groups/partners.
21 FEBRUARY 2018 (please note, this is a WEDNESDAY meeting for our class. Monday classes—19 February 2018—are canceled due to the President’s Day holiday. Please plan accordingly, even though it’s a pain in the rear)
READ: About style in professional writing here, about generally good writing in professional settings here, about making the “sale” in writing here. And watch this video about design here. DUE: Top Five Document for all the readings/video. Need a sample? Check one out here. Time in class to work on your Writing Minor campaign. with small groups/partners. NOTE: This is the last class you’ll have to work together face-to-face.
26 FEBRRUARY 2018
READ: about usability here, and this article about visual design here. DUE: Top Five Document—one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. IN-CLASS: Overview of personal website assignment. Getting on to Weebly. This works best if you bring your laptop to class. Weebly does not work well with ipads. Overview of Midterm Portfolio. Please come to class having read the assignment information located on this class website for both the personal website and the Midterm Portfolio.
NOTE: Due to the low turnout for the 21 February 2018 class, you will have substantial time in your group to work on your Writing Minor campaign with small groups/partners. NOTE: This is the ONLY class you’ll have to work together face-to-face. This will mean less time to talk about and work on the personal website and most of the work on websites will need to be done on your own over break.
5 MARCH 2018 NO CLASS. SPRING BREAK.
12 MARCH 2018
READ: Read about good website design here, and check out this collection of terrible websites here. DUE: Top Five Document —one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. Draft of Writing Minor campaign for workshopping. We’ll have a pitch workshop in class so it is important that you have material ready to present to the rest of the class. You will have minimal time in class to be ready for the workshop—not time to prepare something there and then. Plan accordingly. IN-CLASS: Due to the low turn out for the 21 February 2018 class, two things will have to happen upon our return from Spring Break. 1) We will have the pitch workshop that we were supposed to have on the 26th; 2) we will have a help session for your personal websites. This will be the only time that you'll have to get feedback on both the personal website assignment and the writing minor campaign document before the midterm portfolio is due--and that's not negotiable because it will be two weeks past spring break that you are turning it in.
19 MARCH 2018
DUE: Midterm Portfolio. Come to class with your laptop. You’ll have the last hour of class to write your midterm portfolio cover letter. READ: About writing proposals here. Some tips on how to write good grants here. Read about just plain old good writing here and here DUE: Top Five Document —one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. IN-CLASS: Overview of Grant Writing Assignment. Please come to class having read the assignment information located on this class website. This will be a working class. Be ready to write--either on a computer or longhand. Be ready to share your material with your classmates. By the end of class, you should have a working draft of your grant. And, again, come to class with your laptop. You’ll have the last hour of class to write your midterm portfolio cover letter.
26 MARCH 2018
READ: Read this article on pecha kucha and this article on really bad PowerPoint. Also, explanation of pecha kucha assignment. Please come to class having read the material for this assignment. DUE: Top Five Document —one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. Check out at least three pecha kucha. from this site. Pick whichever ones you want. Be ready to talk about them in class. DUE: Draft of Grant For Workshopping.
2 APRIL 2018
READ: Read these articles on good arguments here, here, and here. DUE: Top Five Document —as usual, one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. DUE, ALSO: Your Grant, please include your workshop draft with the final product. IN-CLASS: pecha kucha. draft for workshopping (this will be a whole class workshop, which means everyone will be workshopped and everyone will be responsible for commenting on everyone’s draft using this google doc.
9 APRIL 2018
READ: More about good arguments and their components here, here, here, and here. DUE: Top Five Document; need a sample? Check one out here. IN-CLASS: Meeting with our Client. Discussion of Final Project, please come to class having read that assignment. You will have time in class to begin planning your final project.
16 APRIL 2018 CLASS CANCELED DUE TO PATRIOT’S DAY HOLIDAY
23 APRIL 2018
READ: Stuff on different ways to get your point across to audiences: here, here, DUE: Top Five Document; need a sample? Check one out here. DUE ALSO, For presentation in class, your pecha kucha. IN CLASS: Time to work on your Final Project. Check in with each other about ideas. Discussion of Final Portfolio. Please have read information about the final portfolio on this class website. Overview of how the last night of class (7 May 2018) will go.
30 APRIL 2018
READ: These articles on great ad campaigns here, here, and here. DUE: LAST Top Five Document; need a sample? Check one out here. For this last Top Five, it’s more an analysis of these collections of “Best of” ads and marketing campaigns than it is a report of valuable information. Your task is to identify, Top Five format still, important takeaways from looking at successful campaigns. IN-CLASS: Time for questions about last class, what to expect from client dinner, dinner questions in general, Final Portfolio questions, etc.
7 MAY 2018
FINAL EXAM PERIOD. Dinner. Final Presentations to Clients. DUE: Final Portfolio due by the end of class. You will have time in class to write your final portfolio cover letter (about an hour).
First Day of Class. IN-CLASS: What is Professional Writing?
29 JANUARY 2018
READ: Chapters 1 in Markel available here, read both the information on resumes and read the material on the two embedded links on this page entitled "Establishing Your Professional Self: Resume Writing." Read this, the most useful page on how to compose your resume. Read these articles (they are short) on good things to do in resume’s and cover letters: here, here, and here, IN-CLASS: Explanation of Top Five Documents. Work in-class on writing a practice Top Five document. Also, in-class exercise included in tonight's reading on resume writing identified above entitled "creating your list." Overview of Resume/coverletter assignment. Bring a laptop or tablet you can type on to class to work on resumes right then and there. If you DO have a resume, please bring that document with you to class IN HARD COPY.
5 FEBRUARY 2018
READ: Chapter 2 and 15 in Markel available here. Read also about Digital footprints available here and here. In preparation for workshopping your resume, read this. DUE: Top Five Document. One top five document for ALL of the reading, not one top five for EACH of the readings. Need a sample? Check one out here. DUE, also, Draft of Resume and Cover Letter for workshopping. Overview of Workshop Philosophy. First Workshop on resume and cover letter. IN-CLASS: Bring one copy of resume and cover letter (with job description) to class for workshopping IN HARD COPY. In-Class exercise (called google-me) that you’ll need your laptop/tablet to do. Also, introduction to Writing Minor campaign. Please read the assignment information for the Writing Minor campaign. on this class website.
12 FEBRUARY 2018
READ: The following articles on Audience Analysis here, here, and here. DUE: Top Five Document on the reading for this week—one top five document for ALL of the reading, not one top five for EACH of the readings; need a sample? Check one out here. DUE ALSO, Your resume and cover letter to turn in to me. Please remember to bring your workshop drafts to turn in at this time IN-CLASS: Bring your laptop to class to complete this audience analysis worksheet—one per group. Time in class to work on your Writing Minor campaign. with small groups/partners.
21 FEBRUARY 2018 (please note, this is a WEDNESDAY meeting for our class. Monday classes—19 February 2018—are canceled due to the President’s Day holiday. Please plan accordingly, even though it’s a pain in the rear)
READ: About style in professional writing here, about generally good writing in professional settings here, about making the “sale” in writing here. And watch this video about design here. DUE: Top Five Document for all the readings/video. Need a sample? Check one out here. Time in class to work on your Writing Minor campaign. with small groups/partners. NOTE: This is the last class you’ll have to work together face-to-face.
26 FEBRRUARY 2018
READ: about usability here, and this article about visual design here. DUE: Top Five Document—one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. IN-CLASS: Overview of personal website assignment. Getting on to Weebly. This works best if you bring your laptop to class. Weebly does not work well with ipads. Overview of Midterm Portfolio. Please come to class having read the assignment information located on this class website for both the personal website and the Midterm Portfolio.
NOTE: Due to the low turnout for the 21 February 2018 class, you will have substantial time in your group to work on your Writing Minor campaign with small groups/partners. NOTE: This is the ONLY class you’ll have to work together face-to-face. This will mean less time to talk about and work on the personal website and most of the work on websites will need to be done on your own over break.
5 MARCH 2018 NO CLASS. SPRING BREAK.
12 MARCH 2018
READ: Read about good website design here, and check out this collection of terrible websites here. DUE: Top Five Document —one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. Draft of Writing Minor campaign for workshopping. We’ll have a pitch workshop in class so it is important that you have material ready to present to the rest of the class. You will have minimal time in class to be ready for the workshop—not time to prepare something there and then. Plan accordingly. IN-CLASS: Due to the low turn out for the 21 February 2018 class, two things will have to happen upon our return from Spring Break. 1) We will have the pitch workshop that we were supposed to have on the 26th; 2) we will have a help session for your personal websites. This will be the only time that you'll have to get feedback on both the personal website assignment and the writing minor campaign document before the midterm portfolio is due--and that's not negotiable because it will be two weeks past spring break that you are turning it in.
19 MARCH 2018
DUE: Midterm Portfolio. Come to class with your laptop. You’ll have the last hour of class to write your midterm portfolio cover letter. READ: About writing proposals here. Some tips on how to write good grants here. Read about just plain old good writing here and here DUE: Top Five Document —one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. IN-CLASS: Overview of Grant Writing Assignment. Please come to class having read the assignment information located on this class website. This will be a working class. Be ready to write--either on a computer or longhand. Be ready to share your material with your classmates. By the end of class, you should have a working draft of your grant. And, again, come to class with your laptop. You’ll have the last hour of class to write your midterm portfolio cover letter.
26 MARCH 2018
READ: Read this article on pecha kucha and this article on really bad PowerPoint. Also, explanation of pecha kucha assignment. Please come to class having read the material for this assignment. DUE: Top Five Document —one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. Check out at least three pecha kucha. from this site. Pick whichever ones you want. Be ready to talk about them in class. DUE: Draft of Grant For Workshopping.
2 APRIL 2018
READ: Read these articles on good arguments here, here, and here. DUE: Top Five Document —as usual, one document for all of the reading; need a sample? Check one out here. DUE, ALSO: Your Grant, please include your workshop draft with the final product. IN-CLASS: pecha kucha. draft for workshopping (this will be a whole class workshop, which means everyone will be workshopped and everyone will be responsible for commenting on everyone’s draft using this google doc.
9 APRIL 2018
READ: More about good arguments and their components here, here, here, and here. DUE: Top Five Document; need a sample? Check one out here. IN-CLASS: Meeting with our Client. Discussion of Final Project, please come to class having read that assignment. You will have time in class to begin planning your final project.
16 APRIL 2018 CLASS CANCELED DUE TO PATRIOT’S DAY HOLIDAY
23 APRIL 2018
READ: Stuff on different ways to get your point across to audiences: here, here, DUE: Top Five Document; need a sample? Check one out here. DUE ALSO, For presentation in class, your pecha kucha. IN CLASS: Time to work on your Final Project. Check in with each other about ideas. Discussion of Final Portfolio. Please have read information about the final portfolio on this class website. Overview of how the last night of class (7 May 2018) will go.
30 APRIL 2018
READ: These articles on great ad campaigns here, here, and here. DUE: LAST Top Five Document; need a sample? Check one out here. For this last Top Five, it’s more an analysis of these collections of “Best of” ads and marketing campaigns than it is a report of valuable information. Your task is to identify, Top Five format still, important takeaways from looking at successful campaigns. IN-CLASS: Time for questions about last class, what to expect from client dinner, dinner questions in general, Final Portfolio questions, etc.
7 MAY 2018
FINAL EXAM PERIOD. Dinner. Final Presentations to Clients. DUE: Final Portfolio due by the end of class. You will have time in class to write your final portfolio cover letter (about an hour).