Announcement

Quiz Grace Period Ends Sunday 11:55 PM

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Clock Set to MidnightHi everyone,
I changed the settings for the week's quizzes so that you have until Sunday, 07/12/2015 11:55 PM to take them, if you have not done so already.

Usually the grace period gives you until Saturday night, but I messed up the settings in Scholar and accidentally locked everyone out last night. Scholar can be a pain unfortunately.

I will be on the road today, heading back to Blacksburg. If anything else goes wrong in Scholar, send me an email and I will fix it when I get back to the computer this evening,

Hope you're all having some fun this weekend,
Traci


 
Last updated on Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Class Notes

Readers and Ethics

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This is the post for Friday, July 10, 2015.

Tablet, showing a text on screen (indicating a reading)Readings for July 10

For today’s session, please read the following:

Work for July 10

Please complete these tasks:

  • Hand-drawn open book iconGo to Tests & Quizzes in Scholar, and complete the remaining quizzes for this week´s readings. You should take the quizzes on Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 by 11:55 PM on tonight (Friday, July 10). If you need an extension, use the grace period, and complete your quizzes by 11:55 PM tomorrow (Saturday, July 11). See additional policies for quizzes on the course logistics page.

  • Remember to pitch your plan for Project 1 by 11:55 PM Friday. I will check your short proposal to make sure you are on the right track for the assignment.

  • Continue working on the drafts for your bio statement. For Monday, you will post your draft in your topic in the forums, and give peer review feedback to two other students. Project 1 is due on Tuesday, July 14. The grace period ends on Thursday, July 16.

  • Question Mark IconIf you have any questions about the assignment, post them in the Questions about Project 1 topic in the forum.

  • When I’ll reply to any questions: I am at West Virginia University this week, at a digital publishing and accessibility seminar. I am in sessions during the day. Look for replies after 9 PM Eastern today.


 
Last updated on Thursday, July 9, 2015

Class Notes

Audience and Purpose

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This is the post for Thursday, July 9, 2015.

Readings for July 9

Tablet, showing a text on screen (indicating a reading)For today’s session, please read the following:

Work for July 9

Hand-drawn open book iconPlease complete these tasks:

  • Go to Tests & Quizzes in Scholar, and complete the reading quizzes on Markel, Chapter 1: “Introduction to Technical Writing” and Chapter 6: “Analyzing Your Audience & Purpose” by 11:55 PM on Friday, July 10. See the policies for quizzes on the course logistics page.

  • Conversation bubbles, as from a comic strip (indicating forum activities)Discuss the example bio statements in the Analyzing Example Bio Statements topic in the forums.

  • Follow these instructions to pitch your plan for Project 1 by 11:55 PM Friday. I will check your short proposal to make sure you are on the right track for the assignment.

  • Begin working on the drafts for your bio statement. For Monday, you will post your draft in your topic in the forums, and give peer review feedback to two other students. Project 1 is due on Tuesday, July 14. The grace period ends on Thursday, July 16.

  • Question Mark IconIf 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. Remember that the protocol for this course is to check the forums and then ask your question there if you don’t find an answer.

  • When I’ll reply to any questions: I am at West Virginia University this week, at a digital publishing and accessibility seminar. I am in sessions during the day. Look for replies after 9 PM Eastern.


 
Last updated on Sunday, July 5, 2015

Class Notes

Overview of Project 1: Bio Statements

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This is the post for the Wednesday, July 8, 2015 class meeting.

Hand-drawn Profile with person's image and identifying textReadings for July 8

For today’s session, please read the following:

Work for July 8

Today, we begin work on the first major project in the course. Please complete these tasks:

  • Conversation bubbles, as from a comic strip (indicating forum activities)If you have not registered on the forums, follow the instructions in the 7/7 post to do so by 11:55 PM today. I will turn off open forum registration at midnight to lock out the spammers. Forum posts are part of your participation grade for the course.

  • Discuss the advice on writing bio statements in the Readings for Project 1 topic in the forums.

  • Begin making plans for your first project. You will post some preliminary details on your audience and purpose tomorrow.

  • Question Mark Icon

    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.

  • When I’ll reply to any questions: I am at West Virginia University this week, at a digital publishing and accessibility seminar. I am in sessions during the day. Look for replies after 9 PM Eastern.


 
Last updated on Sunday, July 5, 2015

Class Notes

Intro to Technical Writing

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This is the post for Tuesday, July 7, 2015.

This site is the official home for our Summer II 2015 course (CRNs #71608). Information on all assignments, daily activities, and related resources will be posted here. Check this site every week day for the details on what to do for the course.

Readings for Tuesday, July 7

For today’s session, please read the following:

Work for Tuesday, July 7

Today is about making sure you understand the course policies and getting set up. If you have technical difficulty with today’s class work, send me an email to tengrrl at vt.edu and let me know what you need help with.

Please complete these tasks:

  • Hand-drawn map with location pointerFill out the online survey to tell me a bit about yourself. I especially need to know where you are in the world to make sure that I take timezones into account as I set up things for the course. Last summer, I had students everywhere from Virginia to Alaska. Most students were also doing internships while taking the course.

  • Complete the following on the forums:
    1. Conversation bubbles, as from a comic strip (indicating forum activities)Register on the forums.
    2. Please choose a professional, classroom-appropriate username.
      • This is a public site, so realize that the name you choose will be publicly available.
      • If you do not want to use your real name on a public forum (for instance, because you are in the witness protection program), use a pseudonym, and email me to tell me that pseudonym and your real name.
    3. Add a reply to the “Syllabus Verification Thread” that confirms you have read the syllabus. Your post will serve as confirmation that you are enrolled in the course. If you do not reply with confirmation, you will be dropped from the class.
    4. If you have any questions about the syllabus, course policies, or anything related to the class, create a new topic on the Syllabus, Policies, & the Schedule board and ask your question.

    If you have questions
    Question Mark IconAlways post any questions you have about the course in the forums so that everyone in the class can benefit from the answers.

    The protocol for this course is always to read the forums first to see if someone else has asked the question, and then ask in the forums if no one has. If you have a question about your grade or another private matter, you can email me.

  • Google Drive Icon

    Get familiar with your Google Drive account, which is connected to your vt.edu email address. (If you have forgotten your password for your VT Google Apps account, follow these instructions.) If you have never used Google Drive before, you can learn more by watching relevant portions of Google Drive Essential Training with Jess Stratton. (Login required; lynda.com resources are free to VT students.)

  • Hand-drawn open book icon

    Go to Tests & Quizzes in Scholar, and complete the reading quiz on Chapter 3 of Markel by 11:55 PM on Friday, July 10. See the policies for quizzes on the course logistics page.

  • When I’ll reply to any questions: I am at West Virginia University this week, at a digital publishing and accessibility seminar. I am in sessions during the day. Look for replies after 9 PM Eastern.


 
Last updated on Sunday, July 5, 2015

Class Notes

Welcome to English 3764

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Surprise! People with Stronger Writing Skills Are Better at their Jobs, Get Paid MoreWelcome to the Summer II 2015 session of Technical Writing. The course begins on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, and you need to have the book and be ready to begin work that day.

To prepare for the course, please do these things:

1. Buy the book immediately. If you want the physical copy, you need to order it immediately so that you have it when the course starts. The ebook version is fine, and you will have it faster obviously.

2. Go ahead and check out the syllabus and the pages on course logistics and the course assignments, if you like. The post for the first day of class will be live next week.

[Image: Detail from Why Good Writing Is Needed for Better Jobs]


 
Last updated on Wednesday, July 1, 2015