This is the post for Friday, January 13, 2017.

Notes for Today

• Last Class Post: Today is the last day of class. I will post again when I have everything graded. Course grades are due by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, January 17.

Readings for Today

• Participation Assignment
• Completion Report Assignment
• Participation Log Assignment

Work for Today

• If you have taken advantage of the grace period, complete all of the chapter quizzes for the textbook by 11:59 PM tonight, Friday, January 13.

• Finish work on your final exam, the Completion Report, and submit your work by 11:59 PM on Saturday, January 14, following the submission instructions. There is no grace period for the final exam.

This is the post for Thursday, January 12, 2017.

Notes for Today

• Grace Period Reminders: You can use the grace period for your Genre Analysis Report and the chapter quizzes. However there is no grace period for the final exam (the completion report). Your final must be submitted by 11:59 PM on exam day (January 14).

Readings for Today

• Participation Assignment
• Completion Report Assignment
• Participation Log Assignment

Work for Today

• If you have taken advantage of the grace period, turn in your Genre Analysis Report by 11:59 PM tonight (January 12), following the submission instructions.

• Complete all of the chapter quizzes for the textbook by 11:59 PM tonight, January 12. If you need more time, take advantage of the grace period, which ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, January 13.

• Begin working on the final exam, the Completion Report, by reading the assignment and related documents linked in the Readings for Today. Take time to ensure that your Participation Log is current, and begin looking for your best work to highlight in your report.

This is the post for Wednesday, January 11, 2017.

Notes for Today

• Participation Logs: Continue entering information in your log. You will use the details there as you work on your Completion Report (the final exam). I will post more information on the final tomorrow (Thursday).

Work for Today

• Submit your Genre Analysis Report by 11:59 PM today (January 11), following the submission instructions. If you need more time, you can take advantage of the grace period and turn in your report by 11:59 PM tomorrow (January 12).

• Be sure that you complete all the chapter quizzes for the course. The chapter quizzes for the textbook are all due by 11:59 PM on Thursday, January 12. If you need more time, take advantage of the grace period, which ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, January 13.

This is the post for Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

Notes for Today

• Interviews: The interview for your report doesn’t have to be face-to-face. You can interview someone by email, Skype, or telephone. Whatever works for you!

• Reading Quizzes: The chapter quizzes for the textbook are all due by 11:59 PM on Thursday, January 12. If you need more time, take advantage of the grace period, which ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, January 13.

Readings for Today

• Markel, Chapter 15, “Making Oral Presentations” (the last chapter of the text to read!)

Work for Today

• If you are using the grace period, be sure to upload your Progress Report in Quizzes in Canvas by 11:59 PM tonight (January 10).

• Share a draft of your Genre Analysis Report with your group in Piazza today, and provide feedback to your group members. Use the feedback that you receive today to revise your report so that you can submit it tomorrow (or Thursday if you are using the grace period).

This is the post for Monday, January 9, 2017.

Notes for Today

• Last Week: We’re down to the last week in the course, so there is a lot to finish. Pace yourself to make sure you finish in a timely way.

• Reading Quizzes: The chapter quizzes for the textbook are all due by 11:59 PM on Thursday, January 12. If you need more time, take advantage of the grace period, which ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, January 13.

Readings for Today

• Markel, Chapter 12, “Writing Informational Reports” (for tips on progress reports)
• Example Progress Reports
  • TNG Progress Report
  • Shrek Progress Report
  • Progress of My Research on the Evacuation of the R.M.S. Titanic

Work for Today

• Write a progress report in your word processor that tells me

  • what you have completed for your Genre Analysis Report
  • what work you still have to do for your Genre Analysis Report
  • how you plan to complete the remaining work for your Genre Analysis Report

  Include any questions or concerns you have that may affect your progress. Use headings and design to make your report easy to read and understand. Aim for about 150 to 200 words. Specifically, go beyond simply saying, "I’m on track," to state exactly what is done and what is still on your to-do list. Upload your Progress Report in Quizzes in Canvas.

• Continue work on your Genre Analysis Report, which is due on Wednesday, January 11. Aim to have the basic information you need gathered before the weekend so you can begin concentrating on writing your report.

This is the post for Wednesday, January 4, 2017.

Notes for Today

• Progress on Quizzes: Quizzes for all the chapters in Markel are due on Thursday, January 12. Counting today, you have read ten of the fifteen chapters, or 66% of the chapters. Check that you have been keeping pace by taking the related quizzes.

Readings for Today

• Markel, Chapter 2, “Understanding Ethical and Legal Obligations” (issues to consider as you decide what to cover in your analysis)
• Markel, Chapter 9, “Writing Correspondence” (info on letters vs. memos vs. email)

Work for Today

• Post the draft of your Report Proposal to your writing group in Piazza. Follow the instructions on the peer feedback page to share details on your draft and to give feedback to the members of your group. The final draft of your proposal is due on Thursday. The grace period ends on Friday.

• As you read the chapters for today, think about how they connect. How do ethical and legal obligations influence whether you choose to write correspondence as a letter, a memo, or an email message? Post your thoughts and/or questions in Piazza.

• If you haven’t done so, complete your Participation Mid-Session Assessment today, following the instructions in Step 4 on the Participation Assignment page. You will not submit the self-assessment in Canvas. It is an important step however. Make sure that you are on track for the participation grade that you want to earn.

This is the post for Monday, January 2, 2017.

Notes for Today

• Happy New Year: I’ll keep the work light today since it’s officially a holiday.

• Hard Work Ahead: The next two assignments are connected. The Proposal tells me what you want to focus on for the Genre Analysis Report. The Genre Analysis Report is a longer research and analysis assignment, and it’s worth double.

• Choose Wisely: As you think about what to propose, focus on a kind of writing that you sincerely want to learn more about, something that will help you advance your career. The Analysis Report is your chance to dive into a kind of writing and find out exactly how it works. The best projects are always written by students who choose something they knew nothing about but that really mattered to them.

Readings for Today

• Report Proposal assignment
• Genre Analysis Report assignment
• Markel, Chapter 11, “Writing Proposals” (Look for pointers in the proposal assignment)

Work for Today

• If you took advantage of the grace period, submit your Analysis Project in Canvas by 11:59 PM today, following the submission instructions.

• Post any questions or observations about any of the chapter readings or the assignments in Piazza. Your posts will count as Class Discussion in your Participation Log.

• Get started working on your Report Proposal, which is due on Thursday. Aim to have a draft (including your resume) by the end of day on Tuesday. That schedule will allow you to post your draft for feedback from your Writing Group on Wednesday and then revise and turn in your work on Thursday.

• Want to work ahead? Read Markel, Chapter 10, “Writing Job-Application Materials” for tips on writing your resume, which you will include in your proposal.