English 306 -- Tentative Course Schedule

Aug 29	Introduction to course and course policies.
31	Intro to professional writing: purpose, audience and writing strategies. Due: Diagnostic Essay: Your freshman survival tips (1-1/2 pages)
Sept 5	Read "Five Steps to Successful Writing" in HTW (xv – xxii) and "You-attitude."  See also this email. Would it be successful? Due: A piece of junk mail. Due: Find a story in the news about writing, communication, or a change in your profession. We’ll format a memo (html sample and one in MS Word format) and summarize the piece for two different audiences in class.  (Imagine two that would have a need for the information.  One, say, a specialist in your field, and one a friend or a general audience). Also, check out this website on memo writing and read HTW 343-345 and 105-114, 546-549.
7	Intro to career correspondence (Read 297-306, 484-502, 36-41).  Due:  two memos with two different summaries.  Staple them together and attach your article. Remember to initialize your memo, use title case for subject line, left justify, and use at least one level of heading.
12	Interview(s)  of what kind of writing is performed in your field (HTW 280-282).  See this sample. Career Correspondence. Read the online resume tutorial. See this resume sample and this one (especially for teachers) and another and one more. And, some advice on follow-up letters and a follow-up sample and another. Some online resources: Resume Social (post a resume and get feedback), Visual CV, and using social media in the job search. Also, action words to describe your skills.
14	Tips for cover letters. Also, good advice from The New York Times. For those interested in graduate school, see the personal statement and this sample and this one.  Here's one more from a COSD major. Also, some tips for organizing the personal statement.
19	Resume and cover letter workshop. Print out two copies of each and bring to class and get two sets of feedback.
21	Reports and Proposals (HTW 474, 471-472, 196-218, 428-448). Read the RFP and the sample internal/research/problem solving proposal and this sales proposal. Also, see the report and proposal superstructure. We'll plan for the proposal in class.  Due: Resume Set Draft (here's a sample designer's memo and another)
26	Review of Grammar, Usage and Mechanics. Come to class with your "Achilles heal" to teach us. Use HTW a dictionary or an online service such as this Guide to Grammar and Writing or the Purdue Online Writing Center.  See also Dear John letter and Actual Writing from Church Bulletins and Insurance Claims.
28	Style Workshop: Clarity and Concision. Read 530-534, 512-516 in HTW. Eight Principles of Effective Writing.
Oct 3	Instructions (HTW 266-270). See also brochures, 55-58. See this sample set of instructions on felling a tree and this process explanation on how acid rain is produced. Also, “Love: The Right Chemistry.” Due: Draft of Proposal.  Here is another sample proposal.
5	Descriptions and Definitions (HTW 122-126). Sign up for groups. Page Layout and Visual Aids (HTW 310-316, 568-572). Quiz on reading.
10	Work on instructions. See also the Michigan Law Abuse Watch's "Wacky Warning Labels." Creating Tri-Fold Brochure in MS Word and theme-related brochure. Sample brochure, NRV Disability Resource Center.
12	Collaboration (HTW 75-77). Organization (HTW 379, 348-349). Form Groups. Collaboration Styles brochure. What style are you?
17	Revising and Evaluating:  Usability Testing (567-569). Bring draft of instructions.  Use this usability testing sheet. Due: Revised Proposal.
19	Research (452-457, 473-479). Overview of the report and report structure (report checklist. Document Supplements (front and end matter). Read Read HTW 198-220. Also, see this report on Workplace Readiness. Due: Instructions.
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26	Due: Agreement to Form Group. Sample Team Contract.
Oct 31	Workplace Technology (592-594, 164-169). Find a website in your field to evaluate in terms of its reliability, accuracy, organization and design, and overall ease of use. Or, teach me about twitter. Bad email samples and The Six Stages of Email. Doctors and smartphones, NPR and the latest in technology. NPR on Unsubscribe: How to Change Email Habits. And advice on to students on how to email.
Nov 2	Writing Day - Van Noy out.
7	Work on web pages. Progress Reports, 422-425
9	Ethics in writing (HTW 180-182). STC Code of Ethics. Grant Professional Code of Ethics. Ten Steps to Longer Sentences. PPT version. Due: Results of Interview and "Analysis of Writing Practices in My Field. See this sample.
14	Outlining the formatting the report using templates/styles.
16	Teamwork and pep talk. Checklist and survival guide to the end of the semester.  Along with your progress report, provide evidence of your progress, such as a survey, interview questionnaire, or request for information Due: Progress Report
21-23	Thanksgiving Break
28	Presentations (412-421). Job interviews (282-287).
30	Exam Review. Due: Project Outline (unless checked off in computer room)
Dec 5	Due: Web Resources Page (D2L). Instructions for creating one.
7	Oral briefings. Groups give 5-7 minute summary of their project and major recommendations. Use at least one visual, See this sample. Due: Final Report. Load your self-evaluation in D2L.
Exam	Essay: Please explain, in several well-written paragraphs, how one’s audience affects the production of technical and professional documents. You should rely on examples from this course’s proceedings—from proposals to presentations, resumes to cover letters, instructions to reports, e-mail to web pages. In your answer, you should consider the variables surrounding the text itself: design, layout, visual, tone, diction, etc. Provide at least three specific writing situations where you had to conduct some audience analysis. In a nutshell: How do we create reader-friendly documents? If you wish, here are a few samples: sample 1, sample 2, sample 3.