Course overview professional writing

Editor's Notes

• #2: Welcome to English 301! I am your online professor, Laura Bivona, and you can read more about my personal background on our blackboard site. I have been teaching for about 8 years now, and I have an MA from UA and a BA from ASU. My work experience extends to both academic and corporate contexts, and both my work and life experiences have taught me the importance of professional writing, so I think this is a really vital course for students to take before they head out into the workplace.
• #3: This presentation will talk about the basics of Professional writing and our course itself.
• #4: So, what exactly is professional writing?
• #5: Professional writing is workplace writing—any writing done in the work environment could qualify You probably noticed that your textbook is called Technical Communication, which can be similarly defined, but also often incorporates writing of technical manuals and instructions (we will not cover that material this semester). Business writing is similar also in content, but is specific to only corporate contexts. In our class we are speaking to all professional workplace environments (including organizations, academic or education-related jobs, etc.—beyond just the business world).
• #6: Modern workplace is largely online now, and we use a variety of media in our work world.
• #7: What “workplace writing” refers to is rapidly changing in our modern world. However, most basic forms of professional communication continue to be relevant today (correspondence, reports, proposals, marketing materials) Ex: Although resumes and cover letters once were exclusively printed documents, now applicants often send them in the form of digital files, attached to an accompanying e-mail to an employer (so they are similar documents, but delivered in a different format)
• #8: Distributing reports in meetings, for example, still happens in some workplaces.
• #9: Now that definition might be expanded to include a variety of online, digital, and multimedia texts, along with printed documents. For instance, correspondence now includes e-mails, which can be formal or informal; (letters or memos are often sent in e-mail format now) Online/Internet documents like Web sites or Social media are used to represent a company/organization’s background, goals, and values, and to connect consumers to their products or services directly (web stores, “About us” biographical information, etc.) Ex: Businesses often have Twitter accounts now to promote their service or product and as a result, they are having to address questions/complaints from consumers directly No one has exactly figured out whether or not online advertising and social media can be profitable over the long term, but most companies use them in some form (no one wants to be left behind). Multimedia: visuals, animations, videos, audio recordings, commercials, etc—since the digital revolution, there has been increasing focus on online media, visuals, and audio/video instead of just written text.
• #10: Meeting their audience’s expectations and the needs of the modern workplace.
• #12: Throughout this course, professional writing will take a variety of forms. Because we have limited time, your work will be targeted on the most important forms of professional communication. You will be specifically practicing how to create effective and useful: Correspondence: E-mails, memos, and letters Job application materials: Resumes and cover letters Professional proposals And do some self-evaluation in the form of a reflection essay.
• #13: Our class is built on a workshopping model. You will build your draft from the planning and prewriting stage through drafts, you will get peer feedback, and then you will revise your work, edit and proofread to make sure the documents you turn in are of professional quality.
• #14: Offer useful replies; talk about what you appreciated, give ideas and suggestions to help them improve as writers/thinkers. Be respectful and kind, but give critical input (“Everything is great!” doesn’t help them revise because they don’t know what isn’t working). Challenge others to think deeply about their work, ideas, formatting, errors, etc.
• #15: As you create and revise your documents, use peer input to help guide your revision Rely on one another’s input to get your work up to professional standards Read others’ work to help you understand the assignment and get ideas for how to use formatting effectively
• #17: Changes will be announced on the announcements page
• #18: Even if you have taken courses online, you might be used to a different format or style, so it’s helpful to remind yourself what you need to keep on top of. (then, indicate your most pressing concerns in your intro post on the discussion board)
• #19: No late homework is accepted; late major writing assignments lose a full grade per day late. I give some leeway in the first week, but once you’re online and connected to the course, I expect you to keep up with the class and engage with our virtual classroom community.
• #20: This class starts with
• #21: This class starts with
• #22: This class starts with
• #23: This class starts with
• #24: I won’t be there in person to remind you about deadlines, so you have to be active learners--driven and self-motivated!
• #25: Look up sample documents in your textbook and online
• #26: Look up sample documents in your textbook and online
• #27: Stay engaged with your peers! Help them with their work, push them to take their ideas further, respond to others’ posts, even when not required—that will help you to see what others are working on and even see connections between your own work or background and their projects. I encourage you to share your contact info with others if you feel comfortable doing so, so that you have study partners you can talk to.
• #28: Our class can’t run without your help--
• #32: If you select the right jobs for your background, you can use the work you do in your future job search!