Date

Day

Topic

Assignment

Location

1/15

Wed

Course introduction

Before Friday’s class, email me and tell me three things:

1. Your career goals (or at least where you see yourself in 5 or 10 years).
2. How important do you think writing will be in your career?
3. What do I need to know about teaching engineers? (PP)

Dovle 115 unless indicated otherwise.

1/17

Fri.

Course materials online; job resources online.

Read Chapter 1 and write a short memo to me in which you explain “accessibility, usability, and relevance” in your own language. Submit this memo via the Blackboard drop box.

Complete personal inventory in class and/or search job sites for an appropriate ad.

Ehly 119

1/20

Mon.

MLK Day

No Class

1/22

Wed

Resumes and document design.

Read Chapter 8. 

Bring a draft of your resume (based on personal inventory). (PP) In class analysis of resumes.

1/24

Fri.

Cover letters and prose style.

Read pages 190-198

Bring a draft of your Cover Letter.  (PP)  In class analysis of cover letters. 

1/27

Mon

 Selling yourself.

Watch video on preparing for a career.

In class writing: how are you going to sell yourself?. (PP)

1/29

Wed.

Memos and prose style.

Read pages 187-89.

Look up one “rule” or guideline for good writing that is particularly relevant to your cover letter, although any rule relevant to writing will do. Be prepared to teach a short lesson to the class.    (PP)

1/31

Fri.

Working in electronic environments. 

Side shadowing your work.

Read chapter 5. 

Work on cover letter and resumes.  Learn how to use “Insert Comment” in Word. Bring documents on a disk or access them through the network.

Ehly 119

2/3

Mon

Peer Review Materials

Based on facilities and software functionality, we will either try an online review session or simply do a f2f review in the regular classroom. 

Ehly 119

2/5

Wed.

Unit 2: Product-oriented communication (POC).

Bring a set of instructions or procedures for analysis during class time.  Be prepared to talk about the document’s strengths and weaknesses using accessibility, usability, and relevance as your criteria.  (PP)

2/7

Fri.

Analyzing more documents. 

Job Materials Due!

Bring specifications or technical marketing documents to class for analysis. Same prep. as Wednesday.  (PP)

2/10

Mon

Workshop.

Draft of analysis memo to me, draft of feedback memo to author.  Workshop drafts in class or in cluster if that method is preferred.  (PP)

Ehly 119

2/12

Wed

Short proposal.

Look at example on page 275; read 198-206 on short reports. 

Revise “proposal document” for class (a class handout)  (PP) Brainstorm possible topics for product-oriented communication.

2/14

Fri.

Workshop day. 

First set of memos due.

Work on proposal for me.

Ehly 119

2/17

Mon.

Lincoln’s B-day

No class. 

2/19

Wed

Visual communication: Illustrating your POC.   

Proposal due.

Browse chapter 9: identify elements that will be relevant for your POC. 

2/21

Fri

Workshop.

Drafting your POC.

Ehly 119

2/24

Mon

Peer review. 

Bring draft of your POC

Ehly 119

2/26

Wed

Presentations.

10 minute presentations (can be less).

2/28

Fri

Presentations.

10 minute presentations (can be less).

3/3

Mon

Presentations if necessary.

10 minute presentations (can be less).

POC due, Powerpoint or other visual aids due.

3/5

Wed

Individual conferences, approximately 20 minutes.

No class.  Bring Job Package folder to the meeting. We’ll discuss possible revisions for units 1 and 2. 

Minard 322c

3/7

Fri

Individual conferences, approximately 20 minutes.

No class.  Bring Job Package folder to the meeting. We’ll discuss possible revisions for units 1 and 2.

Minard 322c

3/10

Mon

Global and local revision.

Bring revised documents for review.

3/12

Wed

Editing. 

Bring revised documents for review.

3/14

Fri

No class. 

All revisions to first-two units due.  Submit them electronically or bring them to Minard 320. 

3/17-21

Spring Break