Category: Prompts

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Instructions for submitting your final work

With the end of the summer term quickly approaching, you’ve got some looming deadlines, but you’ll have a little bit of extra time. Read on for instructions and deadline info.

Final projects will be due by the end of the day on Thursday, 8/6 (this is a 24-hour extension). Please post your project to the blog, and be sure to do the following:

  • if your project takes the form of anything other than a blog post (for which you could use Expressions to build your document), please insert your project into the post as a usable file (i.e. PDF) or link. Use the Add Media button on your post to do this. Remember that you can title that media in the Add window, so that whatever text you want to have will appear where you embed the link.
  • in the body of your post, include a brief outline of the rhetorical situation for your text–the audience, purpose, mode of delivery/publication, etc. (Remember that you have full control over this and can create whatever hypothetical situation you desire.)
  • categorize your post as “Taking it public,” and tag it with “final project,” “unit 3,” “week of 8/3,” and [your name]

 

Your Unit 3/final course reflection will be due by the end of the day on Saturday, 8/8 (this is also a 24-hour extension). Please refer to the unit 3 assignment sheet for the prompt for this 500-word post. Please note:

  • this should read like an essay (not just a Q&A)
  • you should categorize this post as “Taking it public,” and tag it with “week of 8/3,” “reflection,” “unit 3,” and [your name]
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Discussion Prompt week of 7/27 genre

The article I chose was one written by the New York Times  regarding the black lives matter movement, and the breakdown of numbers and the protesting in general. I believe this sample works, and it does not. The article does a good job at describing numbers and giving exact examples to back up what he is saying. He breaks down the article into subtopics which helps divide the information for the reader to better understand, or be able to find exactly what they are looking for in the article. I like these parts of the article, as it is a good representation of what I hope to do — the visual pairing with the information and broken down in a way that is easy to read. However, there are ways in which the article is less successful. The author almost uses quotes and information too much, to the point where it is more general information rather than to the point. The article is a way of putting information together to make it easier for the reader, instead of to the point and an easy read. The article is wordy, however that is not a bad thing with the magnitude of information being represented. I believe they did a good job at presenting important information that matters, however I will be trying to find a balance. It will take practice, however I do believe it is able to be achieved.

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Discussion prompt for Week of 7/27

In this week’s discussion, you’ll focus on identifying one or more usable models for your own writing, recognizing that we can learn from and build on how others present their ideas. Much like we’ve been working with the templates in TSIS, such models can provide us with jumping-off points that will allow us to develop our own thinking.

I’ve given you a few pieces to get you started. You’ll find a folder of sample texts from different genres in the Unit 3 folder of Assigned Readings on Blackboard. Look through these to take in some of the many possibilities for what research-based writing can look like, and then browse around the web for some more examples. Locate a text that looks/works kind of like what you envision for your own project–something in that same genre (i.e. a magazine article, a memo from an HR department, a PowerPoint delivered to a professional audience, etc.). It doesn’t have to be on the same or even a related topic–you’re just looking for an example of a genre (or type of writing) that you’re going to be writing in.

For your post, once you’ve located an example, please share it with us by linking it to your post, and then talk about what you think of this text as an example of that genre–what are some of the unique or distinctive features of this type of writing? how well does this particular sample work? what do you like about it? are there ways in which you think it is less than successful? what lessons will you take from this to use in crafting your own project? (Bear in mind that we can learn both lessons in the positive–I really like how they did this, and I’m going to try to do something similar–and lessons in the negative–I don’t think they did a good job with X, so I want to make sure to do better).

Your post should be >150 words and must include an embedded link to or a picture of the sample you’re discussing. Please categorize your post as “Discussions/Homework,” and tag it with “week of 7/27,” “genre,” “unit 3,” and [your name]. Posts are due by Wednesday.

Then, for your response work this week, please read through 2 classmates’ drafts (which will be up by the end of the day on Friday). In order to ensure that everybody gets feedback, please go to the list of posts on the blog dashboard. Click “All Posts,” find the post with your draft, and then read the 2 immediately below that. In your comments (>100 words each), please highlight what you think is working well, what you’d like more explanation of, any questions that you have about the content, and any suggestions you have about how best to reach the audience this person is targeting. Your feedback is due by the end of the day Sunday, 8/2 (note this is an extension from the original due date).

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Overview for Week of 7/20

We’re moving into Unit 3 this week, with just a few weeks to go before the end of the summer term.  Read on for an explanation of where we’re headed in this final segment of the semester. 

Over the course of Unit 2, you’ve assembled a body of sources that cover a range of perspectives and ideas related to your research topic. You’ve spent some time thinking about how these texts fit together and how you fit into the subject–what you find interesting and significant about what you’re learning.

So now it’s time for you to jump into this conversation–to develop an argument based on the research you’ve compiled for an audience and purpose of your choosing. Over the next week and a half, we’ll be working through the process of selecting an appropriate audience and articulating your purpose in addressing that audience. Be sure to read through the unit 3 assignment sheet in preparation for this work.

Along the way (this week and next), we’ll be looking at some examples of different genres, considering how writers bend their texts stylistically to suit their purposes and the needs of their audiences. Towards that end, here’s what’s up this week.

Reading

  • “How to create a culture manifesto for your organization”
  • “Shaping an ethical organizational culture” (note that this is a change from the original Unit 3 schedule–NYS took down the document I had planned to work with)
  • Chapter 10 of TSIS (originally on last week’s schedule, but I accidentally omitted it from last week’s overview)–this will be an especially important chapter for your upcoming work, so make sure to read it!

Writing

  • project proposal (due Sunday, 7/26)–this will be a brief blog post in which you plot out the basics of your project, including what audience you think ought to hear about what you’ve been learning (i.e. what group would benefit from hearing the argument you plan to develop)
  • discussion posts in response to this week’s prompts (due Wednesday, with follow-up comments, as outlined in the prompt due by Monday or Tuesday at the latest):

Discussion posts for Week of 7/20

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Discussion posts for Week of 7/20

I am working my way through your research portfolios and will be getting you some feedback as soon as I can. While you’re waiting for that, please review the  unit 3 assignment sheet and get started on the week’s readings, a couple of texts on building healthy cultures within an organization that look rather different from the essays/articles we’ve been reading.

Our focus is on genre this week and next. To refresh, “genre” refers to the sort of reasonable responses we make to recurring writing situation–need to reach out to a prospective client? a formal business letter can be a good way to initiate contact. Need to show what you know to a teacher on an exam? a 5-paragraph essay might get the job done. Need to impress a potential employer? An organized, clean, easy-to-read resume is a good plan. Have to make a sales pitch? A snazzy Prezi might be just the thing. Genres take shape because we find them to be helpful, audience-centered ways to accomplish a particular kind of communication task. The demands of the writing situation dictate the sort of genres that might be appropriate. As you move toward presenting your research, it’s time to explore possible genres for that work.

For this week’s discussion, please respond to both of the questions below. Categorize your posts as “Discussions,” and tag them with “week of 7/20,” “unit 3,” “genre,” and [your name].

  1. Notice the practical focus of both of this week’s readings (these aren’t just about sharing information for curiosity’s sake but rather about rendering it usable for a particular audience and purpose). Select one of this week’s readings to focus on, and examine how the authors do that–how do they process what they’ve learned to make it actionable for a reader? what readers? what writing/rhetorical strategies do you see them employing to make this information usable for their readers? Be specific and analytical–why do you think they go about it in this way? How effective do you think it is for that particular audience?
  2. It’s time to start imagining the possibilities for your own research writing in Unit 3–given what you want to discuss, for what purpose, and to whom, what are some of the options for you? What kinds of texts would this sort of reader be likely to engage with? where/when/on what platform do you see them getting this info? what kinds of expectations would your readers have about
  • level of detail
  • writing style
  • length of text
  • time spent reading
  • citation method
  • types of evidence/sources

Your response work might carry over a little into next week–you can either respond to their answers to #2 above, or read through a couple of your classmates’ project proposals after they’re due on Sunday, 7/26. Either way, please comment on at least 3 of them.  Try to offer up your suggestions for what forms their work might take, given the parameters they’ve outlined.

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Discussion Prompts for 7/13

  1. The linked resource I explored centered on the state of women in tech, but more specifically the wage gap and representation. The resource broke down the information into sections and kept each section brief. Statistics were provided in order to inform the audience of the stark differences between men and women in STEM. The categories are education, in the tech workspace, leadership, top barriers, top tech companies struggle balancing the gender gap, and global initiatives making their moves. This resource is valuable as it gives tangible numbers for then gender gap. it provides the reader with statistics to keep in mind, while keeping the writing short and to the point. I believe this adds realism to Wynn’s article as these numbers correlate to real life scenarios and create a layer of depth to what Wynn is already discussing. Wynn’s subtopic where this resource was found in the article is more a summarization and elaboration of the information in the resource, so having the actual source may be easier for some to conceptualize.
  2. I think those who would most benefit from the article are those in STEM or people who are of my age group. I think her target audience is those who are about to enter the workforce, but are still young enough to impact younger generations profoundly. One passage that works well for this audience is the one entitled “7. Be A Mentor.”  One quote that lead me to this conclusion in this passage was “Fix the faulty pipeline of women reaching leadership roles in the workplace and achieving greater progress by being a mentor.” Wynn is writing in a call to action form, emphasizing the importance of being a resource for younger girls. Previously in the same section, Wynn discusses the lack of mentorship that women have discussed, and how important it is to be a mentor for younger girls. She states that almost 50% of women said that there is underrepresentation because of lack of mentors, while the other half said it was the lack of role models. At this age, those at the college level are able to reach younger girls in a more relatable way than women older. Women of the college level have the ability to be role models for younger girls and proving to them that they can break the gender barriers and fulfill their dream career.
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Week of 7/13 discussion, Aaron

  1. The link within the article that I had was “50 ways to fight bias”. This was brand new to me, but I found very useful. It is an online card game of sorts that has 4 different sets of cards which each have a “do you know?” section in them which contain diversity and bias related questions such as: “What % of Black women have never had an informal interaction with a senior leader at their company?” The answer for this one is 59%. These questions have pretty dismal answers that prepare you for whats to come in the next section of cards which give you different scenarios, such as: hiring, everyday interactions, reviews and promotions, meeting dynamics, mentorship and sponsorship.
  2. This activity is geared towards professional people in a working environment. It is very useful because the scenarios that are used in this exercise are very relatable and realistic. One scenario in one of the card sets presents us with this problem: “You’re asked to interview candidates for a role on your team and notice none are women.”  The bottom of the card gives an explanation of why this matters. This matters because not interviewing women will surely mean that the company is missing out on good candidates and women will not be afforded the opportunity to advance their careers. The card also gives information that states that women are far less likely to receive an opportunity into entry level professional employment, which further stunts the growth of diversity in the workplace.
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Overview for Week of 7/13

We’re wrapping up Unit 2 this week, and your primary focus will be on assembling your research portfolio. This set of texts is kind of a checkpoint on the way to your research project, an opportunity to assess what you have to work with and what you might be able to make from it. It’s not an end in and of itself, but rather a stopover.

A few reminders about the items that the portfolio will contain (taken from the unit 2 assignment sheet )

  • at least 6 annotations (2 paragraphs each, 1 of summary, 1 of discussion)
  • focusing flowchart
  • research plan
  • complicating your research activity
  • rounding out the conversation worksheet
  • your unit 2 reflection (see assignment sheet for prompt)

In short, this portfolio will represent your research progress, from the inception of your idea, through locating and considering sources, and including your efforts to broaden that conversation to better understand the issues under consideration.

As you advance towards this goal, then,

  • be sure to read through feedback on the above assignments and your discussion posts (I’ll get you feedback on your draft annotations ASAP)
  • refresh your memory on writing an effective summary (review this handout on summary)
  • review the rubric and assignment overview on the unit 2 assignment sheet
  • email me with any questions

Read on for the week’s agenda.

Reading

  • “Individual change won’t create gender equality in organizations”
  • your assigned jump-out link from that text (check out the announcement on Blackboard for details)

 

Writing

  • write your unit 2 reflection
  • complete your source annotations
  • assemble your research portfolio. This will come in as a single blog post with embedded PDF files. Check out this post for instructions on how to do that:

Instructions for creating a blog post with embedded links and files

  • respond to this week’s discussion prompts by the end of the day on Friday (this is a 1-day extension). See post below:

Discussion prompts for Week of 7/13

Note that I’m pushing back the next assignment (the research proposal) to next week, so that you’ll have some more time to work through your ideas. You can look for more info on that in next week’s overview on Monday.

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Discussion prompts for Week of 7/13

In this article, Alison Wynn (a researcher at Stanford) summarizes her own recent article, in which she analyzed the findings of a year-long case study of a Silicon Valley tech company’s gender equality initiative.

As is typically the case with summaries, an author is trying to do justice to the original text (representing it for what it is), while also working toward their own distinct purpose. Here, for Wynn, that is bottom-lining the findings for a different audience and objective–trying to open up a new kind of conversation around the role that organizations (and not just individuals) must play.

Pay attention to how she works with research in here. Within this article, Wynn provides a lot of linked resources, which function both as a sort of bibliography (here are some of the sources I’m working with…) and as a reading list for those who want more (if you think this is interesting, check this out….). Consider the first one, which links to this article, itself a compendium of a whole bunch of different sources.

The State of Women in Tech 2020

Giving her readers access to this lets Wynn build upon that informational foundation without taking up a lot of space in her text. It also gives interested readers a lot more to work with (and a lot more reason to trust Wynn as knowing her stuff). Each of you will follow up on one of the other resources she links and give us a sense of what’s in there and how it’s valuable (both to Wynn and to us, readers who might be looking to use this new knowledge).

Also pay attention as you read to her section headings–she’s setting up a careful logical chain. These headings are kind of like breadcrumbs (think Hansel and Gretel) for the reader to follow Image result for hansel and gretel breadcrumbs

We can learn from that, of course, about a way to organize our ideas to make them as usable as possible for our readers. As we head into Unit 3, that’s going to be an important consideration–not just writing for ourselves or for me (a teacher reader), but for an audience who needs to hear what you have to say and needs to be able to act on it or make use of it in some way.

Once you’ve read through Wynn’s article, follow up on your assigned link (see the announcement on Blackboard for those assignments). Then, post your responses to these 2 questions (everyone should answer both):

  1. Give us a capsule summary of the linked article/resource that you explored. What is it? what’s in there? what’s valuable about it? what does it add to Wynn’s article?
  2. Who do you think would most benefit from reading this article, and why? (in other words, who do you think her target audience is or ought to be?) Select one passage (a sentence or two) from the article, and explain why you think this segment would work especially well for that group of readers. Please quote the passage in your response.
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discussion post for week of 7/6

  1. In a secondary source titled “Disability Inclusion–Moving Beyond Mission Statements” the authors provide statistical evidence for disability inclusion and detail where work should be moving in terms of inclusion. The first few paragraphs address barriers that companies may face in regards to moving to a more inclusive environment. One barrier they speak about is the policy and institutional ones. The authors provide evidence of legal Acts that are in place to protect those with disabilities and further, enforce the idea that all employees are entitled to a suitable work place. Which further raises the question of why do not most workplaces have all inclusive areas. Another barrier they address is the training and hiring process, which is exposed to be selective in the world of ability and disability.  The lack of those with disabilities in the workforce creates a harder advocacy for those who want to join the workforce as, the authors state, they do not see enough representation of their identity. The authors write this article in their opinion, and end with the expression that these barriers are easy to change and must, for a more inclusive environment.
    I plan to use this source to emphasize my own opinions of disability inclusion in the workforce, and to counter points that may include how it would be difficult to create an universal design and how many hold the opinion that those with disabilities can not perform the same. This article uses the importance of historical policies already set in place, and the ability that institutions have to make a change to convey the message of an universal design. I plan to use this source in that way, to further develop the center of my paper.

3. What I would inject into the discussion is the idea that in an open office type set up, it allows for more scrutiny than just your coworkers. For example, the Barnes indoor pool has a glass window that onlookers can look into the pool and observe the new area. However, this opens up the door for increased scrutiny and pressure on the guards and those who supervise. You would think that this would be a positive, however it leaves guards under immense amounts of pressure. I myself have gotten in trouble for touching my hair and crossing my legs up on the stand because someone walked by and assumed I was not paying attention and doing my job. Although many may think that this would be good and constructive criticism is appreciated, however it leads for many to lead blindly and draw conclusions. While Schwabb already discusses anxiety in an open office, I would further her point by adding the pressure of the onlooker. Outside criticism leads to those who know how to do their job to second guess their abilities, because a wandering eye or a passer by-er did not believe they were. Privacy would enable the worker to focus on their work, without questioning their sitting position, the break they take to sip their water or feeling the pressure from the outside.