ENGL 402 Schedule Summer 2009

technical and professional writing
engl 402.01 summer 2009
patricia freitag ericsson
ericsson@wsu.edu
Avery 223 Phone: 335-4820
Summer office hours by appointment

Textbook Abbreviations
CG - A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
NDDB - Non-Designer's Design Book

This schedule may change as the course progresses. Check here often to see assignment updates, discussion topics, and more.

Week 1	May 11 Monday	Introduction to class; review of syllabus, schedule, academic honesty policy; writing sample
	May 12 Tuesday	Introduction to Technical Communication Before Class 1) Read CG: Chapter 1; 2) Complete Exercise 1, p. 12 (online) or p. 14 (book) by class time; 3) Read Markel on ethics; be prepared to write about the article in class (bring printout of article to class)
	May 13 Wednesday	Unit 1: Rhetorical Approaches to Job Applications (Dr. Paul Muhlhauser) Before Class 1) Complete OWL Skills Checklist and bring to class 2) Locate and bring to class three (3) job ads that you could apply for after graduation 3) Read ethical concerns in job searches to prepare for class discussion and for in-class writing During Class Discuss ads and Skills Checklist-listen to NPR program on skills Discuss and write on ethical concerns Review Job Application Portfolio format
	May 14 Thursday	AML Orientation and Workshop: Bring CG to class Before Class 1) Read CG: Chapter 2 and article on e-resumes During Class In consultation with others in class 1) choose one job for application; 2) using the online resources of the OWL write the following: a) an ad analysis; b) at least two informal paragraphs explaining why you are qualified for this job; c) at least one page explaining what you have found out about the company you are applying to and how your personal and career goals are compatible with the company's outlook; d) write a one page analysis of your audience for this application package--see the Audience Checklist found on p. 30 of CG.
	May 15 Friday	Application letter workshop: meet in AML Bring CG to class! Before Class 1) Read CG: p. 193-200 2) Read Munschauer; 3) Write critique of application letter that appears CG on p. 195 --use specific points from the Munschauer article to frame your critique; job ad for letter (necessary to appropriately critique the letter); have critique ready to hand in a beginning of class today. During Class Discuss Munschauer article and critique Workshop on Application letter
Week 2	May 18 Monday	Discuss Resume Format/Application Letter Peer Review : meet in AML Draft 1 of Cover Letter Due (copy of job ad and one copy of letter needed) Before Class 1) Read CG: p. 202-207 2) OWL Hypertext on Resumes (read all links); 3) Read Format choices and select the style that will suit your application; write brief justification of that choice During Class Peer Review of Cover Letter
	May 19 Tuesday	Designing with Type: meet in AML Draft 1 of Resume Due (one copy needed) Before Class Read NDDB: Chapters 9-11 (Designing with Type) During Class Resume draft workshop With a partner, complete the following steps. For each step write a brief overview of what you analysis. 1: Analyze Examples 1, 2, 3 and 5 using the concepts of concordance, conflict, and contrast from chapter 9 of NDDB; 2: Identify the type faces used in the same examples based on the categories presented in Chapter 10 of NDDB; 3: Critique the combinations of size, weight, structure, form, and direction used in the three examples based on NDDB Chapter 11. 4: With your partner, look your resumes and critique them based on what you've learned in these Chapters and the analyses you've completed. Write a brief overview of how you will revise your resume based on what you've learned. Links for inclass exercise: Example 1; Example 2; Example 3; Example 4; Example 5; Example 6
	May 20 Wednesday	Letter and Resume Revisions Due: meet in AML Bring job ad and two copies of letter and resume During Class Peer Analysis
	May 21 Thursday	Begin Unit 2: Document Redesign Project (DRP) Meet in AML Before Class 1) Read CG: Chapter 8 and 9; 2) Complete Exercise #1 on p. 180 of CG--bring article to class with list of visuals During Class 1) Analyze visuals via the checklist on p. 180. Review parallelism and comma use
	May 22 Friday	Meet in AML Class begins at 9:30 so you have printing time and time to put your Job Portfolio together in AML. Make sure you get reading below done before class too! Revised drafts of Job Application materials due for final evaluation; presented in Job Application Portfolio format Usability Before Class 1) Read CG: Chapter 3 (Usability); 2) Read Jakob Nielsen web materials; Read usability notes
Week 3	May 25 Monday	Holiday
	May 26 Tuesday	Meet in AML Before Class Read NDDB: Chapters 1-6; (pp.1-86) During Class Analysis With your DARS partner, review the following pages in the NDDB: 32, 50, 64, and 80. Once you have done that, complete the assignment below. In-class assignment:Ireland; Angler
	May 27 Wednesday	Meet in AML; Details of DARS Project
	May 28 Thursday	Meet in AML; Draft of DRP report due for peer review; peer review information
	May 29 Friday	Meet in AML; Workshop day
Week 4	June 1 Monday	Oral presentations of DRP; final draft of materials due when you present
	June 2 Tuesday	Oral presentations of DRP; final draft of materials due when you present
	June 3 Wednesday	Begin Unit 3: Collaborative Research Report Meet in AML; Introduction to Collaborative Research Report; CG: p. 55-75; complete in-class exercise
	June 4 Thursday	Meet in AML; What is an incident report? Writing the incident report: exercise
	June 5 Friday	Ethics, Copyright and Privacy; Read Chapter 6 of CG before coming to class; bring your field or discipline's code of ethics to class for discussion.
Week 5	June 8 Monday	Drafting Day - no regularly scheduled class meeting--Ericsson available
	June 9 Tuesday	Pitch Proposal Presentations
	June 10 Wednesday	Pitch Proposal Presentations continued; teams composed for Research Report; Pitch Proposal Written Reports due.
	June 11 Thursday	Meet in AML; Reading 1; Reading 2; Memo writing workshop; CG p. 189-192; Progress memo; Report writing details and Research Question
	June 12 Friday	Meet in AML; In-class team workshop
Week 6	June 15 Monday	Meet in AML; Oral presentation practice
	June 16 Tuesday	Meet in AML; In-class team workshop; course evaluations; Progress Memo 1 due by midnight
	June 17 Wednesday	Meet in AML; In-class team workshop; Completion Memo details
	June 18 Thursday	Final presentations--final draft due when you present; colleague evaluations; do one for each of your final project colleaguesand email it to ericsson@wsu.edu
	June 19 Friday	Final presentations--final draft due when you present; Completion Memo 2 due by midnight. In addition to the Completion Memo, please complete a colleague evaluation for each member of your team and email it to ericsson@wsu.edu. Mail your Completion Memo to the same address. Have a great summer! Summer officially arrives on June 20 at 10:45 pm.