Today you will complete peer review for the fifth project. Your work is due by 11:55 PM tonight (Tuesday, 1/13). Remember that you have a 24-hour grace period if you need an extension.

Readings for January 13

For today’s session, please review the following, as necessary:

• Editing and Proofreading tips and skim Appendix B of Markel.
• Guidelines on “Organizing a Memo” in Markel, on p. 232.
• FAQs on the Google Drive system.

Work for January 13

• Complete the peer review activities:
  • Post drafts for Project 5 in the forums.
  • Respond to two students in the forums.
  • Revise your Project 5 based on the feedback.
• Write your reflection memo and submit your project.

• Writing your reflection memo.
  The reflection memo is your chance to tell me anything you want me to know about your project. I will read your reflection before I read the project.

• Sharing your project links.
  For this project, your reflection memo will give me the link to the documents you have chosen to write (extended definition, instructions, and glossary).

Writing Your Reflection Memo and Submitting Your Project

1. Go to the Assignments tab on the left menu in Scholar.
2. Choose “P5: Definition and Instructions.”
3. Scroll down to the text box below the headings Submission and Assignment Text. You will write your memo in this box. (Alternately, you can write in a word processor/Google Doc, and copy/paste your text into this box.)
4. Add your memo headers (To, From, Subject, and Date). For your reflection memo, you’ll use the following:
• Address your memo to me (Traci) and from yourself (use your name).
• Add a subject line that indicates this is your reflection memo and which project it is for.
• Add the current date.
5. After your memo headers, insert a horizontal divider line using the button indicated with the red arrow in the image below:
   
6. Introduce your project—what are your overall goals, what grade have you aimed for, and what documents have you written for the project?
7. For each part of the project you have written (e.g., extended definition, instructions, glossary), do the following:
   1. Label the link so I know which document it will take me to.
   2. Add the Share link to the document on your Google Drive. Use the instructions for how to get the Share link on the FAQ site if you are unsure how to convert and share documents (see more tips below).
   3. Tell me what I need to know to understand the information you have included in your document.
   4. Tell me anything else you want me to know about the the layout and design.
8. Review the information for Project 5 in the reflection memo. You should have a block for each piece you have written that tells me what it is, gives me the link, and tells me about it.
9. Add a concluding section that tells me anything else you want me to know about your project.
10. Agree to the Honor Code by clicking the checkbox at the bottom of the page in Scholar. You cannot finish submitting the project without clicking that checkbox (and it’s easy to miss).
11. Submit your Project, and save a copy of the confirmation and submission ID. If something goes wrong in Scholar, you can contact 4HELP with that information.
12. You’re done! Project 6 (the final exam) will be a progress and completion report (similar to a self-evaluation for a performance review in a workplace) that focuses on the work you have done during the term.

Tips on Using Google Drive

The FAQ site has step-by-step instructions for tasks you will complete with your Google Drive, including converting your document if you have worked in another word processor, adding comments, and sharing your documents are all included.

To make sure that you can submit your first project smoothly, pay attention to the following FAQs:

• If you worked in something other than Google Drive, you can use your preferences to automatically convert files you upload to Google Drive automatically.
  This step is important so that I can use the commenting features in Google Drive.
• If you already uploaded a document to Google Drive, check the format of your files and manually convert the files on Google Drive if necessary.
• Follow the instructions on how to set permissions and get the Google Drive Share link to get a link that will allow me to read and comment on your document.

Note that if your documents are in the wrong format or the permissions do not allow me to comment, I will return your work ungraded.

• Post drafts for Project 5 in the forums by 9 AM Eastern.
• Respond to two students in the forums by 5 PM Eastern.
• Revise your Project 5 based on the feedback.

Posting Your Drafts for Project 5

1. Go to the Project 5: Definition, Description, and Instructions forum, and create a topic for your draft with your name or your username and career or field (e.g., “Traci, college writing instructor”).
2. Post a reply in your topic, doing the following:
• If you do not want to share your last name in the forums, change it in your draft to a pseudonym. You can use a generic last name like Doe or Smith, or you can change it to Lastname.
• Share the link(s) to your Project 5 drafts in Google Docs, using the FAQ linked in the Refresher section above. If you have links to other documents, like you LinkedIn profile, provide those instead (or as well).

3. Let your classmates know about any specific concerns that you want them to consider as they comment on your draft.

4. Be sure to Preview your draft to make sure everything shows up the way you want it to, and then submit your post.

Responding to Your Classmates’ Drafts

Follow these instructions to respond to your classmates’s drafts:

1. Read and comment on the drafts of at least two of your classmates:

   • Find one post that no other student has replied to (so that we can be sure everyone gets a reply).
   • Find a second post that has only one other student reply.

2. Use the Share link to go to your classmate’s draft on Google Drive and do the following:

   • Check the title of the document(s), and add a comment to tell your partner if it is clear and effective.
   • If you notice any spelling errors, punctuation errors, or typos, mark them as you read, but please focus more on the content rather than editing.
   • Add comments on the content of the draft. Comment on at least three things your classmate does well and at least three things that your classmate could improve on. It’s fine (excellent, even) to include more than the minimum number of comments.
   • As you check the documents, check them for the following:
     • Extended definition: Does the document use layout and design to make the information easy to read?
     • Instructions: Are the steps numbered? Does the document use imperative verbs? Is the layout open and airy?
     • Glossary: Does the document use layout and design to make the terms and definitions clear? Are the entries in alphabetical order? Do the glossary entries use broken sentences?

3. Once you finish commenting on the document, go back to your classmate’s post in the forums and add an overall comment that sums up what you thought of the paper and gives your partner some encouragement.

Reviewing the Comments You Received

Once you have finished adding comments to your classmates’ projects, return to your own draft, read the comments that your classmates have given you, and add replies as appropriate. For instance, you might thank your partner for catching an error, ask your partner for more detail on feedback you don’t understand, or share a revision and ask your partner if it is an improvement. Your goal is to reply today so that your classmate can respond if you need more information.

Apologies for the delay in today’s post. I’ve been sick all weekend. Glad we’re not meeting in the classroom, because I don’t want to share these sneezing, sniffling, coughing germs with you. I’m working to get graded work back to you, but this virus has me behind.

Today, you read about how to choose and document graphics that you use in your writing. Tomorrow, we’ll do peer review and submission of Project 5.

Readings for January 12

For today’s session, please read the following:

• Tips on Choosing and Using Graphics.
• Chapter 2 of Markel (“Understanding Ethical & legal Considerations”).
• Chapter 8 of Markel (“Creating Graphics”).
• Appendix A of Markel (“Documenting Your Sources”).

Work for January 12

• Continue work on your fifth project.
• Be sure to complete the reading quiz on Chapters 14 of Markel by 11:55 PM tonight (1/12).
• Go to Tests & Quizzes in Scholar, and complete the reading quizzes on Chapters 2 and 8 of Markel by 11:55 PM on Tuesday, January 13.
• If you have any questions about the assignment, go to the Questions about Project 5 in the forum and add them.

Work through these FAQs for details and resources, including places to find images that you can use freely (as long as you credit your source):

• How does copyright work with images?
• How do I choose images for my projects?
• How can I tell if an image is protected by copyright?
• Where can I find graphics that I can use in my projects?
• How do I use images in my project?

Today, you will turn in Project 4, and then get started on Project 5. If you are taking advantage of the grace period for Project 4, you should have your work in my 11:55 PM January 10.

Readings for January 9

For today’s session, please read the following:

• The assignment for Project 5.
• Project 5 FAQs
• Details on description, definitions, and instructions and chapter 14 of Markel.
• The Writing Definitions slideshow, especially slides 11–14.
• The Writing Instructions slideshow, especially the last slide for Tips for Instructions.

Work for January 9

• Write your reflection memo and submit Project 4 (your job application materials).
• Get started on your fifth project.
• Go to Tests & Quizzes in Scholar, and complete the reading quizzes on Chapter 14 of Markel by 11:55 PM on Monday, January 12.
• If you have any questions about the assignment, go to the Questions about Project 5 in the forum and add them.

Do we have to choose a STEM career since the assignment is for students interested in those careers? 

Use whatever career you are planning on for yourself. We’ll assume a very wide definition of STEM.

Do I have to use the same career choice that I used for other projects this term?

No, you can focus more (e.g., Web Developer instead of Computer Science) or choose something else if you wish.

Does it have to be exactly 500 words?

It’s hard to say precisely how many words you will need since I do not know how you might incorporate headings or images. The best advice is to use your space wisely by trying for one of these lengths:

• Fill up one sheet of paper with words and images.
• Fill up a page and a half with words and images.
• Fill up two pages with words and images.

Essentially, create a nice looking sheet of information, and worry more about making it look nice on the page than about the precise number of words.

Can I structure the instructions for a student with advanced knowledge of the field? 

No.  Your job is to add a short instruction sheet that the student could follow to complete a simple task while shadowing you at work. So you need to choose something that any random student could complete. You’re aiming for only 500 words or less, so the task does not need to be complicated.

Do we need to cite the sources for all of our photos?

You should cite any work that is not your own. If you didn’t take a photo, you need to provide a citation. There’s a page of FAQ answers if you need more info. You can also look at the information in your textbook on pp. 185–186.

• The extended definition that you are writing should provide someone who knows nothing about your field with a clear understanding of what your job will involve. Pay particular attention to the strategies on pages 362–66, which demonstrate different ways you can organize your definition.

• Instructions follow very specific formats, with numbered steps and imperative verbs (commands). Pay particular attention to the information on page 377 about open, airy design. Also notice the details on adding appropriate warnings and the use of signal words. Finally, follow the guidelines for “Drafting steps in Instructions,” on pages 382–383.

• A glossary usually uses sentence definitions, so pay attention to the information on pages 361–362 if you decide to complete that document. Remember that a glossary should be alphabetized and that the layout should make the defined terms stand out. Someone should be able to look at your glossary and know immediately what it is by the design and layout. There’s an excerpt of a glossary on page 330.

Reading Quiz

After reading the chapter, complete the reading quiz in Scholar for Chapter 14.

Photo: Genius instructions by Satish Krishnamurthy, on Flickr