• Post drafts for Project 6 in the forums by 9 AM Eastern.
• Respond to two students in the forums by 5 PM Eastern.
• Resolve comments and revise your Project 6 based on the feedback.

Posting Your Drafts for Project 6

1. Go to Project 6: Course Completion Report in the Forums, and create a topic for your draft with your name or your username and career or field (e.g., “Traci’s Report”).
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.
   • You can obfuscate details about your grade if you prefer. You do not have to confess to one another that you believe you have earned an A or a B, etc. You can remove that sentence or just use the grade X as a placeholder. Just be sure to add the real grade details back before you turn the report in.
   • Share the link(s) to your Project 6 draft in Google Docs, using the FAQ linked in the Refresher section above.

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, 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 review the document, check that the report
     addresses all three areas that fall under the participation portion of your grade: number of posts, quality of posts, and SPOT evaluation. Consider whether the document has used design and layout to make the information for the three areas easy to find and understand. Leave a comment if you notice anything missing or can offer advice on design and layout.

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.

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.

• 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.

Today you will complete peer review for the fourth project. Your work is due by 11:55 PM on Friday, 1/9. Remember that you have a 24-hour grace period if you need an extension.

Readings for January 8

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 8

• Complete the LinkedIn Profile Quiz by 11:55 PM tonight (01/08).
• Complete the peer review activities:
  • Post drafts for Project 4 in the forums.
  • Respond to two students in the forums.
  • Revise your Project 4 based on the feedback.

• Post drafts for Project 4 in the forums by 9 AM Eastern.
• Respond to two students in the forums by 5 PM Eastern.
• Revise your Project 4 based on the feedback.

Posting Your Drafts for Project 4

1. Set the permissions for your job application materials so that your classmates can view (and comment, for Google Docs) on your draft.
• For Google Docs, use the How do I use Google Drive for peer review? FAQ.
• For LinkedIn, make sure your privacy settings will let the public see your profile. Consult the Lynda.com video on Managing your public profile for additional help.
• For other sites, make sure you have set your materials so that they are viewable by the public.
2. Go to the Project 4: Job App Peer Review section of the forums, and create a topic for your draft with your name or your username (e.g., “Traci’s Job App”).
3. 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 4 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).

4. Tell your classmates what job application materials you have created and let them know about any specific concerns that you want them to consider as they comment on your draft.

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

Replying to Project 4 Drafts

Next, you will reply to the posts of some of your classmates:

1. Go to the Project 4: Job App Peer Review forum, and read the drafts of at least two of your classmates and add a reply with advice and encouragement (more below).
   • 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. Either use the Share link to go to your classmate’s draft on Google Docs or visit the link(s) they have submitted.

   If you are working on Google Docs, use the Comment system to add details on the following issues. If you are reviewing a LinkedIn profile or another document outside Google Docs, add a reply in the forums and include answers to the following in your reply:

   • Consider your immediate impression of the document(s), and add a comment to tell your partner your first thoughts. Job application materials can be rejected at a glance, so first impressions matter.
   • 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.

3. Once you finish commenting on the document, add an overall comment in the forums that sums up what you thought of the job application materials and gives your partner some encouragement.

4. Go back to the forums and add a reply to your classmate’s topic that includes this information:
   • Add an overall comment that sums up what you thought of the draft(s).
   • Give your classmate 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 by 6 PM Eastern so that your classmate can respond if you need more information.

• Post drafts for Project 3 in the forums by 9 AM Eastern.
• Respond to two students in the forums by 5 PM Eastern.
• Revise your Project 3 based on the feedback.

Posting Your Drafts for Project 3

1. Convert (if necessary) and share your proposal on Google Docs so that your classmates can comment on the draft. Use the How do I use Google Drive for peer review? FAQ if you need instructions.
2. Go to the Project 3: Proposal Peer Review forum, and start a new topic:
   • Give the topic your name or your username (e.g., “Traci’s proposal”).
   • If you do not want to share your last name in the forums, change it in your Google Doc to a pseudonym. You can use a generic last name like Doe or Smith, or you can change it to Lastname.
   • Share the link to your proposal in Google Docs. You can follow these instructions to make your link clickable.
   • If you have any specific concerns that you want your readers to consider, add a note on that as well.

3. Be sure to Preview your forum post to make sure everything shows up the way you want it to, and then Submit your message.

Replying to Project 3 Drafts

Next, you will reply to the posts of some of your classmates:

1. Go to the Project 3: Proposal Peer Review forum, and read the drafts of at least two of your classmates and add a reply with advice and encouragement (more below).
   • 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 that the proposal includes the following required sections and add a comment if anything is missing:
     • summary (p. 282–283)
     • introduction, which explains the findings of the writer’s research and the writer’s needs (p. 283)
     • proposed tasks, that is what the writer proposes to create for Project 4 (p. 283–286)
     • task schedule for Project 4 (p. 287–289)
     • evaluation techniques (p. 289), which outlines three levels of work for Project 4:
       • Average Work ( a C project)
       • Above-Average Work (a B project)
       • Excellent Work (an A project)
3. Go back to the forums and add a reply to your classmate’s topic that includes this information:
   • Add an overall comment that sums up what you thought of the draft(s).
   • Give your classmate 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 by 6 PM Eastern so that your classmate can respond if you need more information.

Today you will complete peer review for the second project and then submit your work by the end of the day. Remember that you have a 24-hour grace period if you need an extension.

Readings for January 2

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 2

• Complete the Reading Quizzes on Chapters 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, & 9 by 11:55 PM tonight (01/02)
• Complete the peer review activities:
  • Post drafts for Project 2 in the forums.
  • Respond to two students in the forums.
  • Revise your Project 2 based on the feedback.
• Write your reflection memo and submit your project.

• Post drafts for Project 2 in the forums.
• Respond to two students in the forums.
• Revise your Project 2 based on the feedback.

Posting Your Drafts for Project 2

1. Go to the Project 2: Analysis of Writing in Your Field forum, and start a new topic:
   • Give the topic your name or your username, and your career or field (e.g., “Traci, college writing instructor”).
   • If you do not want to share your last name in the forums, change it in your Google Doc to a pseudonym. You can use a generic last name like Doe or Smith, or you can change it to Lastname.
   • Share the link to your spreadsheet in Google Docs (and your analysis memo, if you wrote one). You can follow these instructions to make your link clickable.
   • If you have any specific concerns that you want your readers to consider, add a note on that as well.

2. Be sure to Preview your forum post to make sure everything shows up the way you want it to, and then Submit your message.

Replying to Project 2 Drafts

Next, you will reply to the posts of some of your classmates:

1. Go to the Project 2: Analysis of Writing in Your Field forum, and read the drafts of at least two of your classmates and add a reply with advice and encouragement (more below).
   • 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 to include more than the minimum number of comments.
   • If your classmate has included the optional analytical memo, check whether the draft addresses all six characteristics of technical communication. If anything is missing, add a comment that lets your partner know.

3. Go back to the forums and add a reply to your classmate’s topic that includes this information:

   • Add an overall comment that sums up what you thought of the draft(s).
   • Give your classmate 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 by mid-afternoon so that your classmate can respond if you need more information.

Today you will complete peer review for the first project and then submit your work by the end of the day. Remember that you have a 24-hour grace period if you need an extension.

Readings for December 30

For today’s session, please read the following:

• 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 December 30

• Complete the peer review activities:
  • Post drafts for Project 1 in the forums.
  • Respond to two students in the forums.
  • Revise your Project based on the feedback.
• Write your reflection memo and submit your project.

Optional

To get to know your classmates a bit better, read through the remaining bio statements that are posted. If you notice anything you want to comment on, feel free to post additional replies.

We will follow this basic peer review process for all of the projects in the course:

• Post drafts for Project 1 in the forums.
• Respond to two students in the forums.
• Revise your Project based on the feedback.

Posting Your Drafts for Project 1

1. Follow the instructions in Step 1 of How do I use Google Drive for peer review? to set up sharing permissions for your documents. You need to share your draft with “Anyone with the link” or “People at Virginia Tech with the link” so that we can read your work.

2. Go to the Project 1: Professional Biography Statement board in the forums, and start a new topic:
   • Give the topic your name or your username to help keep things organized. For instance, if I were setting up a new topic, I would name it “Traci’s Bio Statements” or perhaps “Tengrrl’s Bios.”
   • If you do not want to share your last name in the forums, change it in your Google Doc to a pseudonym. You can use a generic last name like Doe or Smith, or you can change it to Lastname.
   • Share the link to your bios in Google Docs (and About.me, if you wrote one). You can follow these instructions to make your link clickable.
   • If you have written more than one bio, please label them so that your readers will know what they are reading (for instance, you might note one is a formal bio for the company website, and the other is an informal bio for the internal company newsletter).
   • If you have any specific concerns that you want your readers to consider, add a note on that as well.

3. Be sure to Preview your forum post to make sure everything shows up the way you want it to, and then Submit your message.

Replying to Project 1 Drafts

Next, you will reply to the posts of some of your classmates:

1. Review the instructions in Step 2 of How do I use Google Drive for peer review? to learn how to use the Comment features in Google Drive.

2. Go to the Project 1: Professional Biography Statement board in the forums, and read the drafts of at least two of your classmates and add a reply with advice and encouragement (more below).
   • 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.

3. 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.

4. Go back to the forums and add a reply to your classmate’s topic and add an overall comment that sums up what you thought of the bio(s) and gives your classmate 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 by mid-afternoon so that your classmate can respond if you need more information.