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Posts from April 2018

Finishing the Course

Finishing the Course published on

This is the post for the week of April 30, 2018.

Meme of puppies struggling to fit through a slightly open door, with the caption How I Feel on the Last Day of School!We are down to the last three days of the semester. To those of you graduating, best of luck to you in your careers. To everyone else, good luck as you continue to pursue your studies.

Readings for the Week

Review the readings from last week as necessary as you work on your final exam.

Reminders

  1. If you have questions about readings, research, or writing, let me know. You can send me a private message in Canvas or send me an email message.
  2. All transcript opportunities have been claimed for the term. No more transcript requests are coming.

Tasks for the Rest of the Term

  1. By 11:59PM on Monday, April 30, submit your 04/27 Labor Log in Canvas, if you are using the grace period.
  2. By 11:59PM on Wednesday, May 2, submit revisions, transcripts, and other work for all projects due. There is no additional grace period on these projects.
  3. By 11:59PM on Thursday, May 3, complete your SPOT survey. Use the advice on the #WednesdayWrite: SPOT Evaluations (coming 4/25).
  4. By 11:59PM on Monday, May 7, submit your final exam in the Final Exam: Performance Review assignment in Canvas. There is no grace period on the Final Exam. If you do not submit your exam on time (or do not submit it at all), your grade in the course will be lowered.

Calendar for the Rest of the Term

This is the same info as above, presented in a table. All submissions due by 11:59 PM.

Day Date What’s Going On?
Mon 04/30 Grace period for 04/27 Labor Log ends
Wed 05/02 All revisions, transcripts, and other work for all projects due
Thu 05/03 SPOT Responses due
Mon 05/07 Final Exam due (no grace period)

 


 
Last updated on Sunday, April 22, 2018

#WeekendWatch: Tips for Your Final Exam

#WeekendWatch: Tips for Your Final Exam published on 10 Comments on #WeekendWatch: Tips for Your Final Exam

This video shares a collection of “Best Performance Review Tips” from Mary Abbajay and the Washington Business Report. All of the tips are useful, but I want to stress your advice that you should go through the entire term (she says “year”) and gather your accomplishments to support your argument.

Abbajay advises that you can’t rely on your boss to remember all the great things that you have done. The same applies to me. There are nearly 100 students in the course, so it’s difficult for me to remember everything that you have done. I have the gradebook, but we all know that you are more than a few checkmarks in a gradebook. Be sure that you show me your accomplishments in your final.

Watch the video for further advice:

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.

 


 
Last updated on Sunday, April 22, 2018

#FridayFact: Polished, Professional Documents Matter

#FridayFact: Polished, Professional Documents Matter published on 12 Comments on #FridayFact: Polished, Professional Documents Matter

Meme of a child dressed with a tie and the caption, Don't worry.... I'm a professionalIf you want to make a good impression, you need to make sure that your documents are polished and professional, with every element right where readers expect it. Think about how you prepare for a job interview. You wear specific kinds of clothes. You carry specific accessories, depending upon your field. You make sure that you look polished, not wrinkly. Everything is exactly right and just as the interviewer expects it. Nothing is missing.

If you need help polishing your work, check out how to Make Your Boring Documents Look Professional in 5 Easy Steps, from The Visual Communication Guy. His post demonstrates easy changes you can make to jazz up your documents.


 
Last updated on Saturday, April 21, 2018

#InfographicInspiration: The Workplace Is Tired of Exclamation Points!!!

#InfographicInspiration: The Workplace Is Tired of Exclamation Points!!! published on 16 Comments on #InfographicInspiration: The Workplace Is Tired of Exclamation Points!!!

Admittedly, I am guilty of using too many exclamation points in my emails and texts, but I do try to avoid them in what I write in the workplace. It turns out that is the right choice, according to the Business Insider article Stop Using Exclamation Points At Work!

The article ends with the flowchart shown below, which suggests that most of the time, you should not use exclamation points. It’s a fun flowchart—though perhaps not based on an academic study. Even so, it’s a good reminder and a nice distraction for these last days of class.

Should I Use an Exclamation Mark? from Hubspot

Click on the image for a larger version and a transcript.


 
Last updated on Saturday, April 21, 2018

#WednesdayWrite: SPOT Evaluations

#WednesdayWrite: SPOT Evaluations published on 27 Comments on #WednesdayWrite: SPOT Evaluations

Meme showing a beaver with the caption, Eager Beaver is ready for SPOT evaluationsOur #WednesdayWrite is a little different this week. It’s that time of the semester when all your teachers beg you to complete the SPOT survey, and I want to tell you a little bit about how we use your feedback in my department.

What We Do With Your Comments

I use your feedback to figure out if the course is giving you what you need. I take your suggestions into account as I set up my classes in the future.

My department uses your feedback as part of the system that is used to evaluate how well I am doing as your teacher. Both the survey answers and the comments that you make are read by others in the department to provide annual review feedback to me each year. Most (but not all) departments on campus use a similar system.

What I Would Love to Hear

Here are some things you can write about as you respond to your SPOT survey for this class:

  • Give concrete details. Use a specific example or two to help me understand your comments. Instead of saying, “This class taught me a lot,” say what the class taught you a lot about; or instead of saying, “I wish this class covered more,” say what kinds of things you wish the class had covered.
  • Think of your feedback as continuing the conversation. You have been sharing resources on Facebook and adding comments on the course blog. Adding comments on the SPOT evaluation is just another way to continue telling me about what you are learning and thinking about the course. I am really interested in hearing what you have to say. Just be honest, and tell me what you think.
  • Let me know how you feel about the course policies. I care a lot about making the course fair for everyone. I know you all have other classes and obligations, so I have tried to set up the course in a way that makes it fair and easy for everyone to do well. That is why I have the grace period and the infinite revision system, for instance. Did these policies seem fair to your? Do you have suggestions? Let me know.

And Now Your #WednesdayWrite…

  • Remember that your feedback is anonymous and that I will not see it until AFTER course grades have been submitted, so there is no way that your feedback can influence your grade.
  • You can include completion of the SPOT survey as evidence of your work to earn a grade higher than B. State that you completed the survey in your final. Include a screenshot if you have one as evidence. If you don’t, no worries. All work in this course is covered by the Honor Code, so lying about the survey would be a violation.
  • Once you have completed your SPOT survey, add a comment here that says, “Done.” That’s all you have to say today. Feel free to say more if you want.

 
Last updated on Saturday, April 21, 2018

#TuesdayTutorial: Determining Your Course Grade

#TuesdayTutorial: Determining Your Course Grade published on

For your final exam, you will write a self-evaluation that tells me what grade you deserve in the course. In the workplace, this process would be similar to asking for a raise or some additional perk during your annual review.

You’ll determine the course grade you deserve by returning to the syllabus and requirements page on this site. First, remember that your grades in this course are based 100% on the labor you actively contributed to building and supporting the writing community and the labor you put into completing all the activities and projects in the course. In your final exam, you will present the details on what you have done and avoid making excuses or telling “sob stories.”

Remember that the Grades in Canvas are only a summary of the work that you completed (or did not complete). Your grade is based on your work as outlined on the requirements page.

To Earn a B

Paper Graded BYou must have completed the following activities in order to earn a B or higher in this course:

To Earn a Grade Lower than a B

If you did not complete all of the activities in the section above, your grade will be lower than a B. Discuss the required work that you did complete, explaining how much of it you completed. You can also refer to any work that you did beyond the basic requirements.

In your final exam, tell me what grade you deserve in the course (B-, C+, D, etc.), using the information from your performance evaluation to support your argument.

To Earn a Grade Higher than a B

Paper Graded AYou must have taken an ongoing leadership role by helping to share new ideas with the class and significantly adding support to the writing community.

Your contributions may have been supportive actions that you designed yourself (with feedback from me) or actions that came from a list of possible suggestions.

Be sure to talk about consistency. Your argument is stronger if you demonstrate that you consistently worked toward your goal during the entire term, rather than waiting until the last minute.

Grades higher than a B are based on the value of those contributions to demonstrating your leadership and adding support to the writing community. They are not based on the number of contributions you make..

 FAQ for Grades in the Course

If you are looking for… Look here…
The basic requirements for grades in the course Requirements Page
Options for earning a grade higher than a B Section on higher grades on the Requirements Page
Information on the check and X marks in Canvas Grades Completes vs. Incompletes section on How Canvas Grades Work Page
How to tell how you’re doing in the course How to Tell How You’re Doing section on the How Canvas Grades Work Page
The reason Canvas isn’t tracking your course grade What Is Tracked in Canvas Grades on the How Canvas Grades Work Page
How to use the Course Completion Checklists About Your Grade in the Course section on the Changes to the Course Grading System Page
How to tell the number of blog comments you have made Comments on Daily Discussion Posts section on the Responses to Midterm Evaluation Comments page
Details on how to make your case for a grade in the course Final Exam Page

 


 
Last updated on Monday, April 23, 2018

Writing Your Final Exam

Writing Your Final Exam published on

This is the post for the week of April 23, 2018.

meme of lolcat evaluating humanReadings for the Week

Tasks for the Remainder of the Term

  1. If you have questions about readings, research, or writing, let me know. You can send me a private message in Canvas or send me an email message.
  2. All transcript opportunities have been claimed for the term. No more transcript requests are coming.
  3. By 11:59PM on Monday, April 23, submit  your 04/20 Labor Log in Canvas, if you are using the grace period.
  4. By 11:59PM on Wednesday, May 2, submit revisions, transcripts, and other work for all projects due. There is no additional grace period on these projects.
  5. By 11:59PM on Thursday, May 3, complete your SPOT survey. Use the advice on the #WednesdayWrite: SPOT Evaluations (coming 4/25).
  6. By 11:59PM on Monday, May 7, submit your final exam in the Final Exam: Performance Review assignment in Canvas. There is no grace period on the Final Exam. If you do not submit your exam on time (or do not submit it at all), your grade in the course will be lowered.

Calendar for the Rest of the Term

This is the same info as above, presented in a table. All submissions due by 11:59 PM.

Day Date What’s Going On?
Mon 04/23 Genre Analysis Report due
Mon 04/23 Grace period for 04/20 Labor Log ends
Thu 04/26 Grace period for Genre Analysis Report ends
Fri 04/27 04/27 Labor Log due
Mon 04/30 Grace period for 04/27 Labor Log ends
Wed 05/02 All revisions, transcripts, and other work for all projects due
Thu 05/03 SPOT Responses due
Mon 05/07 Final Exam due (no grace period)

 


 
Last updated on Sunday, April 22, 2018

#SundayShare: Final Exam Resources

#SundayShare: Final Exam Resources published on

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

Our #SundayShare is longer than usual, with a lot of options for you to choose among. Since we only have ten days left in the term, I want to share all the resources that you can use as you work on your final exam. That way, any of you with the time to work ahead can do so.

I created a playlist Final Exam Resources on Performance Reviews, comprised of three short Lynda.com courses, 31 videos total. If you watched everything, it would take 1h 21m (but I really don’t expect you to watch every minute of every video).

Here is the table of contents for each of the courses (copied directly from Lynda.com, no links). Watch the parts that you have questions about as you work on your final.

Course: Preparing for Your Review (14m35s)

  • Introduction (1m8s)
    • Welcome (1m8s)
  • Review Preparation (11m44s)
    • Preparing for your review (2m1s)
    • Sharing your work (4m55s)
    • Self-evaluations and final preparation (4m48s)
  • Conclusion
    • Next steps (1m43s)

Course: Building Self-Confidence (21m 27s)

  • Introduction (1m0s)
    • Building Confidence (1m0s)
  • Steps to Building Your Confidence (19m14s)
    • Owning where you are and where you want to be (2m 33s)
    • Dealing with the past (2m41s)
    • Helping and volunteering (1m31s)
    • Setting achievable goals before stretch goals (2m1s)
    • Removing negativity (2m7s)
    • Visualizing success (1m57s)
    • Planning for failure (1m43s)
    • Assessing your progress (1m36s)
    • Accelerating the process (1m57s)
    • Celebrating you (1m13s)
  • Conclusion (1m13s)
    • Final Thoughts (1m13s)

Course: Enhancing Your Productivity (45m 37s)

  • Introduction (3m10s)
    • Welcome (2m28s)
    • Using the exercise files (42s)
  • Your Most Valuable Activities (14m42s)
    • What makes you irreplaceable? (2m47s)
    • Discovering your most valuable activities (4m18s)
    • Avoiding the least-valuable-activity trap (3m21s)
    • Focusing with the Order of Offloading (4m16s)
  • Building Up Coworkers (9m 31s)
    • `Offering assistance (2m 43s)
    • Identifying coworkers’ most valuable activities (3m11s)
    • Creating a plan of improvement (3m37s)
  • Having Focus (17m15s)
    • Managing your time (3m2s)
    • Eliminating external distractions (5m24s)
    • Eliminating internal distractions (5m28s)
    • Maintaining a long-term focus on your career (3m21s)
  • Conclusion (59s)
    • Final thoughts (59s)

Note: These videos have closed captioning, so they do not need transcripts.


 
Last updated on Sunday, April 22, 2018

#WeekendWatch: Characteristics of Memos

#WeekendWatch: Characteristics of Memos published on

This week, the daily posts focus on correspondence in general. You will find posts that apply to letters, memos, and email messages—all of which you write in the workplace. Since none of the course projects focuses on correspondence, these posts will cover this important topic.

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

When you are not writing letters or email messages, you will often find yourself writing memos. Today’s #WeekendWatch reviews the characteristics of memos, which are typically internal messages sent to colleagues within your organization.

Like all correspondence, memos should be clear and well-organized with document design features that help readers find the information that is important to them. You can use headings, bulleted lists, and numbered lists to make details stand out.

In addition to general memos, you may find that you use specific memos in the workplace. For instance, you might use a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a kind of contract, where you and other parties agree to specific terms. MoUs are often created by a lawyer or the organization’s legal department. If you write such a memo yourself, it will probably need to go through a legal review before it is sent to the recipient.

For details on the basic memos you are likely to write, watch the Lynda.com video Special Considerations for Memos (3m52s) to learn more:

Special Considerations for Memos, on Lynda.com

 

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 
Last updated on Sunday, April 15, 2018

#FridayFact: Nobody Likes Receiving or Giving Bad News

#FridayFact: Nobody Likes Receiving or Giving Bad News published on 10 Comments on #FridayFact: Nobody Likes Receiving or Giving Bad News

This week, the daily posts focus on correspondence in general. You will find posts that apply to letters, memos, and email messages—all of which you write in the workplace. Since none of the course projects focuses on correspondence, these posts will cover this important topic.

letter Bletter Aletter D

Most people don’t want to receive bad news. Likewise, unless we’re talking about the Wicked Witch of the West, Voldemort, or Darth Vader, most people are uncomfortable when they have to give someone bad news. Continuing our focus on correspondence this week, today’s #FridayFact explains how to write a bad new message that gets the point across without alienating the reader.

Typically, bad news messages begin with some kind of “buffer” that cushions the negative information. This indirect approach allows you to break the news gently to your reader. There are times, however, when a more direct approach is appropriate, such as in an emergency situation or when the bad news is expected.

How to Organize a Paper: The Indirect Method (for Writing Bad News) includes a chart that outlines when to use an indirect approach to giving your readers bad news and when to use a more direct approach. The chart on the webpage tells you what to include in your message, whether it is direct or indirect. You’ll also find explanations of the information to provide in the different sections of your bad news message.


 
Last updated on Friday, April 20, 2018

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