Dr. E's Tech Writing

Final Grades

2005-05-09T09:11:00.000-06:00

All final grades are now compiled on WebCT. Please check the comments on the final grade column to see the grade that I reported.

I will not be holding regular office hours this week. Please direct any questions to me via email.

I hope you have a great end of the semester and a lovely summer!

CPR 4 questions

2005-05-03T09:46:00.000-06:00

There is one question that has arisen regarding your CPR assignment. Some of you have asked about the question that states that students must have 5 sources. Obviously you were asked for 3-5 in the assignment, so you should default this question to give full credit to students who included 3-5 (or more) sources. Please do not mark someone down for having 3 or 4 sources, as the assignment allowed for 3-5.

Grade Formulas

2005-05-02T11:01:00.001-06:00

All blog and wiki grades are now complete. Please let me know if you believe that I have missed a post or correction.

The final grade formula is also now posted. However, the formula assumes a 0 for A4 and CPR 4. I will add the grades when they are finished, which means that the final grades will go up if you complete the assignment. So, don't assume that grade is any indication of a final grade, ok?

Grade Formulas

2005-05-02T11:01:00.000-06:00

CPR 4

2005-04-29T12:24:00.000-06:00

As you are submitting your final papers, please take great care in entering your CPR code. I will be moving papers on Saturday, so if you don't make mistakes in the code, the process will go smoother and CPR will be ready more quickly.

A4 due/ Wiki Grades

2005-04-28T13:10:00.000-06:00

Don't forget that A4 is due at midnight on Friday, April 29. Turn in the paper as a pdf file to Turnitin.com. The file name should be your personal number. Also don't forget to enter in your CPR code (the code is linked in the CPR assignment). This report is worth 20% of your grade, so do a good job on it to secure your grade.

I have posted all grades for all wiki postings as of noon today. I have also entered the formula into the grade book so that you might see your final wiki grade. The grade is made up of the 13 wiki postings. The total grade is worth 10% of your final grade.

I will finish the blog grades within the next day or so.

A3 CPR

2005-04-26T10:19:00.000-06:00

All grades for your A3 and CPR 3 assignments are posted. I am pleased to report that one of you scored a perfect score and the class average for both was 82 (B). Looks like you are getting the hang of both tech writing and CPR.

I will be grading your assignments over the next week and putting up equations that will give you a state of your grade minus the final project. Now is the time to let me know if I miss any of your blog, wiki or other postings.

Remember that I am happy to discuss grades with you, but you must either email through WebCT or come to my office. Come with specific questions and evidence to talk about, if you want to discuss a grade.

Please note that you will need to post a final blog entry. Information on WebCt Calendar.

And, as we are all stressed at this time of the year, be especially careful about how you interact with each other in the wikis and blogs. THink about your goals--to convince someone of you point of view--and the best tone to take to get the person to agree. Probably attacking that person or their ideas will not allow a group to work together, but just alienate and annoy others. So, what is your strategy?

Conference Friday--Catch up Monday and Tuesday

2005-04-25T09:15:00.000-06:00

I was busy from Thursday through Sunday on a big conference that I organized on Louisa May Alcott--so I am catching up on all correspondence today. If you had any problems with CPR, please let me know.

As we approach the end of the semester, I would remind you that you may always come and chat with me about grades or other questions.

CPR 3

2005-04-19T09:04:00.000-06:00

As you work through CPR 3 consider also getting going on your A4. The end of the semester is rapidly approaching! If you run into any problems with the assignment, please let me know.

CPR

2005-04-18T13:13:00.000-06:00

I am setting up CPR this afternoon, so it should be available this evening if all goes well. Don't forget to get moving on your final assignment.

CPR Questions

2005-04-11T13:12:00.000-06:00

I wanted to respond to some of the issues involving CPR that I noticed on some of the blogs.

1. Overall, people did very well on the assignment. The class average for CPR was 80 and for the paper, 85. Not too bad. 7 people received As on CPR, 7 As on A2. So, a good set of papers and CPRS.

2. CPR does tend to be frustrating for some students. I think this is because it asks you to think about writing in a way that you have not previously. You are generally given points to think about then you write. You turn the paper in and you get a grade. After looking at the grade, you mostly don't think about the paper. CPR forces you to think about whether a piece of writing is works or doesn't work. That is a new skill for most (just like learning calculus or anatomy) and it is hard. So, frustration is understandable.

3. You are always welcome to contact me about specific CPR questions. A few people had technical problems--I resolved them and they didn't impact grades. If you would like to discuss a specific question in CPR, I will be happy to receive an email detailing the question and your concerns.

Hope this illuminates the CPR questions!

A3 Extension

2005-04-11T09:44:00.000-06:00

A few students have asked for an extension on A3. I will push the deadline for A3 back to Sunday at midnight.

I am going to post the A4 assignment today. You will need to get started on this as soon as possible. Please note that, with the end of the semester fast approaching, you will need to be sure to budget enough time to complete A4. I cannot move the due dates for A4 or CPR 4 back or I impact the grades of graduating seniors.

Hang in there!

2005-04-08T10:58:00.000-06:00

We are heading toward the difficult part of the semester--don't give up. This is the time of the year that sometimes causes problems for students in distance courses. It is easy to ignore your assignments if you aren't in a physical class. Try to keep up with your assignments, as there is a large portion of your grade still to come. Don't forget that next week you have (Monday) blog readings to post and the A3 to complete (Friday). Then we have the final big project of the semester--A4.

I have posted your CPR and A2 grades to WebCT. Please look carefully at the feedback that you received in CPR. Use the feedback to figure out what the strong and weak points of your writing are and how you might correct the issues before you turn in your next assignment.

CPR/A2 Grades

2005-04-07T08:54:00.000-06:00

I will reread all of your CPR/A2 assignments during the next few days and make changes to grades as necessary.

In the meantime you will want to get started on the next assignment, particularly as your chapter blogs will be due this coming week.

CPR problems

2005-04-05T08:49:00.000-06:00

I have heard from some of you that there were problems with CPR. I resolved the ones that I heard about. If you had a problem with CPR, please email at my private account immediately so that I can fix the problem.

CPR Due Today

2005-04-04T12:23:00.000-06:00

Don't forget that CPR is due today by midnight.

I am working on grading your assignments from the past week, so look for new grades today and tomorrow.

OK. We have been talking about the use of blogs all semester, as well as using them in various ways. Some of you have used them for personal reasons, others for professional reasons, others just to fulfill your class assignments.

I am always amazed at how blogs come to be used. Have you looked at A Week of Kindness Blog? The blog talks about a student who apparently tried to buy a paper from someone through IM. I will warn you--this is not the nicest site, nor one to read if you have any qualms about foul language. So, it may not be for you. But it makes interesting reading in light of the conversation about cheating on Chris' blog.

The student is supposedly on the Dean's list at a private university and was buying a paper. But, the guy she tried to buy the paper from blogged about the event, including the entire IM conversation of the transaction. Wow.

It is amazing what type of feedback this blog generated. Try doing a search for Laura K. Pahl Plagiarist on google--you will be shocked by how many people are talking about this. Some are even suggesting it might be a hoax. I don't know--but it sounds like if it is real, then the student has been tossed from her University--net readers found her, called her dorm and called the president. Whoa.

I think there are a number of ethical issues that are worth discussing. What do you think?

A3 Available

2005-04-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Your third assignment is now available on WebCT. Be sure to check it ASAP, paying particular attention to upcoming deadlines. I will be posting your fourth assignment in another week so so, just in case you want to work ahead of the finals.

Some of you are having problems posting comments or entries to blogger. This seems to be an intermitent problem with using blogger. Generally if you wait a bit you will be able to post the information.

A3 posted Friday

2005-03-31T12:31:00.001-07:00

Your third assignment will be up and ready on Friday. Please don't forget to complete your CPR assignment on time.

CPR available

2005-03-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

CPR is available for A2. Please be sure to let me know if you find any problems along the way

A2 questions

2005-03-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

There were a few A2 questions that I wanted to answer. Remember that your new deadline is today (Monday) at midnight. Turn in your assignment to CPR as a pdf and also enter your CPR code (found within CPR). I will transfer the files Tuesday morning, which means CPR should be available Tuesday afternoon.

Nelson asked if you could use data from a different article than the one you are summarizing to make the graphic. As long as you take data and construct a new and original graphic, that will be fine. And, as Nelson correctly states, you must cite the article from which you take the data.

Courtney asked if she could combine clip images to make a graphic. I think that if you are using them in a new and original manner that should be fine. However, you wouldn't want to just put two pictures together and consider that original. You would instead need to use clip art in a flow chart or diagram, or some other original manner.

Hope this helps clear up some of your questions.

A2 Due Date Changed

2005-03-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

Several of you requested an extension on A2, so since I am in a happy spring mood ( and a caring and considerate instructor), you will have until Monday, March 24 at midnight. Please do let me know if you have any questions. I have meetings all day today, so will try to answer questions late this afternoon or tomorrow.

A2 suggestion

2005-03-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

As you are completing your assignment, I wanted to remind you of a few issues that you will want to consider.

Be sure that your article meets the criteria of the assignment. You must have a recent article that deals with a tech issues in your field.

Remember that your area or field is the one for which you applied in the first assignment.

The graphic needs to be original, so don't just copy something from the article or the web. Insert the graphic into the text close to where you reference the graphic. So, you might say "As you can see in Table 2, the technology is cost effective." Notice that you should reference the graphic in the text and then put the graphic near the reference. Make sense? You also need to title and label your graphic. So, under or above the graphic you would write "Table 1: Technology Costs" or "Graphic 1: Images of Texas." Be sure you do this--one of the CPR questions checks to see that you have labeled and titled your graphic.

Wiki Grades/ Spring Break

2005-03-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have posted your wiki and comment grades for weeks 6 and 7. Please let me know if you find an error. I know that blogger was not accepting comments at the end of week 7, so I took that into account when I graded the comments. I will add the blog post grades over the next day or two.

I am very pleased with the wiki writing that you have completed to date. It looks like your handbook is coming along quite nicely. There are a few issues that you might want to consider as you polish and add to the handbook.

1. Document Design. If this is to be a handbook for future Tech Writing students, you want the document design to be exemplary. Consider the pages that have large portions of text. How can you use headings to make the information easier to read? Does this need an index?

2. Editing. Are there portions of the wiki that need editing? Is there text or discussion that should be removed? Do you need the wiki links anymore? Or should they go on an appendix page?

3. Topics. Should you add additional topics to the handbook? What do you need to know as a student? Do you want a separate wiki section? Remember what the original directive was--write a handbook to support students using blogs in Tech Writing. You may certainly want to write two pieces of the handbook--one on blogs and one on wikis.

Spencer asked about my Spring Break. While most of you were drinking margaritas and working on your tans, I was sitting in my office working-for most of the week (boo, hoo--I know--who feels bad for the prof--not the students!).

But we did get to spend two days at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I just adore fairs--in part because I grew up on a farm and showed sheep as a 4-her, in part because my daughter loves the animals. While we loved the animals (especially the horse show and cattle show):

The highlight for my daughter was the roping:

The Aggie Rodeo team was helping kids rope--how fun was that! Anybody on the Rodeo team?

Welcome Back!

2005-03-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome back from spring break. I hope that you had a wonderful, safe, restful spring break.

I will be grading assignments over the next week, so look for updates in your gradebooks.

You should be working on the A2 Chapter Blog postings--due Wed, March 23. The next day (Thursday, March 24) your A2 assignment is due.

A2 requires you to locate a article in your field that follows specific criteria. Be sure that you get started on finding your article well in advance.

Have a Good Spring Break!

2005-03-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

I hope you have a happy, safe spring break. You are not required to post any of the weekly assignments during break. Enjoy your time off from school!

A1 Graded

2005-03-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

I have completed the grading for your assignment 1 (resume and CV). The final grades are posted in WebCT. Remember that you have two separate grades from this assignmetn: CPR 1 worth 5% of your entire grade and A1 worth 10% of your entire grade. A1 is the grade for your text -- the same sort of grade a teacher would give when reading an assignment. CPR is based on a number of factors: text grade, CPR calibrations, reviews and self evaluations.

I have read each assignment carefully and made slight changes where necessary.

When you see your grades you should be sure to log in to CPR to read all of your comments. Here is a handout, put out by our CPR administrators, to help you sort through the information: CPR Student Results(.pdf). Be sure to look at all of your comments.

If you have any questions for me be sure to ask. If you have a question/concern about your grades, you must write an email to me in WebCT (secure site to discuss grades) detailing your concerns and noting the comments on CPR that you find relevant. Be sure to think of this as an argumentative technical writing document.

A2 problem resolved

2005-03-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

Mark rightly pointed out that there were a few problems with a2. I have now corrected those problems. Please recheck webct for the assignment. Do let me know if you find any other issues.

Week 5 Grades

2005-03-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

All week 5 grades are now posted. I still have the CPR grades to post. Spencer asked where he could find grades. CPR grades will be posted on the WebCT gradebook, just like your other grades, when they are complete.

Don't forget to do your blog and wiki assignments over the next weeks.

A2 is available

2005-02-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a good weekend. From your blog entries, it looks like you can't wait until spring break. I hope the weather will be nice for everyone. Be sure to be safe as well.

The A1 CPR has finished. I will read through all the papers and CPR responses before I post the grades, so if you have any questions, be sure to ask now. The grades are not final at this point.

And, your next assignment, A2, is available in detail in WebCT.

CPR Due

2005-02-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to complete the A1 CPR by midnight Friday. If you have any problems you must email me before the deadline or you will not receive credit.

I have graded all assignments through Week 4. If you see a problem with your grade, please let me know ASAP.

Also, don't forget your assignment due Sunday. More info on an earlier post!

Progress!

2005-02-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

It looks like you are making progress! Keep working on your CPR assignment, and let me know if you find any problems. I am writing the next assignment piece and will put it on WebCT within the week. I have also posted grades. Please let me know if you find any mistakes--it is possible that I missed a post. I might also have missed a wiki change, as some of you forgot to include your name in the change.

I wanted to pick up on our discussion of blogs and wikis this week. I think that you had some very interesting and thoughtful responses to the use of blogs and wikis. I wanted to draw your attention to Cole's Post.

And, please read these articles as well:

Tools to ease Web collaboration (CNN)
Have a blog, lose your job? (CNN money)
List of Fired Bloggers

Each of these discusses issues related to blogs/wikis in the workplace. I would like you to read your classmates' responses and each of these items. Then, I would like you to post a blog response by Sunday, February 27 responding to the issues raised in these posts and articles.

CPR up and running

2005-02-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

CPR for your A1 is up and running. If you should experiene any problems, such as dead links or incorrect papers, please let me know. I went through every paper and CPR code and double checked numbers. Hopefully we won't experience any problems.

All current grades will be posted Tuesday morning. Please let me know if you think a grade is inaccurate or if I missed a post or comment. It is possible. Just reference the post or comment so that I may double check and correct the problem.

I should be back to a regular schedule this week, if all goes well. That means I will be holding physical office hours if you need to see me.

Back to the Office, Resume/Application Letter

2005-02-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

I am not sure when I will be back to the office for physical office hours, but am always available on line and by email. My daughter is still feeling badly, so I need to stay at home. If you have any concerns or questions, email me. I'm grading, but you won't see the changes until I go back to work and upload the grades--by Monday you should be up to date.

Don't forget that your first major assignment, the resume and application letter, is due Friday. The system works the same way: 1. Save your file as an anonymous text 2. Convert the file to .pdf and save the file title as your person site id number (Example: 2.pdf) 3. Upload the file to turnitin.com 4. Put your code into CPR. The CPR code is different this time. It is linked to the actual CPR instructions in CPR. Be sure to follow all of these directions or you won't receive appropriate feedback. Ask if you have ANY questions before we start calibrations in CPR.

Be sure to check out the tips I've posted on webct. Also, here is a link to the question set that you will work with in WebCT. Use this set of questions as a way to check your work. Make sure that your assignment fits the criteria of the questions--there are very specific pieces that you need to include. Here's the .pdf file: A1 CPR Questions.

At Home

2005-02-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm at home today and maybe tomorrow with a sick child, so no office hours. If you have any questions or problems please email me at: aearhart@tamu.edu. I have a few emails that I received over the weekend--I'll try to answer them by this evening. Keep me informed of any problems.

Have a good weekend!

2005-02-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

Have a great weekend! I will be grading the posts over the next few days. Please do get started on your resume and cover letter. The deadline is coming up shortly!

CPR Extension and Tone and Audience Assignment

2005-02-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

Due to some of the questions regarding CPR, I am extending the deadline until Friday at midnight. If for some reason you didn't complete the assignment, you have the chance to try again.

This first CPR assignment is an all or nothing grade--if you complete the entire process, you receive credit for participation. The assignment is designed to help you understand the process that we will use for each major assignment in the class. So, once you learn the pattern, it will make sense. So, while you are given grades by CPR for the assignment, they are just for your reference for this first assignment. I won't use them to grade you this first time around. Think of this as the warm up to the rest of CPR.

Tone, Audience and Blogs Assignment

I am pleased to see that this early in the semester we are starting to have some questions regarding what is the point of blogging in technical writing. SO, I would like you to read through this entire blog post and respond to some of the issues and points that I raise in a blog post on your blog. This is due by midnight, Tuesday, February 15, as noted on the WebCT calendar.

Take a look at the discussion on Nate's blog. Be sure to read the comments as well (and maybe add one of your own?).

Nathan raises some interesting points. Let me respond to some of them here. You can pick up the conversation on your blog, ok?

Web Delivered Course:
Not every student thrives in a web delivered course. This is about "knowing" yourself. What kind of learner are you? Some students find that they need face to face interaction with their instructor and someone to remind them to complete tasks. These students don't do well in web delivered courses. Ultimately this is just about how you learn--we all learn differently. Other students find that the flexibility of web delivered courses and the fact that they learn best from reading make the web delivered course right. You need to think about how you learn and what the class does and doesn't do.

Multiple Web Pages:
Some of you have concerns about the multiple places that our class is housed. I can tell you that this class simulates the types of tasks that you will be asked to complete on the job. In other words, you will not find a professional job that doesn't ask you to gather data from multiple sources, synthesis and produce an outcome. So, yes, you will need to have multiple screens open to complete tasks. This is similar to working from multiple documents, an email your boss sends, the rules of the organization, a directive that your boss gives you in the hall, and your personal goals to complete a task at work.

Blogging:
What's the point, asks Brandy--Actually she asks "what does Blog have to do with a tech class"? As I mentioned in one of the first posts to my blog, I think blogs can do a couple of things very well.

1. This is a writing course--I notice that Brandy forgot the "writing" part in her post. Perhaps that is why she doesn't see the point in blogging? The only way that you will learn to do something well is to practice. Your blog lets you practice writing and writing often.

2. The blog is an excellent way to get you to think about tone and audience. So, take Nate's entry and the responding comments. Here's what you need to think about. Your instructor reads all the blogs and comments. I'm your boss. What tone should you use? Who is your audience? How public is your entry?

If there is one thing that I want you to learn from this class, it is to control your tone in your writing. All too often people send the angry, first response email. This is the email that immediately responds to a problem or situation. This is a really bad idea for a number of reasons. Ultimately, you send an email, write a letter, write a post, etc. because you want to get something changed or done. If you make the audience angry or annoyed, what is the chance that you will be able to get the audience to do something to change the situation? Probably very little. So, don't use your writing to vent publicly. Instead, you want to wait a bit (until you cool down--I call it the 24 hour rule) and then carefully read through your written response. You want to appear rational and thoughtful, not angry and irrational. You want to convince your reader to do something--what is the best way to approach the audience?

Frustration:
It is not unreasonable to be a bit frustrated. There is a learning curve to the course (as you might see with all courses where you have to work at the material). Once you master the various technology pieces, however, you will see that each piece of the course follows the same pattern. So, the learning curve will level off. I would argue that the technical part of the course title (Technical Writing) is being served by the various technology pieces that you use.

CPR Question/Next Assignment

2005-02-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

CPR Question

Angie writes:

"Hi, I have read through the syllabus and CPR information and still am a little confused.
I understand that each CPR is worth 5%. I was wondering, if our ratings don't match
yours, are we penalized? Or, do we just get a completion grade for doing the CPR for
each assignment?"

Angie asks some super questions about how CPR is used in the class. Let me try to give you additional information.

You receive a grade for each of your assignments and a grade for each CPR.

CPR allows you to review how I judge technical writing documents using a very specific set of criteria. This is the calibration stage. I have included 3 assignments in each calibration. One is great, one ok, one is not very good (High, Medium, Low). You will see these same assignments and grade them following the question set, trying to match my criteria. This section tries to teach you what makes good technical writing.

Then you will receive 3 of your classmate's papers to do the same scoring, with the same questions.

Finally, you get your own paper again to score.

The grading is actually pretty complex--you don't receive a completion score for the A1-A4 assignments--just the initial assignment.

A1-A4 are weighted in this manner:

Text Entry: 30%
Calibrations: 10%
Reviews: 30%
Self-Assesssment: 30%

What does that mean? Let me break down each piece:

Text Entry: This score is the score that you are given for your actual assignment. It is initially based on the peer review scores (weighed by how well your peer calibrate--the closer to my calibration results, the more the peer score counts). Then, I check the score to make sure it is accurate, making changes if necessary. This will also be the grade you receive on your paper.

Calibrations: This score is what you are given for matching the calibrations on the first three papers. There is some room for mistakes--you can miss a few and still score a perfect score. You are also allowed to retake them once if you have problems. The calibrations are designed to help you understand what is important to look for in the papers.

Reviews: These are the reviews that you complete for your peers. Your review score is based on how well you calibrate to each other and based on your calibration scores as well.

Self-Assesment: This score is what you are given for calibrating to your peer review scores of your paper. So, if you give yourself an A and your peers gave you a C, you won't receive many points in this section. The goal is accuracy.

All of this complex mathematical formula is to give you accurate and fair scores. Please be aware that I will look at each step of the process to be sure that things are accurate. If not, I will adjust grades.

When we finish our first CPR do look carefully at the results. This will all make much more sense. There is a lot of information to be learned about how people review your papers. Please make use of it--it will make your writing better!

Assignment 1

Assignment 1 is now available on WebCT, under the Course Materials. Please read the assignment carefully and get started. Don't wait until the last minute!

AND! Check out Chris' Lab Pictures and Renee's cool camping pictures.

CPR Woes

2005-02-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

I believe that a number of you are having a few problems with CPR and the assignment. I've tried to correct the problem today, so hopefully things will go a bit more smoothly. This is why we do a small trial run of CPR--so the major assignments go off a bit better. As you work through CPR let me know if you find any links that don't work or if your paper isn't your paper in the self assessment section.

If you have any questions about your assignment at all this is the time to ask. Some of you were having some questions about your paper code--it is the same as member ID/Site number.

So, keep going with the CPR. We have added all of the technology pieces to our class, so things will get easier in the next few weeks.

Tomorrow I will post your first major assignment.

CPR and Blogs

2005-02-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to work on your CPR assignment this weeekend. You should enter your paper by this evening and enter your CPR code by tomorrow. On Monday afternoon you will be able to start working on your actual CPR assignments. The calibrations are a step by step process. Grading for this assignment is all or none. In other words, you do all of the pieces (turn in your file to Turnitin.com, enter your code, complete the 6 paper evaluations and your self evaluation), you get a 100. The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with the process of paper evaluations, including turning in your paper and CPR, that we complete this semester.

As you continue to write in the blogs, I wanted to remind you of two things that are possible:

1. You may include pictures! Images are fun things to put in a blog post. Blogger gives you some directions on including pictures. Each of you has space on A&M's server to put images. Those images can then be displayed in your blog. This is optional, of course, but you may decide all of the text in your blog needs some jazzing up.

2. You may link to other web pages from your blog. So, I can reference A&M's Web Page from my blog. This will allow you to show other students items of interest.

Have a super weekend!

Interesting Blog Postings

2005-02-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is reading through the class blogs. We have a very interesting group of students in our class. For example, Amelia is originally from a small town in Indonesia--read her blog for more info. Robert appears to be our resident film critic. Three classmates work at Chick Fil a at the mall.

I'm enjoying seeing what everyone is posting on the blogs. Keep writing!

Final CPR Information

2005-02-02T01:45:00.000-07:00

Please let me stress (strongly)--you must read my blog posts carefully. I give lots of information on the blog that you need to keep up with. Notice that my posts archive. That means all information is available to you. Read the old posts if you miss something.

Ok. Now on with the rest...

You should have turned in your assignment as a .pdf file to turnitin.com, logged in to CPR, and taken the pre test. As noted on the WebCT calendar, each of these items are due Feb. 4 by midnight.

Once you have done this, there is one last step to complete before we can work in CPR (this is due Feb 5 by midnight). When you click on our CPR Practice module link (inside CPR--available after you take your pre test), you will see information on the source material and writing prompt. Below the writing prompt there is a blank box called a Text Entry page. You should not put your assignment into that spot. Instead, type the following into the box:

a href="http://www-english.tamu.edu/pers/fac/earhart/301/cpr/instructions/x.pdf">Click Here
Replace the x with your paper number. Then put <> around the entire code (at both the beginning and end of the line).

Once the Saturday deadline passes, you will be able to start working in CPR. I'll post more about this Friday.

CPR Assignment

2005-02-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Making a .pdf

Just another bit of information about .pdf creation. You may certainly use another type of pdf converter program (such as adobe Professional), but there is one caution. Some of the free converters won't convert properly. They may look ok, but turnitin.com will not accept them as a file.

MORE CPR Stuff (are you sick of this yet--I want to give you detailed directions so you don't get lost... sorry)

OK. You've written your assignment for CPR. You've turned it into a .pdf file. Now what?

The next step is to label the paper with what I call your paper number for the semester. Your paper number is going to be the same as your site id in the blog ring. If you don't remember what you id is, go to here and look at the number beside your blog name. You should name all papers this semester with your number (for example, 1.pdf). Change your paper name to your number (so maybe something like 15.pdf).

Next you need to upload the file to Turnitin.com. If you already uploaded your file to turnitin.com and forgot or didn't know to change the number don't worry. I will fix it. Just be sure to use your number for our first big assignment.

Now for CPR--a number of you have already used CPR. Great. You have an idea of how it works. For those of you that don't let me give you some information. CPR is located at http://cpr.tamu.edu. Click on the access CPR at TAMU link.

CPR has now uploaded your student information. However, you can't use your neo or university information to log in. You need to click on the new users link and follow directions. You will be given a ID and password to use with CPR--write it down so you don't forget it.

Once you log in you will need to Take the CPR tour and pretest. Please do. NOTE: If you used CPR in another class you will use the login from before and not have to take the tour or pretest.

Please complete the tour.

I will post the final bit of information on CPR tomorrow--just one more step until everything is set up for calibrations and review!

Clarifications

2005-02-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

I'm going to do today's information in two posts. This first post will focus on clarification of class requirements and the second post will give you the rest of the information on the CPR assignment.

Ok. Let me clarify a couple of points that seem to be confusing some people. Let me know ASAP if any of this is unclear. Be sure to read all of my blog entries and all materials contained in WebCT, particularly the Syllabus information.

If you missed or had problems with the following assignments (blog or wiki) the first week, you can do double assignments this week and I will give you credit (please complete this by Sunday). I'm still grading these posts/comments, so your grades in the gradebook won't be complete for another day or two.

Each Week

A week is from Monday through Sunday, with 14 weeks in total

Here is what you must complete each week:
1. Post 1 free post to your blog
2. Post 2 comments to fellow Student's blogs
3. Work in the class Wiki

These assignments make up what would normally occur in a physical classroom--these are the things that make us a writing community.
In addition you should post any required blog responses that I designate on my blog and any posts for book chapters. These will be added to the WebCT Calendar. Your WebCT calendar will also have assignment deadlines. SO, you should be able to keep up with the course by doing the above each week and looking at your WebCT calendar regularly. Make sense?

Wiki

There are a few folks who indicated that they are still confused by the wiki. In all 301 Tech Writing classes students are to complete a group writing assignment. This is very difficult to do in a web delivered course--your individual schedules make any kind of face to face meeting nearly impossible. So, we are using a wiki to do our group work.

Ultimately the wiki is about the experience of group writing, not a finished project. I believe that writing often will help you communicate and write better. So, working in a wiki will help you with collaborative projects when you get out in the "real world."

Your wiki assignment is to write a handbook for blogger in our Technical Writing class. Your audience is future students who will take this web delivered course. I would like you to think about all aspects of using blogger: How to set up an account, trouble shooting, What sorts of posts are required, what are potential topics, what is the purpose of a blog in Tech Writing, Etc. It is up to you, as a group, to shape the topics. THink about each topic as a separate section of a handbook.

Notice that potential sections are already started on the wiki: Setting up Blogs and Using Blogger These are links created at the bottom of the Homepage. You may want to add a few more--to find out how to create a link, look at either Tips for Editing or Documentation Index on the left hand sidebar of the Homepage.

To receive credit for the assignment you need to work in the wiki one time a week. You might write additional text, add a page link, or change what someone else has written. Be sure to include your name at the bottom of the page (in the name blank) so that I may give you credit. If you forgot to do so, please let me know.

The nifty thing to notice about wikis is that they keep track of everything that you do. Look at page history or recent changes on the right side bar to see what your classmates have done. Don't be afraid to rewrite, add or change the text and structure.

You are making progress!

2005-01-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Look at you go! You all are making progress in your class. Here's what you should have finished by tomorrow:

1. Blog set up
2. Blog ring added and working properly
3. Post your Blog Introduction
4. Post Responses to Chapters 1 and 3
5. Posted 2 comments to fellow students' blog
6. Posted 1 free post blog
7. Worked at least one time in the class Wiki
8. Created a Turnitin.com account

If you have completed all of this, then you are on track. If not, you need to complete these pieces ASAP. Remember that I am grading these assignments. If you have any questions at all, please ask!

I will be contacting those of you who are having ring problems today. We need to get all the ring codes working correctly so that you can move around the ring easily.

Now let's get back to our CPR Practice Module assignment:

I hope that you completed the very short writing assignment that I discussed Friday. You should save this in a word processing program (word is easiest).

Next, you will need to make your file a .pdf. A pdf is a type of file that is basically a snapshot picture of your page. It can't be altered and the text/graphics won't move around no matter on what type of computer you open it. This is important to our tech writing class, since a good portion of your grade is based on document design--spacing, bold, italics etc. If you document doesn't open properly you might be marked down for something that is actually a computer glitch, not your mistake. By saving our files as .pdfs we avoid this.

So there's the rationale for the .pdf. Here's how to save the file:

There are two easy ways to save files as .pdf.

1. Many computers (including all Apples and all TAMU lab computers) have the .pdf converter installed within word.

a. Open your file in word
b. Click on File, Print
c. Click on "save as pdf" and follow the steps
d. You are finished!

2. If you don't have this setting/ program on your computer your other option is to use a free web based trial program available at Create Adove PDF online (Http://createpdf.adobe.com. Setting up a free account will give you 5 free conversions, exactly the number needed for our class.

Once you have converted your file, you will upload or submit it to turnitin.com. Remember that this is like handing the paper to your instructor in class.

To submit the file:

1. Login to turnitin.com
2. Click on the link for "ENGL 301: 584"
3. Look for "CPR Instructions" and the submit icon to the right of it
4. Click on submit and follow directions

You are finished! More tomorrow on this process.

CPR Module

2005-01-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

It looks like a number of you are setting up your turnitin.com account. Great. Turnitin.com is where all of your assignments will be turned in. Please be sure to read that statement on Turnitin.com on your syllabus, housed in webct.

CPR Module

This assignment will teach you how to use CPR. The credit for this assignment is all or nothing. If you complete all steps of the assignment, you will receive a 100 for your in-class assignment. If you miss a step, you will not receive credit for the assignment.

CPR or Calibrated Peer Review will teach you about excellent technical writing. You will learn how to critique your peer's papers, sample papers, and your own work. While there are a number of steps to the process (and we will complete 1 CPR for each of your formal assignments (A1-A4)), let's complete the first step. Here's your assignment:

Prompt for CPR Module
You will write a set of instructions to a newly enrolled fellow classmate that will describe how to log in to WebCT. Consider both what your classmate needs to know to succesfully log in to WebCT and how your document design will allow your classmate to easily find the information that he or she needs to know.

I would like you to start writing this very short assignment. Write it, for now, in your word processing program. More information on Monday.

Additional Questions, Turnitin.com

2005-01-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

It looks like you have your blogs set up--great job! Keep working on the various postings that you have due this week and next.

Notice that the posts that you and I make are automatically archived in the sidebar (below right). If you aren't keeping up with my blog, you can read the old posts to catch up on missed information.

Aurora asked a question about the two comments that you are to make on classmate's blogs. These comments are up to you, but they should respond to the post in which you comment. So, if you look at Aurora's blog, you will notice she has comments on her Intro--apparently she and Chris have a friend in common.

We are getting ready to start your first formal assignment in the class- the CPR practice module. I would like to walk you through this process step by step so that you understand the pieces. I am pushing back the deadline to February 4 so we can go step by step.

Our first step is to set up Turnitin.com. After you write your assignment you will turn your assignment in to Turnitin.com.

Let's first set up Turnitin.com. Then I will give you the additional information necessary for your assignment, ok?

To set up turnitin.com, you need to go to www.turnitin.com . You first need to set up a user profile. Click on create a user profile (located under the log in button).

1. Select Student for your user profile id

2. Type in this class id: 1239869 and your class enrollment password. Your class enrollment password is posted in the turnitin.com questions discussion section of webct.

3. Follow all following steps to set up your account. You should see ENGL 301: 584

4. Enter the class by clicking on the link. You will see assignment names. If you see CPR Instructions, you have done everything right.

I will give you additional information tomorrow!

Introduction Due Today

2005-01-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that your introduction postings on your blog is due today. Take a look at what other classmates' have written by following the blog ring (click on next or previous on each page).

While you are moving through the ring, make sure you comment on at least 2 class members pages. That way you have completed the two comments for this week that you are required to make.

If you are having problems with any of the aspects of this class please let me know. Tomorrow I will give you more information on how to set up your turnitin.com account.

Questions and Answers

2005-01-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

I want to commend you for struggling through the technology issues that you have probably already experienced this semester! You have set up a blog and begun to post. You have added (or are attempting to add) a blog ring. Remember that the learning curve at the beginning is steep, but it will level out after a week or two.

I will post grades for blog completion and the small blog comment assignment that I asked you to complete.

Let me answer a couple of questions that I see posted. Jorge asks "What would you like us to write on our chapter posts"? I talk about this issue in detail in this post. Beyond the criteria that I provide in that post (be sure to read each day's blog entry, as it will provide important class information), I would like you to pick the pertinent issue that you find in each chapter. For some of you that might be--hey, I need to redo my resume if I want to get a job. Then, write about what you think are some reasons why you want to redo the resume and what you might do. Or, you might write about why or why not you think the issues related to tech writing are reasonable or not. Ultimately, this is a pretty open assignment.

Note too that you have some other entries to complete this week: You should comment on two classmate's blogs and also post an open topic. The big one is your introduction, due Wed. by midnight.

And what else should you be doing this week other than reading and blog posting? Well, there's the wiki that I referred to yesterday. You should make one written addition or editing change to the wiki each week. Spenser and Rhonda have started to try the program. You can't mess it up--just get in there and start writing around to see what happens.

Spenser wasn't sure how to get started. On each page you will see an Edit Page link. If you click on that link you will go to a textbox. You may add or change anything in that textbox--just delete and type like you were working in Word. If you want to do something fancy, like add a link or change fonts, you can look at the TIps for Editing and Documentation Index. But, it is most important to try to write something or edit someone else's post once a week. Be sure to include your name as the person who made the changes so that I may give you credit, ok?

Tomorrow I will talk about your CPR module. Just what you want--another program to use...

Really it will get better! And, I am happy to help you with any technology related questions--just email, ok?

Reminder

2005-01-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

I wanted to remind you that you should set up a blog and post the address in webct by Monday at midnight. If you experience any problems, please let me know. We will find a solution that will work for you.

Once you set up your blog, be sure to post your introduction. It looks like your blog won't appear until you actually post something to it.

And, follow the directions for the class ring. The ring is important to set up properly because it will allow you to easily read your fellow student's pages. You will be able to move through our entire class by clicking on the next/previous button on each page.

What else should you be doing? Well, if you have your blog stuff set up, then you should start the introduction and chapter posts, as well as the additional weekly posts.

I will wait until the deadline passes, then post your grades in the webct gradebook. This will allow you to keep up with the pertinent posts.

Now, just to expode your head this early in the semester, take a look at:

our Class wiki

If all this technology is feeling overwhelming, hang in there. I can help you get situated and so can your classmates. Remember that the learning curve is steep at the beginning, but once your know the program, you will be in good shape.

Introductions and the Ring

2005-01-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

Introductions and the Ring

As you get your blog set up, remember to post your blog address on webct discussions. Be sure to double check that your blog address is working. You will also want to join our class ring. Directions are linked on the right hand side of this page (ENGL 301.584 Ring). Notice that I have added a webct calendar due date of Tuesday for joining the ring.

I would like you to introduce yourself on your blog. It is up to you what information you would like to include on your introductory blog post (due Wed. Jan 26), but you should once more think about audience. As some of you have noticed from your comments, blogs may be read not only by your teacher and classmates, but by anyone on the web. Take a look at Jorge's blog and read his comment to see what I mean. So, be selective in what you would like to include. Think about what type of privacy you would like to establish. You might not use your last name, nor give a lot of detailed information, but still provide an introduction that could focus on professional goals.

Office Hours

And remember that you can always come to my physical office for help. I'm in Blocker:

I'm in:

and am probably busy typing away:

Questions, Questions, Questions

2005-01-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share some information that has come up from various students.

First, I will post information on what should be included in your introduction blog posting on Friday. This weekend you will want to make sure that you have set up your blog and posted the web address in webct.

Second, read the information on the syllabus about the different types of blog postings you will be required to complete throughout the semester. Next week you will need to start the weekly required postings. You will receive credit for completion of the appropriate number of posts.

In many ways, the blog can be a huge grade boom or bust. If you complete all assignments you will receive a 100 for 20 percent of your grade. This would elevate your grade quite a bit. However, the same can happen if you don't complete assignments--your grade could drop quite a bit. So, you want to stay on top of the blog writing component of the class.

Let me give you a little more information on the types of blog entries you will need to complete beginning next week.

1. You will write on entry responding to each assigned chapter from our textbook. There are deadlines for these entries--look at webct calendar for information on when each chapter entry must be completed. You should write a response of at least 8 sentences to each chapter. You might highlight the important items that you have learned or you might pick one item that you will discuss in detail. You might also talk about how you could use what you learn in the chapter in either your professional life or in a specific class assignment.

2. You will also write entries that respond to a particular question or issue that I post on my blog. If the assignment will be counted toward your final blog post I will clearly tell you this ("This assignment will be graded and will count toward your final blog grade") as well as give you a specific due date. I will cross post the due date on the webct calendar (your source for all deadlines!).

3. You should post one entry a week of your own choice. The entry should be professional, but is open topic. You might respond to an issue that you have noticed on my blog or someone else's blog, or an issue that you notice in the university or on the news.

4. You should use the comment function on a classmate's blog at least 2 times each week. Note that this is not two comments per each classmate blog, but two comments on two separate classmate's blogs, 2 times a week. Make sense?

You will want to get started on your reading and blog posting regarding the first chapters. See the syllabus on webct for assigned reading.

Please note that CPR and Turnitin.com are not yet available. I will have both up and running by mid next week, which will give you one week to complete your CPR practice module assignment.

Blogging is Happening!

2005-01-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is fun--you are commenting and setting up blogs! I'm really curious to see what each of you has to say about blogging in a writing course.

It looks like, from the initial comments (keep commenting, ok), that you fall into two camps:

1. You read blogs (mostly friends), but have never blogged yourself
2. You don't know anything about blogs, but are gamely trying the blog

I see from looking at the discussions board in webct that a number of you have set up your blog. A few blog addresses don't seem to be working--please double check that your blog is working properly. You might try to write just one post (a hi there post), to ensure that your blog is visible.

I will be putting together a blog ring for our class over the next few days. A blog ring will allow you to easily find all of your classmate's blogs. This is really important because, starting next week, you will need to leave at least 2 comments a week on blogs (that's just 2 comments total--not 2 comments on every blog).

Richard emailed me to point out some discrepancies in the syllabus dates versus the calendar dates. I fixed these problems. Thanks Richard for point out the problems! If you see something that is unclear or inconsistent let me know. Generally the dates on the webct Calendar function are the most up to date ones and the ones that you will want to follow. BTW--When I blog I try to link to other people's blogs when I mention them in the post. So, if Richard had set up his blog, I would link to his blog so you might know who he is. (this isn't a criticism against Richard--the deadline for blog set up isn't here yet!)

Time to set up your Blog

2005-01-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome

Since the semester is under way, it seems appropriate that we get moving on our class. I hope that you have had a chance to read through the materials on webct. Please look carefully at how the class will be run and the way in which you need to progress. Notice that we have firm deadlines and tasks that need to occur. If you have any trouble viewing the materials in webct, please let me know.

I will use this blog space to walk you through the materials and concepts for our class. I will also try to remind you of deadlines and issues to consider. Remember, though, that you must keep up with deadlines and tasks. That's the challenge of a web delivered course!

The first task that you should complete this semester is setting up your personal blog. You should set up a blog by Monday, January 24, midnight. Be sure to give yourself a little time to work in case you have some problems.

What's a blog?

For an excellent definition (and more than you would ever want to know), take a look at the Wikipedia definition of Blog.

Why are we using a blog?

So, great. I get the blog thing. But why should we use one in the class?

A blog will allow us to write short bits, often. Writing small amounts regularly is the best way to improve your writing.

I also would like you to set up and write a blog so that we have a way to think about audience and purpose, two key issues in technical writing. Remember that your blog may be read by anyone, anywhere. So, when you set it up you might think about the purpose and audience. This isn't a personal diary. It is a class blog. What kind of content are you going to put on the blog?

You might also want to think about how much personal information you want to put on the blog. Some of you will choose not use your own name or any personal information. That is fine. Only your classmates will know who you are--the rest of the world doesn't need to know. Others of you won't mind using some personal information. What you don't want to do is expose unprofessional details--nobody wants to know about the impact of last night's party on your body. A good rule of thumb is--what if your parent read the blog? What if your employer read the blog? Think about this as you write.

How do you go about setting up a blog for this class?

I would like you to use the free program Blogger to set up your personal class blog.

If you look at the top right of the page you see a "get your own blog" button. Click it to set up your blog. Follow the directions on how to set up your blog. When you are finished, you will want to post your blog address in webct. Open webct and click on More tools (in the upper right hand corner). Click on Discussions. Look for the My Blog Address category. Post your blog address for assignment credit by midnight, Monday January 24.

Your mini assignment

Now--here's your chance to comment. I would like you to click the comment bar (below, left) and leave a comment that tells me (and your readers) what you know about blogs. Do you read blogs, keep a blog, know anything about blogs? Let us know!

The Semester Begins!

2005-01-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dr. Earhart's Technical Writing Blog. I will be using this space as a way to jump start conversations and activities during the Spring 2005 semester. You will want to check this often--everyday in fact!

I would like you to sign in to WebCT and read through the information contained within the website. Pay particular attention to all of the technology tools we will be using this semester. None of them is difficult to use, but you will need to sign up and utilize each of them. Right now you want to concentrate on getting into WebCt. I'll post information on how to get a blogger site tomorrow. Each of you will set up an individual blog that will be used for various class purposes throughout the semester. Blogger is very easy to use--if you can type, you can blog.

Dr. E's Technical Writing Blog

2005-01-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is the future home of my blog to support ENGL 301: 584, Technical Writing.