Professional Writing
English 229.002 | Fall 2015
Monday Wednesday 1:00-2:30 pm Mason Hall G444A
Ann Burke
Office: Tisch 3041
acburke@umich.edu
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30 am-1 pm (or by appointment)
EDWP-wide Course Description for English 229:
In this course you will acquire the skills needed to write clear and straightforward prose. Assignments will introduce you to the forms, methods, standards, and issues central to writing in the workplace. You will learn how to shape your writing to suit a range of readers, purposes, and professional contexts. You will learn effective strategies to analyze writing situations, and work in the class may include your own technical instructions, promotions, reports, proposals, correspondence, and application materials. Emphasis in this intensive writing course will be on the writing process, collaboration, research methods, and technology and document design.
Specific Course Description for this Section of English 229:
Building on writing experiences in previous writing courses, such as English 125 and 225, we will work together to develop professional identities through rhetorical approaches and writing strategies. Projects in this course will incorporate analysis of and reflection about how writing functions in professional contexts and shapes choices professional writers make to design and compose workplace documents. Additionally, projects will center around inquiry-driven learning based on interests in and goals for professional writing, which will be determined and developed, with collaboration between the student, instructor, and team support, throughout the course of the semester.
English 229 Learning Goals:
§ Analyze specific genres, people, and organizations to better understand the rhetorical, social, and cultural context of professional discourse communities
§ Work collaboratively in teams to receive and provide useful feedback for projects
§ Practice designing and composing professional writing genres with the goal of shaping your professional identity: create a professional portfolio, situated in a professional discourse community of your choice.
Required Texts/Materials:
§ Laptop (If you do not own or have access to a laptop, please let me know immediately, so I can best accommodate your technology needs.)
§ One composition notebook for in/out of class writing.
§ Regular folder or binder with pockets on both sides for use as a portfolio.
§ Access to google drive (you should have access through your UMICH e-mail)
§ Other required readings will be provided in class, via google docs or e-mail
Assignments for ENG 229: Throughout the semester, you will compose smaller writing assignments, which are designed to inform and shape the major assignments you will also compose. Through the writing process, you will do individual and group writing, often brainstorming and workshopping ideas with teams that will be organized early in the semester. Assignments are listed below, and more information about specific mini- assignments and major assignments are provided at the end of this document.
Mini-assignments:
Occasional, informal freewriting
E-mail to me regarding ideas and goals for class
E-mail to a member of a professional discourse community Exploring Your Online Identity
Major assignments:
Profile Project Rhetorical Analysis
Portfolio with the included materials (listed below):
Workplan Memo for Portfolio
Portfolio Materials (2-3 projects determined by student)
Final Reflection for Portfolio
Personal Statement with multimodal component (part of the portfolio)
Team Presentations
Grading Policy-Course Contract1:
Your final grade in this course will be based upon your fulfillment of a course contract. If you fulfill all requirements of the contract, you will receive at least a B in the course. As you review the contract, you will notice that earning a B in the course requires much more than “the bare minimum.” Rather, the course contract embodies the expectation that, to receive at least a B in this course, you will demonstrate professionalism, effort, critical reflection, engagement with the writing process, and production of texts necessary to successfully warrant at least a B grade. The contract requirements are rigorous, and not fulfilling all contract requirements will result in a grade lower than a B. We will discuss the contract together (see the course contract at the end of the document) in class at the beginning of the semester. If you agree to course contract guidelines, you will sign the document to be submitted within the first week of the semester, and proceed in fulfilling expectations throughout the semester.
Attendance Policy:
Come to class prepared and ready to participate. At Michigan we go by “Michigan Time,” which means all classes begin 10 minutes after the course catalog states as the beginning of class. So we begin promptly at 1:10 PM. If you arrive after 1:10 p.m., you will be considered late. I know life happens, and often our priorities need to shift, but if you must miss class, keep me informed. Additionally, missing more than two
classes will affect your grade in a negative manner. Each absence beyond two may result in up to a 1/3 of a letter grade deduction to your final grade. Five absences can result in a failing grade. Missing a conference also counts as an absence.
If you represent the university in a university-sponsored activity such as a sporting event or academic tournament, it is your responsibility to inform me at the beginning of the term which days you will miss. You are responsible for completing the work that you will miss, early. If you miss several classes due to extenuating circumstances, you may be required to complete additional make-up work.
Complete all assignments on time: I will excuse an absence due to family emergencies, medical emergencies, or required attendance at university-sponsored events. However, you must bring a note from a doctor or health professional, a signed letter from a University team or program, or documentation of a family emergency.
Conferences: You are required to meet with me, one-on-one, to discuss your writing throughout the semester (see schedule below). Each student will sign up for a 15-20 minute conference for one of those days. Come prepared to conferences with questions and ideas about your writing for the class. Missing a conference will result in an absence.
Late Work Policy:
I typically do not accept late work, unless you are in a dire situation that is out of your hands, and have documentation of that situation (e.g. doctor’s note). Technological issues are annoying, but not excuses. If you are for some reason absent on a day something is due, arrange to turn that assignment in prior to that day. Remember, if absent, it is your responsibility to gather and complete missed work.
Always have a backup plan. Use dropbox, save work on mfile.umich.edu, or google docs—something that will prevent those annoying technological issues and allow you to turn your work in on time.
Team Workshop and Intensive Review (IR) Policies:
In this writing community, it is important to celebrate and encourage our efforts. Through team workshopping, you will each share and respond to various writings. Teams might also meet occasionally to brainstorm, discuss readings, and progress in various writings. To develop projects, we will share google docs most of the time, and provide feedback via the comment and document functions. Reviewers will leave comments in the margins of the document, as well as an end comment, based on overall reactions to the writing, at the end of the document. I will monitor this process and consider online contributions when determining points for participation.
Additionally, intensive review (IR) will entail a process for which each student shares his/her work with the whole class. This is a low-stakes opportunity for each of us to garner feedback as we practice writing different genres. More details will be provided before the first round of IR, and I will model this process for the whole class. After major assignments are introduced, 4-5 students per IR session will share drafts of projects in progress, provide questions and issues to the class ahead of time, and receive verbal feedback from the larger group. Choose carefully what you would like to share with the larger class. Are you having trouble articulating a particular idea? Do you really like a particular project, but can’t figure out how to further develop it? Ask yourself questions about your writing to help you choose what you will share with and ask of the larger group. The IR candidate will take notes on feedback and make adjustments accordingly. Reviewers will also be active in this process, taking note of the IR candidates questions/issues ahead of time, and providing feedback to the writer. I will keep track of who participates in this process and factor it in to class participation.
In both team workshops and intensive review, while positive comments like, “I really like your idea,” are nice, they are often “fluff” and not helpful to other writers. If you have positive feedback, there should be purpose behind that feedback to help writers hone in on their strengths. Similarly, feedback should not be mean-spirited or counterproductive. Be thoughtful with constructive criticism and support each other.
Use of Technology Policy and Classroom Behavior:
Avoid texting, tweeting, facebooking, talking over others, and other behavior that demonstrates disrespect towards others or disrupts the learning environment. If any technology is used in class, it will be for the purpose of English 229, otherwise cellphones, laptops, etc., should be turned off and out of sight.
Plagiarism Policy:
The University of Michigan defines plagiarism as “Submitting a piece of work (for example, an essay, research paper, work of art, assignment, laboratory report) which in part or in whole is not entirely the student’s own work without attributing those same portions to their correct source.” Plagiarism is when you knowingly (or unknowingly) submit someone else’s ideas or words as your own. Please review the “Memo to all students taking courses in the English Department” from the former Chair of Undergraduate Studies. You can find it at: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/english/undergraduate/advising/plagNote.asp.
If you commit an act of academic dishonesty in this course either by plagiarizing someone’s work or by allowing your own work to be misused by another, you will fail the assignment and may fail the entire course. In addition, I will report the incident to both the English Department and the LS&A Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. Please note that if you submit work already completed for one course as original work for another course, you are violating university policies and will fail the assignment and possibly the course.
Information about Sweetland Center for Writing:
Located at 1310 North Quad, the Sweetland Center for Writing provides tutors who are available to provide writing feedback for your assignments or any other type of writing you create. You will not find the grammar police here. The Sweetland Center for Writing is a place for you to collaborate with tutors to progress in your writing. Check out the website or call (734) 764-0429 for more information.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
If you need an accommodation for a disability, please let me know. I can modify some aspects of the assignments, in-class activities, and teaching methods to facilitate your participation and progress. As soon as you make me aware of your needs, we can work with the Office for Students with Disabilities (SSD) to help us determine appropriate accommodations. I will treat as private and confidential any information that you provide.
Religious Observances:
If a class session or due date conflicts with your religious holidays, please notify me so that we can make alternative arrangements. In most cases, I will ask you to turn in your assignment ahead of your scheduled absence. In accordance with U-M policy on Religious/Academic conflicts, your absence will not affect your grade in the course.
Tentative Schedule (I reserve the right to make changes.)
Note: When a reading is due, expect that we will discuss it in class. In other words, come to class prepared.
| Due | In Class | |
| Wednesday, September 9 |
Class Introduction and Syllabus/Course Contract Introduction to first assignment—Getting to know you and your workspace (set up google doc folder for submission) |
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Monday, September 14 |
Getting to know you and your workspace “How to Write with Style”, Vonnegut “Re: Your Recent Email to Your Professor”, Corrigan and Hunt McNabb Signed Course Contract (Signing this document acknowledges you understand U-M Writing Program and instructor policies) |
Discuss readings Introduction to Mini-Assignment One |
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Wednesday, September 16 |
“Workshop is Not for You”, Chamberlain Due: Mini-Assignment 1 |
Discuss reading; Introduction to discourse community and knowledge domains (Beaufort) |
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Monday, September 21 |
“How to Read Like a Writer”, Bunn “The Concept of Discourse Community”, Swales |
Guest: Michael Olson, University of Michigan student RE: professional emails/notes Discuss readings; Introduction to Assignment 2 and meeting of teams Brainstorm for Mini-assignment 2 and define “professional discourse community” based on readings and class discussion thus far in teams > Use professional discourse community map guidelines |
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Wednesday, September 23 |
“Analyzing Rhetorical Situations”, Ede |
Draft and workshop Mini-assignment 2; turn in to me by end of class Considering the Rhetorical Situation |
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Monday, September 28 |
Mini-assignment 2 draft |
Intensive Review: 4 candidates |
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Wednesday, September 30 |
Send Mini assignment 2 |
Introduction to Profile Project |
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Monday, October 5 |
“Profiles” Chapter 5 from Writing Today, Johnson-Sheehan and Paine |
Guest: Nicole Coleman, physical therapist, University of Michigan health system |
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Wednesday, October 7 |
Read Intensive Review (IR) Candidate drafts |
Workshop profile project in teams Kenneth Burke’s Parlor Metaphor Intensive Review (IR): 4 candidates |
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Monday October 12 |
Due Profile Project |
Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis; Meet with teams to brainstorm |
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Wednesday October 14 |
“Using Key Messages to Explore Rhetoric in Professional Writing”, Shaver “The Co-construction of Credibility in Online Product Reviews”, Mackiewicz |
Discuss Readings; Workshop rhetorical analysis |
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Monday October 19 (Fall Break) |
No class—Fall Break |
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Wednesday October 21 |
Rhetorical Analysis due
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Intro to Workplan memo and portfolio; brainstorm with team for individual projects; prepare questions and ideas for conferences during which you will meet with me one on one to turn in your memo and discuss your ideas/plans for the rest of the semester |
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Monday, October 26 |
Due: workplan memo to be turned into me at your conference Conferences |
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Wednesday, October 28 |
Conferences | |
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Monday, November 2 |
“Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces”, Wardle |
Discuss Reading/Introduction to Miniassignment 3 |
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Wednesday, November 4 |
Read IR Candidate drafts |
IR: 4 candidates |
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Monday, November 9 |
Due: Miniassignment 3 | Introduction of Multimodal Website Project |
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Wednesday, November 11 |
“Writers as Architects,” Pericoli | Using Sources/Citations in professional discourse communities; team research |
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Monday, November 16 |
Workshop in teams | |
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Wednesday, November 18 |
Read IR candidate drafts |
Intensive Review: 4 candidates |
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Monday, November 23 |
Practice and share “elevator speeches” to articulate your professional identities |
Drafting day Guest: Reid Williams-Vice President / Innovation & Product Development of Michigan.com |
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Wednesday, November 25 |
Due: Multimodal Project |
Team workshop to prepare for final presentations |
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Monday, November 30 |
Read IR candidate drafts |
IR: 4 candidates |
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Wednesday, December 2 |
Introduction to reflection assignment; Panel preparation | |
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Monday, December 7 |
Team Presentations | |
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Wednesday, December 9 |
Team Presentations | |
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Monday, December 14 |
Team Presentations |
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Week of Monday December 16 |
Final Exam Period TBD |
Course Contract, Fall 20152
English 229: Professional Writing
Contract Requirements
- Attend class and arrive on time. You may miss two class sessions without penalty. It is wise to reserve these two absences for illness or emergencies. Each absence beyond two may result in up to a 1/3 of a letter grade deduction to your final grade. If you miss a conference or small group workshop, it counts as an absence. If a class session conflicts with your religious holidays, please notify me in advance so we can make alternative arrangements.
- Meet all due dates and assignment criteria for all projects. Because much of our work in this course is collaborative, it is especially important to turn work in on time. Members of your team workshops will be counting on you in order to stay on schedule.
- Complete all readings, and come prepared to actively participate during all class meetings. Successful participation includes regularly contributing to class discussion by posing questions and responding to others, sharing the floor with others, and using technologies such as cell phones and laptops at appropriate times. While participation will inevitably be different for each student, your contributions are both solicited and necessary to maximize learning in this course. Challenge yourself to participate in ways that might, at first, make you uneasy. Ideally, this course will become a place where we can interact and work to become more thoughtful and careful readers, writers, and thinkers. In short, we should notice and miss you if you’re not in class!
- Provide quality feedback to your peers during workshop and intensive review sessions. This entails thoughtfully preparing for team workshops before class and consistently using workshop time as directed.
- Sustain effort and investment throughout all phases of a project and throughout the course as a whole, and show improvement as the course progresses. Subsequent drafts of each assignment should show sustained effort and improvement. Students who exceed the contract requirements will show improvement in their work as the course progresses, as well.
- Make substantive revisions when the task is to revise by extending or changing the project’s content, organization, and/or research. Carefully edit and proofread when the task is to polish drafts for submission. Revision means “to see again,” which often requires making significant changes. Editing for careless errors adds professionalism to your writing and allows readers to focus on your ideas.
- Adhere to a citation system for a project when appropriate. Citation highlights the collaborative nature of writing and learning. We will be analyzing and discussing the purpose and performance of citation systems, but in all cases the goal is to provide a map for readers to locate, evaluate, and interact directly with the sources you use.
- Attend and prepare for conferences with the instructor. One-on-one instruction and feedback supports and complements what we do in class. These are important times for us to discuss your writing, learning goals, and progress in the course.
- Complete all assignments, and submit a final critical reflection essay, along with my reflective portfolio.
To honor my role as the instructor for this course contract, I promise to:
- Return feedback in a timely manner, within two weeks and before the next assignment is due.
- Respond to your concerns about the class and hear your anonymous feedback in a mid- term course evaluation.
- Respond to emailed questions within 48 hours.
- Be available for drop-in and scheduled meetings, both in office hours and at other requested times.
5.
This contract is adapted from one outlined by Jane Danielewicz and Peter Elbow. For a more thorough discussion of the theory and rationale behind this form of evaluation, as well as their original contract, please see: Danielewicz, Jane and Peter Elbow. “A Unilateral Grading Contract to Improve Learning and Teaching.” College Composition and Communication. 61.2 (2009): 244-268. Print.
I agree to enter in to this course contract. I understand that fulfilling all the requirements of the contract will result in a grade of at least a B in the course, that not fulfilling all the requirements will result in a grade lower than a B, and that composing writing and reflection of exemplary quality specific to the criteria for the individual projects will result in a grade higher than a B.
Course Assignments
Mini-assignments: Instructor Email Mini-assignment 1:
After reading and discussing (in class) Re: Your Recent Email to Your Professor, compose an e-mail to me that provides the following:
- Background about yourself: Why are you taking this class—how will it serve your interests in professional writing?
- What professional discourse community would you like to explore in this class? Why?
- If you are not quite sure why you are really taking this class, or what specific goals you’d like to achieve, be honest, and use this e-mail to ask questions about the course, explain your general interests, and any general ideas you might have about what you want to explore.
After receiving your e-mails, I will respond to any questions you raise and then organize teams based on your interests for the class. In these teams, you will support each other throughout the semester in completing individual assignments. For some assignments, you will need to network or reach out to individuals or groups situated within a specific professional discourse community. Instances of how your team might be able to support you include helping you to connect with members of professional discourse communities and providing feedback for writing.
Mini-assignment 2: Professional Email3
Carrying forward your experience with mini-assignment 1, you will compose an e-mail intended to introduce yourself to an individual who is situated within a professional discourse community you would like to explore.
Look ahead to the Profile Project and Rhetorical Analysis assignments and consider how mini-assignment 2 might inform whom you decide to focus on for those projects. Might the person you contact be the subject of your profile project? Could the person you contact provide information about genres that are important to a specific discourse community for your rhetorical analysis? Additionally, carefully consider the purpose and audience of this e-mail. What do you want to accomplish with this email, and what do you know about your potential audience—even if it is an audience of one?
I expect you to
Engage your audience by establishing a clear representation of yourself and why you are sending this e-mail
Articulate a clear purpose for sending your e-mail
Be clear and concise in stating your purpose and what you would like to garner from your e-mail’s recipient
Proofread and revise before sending (you will receive feedback from both me and your team)
You are required to submit your e-mail to me. Sending the e-mail to the actual recipient is optional. Do keep in mind that by actually sending the e-mail, you may garner more information about your professional community of interest, and material for future assignments.
Mini-Assignment 3: Exploring your Online Identity4
First, write a 1-2 written reflection that explores your current online identity. After exploring where you exist in online spaces (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, google searches, etc.), consider how you are represented online. In your written reflection, respond to the following questions:
How might someone, who does not know you, perceive your online identity if coming upon Instagram pictures, facebook status updates and tweets, blog entries?
What is missing or overrepresented?
How does your current online identity enhance or detract from your professional identity?
What changes might you enact to further shape your professional identity online?
After writing and submitting a written reflection to me, begin designing a new online space that you feel accurately represents your professional identity. The invention of this online space will serve as the multimodal component of your final portfolio. You might consider doing one of the following, but are not limited to this list: Facebook page or Twitter account overhaul
Linkedin Account
Academic blog or website (with intentions of attending grad school) Professional bog or website situated within a professional discourse community
Profile Project: Giving voice to others in community
In mini-assignment 2, you were asked to compose a professional e-mail to a representative of a specific professional discourse community. Through e-mail exchanges, follow up conversations via meetings, phone calls, etc. you should have garnered information about the role your person plays in your chosen professional discourse community, and what genres are used within that community. For the profile project, you will carry forward what you collected from this exchange, and identify and discuss a person or group important to your chosen community. Based on your previous conversation, you may find you want to argue for the influence of the person with whom you originally communicated for the mini-assignment, a different person with whom he/she noted as important to the community, or a larger group/organization that holds influence within your chosen professional discourse community. 6-8 pages
Your task: You are to write a researched essay profiling a figure or organization in the professional community of your choice, while persuading your audience that your subject is important to that particular community. Your job is not to simply research a person and report on the findings, like a biography, but rather, relate their contributions to the professional community, and how this influence has taken shape.
I expect you to:
Show how the person/group you are profiling is influential within your discourse community.
Incorporate secondary research to support your claims.
You must use at least 3 outside, reputable sources, which can include resources gathered from the professional e-mail mini-assignment.
Avoid summarizing, but explain and describe (show, don’t tell); persuade. Demonstrate an ability to utilize the means of persuasion in order to appeal to your audience.
Demonstrate global implications within this profile project—Yes, your person/group has an impact in a specific community, but what about outside communities? What can various audiences take away from your argument? Utilize the rhetorical appeals effectively.
Address who this person/group is, why their work is/was important, and how it has shaped a specific professional community.
Ask yourself the following questions to establish an argument within your profile project:
Why do I think it’s important to persuade audiences about this person/group? Why should others care? What affect has this person/group had the professional community I am exploring?
Do I have appropriate, reputable sources (at least 3) to support my argument?
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Format:
6-8 pages (typed)
12 pt. font Double Spaced
Correct citations-MLA, APA, etc.
Works Cited/Reference Page (at least 3 outside sources)
Rhetorical Analysis: Stepping into the Conversation
A rhetorical analysis affords you to the opportunity to explore a professional community of interest, and analyze genres valued by that community. Use our course readings (e.g. Shaver, Ede), discussions, resources garnered previous assignments (e.g. professional e-mail, profile project) to inform your analysis, as you identify and analyze 1 genre important to your professional community of choice, and evaluate the meaning, intended audience, and intended outcome of the identified genres.
Your role: You will “step into” a specific professional discourse community of interest and analyze a genre important to that community, and that fuels the “ongoing conversation,” purpose, and/or mission of the professional discourse community. In determining which genre to focus on, consider readings and course discussions about how genres are identified, defined, and shaped (also consider feedback from professional e-mail, discussions within collaborative teams)
I expect you to:
Focus on 1 genre that contributes to the conversation of your chosen professional community. (In class we will look at different examples, as you consider what professional community, and which genres you will explore.)
Avoid summarizing your chosen genres, but explain how the genre contributes to and functions within a professional community. Discuss how the genre conveys a particular message for the professional discourse community.
Consider the following questions about your chosen text as you write your essay:
What is the purpose of the genre for the professional discourse community?
What message does each genre convey for the professional discourse community? Who is the target audience of this genre?
What themes or patterns emerge between the analyzed genre and characteristics/function of the professional discourse community?
Ultimately, consider the big picture: What is the author’s purpose and how does the author (writer, speaker, builder, etc.), attempt to achieve that purpose–How are the rhetorical appeals used to relay the message within the discussed genre?
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Why?
This assignment serves as a touchstone as you build your professional ethos, now incorporating secondary research, and considering how you can build on what you have learned from your analysis and begin to establish your professional identity within a specific community.
Format:
6-8 pages (typed)
12 pt. font Double Spaced
Professional Portfolio: Establishing your Identity in a Professional Discourse Community
Initial Workplan Memo:
Your workplan memo will be workshopped with your team and discussed with me during conferences, early in the semester (see schedule in syllabus). Your memo should outline initial plans for what you would like to create in terms of building a professional portfolio; a portfolio that best represents your goals for this course and your interests in a specific professional discourse community. You will need to create 2-3 projects, one of which will be a multimodal component that represents your online professional identity (see description for the multimodal project below).
In this memo, propose your projects and why they are relevant to your goals and interests. Additionally, sketch a schedule of deadlines you will adhere to throughout the semester, including deadlines for drafts and final submissions. Ultimately, your final portfolio, with all completed projects, is due at the end of the semester (see schedule in syllabus), but you will be expected to workshop multiple, substantial drafts throughout the semester. I understand that projects and deadlines might change as you go along, but I also expect that you will communicate changes to both me and your team, be prepared to workshop draft material when we workshop in class, and turn in your final projects on time.
I expect you to:
Explain your purpose and goals for the portfolio project
Incorporate projects relevant to what you’ve learned from the initial profile project, rhetorical analysis, and mini-assignments, as well as your professional goals and interests
Consider what the implications of your portfolio for your professional identity Design your portfolio with a larger audience in mind—how might your professional identity hold influence within a specific professional discourse community?
Why?
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A professional portfolio allows you to explore your own professional interests while also considering how you can gain footing in a professional discourse community. With your own project, you will also develop research to show the implications of your project outside the classroom. Therefore, we need to be on the same page as to what you are thinking for this project and I need to see that you, with your initial research, keep a broader audience in mind. This assignment should demonstrate the connections you are making between your interests and what is happening in the world around you.
Consider the following questions:
Are the projects you’ve chosen to take on doable/manageable?
What’s the point of this project? Think kairos/exigence! What prompted you to decide on your outlined projects?
What do you hope to learn from building this particular portfolio?
After the initial workplan memo:
Create 2-3 projects that represent your professional identity, situated within a specific professional discourse community
Through previous assignments like the profile project and the rhetorical analysis, you should be able to compose professional genres that are relevant to your chosen professional discourse community. Depending on the professional discourse community, there are a wide range of genres you could explore (e.g. cover letters, personal statements, resumes and CVs, etc.)
One of the projects must be a multimodal component that conveys your professional identity (see mini-assignment 3), situated within a specific professional discourse community. Multimodal can be defined as a text composed in more than one mode (i.e., visual, audio, gestural, spatial, or linguistic). Multimodality can therefore be presented in various formats (e.g. website, twitter handle, linkedin profile, etc.). As you create your multimodal space, ask yourself the following questions to help you in your design choices:
Does your audience change—who is invited to your argument, who might be excluded? How accessible is your text? What about your use of the appeals in our multimodal as compared to using strictly alphabetic text? What were the affordances and limitations of composing your multimodal project?
The multimodal project should also be supplemented with a written reflection:
Supplement your multimodal online identity space with a 1-2 page reflection on your process of designing this project, as well as the reasons behind your choices and rhetorical moves.
Reflect on the transformation of your project in terms of how the new medium affected your use of rhetoric and the choices and delivery of the text that you made as an author. Also return to mini-assignment three and consider how your professional identity has changed and/or evolved online.
Final Reflection/Justification of Portfolio Materials
For your final component of your professional portfolio, you will reflect on the process and outcome of your work, as well as justify your design choices.
Why?
We, as a class, have discussed the significance of personal experience and interest, research, the rhetorical situation, and how all of these concepts are important and connected within specific professional discourse communities. I want to get a sense of how these projects worked for you.
When reading your assignment, I will look for:
A thoughtful response to your class experience (so consider the class as the whole) Your explanation of any discoveries and the progress you have made in building your portfolio
Justification of why you pursued the projects included in your project
Your thoughts on how what you have learned in this class and how building this portfolio will help you in the future (with other classes, a new career, etc.)
Format:
1-3 pages (typed)
12 pt. font Double Spaced
Team Presentations
For one of the final components of this course, you will participate in a team presentation, through which you present your findings and pieces of your final portfolio to the class, in conjunction with other panelists. Team presentations afford you the opportunity to share and celebrate your work, as well as the work of others. Not only should you present your elements of projects, but your role as an active audience member will be considered when the floor is opened for questions and further conversation.
Total Points: 50 I expect you to:
Thoughtfully connect your experience and findings within a presentation—remember the rhetorical situation: how will ethos, logos apply? What modes (spatial, visual, linguistic, etc.) will you use to move your audience (pathos?)
Articulate your professional identity through your presentation and clarify this by sharing pieces of portfolio and with any presentation aids (multimodal project) you see fit
Consider exigence: what prompted your designed portfolio project idea? What do you want your audience to do with your information that you have presented?
Format:
Each panel will have 35 minutes to present (this includes time for questions at the end). Each group member must be involved in the planning and in presenting. You can be as creative as you’d like in reporting on your research, so long as each individual on the panel has the opportunity to present findings and convey some sort of argument. Your panel may decide to present one cohesive presentation in relation to how your projects are connected, or, your panel may decide to present as a larger panel, but with individual presentations specific to your individual research. For instance, note how the following presentations might function in different ways:
Panel 1: Norm Popularity Towards the Real: The Digital Origin of the Modern Preference
“Designing the Web”
Chad
“Video Games: The Social Irony of an Introverted Culture”
Alec
“ANDYwear” Andrew
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“Social Media: Impacts that Changed Lives” Bryce
Panel 2: Steps to Happiness: The Integral Components of Self Realization and Human Betterment
Tessa , Tiffany, Mariah
*Provide title(s) and abstract for presentation before presentations
*Make sure to also provide enough time for your panel to present information, but also receive and respond to questions for further discussion
Panelists:
Consider how you will present the information and convey your professional identity effectively
What presentation tools will you use, if any? Will you present as individual panelists, or collaborate?
Be prepared to improvise and move forward despite unanticipated tech mishaps, panelist no-shows, etc.
*If you do not attend class on your assigned presentation day, you cannot make this up and will automatically fail this assignment
Audience:
Your participation in team presentations is also factored into your final grade. Give teams your undivided attention, take notes and write down questions to ask at the conclusion of the presentations; ask thoughtful questions that provoke interesting conversation.
When evaluating your presentation, I will consider the following:
Presentation content (the degree to which the panelists presented interesting and engaging information)
Presentation skills of each panelist (professionalism, gestural mode, ability to convey argument)
Management of time constraints and revision and editing of research content to fit within time constraints
Responses to questions and contribution/feedback to conversations
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