Work You Will Do

We will not meet in the classroom, but you will put in at least 50 minutes of work on your project by 5 PM on Saturday. Effort counts on Project 3, so you want to demonstrate that you used your time wisely.

To report what you did, go to “Tests & Quizzes” in Scholar and complete Friday’s assignment, “04/04 Proof of Work” by 5 PM on Saturday, 4/5/2014. We discussed some ways to show your work, like those listed below:

• If you’re composing a traditional cover letter and/or resume, you can give me a Share link to your Google Doc. I can use the File -> See revision history command to see what you worked on.
• If you’re working on a site like LinkedIn, you might take a screenshot of your page before you begin working and give me the link to your LinkedIn so I can see the current version (after your work).
• If you’re working on a site liked LinkedIn, you could also print a PDF version of your page before you begin working and then give me the current link. (To print a PDF, go the the pages and use the File -> Print command, and then change the printer to PDF. You can upload the PDF to your Google Drive.)

I will also ask you to summarize what you did so that I can see all the hard work you have put in.

Finding Me Friday

I will be in (or near) my office from 9:05 to noon and from 1:25 to 3:15. If you want to ask me questions, you can come by Shanks 214, send me an email during those hours, or use the online office chatroom. I will respond as soon as possible to any questions on Friday.

Homework

• We’ll do in-class peer review on Monday, so be ready with your current draft to share with your group.
• Spend some time before class on Monday thinking about the questions that you want your group to think about as they read and comment on your draft. Aim to have 3 or 4 specific questions. A good question would be “Do the verbs I used to describe my work experience seem strong enough? Would you change any of them?” A weak question would be something like “Does this look good?” or “Can you just tell me what you think?” I will ask you to tell me your questions as part of Monday’s in-class writing
• Looking ahead, on Wednesday, I will share some ideas based on what I see in your peer review and answer any questions. The project is due on Friday, so we’ll work on the reflection memo in class that day.

1. If you are a Professional Writing Major or Minor, be sure to look at the Awards for Professional Writing Majors & Minors (and submit your work if it’s relevant). The deadline is April 18.
2. I have revised the grade scale so that it works in the Scholar gradebook.
3. Talk about how we want to work for Friday’s session.
4. Create a working list of deliverables for Project 3. Work in Google Docs as you compose your list so that you can revise and collaborate easily. Everyone will turn in a reflection memo with the other deliverables, so be sure to include it on your list.
5. Spend some time in your groups sharing and revising your lists of deliverables for Project 3 together. Read one another’s lists to ensure that you include everything you need to on your lists. Use these questions as you read your lists:
   • Is everything listed?
   • Are the list items specific and accurate?
   • Does the list include enough information to demonstrate effort?
6. Use the remaining time to work on your projects. There is a lot of work to accomplish, so spend your time wisely. If you have a question that you need my help with, you can write your name on the board or just come up to my desk. I’ll be giving you feedback on your recent in-class writings while you work.

In-Class Writing

Today, you need to post the tentative list of deliverables for Project 3, after reviewing them with your group members to make sure nothing is left out. Once you have your list complete, go to “Tests & Quizzes” in Scholar and complete today’s assignment, “04/02 P3 Criteria.” Just copy your list from Google Docs and paste it over to the In-Class Writing. Be sure to submit your work by Thursday, 04/03/2014 05:04:15 PM.

Homework

Do what you need to do for your project. Unless something comes up, you will have the full class session on Friday to work on your project.

I’m shifting the peer review session to next week (rather than this Friday) to give you more time to get your projects underway. Plan to have a working draft to share on Monday, April 7. It doesn’t have to be finished, but it should be enough that your group members can review it and give you some feedback.

Topics for Project 3

I’ve checked and responded to all the Topics that were posted as of 5 PM Sunday, 3/30. If you haven’t posted your topic yet, please go to “Tests & Quizzes” in Scholar and complete “03/28 P3 Topic” assignment by the end of the day today. In case you need motivation, remember that this project is graded on participation and effort, so put in the effort!

Today’s Class Session

I want you to accomplish two things today:

1. Spend some time in your groups explaining your plans for Project 3 to one another. Ideally, you can work together on some of the tasks for this project (like sharing resources you find). The first step in that process is knowing what everyone in the group is doing.
2. Search for resources that will help you with the activities you have chosen for Project 3. You can (in fact you should) collaborate on your search with your group members. Use Google Advanced Search if you have trouble with the vt.edu search on the Career Services site.

In-Class Writing

Post the resources you have found to help you with your project. The goal is to have 3 or 4 good resources that you can use, including materials from Markel and from the Career Services Planning Guide. Go to “Tests & Quizzes” in Scholar and complete today’s assignment, “03/31 P3 Resources.”

Because you may not have your textbook with you, I’m giving you extra time to get your writing posted. Please have your work submitted in Tests & Quizzes by Thursday, 04/03/2014 05:04:15 PM.

Homework

Do what you need to do for your project. On Wednesday, you will work with your group to set the criteria for your projects. Think about exactly what you will need to turn in for your project so that you are ready to create your criteria in class.

Unless something comes up, you will have the full class session on Friday to work on your project. I’m shifting the peer review session to next week (rather than this Friday) to give you more time to get your projects underway. Plan to have a working draft to share on Monday, April 7. It doesn’t have to be finished, but it should be enough that your group members can review it and give you some feedback.

The Class Activity

1. You will have about 10 to 15 minutes to make any last minute changes to your cartoon job-app materials and get ready to present them.
2. Each group will make a short presentation, with your materials displayed on the screen. There will be laughing and applauding.

In-Class Writing

You will have the last 10 to 15 minutes of class to compose your Project 3 writing plan for approval.

Go to “Tests & Quizzes” in Scholar and complete today’s assignment, “03/28 P3 Topic.” You have until 5 PM Saturday, 3/29, to turn in your work.

Homework

Starting Monday, you will be working independently and with your group on Project 3. Have the resources with you that you need to get started. The goal for Monday will be to share your plan with the others in your group and do some work to establish criteria for your project. We’ll go over the summary and reflection writing I want you to do each session for your in-class writing as well.

• To get to know the people in your group.
• To get some practice collaborating.
• To spend some time thinking about what goes into effective job-application materials.
• To get some experience using Google Docs for group composing.
• To have a little fun in the process.

The Class Activity

Your job is to create job application materials for a cartoon character and then to present your documents to the class. I have posted a Collection of Cartoon Resumes so you have some examples to inspire you. They’re not perfect, but they will give you some idea of what your group needs to do.

You can make up information that isn’t known, but keep your responses appropriate for the character you’ve chosen. You can do some simple research to remind yourself of details about the character your group chooses. Wikipedia usually has facts about many cartoon characters, and some cartoon series have fan sites where you can find information.

Use the information in Markel, Chapter 10 (“Writing Job-Application Materials”) or the Virginia Tech Career Planning Guide (available online) as a model for what goes into the job-application materials.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. As a group, choose your cartoon character. Stick with a relatively well-known, family-friendly character please.
2. Have one person in the group create a Google Doc, and share it so that everyone in the group can edit the document. Please also share it with tengrrl@vt.edu, and email me the share link. [The idea is that you can now all compose and work in that document at the same time. Also, I will use the names and the work in your shared document to give you credit for in-class writing today.]
3. Go to Monster.com, find a job listing that fits the capabilities of your cartoon character, and copy and paste the listing into your Google doc. Include the URL for the listing. [The idea is that having a job the character is applying for will help you decide what facts to include in the resume and cover letter.]
4. Create a resume that includes the following information:
   1. identifying information (address, email, phone #, etc.)
   2. job objective
   3. educational information
   4. employment details
   5. relevant interests and activities
   6. any other appropriate sections, such as military service, language abilities, or willingness to relocate
   7. references
5. Create an application letter the includes the following information:
   1. opening paragraph that identifies the source of information and the position the character is applying for and forecasts the rest of the letter
   2. education paragraph that responds to the company's needs/requirements
   3. employment paragraph that responds to the company's needs/requirements
   4. concluding paragraph that refers to the resume, asks for an interview, and includes contact info
6. Spell check and proofread your documents to catch any errors.
7. Prepare to share the documents with the class:
   1. Decide who will be the spokesperson for your group.
   2. Determine the main points of the job listing that you will share.
   3. Choose three or four highlights from your resume to point out.
   4. Choose two or three highlights from the application letter to share.
   5. Prepare a concluding comment that sums up why the character is a great choice for the job.

Homework

• You will have about 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of class Friday to make any last minute changes to your cartoon resumes and get ready to present them. If necessary, do whatever work you need to outside of the classroom so that you’re ready to go on Friday.
• Be ready for Friday’s In-Class Writing. You will have the last 10 to 15 minutes of class time to compose your Project 3 writing plan for approval. I will ask you to tell me the specific thing you have chosen to do for your Job-Application Materials, and I would like you to tell me about why you have chosen what you have so that I understand your goals.

Here’s what we’ll do today:

• I’ll answer any lingering questions about Project 2 and clear up any issues that came up last week while I was out of town.
• I’ll explain the requirements for Project 3.
• We’ll brainstorm some potential topics for Project 3, and talk about how to ensure that they are specific enough.

Homework

On Wednesday, we will arrange the class into the groups that you will stick with for the rest of the term. In those groups you will start on a short resume activity that the group will write together and present to the class on Friday. Be sure you’ve read Markel, Chapter 10 (“Writing Job-Application Materials”) as well as skimmed through the Virginia Tech Career Planning Guide (available online or in print from Career Services) before class. You will want to have one of those texts to refer to in class Wednesday.