Week 1

Wednesday (8/19)

In Class:

• Course introduction
• Website overview
• Print and sign course contract

For Next Time:

• Register account on website
• Respond to personal introductions post
• Read Compose, Design, Advocate excerpt 1
• Comment on Reading Response #1

Friday (8/21)

Due Today:

• Signed course contract
• Comment on personal introductions post
• Comment on Reading Response #1

In Class:

• Discuss personal introductions post
• Discuss Compose, Design, Advocate excerpt 1

For Next Time:

• Read Compose, Design, Advocate excerpt 2
• Comment on Reading Response #2

Week 2

Monday (8/24)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #2

In Class:

• Discuss Compose, Design, Advocate excerpt 2
• Instructions Project introduction

For Next Time:

• Read "Instructions" in Technical Communication Today
• Read Instructor Blog: Instructions
• Comment on Instructions Project questions

Wednesday (8/26)

Due Today:

• Comment on Instructions Project questions

In Class:

• Discuss Instructions Project questions
• Discuss "Instructions" in Technical Communication Today
• Discuss Instructor Blog: Instructions

For Next Time:

• Read "Readers and Contexts of Use" in Technical Communication Today
• Comment on Reading Response #3

Friday (8/28)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #3

In Class:

• Discuss "Readers and Contexts of Use" in Technical Communication Today

For Next Time:

• Bring a relevant instruction set to class (or locate one online) and your rhetorical analysis of it

Week 3

Monday (8/31)

Due Today:

• Bring a relevant instruction set to class (or locate one online) and your rhetorical analysis of it

In Class:

• Discuss rhetorical analyses of instruction sets

For Next Time:

• Read "Using Visuals to Inform and Persuade" in The Thomson Handbook
• Read "Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design for Writers" in The Thomson Handbook
• Read Instructor Blog: Design
• Comment on Reading Response #4

Wednesday (9/2)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #4

In Class:

• Discuss "Using Visuals to Inform and Persuade" in The Thomson Handbook
• Read "Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design for Writers" in The Thomson Handbook
• Discuss Instructor Blog: Design

For Next Time:

• Read "Revising and Editing for Usability" excerpt in Technical Communication Today
• Read Instructor Blog: Usability
• Draft design plans for both instruction sets due

Friday (9/4)

Due Today:

• Draft design plans for both instruction sets

In Class:

• Discuss draft design plans
• Discuss "Revising and Editing for Usability" excerpt in Technical Communication Today
• Discuss Instructor Blog: Usability

For Next Time:

• Read "Organizing and Drafting" in Technical Communication Today
• Instruction set rough drafts and usability tests due

Week 4

Monday (9/7)

Labor Day State holiday: No classes

Wednesday (9/9)

Due Today:

• Instruction set rough drafts and usability tests

In Class:

• Administer usability tests

For Next Time:

• Read "Feuds in Student Groups"
• Comment on Reading Response #5

Friday (9/11)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #5

In Class:

• Generate Instructions Project "Final Instruction Sets" rubric

For Next Time:

• Final Instructions Project design plan due
• Final Instructions Project instruction sets due
• Final Instructions Project postmortem due

Week 5

Monday (9/14)

Due Today:

• Final Instructions Project design plans due
• Final Instructions Project instruction sets due
• Final Instructions Project postmortem due

In Class:

• Discuss "Feuds in Student Groups"
• Corporate Communication Project introduction
• Complete Corporate Communication Project survey
• Comment on Corporate Communication Project questions

Wednesday (9/16)

Due Today:

• Comment on Corporate Communication Project questions

In Class:

• Team building exercise

For Next Time:

• Read "JetBlue Apologizes after Passengers Stranded"
• Read JetBlue's Customer Bill of Rights
• Watch this video from contemporary CEO David Neeleman
• Read "Be the Guy with the Megaphone"
• Read "10 Steps to Recovery for 'Jet Black and Blue'"

Friday (9/18)

In Class:

• Address Corporate Communication Project questions
• Discuss JetBlue case study

For Next Time:

• Read Luntz Words That Work excerpt
• Read Parsons Ethics in Public Relations: A Guide to Best Practice excerpt
• Read Ruff and Aziz Managing Communications in a Crisis excerpt
• Comment on Reading Response #6

Week 6

Monday (9/21)

Due Today:

• Comment on Reading Response #6

In Class:

• Discuss readings
• Identify group corporate crisis

Wednesday (9/23)

In Class:

• Discuss Google Docs (documents component)
• Watch "Google Docs in Plain English"
• Look through the Google Apps YouTube channel
• Look through Google Docs help
• Begin Effect Analyses

For Next Time:

• Draft Effect Analyses due

Friday (9/25)

Due Today:

• Draft Effect Analyses

In Class:

• Discuss draft Effect Analyses

For Next Time:

• Read this Wikipedia entry on Gantt Charts
• Watch "Making a Gantt Chart with Excel"
• Read Gantt Charts in Spreadsheets

Week 7

Monday (9/28)

In Class:

• Discuss Google Docs (spreadsheets component)
• Begin Gantt Charts

For Next Time:

• Draft Proposal Reports due

Wednesday (9/30)

Due Today:

• Draft Proposal Reports

In Class:

• Discuss draft Proposal Reports

For Next Time:

• Read This information about formatting a press release
• Read "Press Release Format Guidelines"
• Read "Tips, Guidelines and Templates for Writing an Effective Press Release" and "Common Press Release Mistakes"
• Read "10 Essential Tips for Writing Press Releases"
• Read some FDA press releases
• Read this Marler Clark press release
• Read this Diamond Pet Food press release
• Read this MPAA press release

Friday (10/2)

In Class:

• Discuss readings
• Begin Press Release

For Next Time:

• Draft Press Release due

Week 8

Monday (10/5)

No classes

Wednesday (10/7)

Due Today:

• Draft Press Release

In Class:

• Discuss draft Press Releases

For Next Time:

• Finish draft Press Release comments

Friday (10/9)

Due Today:

• Draft Press Release comments

In Class:

• Discuss making video recordings with Windows Movie Maker

For Next Time:

• Begin making video Recorded Message for Customers (if applicable)

Week 9

Monday (10/12)

In Class:

• Discuss making audio recordings with Audacity

For Next Time:

• Draft Recorded Message for Customers due

Wednesday (10/14)

Due Today:

• Draft Recorded Message for Customers

In Class:

• Draft Recorded Message for Customers workshop

For Next Time:

• Read The Purdue Online Writing Lab's information about memo writing
• Post Internal Memo draft using these instructions

Friday (10/16)

Due Today:

• Internal Memo draft posted

In Class:

• Discuss draft Internal Memo
• Begin Corporate Communication Project rubric

For Next Time:

• Group Corporate Communication Project rubric due

Week 10

Monday (10/19)

Due Today:

• Group Corporate Communication Project rubric

In Class:

• Create class Corporate Communication Project rubric
• Discuss Corporate Communication Project postmortem

For Next Time:

• Final Corporation Communication Project Effect Analysis due
• Final Corporation Communication Project Gantt Chart due
• Final Corporation Communication Project Proposal Report due
• Final Corporation Communication Project Press Release due
• Final Corporation Communication Project Internal Memo due
• Final Corporation Communication Project Recorded Message for Customers due
• Final Corporation Communication Project Postmortem due

Wednesday (10/21)

Due Today:

• Final Corporation Communication Project Effect Analysis
• Final Corporation Communication Project Gantt Chart
• Final Corporation Communication Project Proposal Report
• Final Corporation Communication Project Press Release
• Final Corporation Communication Project Internal Memo
• Final Corporation Communication Project Recorded Message for Customers
• Final Corporation Communication Project Postmortem

In Class:

• Service Learning Project introduction
• Comment on Service Learning Project questions
• Discuss Service Learning Project questions

For Next Time:

• Service learning exercise

Friday (10/23)

Due Today:

• Service learning exercise

In Class:

• Discuss service learning exercise
• Complete Service Learning Project survey

Week 11

Monday (10/26)

In Class:

• Team building exercise

Wednesday (10/28)

In Class:

• Examine profile subjects
• Produce Gantt Chart

For Next Time:

• Look through this slideshow on interviewing

Friday (10/30)

In Class:

• Discuss interviewing
• Select interview subjects
• Produce interview prompts

For Next Time:

• Sample poster for analysis due

Week 12

Monday (11/2)

Due Today:

• Sample poster for analysis

In Class:

• Poster analysis

Wednesday (11/4)

In Class:

• Tool/technique seminar

Friday (11/6)

In Class:

• Interview check
• Tool/technique seminar
• Post group plans for Monday work time

Week 13

Monday (11/9)

In Class:

• Work day
• Create draft feedback form

For Next Time:

• Post draft materials and feedback form

Wednesday (11/11)

Due Today (by 10:00 am):

• Draft materials and feedback form

In Class:

• Materials draft workshop

For Next Time:

• Read Guy Kawasaki's "The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint"
• Read "What is Good PowerPoint Design?" on Presentation Zen
• Read Garr Reynolds's presentation tips
• Read "Uncovering Steve Jobs' Presentation Secrets
• Watch Don McMillan's "How NOT to Use PowerPoint!"
• Watch Mad Men season 1 episode 13: "The Wheel" (we will arrange a viewing time and you can get the episode on iTunes and Amazon)

Friday (11/13)

Due Today:

• Read Guy Kawasaki's "The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint"
• Read "What is Good PowerPoint Design?" on Presentation Zen
• Read Garr Reynolds's presentation tips
• Read "Uncovering Steve Jobs' Presentation Secrets
• Watch Don McMillan's "How NOT to Use PowerPoint!"
• Watch Mad Men season 1 episode 13: "The Wheel" (we will arrange a viewing time and you can get the episode on iTunes and Amazon)

In Class:

• Discuss presentations
• Post group plans for Monday work time

Week 14

Monday (11/16)

In Class:

• Work day

For Next Time:

• Client presentation

Wednesday (11/18)

In Class:

• Client presentations

For Next Time:

• Final Gantt Chart due (printed)
• Final Subject Profile Report due (printed)
• Final Proposal due (printed)
• Final Client Documents due (.pdf)
• Final Postmortem due (emailed attachment)

Friday (11/20)

Due Today:

• Final Gantt Chart (printed)
• Final Subject Profile Report (printed)
• Final Proposal (printed)
• Final Client Documents (.pdf)
• Final Postmortem (emailed attachment)

In Class:

• Schedule exit interviews
• Construct Client Documents rubric

Week 15

Monday (11/23)

No classes

Wednesday (11/25)

No classes

Friday (11/27)

No classes

Week 16

Monday (11/30)

In Class:

• Exit interviews
• English in Action showcase 3:30-5:00 Morton Hall

Wednesday (12/2)

In Class:

• Exit interviews

Friday (12/4)

No classes