rayburn78

2006-12-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

November 14, HW #5, Question for Ethics #3

These are the classmates that I responded to:

Elizebeth
http://wwwtoshi.blogspot.com/2006/11/october-31-hw4-question-5-from-ethics.html

Wendy
http://www.blogger.com/profile/29880622

Monica
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33193518&postID=116546592238333152

I was able to learn a few things about the document of "frank statment". I like how everone that I responded to had found different things that stuck out from the document. Wendy found how the writer from the "frank statment" used words like "we believe" which demonstrats that the facts from this document were all based off of option not facts. I enjoyed how everyone pick up on something different.

2006-12-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

December 5, Hw #3, Writing Project Reflection

The thing that was a huge learning experience from this writing project was delegating each persons responsibilities in the begining of a project. I know that everyone had their own personal reflections to complete first, but as a group we should layed out what was required for the project and decide who was responsible for what incially. The communication in the early stages of the project coulk have been more effective. I think that we all took something away from that lesson. Overall I think that we all did a good job sharing each others thoughts and options towards the end. I was very happy with our final product. This project taught me alot and will help in future classes and at work.

2006-12-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

November 7, Hw # 10, Deadline Reflection

This week assignments were all helpful for completing the final writing project #3. I enjoyed the video tutorials for MyCompLab. The video showed great examples for step by step revisions. I was also given some great advice from my peer review. This week was a busy on for me. I was glad to get it over with.

2006-12-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

November 14, Hw #3, Writing Project Reflection

One of the things that I enjoyed about wp#3 was the fact that I truely felt that the technology that I was introducing could have been benefical. It made the assignment much easier to write about. The things that I learned from this project was the fact that when writing a proposal you need to make sure that you are truely presenting the true problem at hand. This project will help me with future proposals that I may need to present in work situations.

2006-12-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

November 7, Hw #9, Reply to Classmates Answer to Question

These are the classmates that I responded to:

Elizebeth
http://wwwtoshi.blogspot.com/2006/11/october-31-hw4-question-5-from-ethics.html

Wendy
http://www.blogger.com/profile/29880622

Monica
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33193518&postID=116546592238333152

I was able to learn a few things about the document of "frank statment". I like how everone that I responded to had found different things that stuck out from the document. Wendy found how the writer from the "frank statment" used words like "we believe" which demonstrats that the facts from this document were all based off of option not facts. I enjoyed how everyone pick up on something different.

2006-12-03T22:37:00.001-08:00

November 7, Hw #3, Annotated Bibliography x3

These are the websites that I thought would be helpful for this project.

Fonter, Amy. (2005). World Wide Web. Hybrid Education: The Future of Intructional Models. Retrieved. December 4, 2006
www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/hybrid-education.html

This article explains the benefits of hybrid courses that being a mix of face to face intructions and internet teaching combined. One of the benefits explains how effective these courses can be more accessible. More people in more places. This will be a good supporting article because this is one of the points that I am trying to argue. I feel that this is a reliable source because for one the author credential and second I fell that this source has and un bias viewpoint.

Richards, Jan. (2004). International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning. Hybrid Classes: The Best of Both Worlds. Retrieved: December 4, 2006
www.isetl.org/conference/presentation.cfm?pid

This website explains the process for setting up and teaching hybrid classes. It gives advantages and help instructor write there syllabus for introducing a hybrid course. It also gives some comparative research from universities. I think that this will be useful because one of the concerns that I think instructors will have introducing a web tool would be setting it up.

Garnham, C & Kaleta, R. (2002). Teaching with Technology Today. Introduction to Hybrid Courses. Retrieved: December 4, 2002
http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham.htm

This article explained what a hybrid class is and explained the benefits of them. It also talked about a hybrid courses project that involved 17 different instructors from different universities that did a first time hybrid class all having positive results. A survey was given with feedback from students that had taken the classes. Instructors and student overall feedback was also explained. This is a good article for my proposal because it give positive results for online learning from a wide variety of sources. I fell that this website is a reliable source being from a Learning Technology Center from an university.

2006-12-03T22:37:00.000-08:00

November 7, Hw #5, Peer Review Reflection

I responded to Elizabeth Dankert and Mirelle Inglefield. What I learned by reading and responding to my classmates rough drafts was I needed to thin out my proposal. Elizabeth and Mirelle did a good job at getting their points across without using unneeded information. I was a little misunderstood on how the cover memo was supposed to look like but after reading theirs I had a much better understanding.

Elizabeth and Mirrelle were also the classmates that reviewed my paper. I was not surprised by the comments that I received. They both pointed out strong sentences that needed to stay and explained why. They helped correct some of my grammar errors and referred me to references for finding other things that I need for my cover letter. I was very happy with the information that I received, it really was constructive information.

2006-12-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

November 7, Hw #1, Reading Reflection

MyCompLab: Writing Video Tutorials

I found this information helpful. On the first video "Achieving Paragraph Unity" I liked how it showed pulling apart that paragraph making sure that all the sentences were connected to the same point. Then it was easy to see what parts of paragraph needed to removed from the paper or moved to another paragraph. To me they make it look so easy.
"Achieving parallelism" showed the importance of staying consistent but still showed variety by using good transition words. I think that this exercise is really going to help me to thin out my rough draft of wp#3. My weakest point in writing is adding to much information in my paragraphs and jumping around with my thoughts in the middle of a paragraph.

2006-12-03T22:18:00.002-08:00

October 31, Hw#7, Deadline Reflection

This is everyone that I responded to:

Monica X3
http://drfaustus8.blogspot.com/2006/11/reply-to-ethics-question-5-11-7.html

http://drfaustus8.blogspot.com/2006/11/writing-project-reflection-11-4.html

http://drfaustus8.blogspot.com/2006/11/annontated-bibliograpy-11-7.html

Wendy x2
http://wendymart.blogspot.com/2006/10/reading-reflection-due-october-31.html

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33193151&postID=116184272150412480

I thought that the assignments from this week were all very helpful. I really enjoyed the reading from the ethics book this week. I am really getting worried about passing this class. I really struggled trying to get caught up on all this homework. I just won't to tell everyone that was behind on your homework and caught up. Good Job.

2006-11-30T23:34:00.000-08:00

October 31, Hw #3, Annotated Bibliography X3

These are the Web pages that I selected.

Hergert. Michael (2003). Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration. Lessons from Launching an Online MBA Program. retrieved: December 3, 2006
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM03411.pdf

The way that I retrieved this web page was by using Google search. This web page is about San Diego University did a pilot program introducing a web based tool into a class and gave examples of things that could help other colleges introducing a new technology into a classroom. This web page will help with research on my proposal project.

Marshall, Schott (2003). State University of West Georgia. Innovations in Distance Learning Program Development and Delivery. Retrieved: December 3, 2006
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer62/schott62.html

The way that I found this web page was by using Google search. This web page is about use of merging technologies in the delivery of learner-based instruction, the development of collaborative teaching environments that maximize the efforts of faculty content.

Harris, Greg (2006). Inside Higher Ed. Growing Popularity of E-Learning. Retrieved: December 3, 2006
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter64/hergert64.htm

I found this web page by using google search. This page talked about the growing popularity of e-learning. It talked about some of the advantages and disadvantages. This will be a good web page to use for my proposal final project.

2006-11-30T21:41:00.000-08:00

October 31, Hw #6, Question #5 in Ethics

Analyzing the content of the "Frank Statement" there were several things the were unethical and misleading.
Instead of the document giving solid prove how cigarette smoking does not have any connection to lung cancer it brings in a point that there are many causes of lung cancer so more or less how could they link cigarette smoking directly. It also provided information that the tobacco industry is going to pledge to aid and assist in the research effort into all phases of tobacco use and health. Even though the tobacco company's did put together this research committee they withheld information from their research that would have discredited there statement "We believe that the product we make are not injurious to health".
This document was very unethical. It to me showed a how the providers of this document were much like the sophists the tried to justify being right by turning the focus of a problem back onto someone else.

2006-11-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

October 31, Hw #1, Reading Reflection

Ethics Chapter 6

The more that I read this book the more I enjoy it. This chapter was how the tobacco industry over the last fifty years has and continues to try to mislead readers by manipulating the verbiage used when defending smoking in relation to lung cancer. They were unethical because they promoted their product knowing that it would have adverse health effects to their customers.
One thing that I pulled from this chapter this week was how effective images can be in persuading an audience. R. J. Reynolds targeted an audience by using the Joe Camel character for advertising. Joe Camel was shown to be a cool, confident, trend setting, attractive, and innocent character. No matter how controversial the issues were concerning the health effects of smoking the images that were being used were effective bringing in new customers. It presenting smoking as the "no worries, cool thing to do".
There were several things that I found disturbing, one being, the fact that research was funded focused on the effectiveness of reaching a young crowd of customers.
I know that in the future I will consider using images on more of my documents.

Concise Guide, Chapter 4

This chapter focused on putting more thought in to research. It covered the different types of research materials that are out there to use and explained how your source needs to be credible.
This chapter will help me on WP#3. Page #62 gave information "Evaluating Sources from the Web" explained if you can not clearly find the authors name and credentials of the source you should assume that it is not credible. You should also use different types of research materials to reflect a range of other points of views. I will consider this when writing proposals or when doing research for issues in my work place.
I liked all the checklists that were provided especially the one on conducting a interview for research there were good tips.

2006-11-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

October 24, Hw #9, Deadline Reflection

This is who's blogs that I responded to:

Elizabeth:
http://wwwtoshi.blogspot.com/2006/10/october-24-hw3-readers.html

Elizabeth:
http://wwwtoshi.blogspot.com/2006/10/october-24-hw1-reading-reflection.html

Jeff:
http://gorf959.blogspot.com/2006/11/october-24-hw51-annotated-bibliography.html

Josh:
http://jgrauer.blogspot.com/2006/11/october-24-hw1-reading-reflection.html

Josh:
http://jgrauer.blogspot.com/2006/11/october-24-hw6-primary-secondary-and.html

I am having a very difficult time catching up with all of the assignments that I am behind on. This week I found a lot of useful information. I liked reading from the Workplace Literacy, 2nd ed. from MyCompLab. The exercises from chapter 2 helped me look at the true causes and effects of a problem which in return allows for you to come up with the best solution to present to your reader.
When reading other classmate's responses to question #3 from the Ethics book it was interesting to see that for the most part everyone felt the same way. This weeks assignment will be useful for our writing project #3. The exercise from the MyCompLab on questioning helped me to consider the purpose of my writing and to consider the readers needs more for this upcoming project.

2006-11-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

October 24, Hw#7, Annotated bibliography X2

This were the webpages that I felt would be useful.

Deepwell, F. , & Syson, A. (1999). Online learning at Coventry University: You can lead a horse to water... . Retrieved November 15, 2006. from
http://www.furl.net/forward.jsp?id=13281978

I found this source by using the search engine Google. This web site explains how WebCt has been a successful match for Coventry University as their web-based learning environment. This web page provides information of a specific type of documentation being used for teaching and learning.

Storey, M. , Phillips, B. , Marzcwski, M. , & Wang, M. (2002). Evaluating the usability of Web-based learning tools. Retrieved November 15, 2006. from
http://www.furl.net/forward.jsp?id=13281648

I found this source by using Google. I used the search words "WebCt learning and teaching". The information provided in this web page is about a college students that were introduced to two different types of web-based learning tools while taking an online course. At the end of the course the students participated in a survey measuring the usability of each technology.

2006-11-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

October 24, Hw# 8, Ehtics Question #3 Replying to Classmates

I replied to Wendy:
http:/wendymart.blogspot.com/2006/11/response-to-question-3-ethics-due.html

Josh:
http:/jgrauer.blogspot.com/2006/10/october-17-hw7-q3-in-ethics.html

Jeff:
http:/gorf959.blohspot.com/2006/10/october-17-hw44-question-3-i-think-it.html

One thing that I learned about ethics after reading my classmate's answers were the importance of interviewing the person or persons that you are writing for. Both parties will have a better understanding of what is required of them. Ethically both parties will be held responsible to a degree.

2006-11-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

October 24, Hw #6, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Readers

My proposal is to introduce the technology WebCt into a Customer Service class offered in the Fire Science Degree program at MCC.

Primary Readers:
FSC 215 instructors and the Program Director of the Fire Science Department.

Secondary Readers:
Students attending fire science classes through MCC and other instructors teaching different fire science classes.

Tertiary Readers:
The technology department and other support staff members.

The needs and wants of my audiences my be. What is the underlining issue for needing this technology? Is this technology being used at any other colleges and has it been successful?
What is the cost to provide this tech? What may be the concerns that instructors have regarding teaching and installing this new technology?

2006-11-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

October 24, HW # 4, Writing Project Reflection

Steps took to complete WP #2
1. I first spent my time looking at all the different technologies that I had to chose from and put down all the information that I knew about each one of them. The technology that I decided to use was WebCt. I have been using this technology for another class and I had the least amount of difficulty setting up this tech.

2. I did an audience analysis using the guideline that was given in the Concise guide.

3. In the Concise Guide on pages 232-236 I looked over all the different types of instructions and used the one that I felt would be the most effective with this project.

4. From page 235 in the Concise Guide "Typical Components of Instructions" I was able to start putting down some of my content on paper. I also used the MCC webpage and follow their step by step instructions for accessing WebCT for some ideas.

5. From here I started searching the web for some visuals that I could use. This took a lot of time and I had a hard time transferring images. I ended up using some of the images from the MCC technical help pages.

6. I had a few people look over my document before I turned in my rough draft for peer reviewing.

7. Peer reviews: Not only did I get some good suggestions from Maria Aponte learned thing that I needed to improve from the suggestions I made form peer reviewing Maria's paper.

8. Changed document from suggestions made form peer review and information gained from
Visual exercise.

9. Turn in final draft.

The thing that I was most proud of was the images that I used. I felt that they were effective. Also, not being a person with much computers skills I was able to use some of the tools I learned to insert the images.

Concerns about the project:

1. For me I have a hard time using to many words to describe something. I knew for the instructions to be useful they needed to be direct and easy to follow.

2. Another concern that I had was making sure that I was able to use consistent terminology throughout each step while still providing some variety in my sentence structure.

2006-11-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

October 24, Hw #1, Reading Reflection

MyCompLab, Workplace Literacy, 2nd ed. Chapter 2 and 3

I know that I am behind but I'm glad that I was able to complete this reading before our final draft for WP#3 is due. The steps provided from chapter 2 showed me the importance of truly understanding the underlining problem. In a proposal a problem statement may appear in the abstract, executive summary, introduction and conclusion as stated on page 12. It also talks about how a good problem statement can be effective for informing or persuading a reader. Also, a problem statement that reflects a problem that effects a group of people is more effective and credible than a problem being addressed by one individual. The examples given were very useful. The Visual Invention Exercise on page #21 showed an illustration to help point out a problem's causes, its effects, and possible solutions. I made copy of this diagram for future use.

Online Keyword Searches

This gave my few more pointers on how to narrow down may search just little bit more. Pulling key words from a original search allows for you to narrow down your results even more.

2006-11-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

October 17, HW # 9, Deadline Reflection

This week there were a few things that I found useful. All of the videos from MyCompLab were helpful and I was really into the reading from chapter 5 in the Ethics book. From the reading it really drove the point across the importance both parties really hold ethically dealing of technical communication. For me as a reader I am now going to look at information differently. The question from the Ethics book #3 also sparked my interest. These assignments will help me through this class and will help me with my communication skills at work.

I made comments to:

Elizabelth
http://wwwtoshi.blogspot.com/2006/10/october-17-hw6-grammar-work.html

Jeff
http://gorf959.blogspot.com/2006/10/october-17-hw44-question-3-i-think-if.html

Jeff
http://gorf959.blogspot.com/2006/10/october-17-hw42-annotated-bibliography.html

Josh
http://jgrauer.blogspot.com/2006/10/october-17-hw7-q3-in-ethics.html

Maria
http://wendymart.blogspot.com-2006/10/reading-reflection-due-october-17th.html

2006-11-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

October 17, HW # 7, Question to #3 from Ethics Chapter 5

How much responsibility does a technical communicator have for how a technical document ultimately is read and understood by the audience?
For the first question, I feel as a technical communicator it is your responsibility to provide the most effective document as possible. Making sure that the information is clear, the language is understood by your audience, your terminology is consistent, and the information is accessible. Also, depending on the information that you are presenting being of minimal importance or of critical importance the communicator needs to decide which form of documentation will present the information in the most effective manner. Getting feedback from an audience is something that a communicator should also do.

Does ethical responsibility end after the original message is communicated? Does the ethical burden then lie solely with the receiver of the communication?

I will answer both of these questions together. I feel for both questions not fully. It truly depends on how the information is presented. For example, referring to the Challenger when the astronauts were present with information about the O-rings changing from a level 1-R to a 1 was this presented as a brief presentation or was this information presented with a drawn out explanation with all the facts on why this was changed. Were the concerns from all parties about the O-rings presented or just the concerns from upper management which had a different agenda then the engineer staff.

Are you responsible if your audience chooses to ignore or disregard your technical communications?

As far as the reader ignoring your communications I feel that it depends on the position the communicator holds. As a communicator are you the one managing the project and can change final ethical decisions our are you someone that is asked to present information for further consideration. As long as you did the best job possible in presenting and providing the best document, sometimes your responsibility may end at that point.

2006-11-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

October 17, Hw # 1, Reading Reflection

Ethics Chapter 5:

I found the reading from this chapter very interesting. I felt like there were some strong messages dealing with the ethical responsibilities that we have as communicators (writers) and as a audience. Roger Boisjoly's did the right thing by presenting such a strong clear point on his concerns not to launch provided in his memo. He risked his own career and reputation to do what was right in his position. Boisjoly could not have written a more effective document but unfortunately the decision to launch was already decided in the minds of upper management due to conflicting agendas. In this example upper management was presented with the facts but deciding not to follow through with their ethical obligation. Sometimes in my option an audience becomes complacent even to critical information being presented that have not experienced a major negative outcome. We as readers most certainly have an ethical obligation.

I also found it interesting how the congressional commission and the presidential commission both put together their own reports provided from the same facts but put came up with completely different conclusions. Everyone has different points of view and different reasons for there conclusions. What was the reasoning for the presidential commission focusing the fault of the disaster on procedure complications and not on personal decision making? Was their a something the presidential commission was trying to protect or was the documentation that they provided just not presented in an effective way? We may never know all the answers to this story.

Overall there were some great examples that really helped me understand the importance we have as writers and as a audience when it come to ethics.

CompLab:

I found the video " Achieving Variety" a good lesson for me. The original example presented was a good subject/verb sentence structure but the revisions were much more interesting to read. I struggle with variety in my own writing.

2006-10-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

October 17, HW # 5, Visual Communication

After reading through the questions on the checklist I changed a few things with my visuals.

1. None of my visuals were numbered.
2. I did not introduce or refer my visual.
3. On of my visuals served more as a ornamentation.

The things that I changed on my document were. I numbered my visuals, I introduced my visual in the instructions, and thirdly I eliminated one of my visuals because it did not serve a legitimate purpose.

2006-10-25T00:24:00.000-07:00

October 17, Hw # 4, Peer Review Reflection

For the WP#2 I reviewed Maria Aponte's document. I did not have a second person's document to review.

There were somethings that I found in Maria's document that helped me in my own final draft. Some of the wording describing how to navigate to the next step I found needed to be more descriptive. After reading Maria's I found that had room for improvement when describing my own instructions. I also suggested that more images needed to be used and to consider changing one the images that I felt was more decorative than as an example. She was effective in the way she highlighted the commands for each new step which made the information easier to follow. Overall I felt Maria did a good job with this project and she help me to improve my own draft.

2006-10-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

October 17, Hw # 2, Annotated Bibliography X2

Microsoft Corporation. (2006). Processing e-mail efficiently. Retrieved 10/24/06. from: http://online.microsoft.com/en-us/FX01d1438951033.aspx

I found this page by going to http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010931361033.aspx and clicking under "Processing e-mail efficiently". This page makes suggestions how to process your e-mail more efficiently. It suggest using the "4 D's for decision making" when sorting through e-mail. It also suggest using software that sorts emails in folders before reaching you.

I selected this page because just like everyone else the time that I spend checking emails can really add up. On a daily basis I get a overwhelming amount of emails. By using a program that could sort through my e-mail and separate information by title I could respond to top priority e-mail first. If I was to use a computer program or by using the "4 D's' (DO, DELETE, DEFER, or DELEGATE it) this page has provided information that has already cut down on the time I spend checking e-mail.

Microsoft Corporation. (2006). Managing priorities. Retrieved 10/24/06 from:
http://online.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011543981033.aspx

I found this page by going to http://online.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010931361033.aspx title Work Essentials. Proceed by clicking under "Managing priorities". This page is about using tools that you may already have on your computer through Microsoft that can help you manage your daily priorities.

The reason that I selected this title "managing priorities" is because with my busy schedule I am looking for ways manage my priorities better. I learned that there are many programs or tools that we may already have access to on our computers that still need to be discovered. I really liked this page and I will use it at work on a regular basis.

2006-10-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

September 26, HW #8, Deadline Reflection

WOW! I am really behind. The assignments from Sept. 26 there were several things that I felt were useful. The "Revising" assignment from MyCompLab was helpful. By pulling out a paragraph and separating each sentence made it easy to see what information was not needed. All of the"Writing Video Tutorials" from the reading will make revising my papers easier for me. I need all the help that I can get using a word processor.

2006-10-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

September 26, HW #6, Communication Situations In Your profession Chapter 11

The three most common forms of product-oriented communication situations that occur in my profession are standard operating procedures, long instructions, and specifications.

Standard operating procedures are used on a regular basis in the fire department. SOP's are used to describe how we will responded to different types of incidents. They address safety procedures, uniform communication procedures, and many other concerns that need to be addressed on particular incidents. Also, SOP's are also used for less complex things like procedures to operate and maintain different types of equipment. They are written in a ways that can be understood by all members of the department no matter what level of experience a member may have.

Long instructions are used for new equipment. For example, on the Hazardous Response Team we are always getting new equipment. Last week we purchased a new piece of equipment that meters radioactive materials. A set on instructions/manual was included that explained how to properly use, calibrate, maintain, etc. that piece of equipment.

Specifications are used in my occupation when it come to purchasing new equipment. For example, our new fire truck recently purchase had specifications written up before our order could go out to bid. The specifications reflected feedback for front line personal. The specs. described in detail what the truck needed in order to get an accurate bid.

2006-10-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

September 19, Hw #6, Ethics in Communications Question #3

www.peta.com

The website that I looked up was the official PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) page. This page was designed to inform, educate, and persuade. The main page provides breaking news on animal rights, links for ways to support the movement, and products that you can buy in support of. This page presented strong opinions on the ethics of animal rights. The main page was based on pathos. Color is used throughout and different images are shown. On the main page there are pictures of animals throughout the page. Some of the animals being shown with people holding them and other pictures of animals in cages. The page is emotionally driven. There are eye catching titles like "IMPORTANT UPDATE! Primarily Primates, Inc. Hell on Earth for Animals, Seized by Texas Attorney General". Much like a newspaper layout there are titles and pictures that trying to pull in the reader. When reading the stories the writer's really push their views. This page tries to reach out to an array of different readers. The page is asking for new members to join and also provides information for currents members. On the main page there are also short media clips that are used to educate an audience that may know very little about topics like animal testing and other inhumane issues.
Some of the links are based on ethos. Clicking on the Financial Report on the left column of the main page. The information is presented on a white background and no color is used. The numbers and brake down of funds are all presented as facts.

2006-10-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

September 19, HW #5, Page Layout and Document Design

When it came to page layout and document design for my application packet there were some things that I tried to focus on in order to present my document in a way that would be easy to read. On my resume I only used two different sizes of font and I stayed consistent throughout the page. I also felt that I used white space appropriately for the resume. I used boldface and All CAPS sparingly. I presented my experience in reverse chronological organization and used bullets under each job so that my qualifications were easy to read and pickup on.
I revised some of the margins on the page so that I could fit all the information presented on one page. I also revised the header that provided my contact information.

2006-10-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

September 26, HW # 4, Writing Project Reflection

The steps that I took complete the Job Application Packet.

After finding the job that I wanted to apply for I studied up on that position to get a better understanding of what the audience was looking for. I found most of my information through the internet. The city webpage that provided the open position was a great source the find out more about some of the new challenges that the city was currently facing. After gathering the information I needed, I moved forward matching my experience to make myself as marketable as possible. I tried to pick up on key words in the job advertisement that I could use when describing my experience. I also used power verbs to describe my experience. I did not get my rough draft in early enough, so I did not get feed back from a peer review. That would have been very useful.
The number #1 thing that I would have changed for this project would have been staying on track. I fell behind and I really paid for it in the end.
Even though I crammed in the end I was pleased with the final product that I put out.

2006-10-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

September 26, Hw #2, Annotated Bibliography X2

Microsoft Corporation. (2006). Microsoft Word Assistance- About page margins. Retrieved 10/24/06. from: http//office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052292771033.aspx

I found this page by accessing the Microsoft Word Assistance page. This page describe the proper uses of margins. Depending on document type this page explains the different types of margins and when they should be used.

This page will be useful throughout the different writing experiences I experience. I am always kind of guessing when it come to proper margin size. For document page setup this is a good page to reference.

Microsoft Corporation. (2006). Microsoft Word Assistance-About creating a webpage. Retrieved 10/24/06 from: http//office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052357751033.aspx

I found this page by accessing the Microsoft Word Assistance page. This page is designed to explain how to create your own webpage. It explains two different ways of doing so. Creating a webpage working with a template of creating a webpage from an existing Word document.

This page is something that I could see using in the future. The steps were very easy to follow and made it seem very easy to to transfer a existing Word document to a webpage. I never thought it was that easy.

2006-10-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

September 26, Hw 1, Reading Reflection

Concise Guide

This chapter really covered many different forms of technical documentation. If you were writing specifications for a product, instructions for assembling a chair, or a manual for operating a new printer there are some things that you need to consider regarding your audience. When writing specifications you need to understand how people will use the document (page 231). Depending on who you are writing for you need to consider the language that you use. You also need to perform a task, audience, and purpose analysis. As described throughout this chapter you need to make your document easy to use. Providing diagrams, numbering your steps of instruction, describing the terms consistently, and not making the document to wordy will help make you document more accessibly.

MyCompLab

Not being one that is real good on the computer these simple instructional videos were help full to me. I find myself doing a lot of extra work sometimes when it comes to formatting a paper with a word processor. The videos were easy to follow and will help me cut some time when editing my papers.

2006-10-09T00:23:00.000-07:00

September 19, Hw #4, Peer Review Reflection

For this assignment I only reviewed one job application packet. I reviewed Elizabeth Dankert's draft. There was only one posted in my exchange. I myself was also one of those who did not get my own draft into exchange on time so I apologize for whoever else was short a paper to review.

There were a few things I learned from reviewing and replying to Elizabeth's application packet. First, the way that exchanged allows for you to also see other people's reviews on the same paper really showed me how everyone has something different to share. I think for future writing projects the more people that I can get to review my draft the better. Second, after reviewing Elizabeth's draft the suggestions I made had me really look at my own paper a little closer. I realize that in my own draft I needed to be more direct in my cover letter. Elizabeth did a great job keeping her writing short and effective. She also did a good job relating her experience to the job advertisement.

Like I mentioned earlier I was not able to get any feedback on my own draft since I never turned one in. I am looking forward to seeing my comments for our writing project #2.

2006-10-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

September 19, Hw #2, Annotated Bibliography 2x

Flesher, Jared (2006) . Finding the Right Keyword to Get Your Resume Noticed. Retrieved 10/8/06 from: http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/resumes/20060605-flesher.html

The way that I found this website was by going to goggle.com. I typed in "help with resume" under search and just read through several until I found one that I liked. This site was all about using keywords in your resume. This webpage helps you find the keywords that are necessary to be effective and separate yourself from other candidates. The keywords in the resume should resemble the keywords that were posted on the job advertisement. It also discussed using words that demonstrate your value. This site should be useful for future application packets.

Sourceline Media Inc. (2005-2006). Resume Writing-Resume Examples-Cover Letter Samples. Retrieved 10/8/06 from: http://www.resume-resource.com/.

The way that I found this webpage was through goggle.com. I searched us the key words "cover letter". This webpage provided resume and cover letter examples/samples. In addition it provided a resume template, resume formats, resume tips, and a list of power verbs that would be useful when describing your actions in a resume. It also provided information on how to put together a effective cover letter and gave information on follow up letters and thank you letters for after the interview.

2006-10-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

September 19, HW 1, Reading Reflection

In Chapter 6 from the Concise Guide the chapter discussed the ethical issues of technical communication. I found this chapter interesting. Ethics to me is all about knowing what is right and doing it. Although in some situations presenting ethical communication is not always the easy thing to do because of the circumstances and other influences. This chapter gave different examples of situations that could of have had different outcomes if things would have either been communicated more clearly or if the proper documentation could of have reached the proper party. For example, on page 97 there were many documents written regarding the launch of space shuttle Challenger. Some of the engineers that were apart of that project had mechanical concerns about the shuttle and wanted to postpone the launch until everything was addressed. They brought this information forward but their supporting documentation was either not worded effectively enough to make an impact or never was placed in proper hands. Other conflicting agendas also had an impact on the discussion to launch. This had a devastating impact in some people's lives.
Also in the chapter it discussed different ethical choices. One being reasonable criteria discussed on page 100, this approach gave a list obligations you have to all indivisible when communicating. I think this is something that I will refer to in the future. The legal vs. ethical aspect of writing is also something to think about. Just because you can legally express information about others does not mean it is ehtical. On page 101 regarding copyrights in certain circumstances your can use someone else's material without their permission if it for educational purposes. You still need to consider your audience.

In chapter 8 this chapter mainly focused on making your documents more visually effective. As mentioned in this chapter there are many things that effect how well your document is received. For example, in electronic documents you need to consider using a grid structure and emphasizing using proper white spaces (page 135). Also depending on your audience and purpose of your document will determine the font size and different typography you may use as mentioned on page 141. This chapter help me when I was putting together my application packet.

2006-10-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

September 12, Hw #9, Deadline Reflection

I felt the information from this week's assignments were all very helpful. This week's reading really has had me look differently at what types of communication that I use at work and for school. At work lately I have been picking up on how so many people use email, memos, and other forms of communication ineffectively. I myself, being one of those people.
I was excited about putting together a application packet this week. It's been a while since I have put together a new resume and I have never really done true research on how to make an effective application packet. The reading from the webpages provided some templates and examples for cover letters and resumes. This will be very helpful for the final writting project. I was not able to get my rough draft into exchange soon enough and I want to apologize if someone was short a paper to review. Some of this week's assignments seemed to be a lot of busy work but they really have help me understand effective communication.

This is who I commented too for their September 12 entries.

Carlene: Sept 12, Hw 12, Annotated Bibliography

Carlene: Sept. 12, Hw 1, Reading Reflection

Jeffrey Russon: Sept 12, Hw 12, Post Interview Message

Jeffrey Russon: Sept 12, Hw 15, Interview

Wendy Michle: Sept 12, Hw 6, Everyday Communication

2006-10-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

September 12, HW 5, Annotated Bibliography X2

http://www.bestsamplerresume.com/help-desk-resumes.html was the first webpage that I found helpful.

The way that I found this site was by going to goggle.com. I typed in "help with resumes" to pull up this webpage. The page provided tips on the what information needs to be provided in order to make an successful resume. A resume template was provided that was easy to follow step by step. It also provided sample resumes. The information that I felt was interesting was on the left side of the page it provide a list of different career resumes that you could click on. I checked out the fire resume and it provide specific past work accomplishment that you may want to provide in a fire captain resume and what type of format to use. The information on this page will be useful when I'm testing for future promotions within my department.

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/coverlettersamples/a/coverlettsample/htm

The way that I pulled up this webpage was also through goggle.com. I typed "help with cover letter" under search and it provided me with this webpage. This webpage was about cover letters. It provided the basic information about what a cover letter was used for and what it needed to consist of. This page provided a template to work from and also examples of other cover letters. I would use this as a reference for my own application packet. The examples were good and the template was easy to follow.

2006-09-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

September 12, Hw #4, Develop a Email

From: Tim Rayburn
Sent: September 13, 2006 2:28 PM
To: Rsmith@cityofyuma.gov
Subject: Interview

Mr. Smith

Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the position of Firefighter with your fire department. I look forward to hearing from you. Give me a call at 480-349-2233 if you have a questions or need additional information from my application packet.

Sincerely,
Tim Rayburn

2006-09-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

September 12, HW #6, Communication In Profession

In my current profession as a firefighter there are many forms of communication which are used on regular basis which were discussed in chapter 10 of A Concise Guide. I think the three forms most used being email, memos, and short reports.

Email

Email is used more than any other form of communication. Email provides a quick response and information accessible. Line personal in my department work three different shifts A, B, and C shift. Each shift is on for a 24 hr work day which falls on all different days of the week. Line personal also work at all different locations around the city. If I need to get information out to other members of my department quickly and as easy as possible I would use email. For example, if I was to find about a piece of equipment on the fire truck that was not working properly I could sent out an email to different groups of people that would be effective by the issue. Line personal from other shifts, battalion chiefs, and truck mechanics could all be informed by the same email. I may not see other firefighters on other shifts for months at time but can effectively communicate through email.

Memos

Memos are readily used by our training division. When important training information needs to reach all members of the department our training chief will post a memo. It is usually sent through email as an attachment. They seem to be highly effective. They are used to inform line personal about new training or to recommend things to upper management. It has also helped to inform the department when critical procedures need to be released quickly. As the audience of these memos the information is more formally presented. The context is also too the point.

Short Reports

Meeting minutes are also an effective form of communication for my department. As I discussed earlier about the different schedules and station locations of personal, meeting minutes are one of the only ways that we find out current information being discussed by upper management. Meeting minutes are posted on a weekly basis in emails as attachments. The information is listed in order as discussed from the meetings. These information is sent out to all members of the fire department and other departments in the city.

2006-09-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

September 12, Hw #3, Job Application Packet "Develop a Plan"

The first step in developing a job application packet would be to find out as much as possible about the audience (the employer). By doing an audience analysis I would be able to learn more about my audience. I would do research about the company by checking out the company's webpage. Also, depending on how I found out about the position (job fair or friend) I would try to retrieve information that way.
Second, I would need to do a purpose analysis. What is the purpose for my writing? What is the audience trying to get from my information? After doing a audience and purpose analysis I would list my qualifications on paper like my education, work history, personal goals and accomplishments. Making the decision on how I organize my information would be next. Is it more appropriate to use reverse chronological organization or maybe functional organization? What ever is going to be most effective at grabbing the readers attention. After listing my experience I would draft my cover letter and resume.
I would than carefully proofread my draft following up by making the appropriate corrections. From there I would print off a copy of my application packet and have coworkers and friends test the effectiveness of my writing by reading it and answering prepared questions.
After my application packet was reviewed I would make changes and produce my final product.
Some other things that I would consider throughout my writing process would be using appropriate grammar and style (a list of different usable tips was given at the end of chapter 3).

2006-09-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

September 12, Hw #2 , Writing Process "Web Links"

After checking out different web links from MyCompLab "The writing Process" I noticed some of the processes that I have used, mainly from academics. The web sites were all user friendly and will be a great reference for future writing projects. The ones that I felt were of importance were prewriting/outlining, drafting, and proofreading.

Prewriting is a process that is important by helping you find a topic and main ideas to write about. Freewriting is something that is effective for me. I have a hard time getting my thoughts down on paper. I think that I am concerned so much about my spelling, sentence structure, and paragraph structure in the early stages of writing that I lose my train of thought. Freewriting allows for me to just write. I'm not concerned about how it all looks, I just get all my thoughts out and go back and correct the structure later on. Mind mapping is also apart of the prewriting process that I fell is important. In past academic writing assignments when given the opportunity to write about a topic of choice mind mapping really has been helpful. When I think that I may have a good topic to write about I list all the ideas that can support that topic. Some topics may not have enough material to write about. You can find out early if that topic is a good choice.
Drafting allows for you to pull from your topic and main ideas from your prewriting process and formulate the layout of your paper. First paragraph including you main topic or thesis of the paper followed by paragraphs that clearly state the main ideas supporting it.
Proofreading is also an important process. Having others read you writing is important. They may see things that you cannot. They may also have other ideas on how you can be more effective in your communication.
All of the different processes from the web pages are effective. I really didn't feel that any were of less importance.

2006-09-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

September 12, Hw #1, Reading reflection

Concise Guide: On page 51 in chapter 3, Tips for Proofreading, I found this to be useful. One tip that was given was, proofread from the hard copy. It stated, that research shows that people read more perceptively from a printed page than from a computer screen. Hard copies are also easier to mark up and make comments on. I will do this when reviewing my own paper and with peer reviews. I personally like looking at a hard copy. Throughout this class the tips from this page will be a good reference to go back to.

Web Pages: The web page from the University of Washington had several points that stood out to me. In the first couple of paragraphs of the article under Starting Strong, it talked about the importance of grabbing the reader's attention. If you do not grab the readers attention within the first paragraph or the first one third of resume you are going to lose your reader's interest. The information that you put down in the beginning, your experience should keep the reader wanting to learn more about the rest of the resume. Providing information such as your experience and the way you describe it should be linked directly to the position that you are applying for.
Something else that I enjoyed from the article was "Accomplished Statements". When describing how your skills and experience match the job that you are applying for, you should describe them as a "Accomplished Statement". Accomplished statements should be brief and action oriented. They also should specify results and include measurement in numerical terms. Thirdly, avoid being to general without supplying a qualified measurement. It also gave a list of action words that they recommended using to start your statement.
Thinking back to all the resumes that I have put together over the years I really did not spend the time preparing a resume. When describing my work experience I would sometimes just list my past position titles followed by listing my job duties for that position. I would be so general. I am going to do my best to grab the readers attention in the beginning of the resume and describe my experience as a "accomplished statement".
The web page from Wesleyan University gave tips about a cover page. You should count how many sentences that you start with "I" when qualifying yourself in your cover page. If this the case change the wording in your sentences. Looking back at some of my old resumes and cover pages, I started many sentences with "I".

2006-09-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

September 5, Hw #7, Comprehensive Diagnostic 1

After completing that test I felt fairly good until I found out my test results. I did not do very well. My overall score was 60%. I have a lot of room for improvement. The areas that I struggled with the most was with my sentence grammar and basic grammar skills. I need to work on my use of commas and pronouns. Other areas that I need to improve are adjectives and adverbs, verb tenses, redundancy, and run-on or fused sentences.
The areas of my writing skills that I did well in were with punctuation/mechanics and with usage and style. When it comes to writing I have always struggled with my grammar skills. I'm going to continue to work on this throughout this class.

2006-09-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

August 29, Hw #8, Deadline Reflection Assignment

Really everything that was covered in the first two chapters of the reading was helpful for me. It has been a while since I have taken a writing class. In the first chapter it mentioned that you need to make sure the technical information you provide is accessible, usable, and relevant to your audience. This helped me this week by just getting me in the mind set of adjusting my writing for my audience. In this class we will be communicating through email and through exchange so this is a very important to understand. Before preparing technical information I am going to spend more time thinking about these points.
Also in chapter two the Audience Analysis Worksheet really lays it all out. It helps you prepare questions you need to know about audience, purpose, and context when preparing technical information. This will be useful for me in future class projects or for communication purposes in my career.

Here are some other classmate's blogs I checked out.

August 29, Hw #1 Reading Reflection, Angie Aguiar

August 29, Hw #7, Concerns and Questions, Angie Aguiar

August 29, Hw#2, Job Application Packet, Michelle's Laughter

August 29, Hw#1, Reading Reflection, Josh Grauder

2006-09-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

August 29, Hw #7, Question and Concerns

My concerns about this class (ENG 111). For one I am not very computer savvy so I'm little intimidated navigating around in some of the technologies. I was able to set up all my accounts, but I have a hard time being able to access the class pageflake and other classmate's blogs. I am trying to figure it out. Pageflake is the one most difficult for me. Some of it is me not asking for help. But enough of that I going to start. I have always taken traditional classes for the most part and this internet class concept is really different for me. I will be contributing more to our class discussions. Besides that I have no complaints.

2006-09-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

August 29, Hw # 6, Audience analysis Job Application Materials.

Some things that need to be addressed when preparing a job application packet. In your cover letter making sure that your audience which may be one person or a group ( HR department ?) is addressed appropriately. Spelling names correctly and given proper job titles. In the cover letter and resume it should be clear to your audience what position you are applying for. The cover letter should show how interested you are and show some degree of information you may know about the company. Also, in the cover letter it would be great opportunity to explain your credentials and how they fit the position. In your resume you need to list specific examples of your education and p job history that fit the position. The employer (audience) reviewing your application my have a number of applicants so making your application packet free of mistakes, clear, and easy to read will make a difference.

2006-09-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

August 29, HW #4, Impact of Audience, Purpose, and Context

The way I understand this is. For example, as a firefighter children come into my fire station all the time to do station tours. They are so excited to see the truck and equipment that we use. Like most children they have many questions about everything. Which I enjoy answering. If they were to ask me a question like. How are you able to breath in a fire with all that smoke? If I were to explain to them that it's because I use personal protective equipment. The part of my personal protective equipment that allows me to sustain a breathable atmosphere is my SCBA (Self Contained Breathing apparatus). I then continue to explain to them how much oxygen my bottle will hold and how the technical components of the air pack works. And so on..... My explanation would totally lose their interest. If I were to answer them saying. Have you ever seen a firefighter's coat and stuff? Do you know the air bottle we wear on our back, kind of like how you wear your backpack? There is air in that bottle that allows for us to breath when we're in the fire. Explaining to them in a much simpler language and vocabulary I should be able to keep there interest. The length of my answers would also make a difference on how effective I would be. Explaining this same question to an adult would be much different. The way I answer the question would also differ depending on the purpose of their visit. Is this a person that is thinking of becoming a firefighter or is it a local citizen that wants to know more about the equipment their tax dollars are paying for.

2006-09-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

August 29, HW#2, Job Application Packet accessibility, usability, and relevance.

First in order to develop a successful Job Application Packet you need to understand as much as possible about the position that you are applying for. You also need to do a little research about the company reviewing your packet so you can get a better understanding of your audience.

In order for your job application packet to be accessible it should be easy for the employer to read. You should make sure that there is no mistakes or errors and it should be presented as a hard copy. Be clear of the position that you are applying for. Your cover letter gives you the opportunity to explain some of your strengths, interest in the position, and why they should consider you for the job. The cover letter gives you a chance to explain yourself more then a resume. When using examples in your resume make sure that the information given is correct. When your audience is reviewing cover letter and resume it should be in a language that can be undestood.
Usability: Your resume and cover letter should be attractive to look at. It must also be usable. For example, the heading of a resume should clearly list your name and contact information. Page layout should be uniform and clear, so that your education and job experiences are easy to follow. The easier your information is to retrieve the easier it is for your auidience to understand and apply to their purpuse. Usability and relevance are very simular, to me I think they work alot together. You don't want to list unimportant information that will loss the interest of the reader. They may have a good number of applications to review so keep your information to the point.

2006-08-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

August 29, HW2 , Reading Reflection

In the first part of chapter 2 from A Concise Guide and from the website The Writing Guide: Adapting to your Audience, it really focused on the different types of audiences, how you should analyze your audience before you start writing, and the importance of producing information that is useful to that specific group of people or community.
Understanding who your audience is and what their needs are is important to be an effective technical communicator. For this weeks assignment we are to reply to a classmate's posting giving suggestions on how to help make this semester survivable. I need to consider my audience when replying to classmates.
Throughout this class in our major writing projects it will be important to consider who are audience is. For example, our writing project #1 is putting together a job application packet. Depending on the job that I will be applying for I will need to consider what kind of information I would like the employer to know about me through my resume and cover page. Am I communicating to the employer the skills I have and are those skills fulfilling their needs? Is my language appropriate?
In present and future writing projects either in school or at work considering your audience is also important. Currently at work I communicate through email to an array of different audiences. I also need to understand purpose behind the email. Like described in the web page: Writing Guide; Understanding Your Purpose. By communicating through email is the purpose of our communication to inform, explain, persuade, etc.
On page 21 in the A Concise Guide it also shows how one topic can be communicate to two different audiences by performing a Basic Audience Analysis. You can do this by changing your language and the topics of interest to keep the interest of your audience.

2006-08-23T20:45:00.001-07:00

Hi my name is Tim Rayburn. I'm 28 years old, married and just became a new father. My son is four months old and he is really keeping me busy. I've lived in the Phoenix area for most of my life (27 years) and I really enjoy it. My academic goals are to first complete my AA in Fire Science. Second, attend Paramedic school through Phoenix College. Finally, to complete a BS in Management. My professional goals at this time are to prepare myself for the requirements needed in order to apply for a Captain position within my fire department. I hope that this class teaches me how to better consider my audience when writing. The thing that I want upon completion of this class is being able to feel more confident in my writing skills.