Additional Online Resources
Parallel Structure in Professional Writing, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/644/1/
Tone in Business Writing, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/652/1/
HATS: A Design Procedure for Routine Business Documents, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/632/1/
Higher Order Concerns, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/548/1/
Later Order Concerns, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/548/02/
Rhetorical Awareness, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/624/01/
Applying User-Centered Design, Purdue OWL - [[http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/624/01/Sentence|http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/624/01/]]
Clarity, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/600/1/
Sentence Clarity Presentation, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/711/1/

Week 1
Introduction: Syllabus and Tentative Course Schedule
  • Read Chapter 1 – Understanding Business Communication
  • Read Chapter 2 -- Team and Intercultural Communication
  • Read Chapter 3 -- Interpersonal Communication Skills
    • Note the Appendix: Language Arts Basics, pages 468-502 (we will review these during the semester)

Presentations:

Handouts:
Assignment:
  • Create a word cloud to introduce yourself; include your major, minor, job (if you have one) and continue to the next bullet
  • Use seven (7) words tell us something about you; for example, an interest, hobby, favorite thing, outdoor activity, movie, book, color, vacation spot, etc.. The words can be repeated; the more times you repeat one of the words, the larger the word will appear in the cloud. For example, if yellow is a strong descriptor for you, then repeat it several times.
  • Once the wordle is complete, randomize the layout, choose a different font, or color
  • Hit the prt sc button along with the fn key on your keyboard to capture a screen shot of your image
  • Open PowerPoint, choose blank template, change slide layout on Home Tab to blank
  • Right click in the slide, paste (wordle image will appear)
  • Select the image; note the Picture Tools tab appears
  • Choose the crop tool to remove the outside Wordle border so words used in the cloud show
  • Click on the crop tool again to put it away
  • Right click on the image in PowerPoint and SAVE as a jpeg file. Name the file: Wordle.your last name
  • Return to WebCRC, choose Doc Sharing
  • Upload your file to the category called Wordle.Personal Intro

Week 2

Presentations:


Handouts:

Due: Personal Letterhead
Quiz: Chapters 1-2-3
Assignment:
    • Partners: Identify communication components in a current news story. You must select a news story of interest and identify the stimulus, filter, message, medium, feedback, and noise.
    • Look at the functional skills worksheet pdf to determine your top skills. Use a table format to complete your top 7-10 preferred functional skills: http://sackler.med.nyu.edu/postdoc/files/postdoc/u8/Skills.pdf. You can use these as we move forward with employment communication.


Week 3
Employment Communication
Readings:
Chapter 12
Continue work from Chapter 5

Handouts:


Assignment:
    • Prepare an updated rough draft copy of a resume (hard copy)
    • Bring printed copy of a position ad to apply for upon graduation or for an internship, see career link sidebar
    • Quiz, Chapter 12


Week 4
Employment Communication
Readings:
Chapter 12
Chapter 5

Career Services Speaker, 9-4
Handouts/links: Cover letter workshop,
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/723/1/
Purdue
OWL Cover Letters, YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLGa2bRU-g
Cover Letters 1: Quick Tips, Purdue OWL – http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/549/1/
Cover Letters 2: Preparing to Write a Cover Letter, Purdue OWL – http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/550/1/
Cover Letters 3: Writing Your Cover Letter, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/527/1/
Follow-Up Letter, Purdue OWL – http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/634/04/
Inquiry Letters, Purdue OWL - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/634/04/

Assignments:


Week 5
Continue with Employment Communication
Assignment

Read Chapter 6 -- Neutral and Positive Messages
Read Page, 184-185, Figure 2 -- Ineffective Email Request Example
  • Provide background information about yourself
  • Put yourself in the reader's position
  • What information would you need to answer the request accurately and completely?
  • Answer: purpose, details, action

Read Page, 186 Figure 3 -- Revised Email Request
  • Note clear subject line
  • Appropriate salutation used
  • Reason for email is clear in first paragraph
  • Specific request is made
  • Rationale provided for why Him or Her
  • Details included about why and who to send recommendation to
  • Standard closing used

Revisions in Progress
    • Revise cover letters and prepare to submit final copy
    • Revise resume and prepare to submit final copy
    • Final copies of resume, eResume, and cover letter printed and due in drop box by September 16


Week 6
Employment Communication Continued
Assessment Day on 9-17, Classes start at noon
    • LinkedIn Profile Development, Lindsay Adolphs
What is LinkedIn?
Restrictions for LinkedIn Usage, LinkedIn Restrictions
Slideshare, LinkedIn History, LinkedIn History
9 Things You Should Never Do, Article-9 Things not to do professionally
LinkedIn Guide



Week 7 September 23--27
    • LinkedIn Photo Shoot
    • What You Need to Know to Ace the Interview, Jill Mussmann, Talent Acquisition and Development Manager


Week 8
Readings: Chapter 7
Business Letters: Accentuating the Positives - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/654/1/
Sales Letters: Four Point Action Closing - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/655/1/


In-Class activity
    • Assignment: Partners (2) Examine an ad from a Web site, a TV commercial, or a mailed written sales message. Prepare four (4) slides to identify the parts of the sales message. Be prepared include a link to the website, commercial or scan the written sales message so it can be shown digitally.


Bad-News Messages

Read Chapter 9 -- Planning the Report and Managing Data, page 284
Report Writing -- Guest Presenter, Ms. Ashtin Trimble, Academic Technology Administrator on Wednesday, 10-2 and Thursday, 10-3
    • Identifying Types of Data -- Primary vs. Secondary
    • Searching for Relevant Sources
      • Finding relevant sources to support a business decision
      • Evaluating Sources of Information

Week 9
Readings: Chapter 9
Assignment: Evaluate a Business Report
    • Review and critique a business report from the Internet
    • Work with a partner to answer the following questions. Whenever possible, incorporate specific concepts or tips from the textbook and from Ms. Trimble's presentation. It should be a thorough critique of the report.
      • What is the purpose of the report? Is the purpose clear?
      • Review the report. Write a short summary (300-500 words) of one of the findings that you found interesting and/or surprising
      • Who do you think is the audience for the report? In what ways could a person in business use these findings?
      • Evaluate the report layout and readability. Is the report readable? Concise? Condensed?
      • Evaluate the use of supporting data. Evaluate graphs, if used (See chapter 9, 10)
      • Is the report generated from a credible, unbiased source? How do you know?
      • Evaluate the web site where the report is located for navigation and usability
      • Based on your review of the report, what tips about writing and formatting effective business reports did you learn?



Assign Exercise 13, page 317 -- Write a cover letter to accompany a survey -- Print the Letter and submit to drop box


--Print the survey and submit to the drop box

Week 10










Assignment:



Week 11
Present -- DYK Presentations

Getting Started with Prezi


Prezify -- DYK Presentation

    • Submit to drop box, DYK Prezify -- 5 points

Prezi Menu Tools



Week 12

Assign: Persuasive Presentation



Week 13
Readings

Week 14

Week 15

November 26-28 - Thanksgiving Vacation

Week 16 -- December 2 -- 6
    • Work on presentation to pitch proposal
    • Guest Presenter on December 4 and 5
      • Word process 250-300 word summary of guest presentation
      • Upload to drop box, Guest presenter

Week 17 --
    • Pitch Proposal via PowerPoint






    • Groups present ad and submit one-page memo (assessment of ad)
    • Assignment: due for 10-18 (individual)
      • Imagine that you work for your favorite magazine (or choose one). Write a sales letter to encourage new subscriptions. As you're planning your letter, think carefully about your audience:
        • Why would they want to subscribe to the magazine? What benefits would they gain?
        • What can you offer to make a subscription attractive?
        • What are the potential obstacles to your sale? How can you overcome them?
        • How can you personalize the letter to your audience?
        • Think of a creative, catchy opening that would make your audience read on
        • Remember the components of a sales message:
          • Engage reader
          • Stimulate interest
          • Provide details
          • Inspire action
    • Assignment: due for 10-23, Prezify PowerPoint Tutorial F -- watch the Prezify Your Slides Video found in Presentations Link

Assign: Writing Persuasively for the Web: Due for 10-25 (group of two)
    • If you were starting your own business, how would you represent your product or service on your website? You can use whatever business you'd like: house painting, home organizing, personal shopping, photography, graphic design (logos, business cards, etc), personal trainer or anything else that interests you.
      • Start by exploring other small business websites
      • How do they use vivid language to draw people in
      • Write one or two paragraphs about your product or service
      • Reference the components of a sales message:
        • Engage reader
        • Stimulate interest
        • Provide details
        • Inspire action
      • Write business content
      • Share

10-29--11-1
    • Work on Slide Show, due 11-6
    • Present persuasive recruiter slide show -- note PP+Rubric above (points will not be 75)
Primary Research: Part I
Thursday 11-1

Part II
Pair up to evaluate questions; use same students you sent evaluation to
    1. Provide feedback about survey
    2. Which questions were most effective, why?
    3. Which questions were least effective, why?

11-6--11-8

11-13--11-15
    • Work on Proposal Outline due at end of class, 11-13
    • Research proposal content, organize, and work on proposal
    • Assign exercise to format for a proposal (header, footer, page numbering, Table of Contents),

11-26--11-29
    • 20 minutes allowed at start of class to work with partner and to print slides (6 per page); give to me before your presentation
    • Final presentations for proposals

1-minute PowerPoint Presentation
    1. Purpose -- call to action, generate interest or emotion
    2. Show me what you know about PowerPoint

    1. Read Part III, Creating Show-Stopping Prezis for Tuesday, 11-15.
    2. View Prezis on the Explore page -- page 118
    3. What makes a good prezi? -- page. 119-120
    4. Go to prezi.com and choose the Learn tab. You can find out what's new in Prezi. Under the heading Manual on the right side of the Learn page is an Open button. Take advantage of Prezi's online manual -- getting started--editing your prezi and presenting and managing.


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