Writing for Engineering: Course Calendar
| Day/Date | HW Due (Before Class) | In-Class Goals and Activities |
| Week 1: Thurs. 1/25 | -Introductions -Syllabus -Grading Contract -Student Questionnaire | |
| Week 1: Tues. 1/30 | 1. Create your own WordPress site on CUNY Academic Commons (see my videos on Blackboard) and email me the links to your sites. 2. Read Markel Chapter 1: Intro to Technical Communication (pgs. 3-15) 3. Blog Post 1: Answer questions 1-6 of the Document Analysis Activity (pgs. 14-15) 4) Submit the Student Questionnaire to me (if you weren’t able to hand it in last class | -Defining Technical Communication -Audience Analysis (Rhetorical Triangle) -Introduce Professional Opportunity Packet Assignment |
| Week 2: Thurs. 2/1 | 1. Read Markel Chapter 15: Applying for a Job (pgs. 400-426) 2. Blog Post 2: Identify a time in your life when you applied for something (it could be a job, internship, scholarship, or even applying for college). Did you find it difficult to write your resume/cover letter/personal statement? What was difficult about it, if anything? Now that you have learned about audience and purpose, if you had to reapply for the position/opportunity, how would you write your application materials differently? Be specific. What would you do? 3. Research THREE jobs/internships/scholarships/graduate programs etc, you want to apply to. Why do you want to apply to these opportunities? Be as specific as possible. What can the position/opportunity do for you? What qualities about the opportunity do you like?Bring the 3 listings to class. | -Freewrite -How to Research Professional Opportunities -Formatting Resumes -Resume Writing |
| Week 2: Tues. 2/6 | 1. Pick ONE opportunity and write a first draft of a resume for that position First Draft of Resume #1 Due Today | -Workshop Resume #1 -Cover Letter Writing and Research |
| Week 3: Thurs. 2/8 | 1) Read Markel Chapter 15: Applying for a Job (pg. 427) 2) First Draft of Cover Letter #1 due Today | -Workshop Cover Letter #1 -Start working on Resume #2 and Cover Letter #2 |
| Week 3: Tues. 2/13 | 1) First Draft of Resume #2 due Today 2) First Draft of Cover Letter #2 due Today Read Markel Chapter 14: Corresponding in Print and Online pgs. 373-377 and pgs. 386-391 | -Workshop Resume #2 -Workshop Cover Letter #2 -Memo Writing |
| Week 4: Thurs. 2/15 | 1) Final Draft of Professional Opportunity Packet with Memo Due Today (Before class) 2) Read Markel Chapter 20: Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions pgs. 561-569 2) Blog Post 3: identify some technical descriptions around you (it can be of a notebook, a pen, a water bottle etc). What does the technical description include? Is there anything you wanted to know more about? | -Freewrite -Introduce Technical Description Assignment -Writing Technical Descriptions -Brainstorming Technical Writing |
| Week 4: Tues. 2/20 | 1) Write a list of parts and definitions for your technical description 2) Read Markel Chapter 20: Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions pgs. 569-583 | -Workshop list of parts and definitions -Writing Conclusions for Technical Descriptions |
| Week 5: Thurs. 2/22 | NO CLASS | Classes follow the Monday schedule. Go to all of your Monday classes!!! |
| Week 5: Tues. 2/27 | 1) Blog Post 3 | |
| Week 6: Thurs. 2/29 | 1) Write a list of parts and definitions | -Workshop Parts and Definitions -Writing conclusions for Technical Descriptions |
| Week 6: Tues. 3/5 | 1) Write a conclusion for your Technical Description | -Workshop conclusions -Writing APA Citations |
| Week 7: Thurs. 3/7 | 1) Write a paragraph about what medium you want to do your instruction set on (video/Tiktok/manual/poster etc) and why this would be a good fit for your purpose and audience | -Writing Instruction Sets |
| Week 7: Tues. 3/12 | First draft of Instruction Set due Today | – Workshop Instruction Sets -APA Citations |
| Week 7: Thurs. 3/14 | 1) Read Markel Chapter 4: Writing Collaboratively pgs. 62-86 Blog Post 4: Answer Question #5 on page 85. | -Introduce Grant Writing Assignment -Sign Up for Groups -Brainstorming Grant Proposal Writing |
| Friday, 3/15 | Final Draft of TDIS with Memo due at 11:59pm | NO CLASS |
| Week 8: Tues. 3/19 | 1) Submit to Blackboard a plan of how you plan on finishing the assignment. This plan should include: a) list of roles for each group member (what sections will they be working on) b) a list of six 1-hr work sessions. Be sure to mention exactly when and where (or how, if using online technologies) c) A 100-150 word paragraph introducing your topic and your research question. 2) Bring your CCNY username and password to class. | -Library Database Research -Evaluating Sources (CRAAP Test) |
| Week 8: Thurs. 3/21 | 1) Read Markel Chapter 6: Researching Your Subject pgs. 120-149 2) Find 10 (good) sources and skim them. 2) In a single document, write one paragraph introducing your topic idea, list the 10 potential sources you’ll use, and write another paragraph brainstorming how these sources might help you to explore the topic. Submit to BB. *Each group member is going to submit 2 sources and make sure none of them are the same. | -Intro to Summary -Rhetorical Précis (as a summary tool) |
| Week 9: Tues. 3/26 | 1) Decide on and read the 5 or more sources you’ll use for your essay. Have them accessible for class. 2) Write and submit your synthesis for 2 articles. | -Intro to Paraphrase -Intro to synthesis |
| Week 9: Thurs. 3/28 | 1) Write & submit to BB a rhetorical précis for 2 sources. 2) Write & submit to BB 1+ page of synthesis using these sources. Submit to BB. | -Workshop syntheses and the rhetorical précis |
| Week 10: Tues. 4/2 | 1) Read Markel Chapter 16: Writing Proposals pgs. 437-447 2) Write and submit to Blackboard the first draft of Literature Review | -Workshop Literature Reviews -Writing a Methods Section -Sign up for Group Conferences |
| Week 10: Thurs. 4/4 | 1) Read Markel Chapter 16:Writing Proposals pgs. 447-459 2) Conferences with your group. | -NO CLASS. COME TO CONFERENCES WITH YOUR GROUP |
| Week 11: Tues. 4/9 | 1) Submit your first draft of the Literature Review, if you haven’t already 2) Write a preliminary draft of your methods section (this can be in bullet points, a simple paragraph, or incredibly detailed) | -NO CLASS. COME TO CONFERENCES WITH YOUR GROUP. |
| Week 11: Thurs. 4/11 | 1) Write a first draft of your methods section | -Writing Anticipated Results section -Writing Broader Impacts section -Writing Broader Impacts section -Writing Abstracts |
| Week 12: Tues. 4/16 | 1)Write the first draft of your Anticipated Results and Broader Impacts sections 2) Write first draft of your abstract 3) Final Draft of Grant Proposal with Memos due Tonight at 11:59pm | -Review APA citations -Writing Memos |
| Week 12: Thurs. 4/18 | -Introduce Self-Assessment Essay Assignment | |
| Friday, 4/19 | Submit your Self-Assessment Essay on Friday, 4/19 at 11:59pm | |
| Tues. 4/22 | Spring Break! | NO CLASS |
| Thurs. 4/24 | Spring Break! | NO CLASS |
| Tues. 4/30 | Spring Break! | NO CLASS |
| Week 13: Thurs. 5/2 | -Digital Portfolio/WordPress Design -How to Write an “About Me” page | |
| Week 14: Tues. 5/7 | 1) Revise your Professional Opportunity Packet according to my feedback and have it ready for class as we will be uploading it to your WordPress sites. 2) Bring your laptops/tablets to class with the username and password to your CUNY Academic Commons WordPress Site. 3) Read Markel Chapter 5: pgs. 90-100 | -Digital Portfolio/WordPress Design |
| Week 14: Thurs. 5/9 | 1) Revise your Technical Description and Instruction Set according to my feedback and have it ready for class as we will be uploading it to your WordPress sites. 2) Revise your Grant Proposal according to my feedback and have it ready for class as we will be uploading it to your WordPress Site. 3) Bring your laptops/tablets to class with the username and password to your CUNY Academic Commons WordPress Site. | -Digital Portfolio/WordPress Design -Gloria Anzaldúa’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” -Jamila Lyiscott’s “3 Ways to Speak English” |
| Week 15: Tues. 5/14 | 1) Revise your Self Assessment Essay according to my feedback and have it ready for class as we will be uploading it to your WordPress Sites. 2) Bring your laptops/tablets to class with the username and password to your CUNY Academic Commons WordPress Site. | -Last Day of Class -Digital Portfolio/WordPress Design -Course Evaluations |
| FINALS WEEK: Tues. 5/21 | Submit to BB your URL to your FINAL PORTFOLIO (which should include your Self-Assessment Essay and Major Assignments along with an “About Me” page.) Please note that this is the final day that all assignments are due. No extensions will be granted after this deadline. Furthermore, your digital portfolio will be evaluated by me (your professor), the English Department, and the Director of First Year Writing. Submit your URLs ON TIME. Our Blackboard site will CLOSE after this deadline. I will NOT ACCEPT ANY SUBMISSIONS VIA EMAIL. SUBMIT YOUR URL ONTO BLACKBOARD ON TIME. | NO CLASS |
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