Welcome to WRI 350

This page is where I'll post the basics of what we covered in class on a given day and anything I assigned for homework or that needs to be prepared for next class.

I'll stack the most recent class day's post above the rest of the posts in reverse chronological order so you shouldn't have to scroll around. Instructions, submission portals, and evaluation rubrics for major assignments can be found in our course Canvas shell.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at jessamyn.birrer@oit.edu.

(Please do not email me just to tell me how dorky this website is. I haven't built a website since 1995, and I'm having to reteach myself html and learn css from scratch. It's almost impossible to do this and teach four writing-intensive courses at the same time. Thanks for your patience.)

6 January 2025

Week Two, Friday

In Class Today: In-class practice using the game One Night Werewolf to practice reading other people and to observe classroom culture and affect in a constrained setting.

Homework (What to Do before Our Next Class): Catch up on your reading in this class (Why Workplace Culture Matters, Task-Oriented Writing, and Inclusive Writing) and otherwise practice good work-life balance by taking a break from this class (with the exception of your documentation log).

17 January 2025

Week Two, Wednesday

In Class Today: In-class practice with technical writing style, organization, and page layout and design (aka revising the deeply flawedHR benefits newsletter. (For our activity, please make a copy of the document to use rather than directly tinkering with the original here so things don't go kaflooey.) You can link to (or paste) your final "fixed" version of your document here.

Homework (What to Do before Our Next Class): Please read Why Workplace Culture Matters, ideally before class this Friday. Complete these two (relatively short) readings on Task-Oriented Writing and Inclusive Writing by this coming Monday.

15 January 2025

Week Two, Monday

In Class Today: Review of best practices for professional correspondence and memo writing. Collective feedback on Memo of Introduction assignment. ESP, the Seven Cs, and best practices for page layout and design. Analysis of a multiple-audience newsletter. If time: Begin planning revision of the newsletter (please make a copy of the document to use so things don't go kaflooey).
What You Should Do Before Next Class: Review Document Design if you haven't already (in general: catch up on assigned readings from week one). If you choose to, revise your Memo of Introduction by next class.

13 January 2025

Week One, Friday

In Class Today: Presentation of emails, documentation, and style choices for Make My Day/Ruin My Life activity. The Seven Cs of Tech Writing. Revision for style, tone, and clarity. Peer review of Memos of Introduction.

What You Should Do Before Next Class: Please read or skim all the topics in this online chapter reading on Document Design. Your Memo of Introduction is technically due today (Friday) by midnight; however, if you have ideas for major revision after peer review time in class today, you may submit it any time before next class.

10 January 2025

Week One, Wednesday

In Class Today: Professional communication and correspondence. Working with style guides. Collaborative writing activity on purpose, tone, and maintaining goodwill in professional writing and documentation. Review of the assignment sheet for the Memo of Introduction.

What You Should Do Before Next Class: Read this very brief Audience in Technical & Professional Genres. Read/review Technical Writing One (from Google) and ESP in Technical writing (from me). Complete a rough draft of your Memo of Introduction assignment and bring a printed copy to class Friday. (Reminder: All assignment instructions are available in their respective submission portals in Canvas.) Optional bonus reading: Peruse Steve Grunwell's "I'd Like to Write the World Some Docs."

08 January 2025

Week One, Monday

In Class Today: Tech Writing "crash course" on basics to remember from 227. Task-oriented writing/"Getting Something Done." Writing with strong ESP (Efficiency, Sufficiency, and Proficiency). The "ABC"s of formatting for technical and professional writing. KISS. CYA. Overview of course syllabus and core assignments for the term. Best practices for documentation. If time: Discussion of Memo of Introduction assignment.

What You Should Do Before Next Class: Read "How to Email Your Professor" and read/skim this excerpt from The Pocket Guide to Technical Writing, paying special attention to the sections on "ABC" format and Page Design (and anything that doesn't sound familiar from your previous studies in 227).