TECM 2700 Technical Writing Fall 2013

Instructor Office Hours Phone E-Mail Textbook Prof. Charlie Riccardelli Tuesdays 11AM-12PM; Wednesdays 4:30PM-5:30PM 940-565-4458 (office number for the Department of Linguistics & Technical Communication. You may leave a message with the staff. ) [email protected] Sims, Brenda R. Technical Communication. 2nd ed. Kendall Hunt, 2013 (Available in hard copy or eBook) You may order the eBook directly from the publisher at http://www.kendallhunt.com/store-product.aspx?id=68471. You must have the Webcom2.0 access code with the book you purchase. The objectives of TECM 2700 include the following: learn to write clearly, concisely, and correctly learn the value of good writing skills in business and industry learn and practice writing various technical documents common in business and industry use word processing and graphics software to create effective technical documents learn to write as a member of a team Style Exam Correspondence Case Study Design Case Study Job Materials (resume and cover letter) Proposal Instructions Feasibility Report Formal Project Portfolio 10% 5% 10% 10% 10% 15% 15% 20% 5%

Course Objectives

Evaluation

Policies You must attend class regularly. You cannot perform well in this course unless you attend class. If you miss class for any reason, you are responsible for all material covered and all assignments made.
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Acceptable Student Behavior

My classroom is a cell-phone-free zone: no texting, no surfing, and no talking on cell phones. Put your phone on silent (not vibrate) during class. All cell phones must be kept in pockets or bags. Please respect your classmates by following this policy. I do not accept late assignments except in cases listed below. If you do not contact me before the assignment is due, I will not accept the assignment. If you are unable to attend class or turn in an assignment because of an emergency, please call or e-mail me before class. If you miss more than 3 classes, I will lower your grade one letter. If you miss more than 5 classes, I will lower your grade two letters and may drop you for non-attendance. If you miss more than two scheduled team meetings, you may receive a grade of zero on the team project/assignment. If you do not prepare an assignment according to instructions in format, organization, and style, that assignment may receive a grade of F. Make copies of your formal report and any other documents that you would like to keep. I will your formal project and other documents on file for one year. You will submit all of your work at the end of the semester via an EPortfolio. If you fail to complete the E-Portfolio, you will receive a 10 point reduction in your final grade. Check your UNT email address for communication from me. I use only UNT email address to communicate with students.

Student behavior that interferes with an instructors ability to conduct a class or other students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at www.unt.edu/csrr I follow UNTs policy for academic dishonesty. You can access these guidelines and the UNT policy at http://policy.unt.edu/sites/default/files/untpolicy/pdf/7-Student_AffairsAcademic_Integrity.pdf. You are responsible for knowing and following
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Academic Integrity

Essential Competencies

the student standards for academic integrity. In accordance with the terms and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504, Rehabilitation Act, I will cooperate with the office of Disability Accommodation to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. If you have a disability for which you will require accommodation, please advise me of your needs in writing no later than the end of the second week of class. Essential competencies for this course include the ability to read and analyze technical documents write clear, concise, and visually appropriate technical prose for the intended readers in response to various types of assignments work in a team to discuss, write, edit, and publish technical documents use a personal computer with word processing, e-mail, website design, and graphics software applications work effectively as part of a team follow the rules of standard grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation

Succeed!

I want you to succeed at UNT and in this class. I encourage you to visit the Succeed at UNT website: www.succeed.unt.edu.

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Readings and Assignments August 29 September 3 What well do in class What well do in class Introduction to the Course Student Profiles What Makes Technical Communication Excellent Orientation to the Computer Lab Chapter 1 Exercise 1 on page 15 Writing for Your Readers Chapter 4 Real World Experience on page 134 Organizing Information for Your Readers Chapter 6 Select two of the following exercises: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 on pages 180-181 Organizing Information for Your Readers Real World Experience on page 134 (collaborative assignment to be presented in class) Style Chapter 7 Exercises 1-6, 8 on pages 203-206

What to read Whats due September 5 What well do in class What to read Whats due September 10 What well do in class What to read Whats due September 12 What well do in class Whats due

September 17

What well do in class What to read Whats due

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September 19

What well do in class What to read Whats due

Style Chapter 8 Exercises 1-11 on pages 231-234 Practice Style Exam Review Chapters 7-8 Practice exam at the end of class Introduction to Formal Project Review of Practice Exam Style Exam Review Chapters 7-8 and your practice exam

September 24

What well do in class What to read Whats due

September 26

What well do in class

October 1

What well do in class What to read

______________________________________________________________________________ October 3 What well do in class Designing Documents and Graphics What to read Whats due Chapters 10 and 11

Exercise 1 on page 292 Exercise 6 on page 346 ______________________________________________________________________________ October 8 What well do in class Graphics Orientation Workshop: Design Case Study Whats due October 10 What well do in class What to read Whats due Draft of case study Letters, Memos, and E-Mail Chapter 12 Design Case Study at beginning of class Exercise 1 on page 379

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______________________________________________________________________________ October 15 What well do in class Workshop: Correspondence Case Study Whats due Tentative formal project topic e-mailed to me by the beginning of class Correspondence case study at the end of class Ethics, Resumes, and Letters of Application Chapters 2 and 13 Case Study Analysis, assignment 1 on page 424 Workshop: Resumes Draft of resume at the beginning of class Workshop: Resumes and E-Portfolios E-Portfolio Orientation Resume and letter of application at the end of class Building Persuasive Arguments Chapter 9 Exercise 1 on page 254 Proposals Chapter 16 Workshop: ProposalsPeer Editing Exercises 1.e, 2, and 3 on page 559

October 17

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October 22

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October 24

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October 29

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October 31

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November 5

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November 7

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Collaboration and Instructions Workshop: Team Instructions Chapters 3 and 15 Proposal Case Study Analysis, assignment 1 or 2 on page 558 Workshop: Team Instructions Topic for instructions due at the end of class Workshop: Team Instructions Draft of team instructions at the end of class Workshop: Team Instructions Team instructions due at the end of class Individual Conferences to Review Formal Project Rough Drafts

November 12

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November 14

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November 19

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November 21

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Formal project draft due at the beginning of class _____________________________________________________________________________ November 26 What well do in class Feasibility Reports What to read Whats due December 3 What well do in class Chapters 18 & 20 Formal project at the beginning of class Workshop: Team Feasibility Study

Whats due E-portfolio __________________________________________________________________________________ December 5 What well do in class Workshop: Team Feasibility Study Whats due Feasibility report draft at the end of class
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__________________________________________________________________________________ December Final Exam (Presentations of Team Feasibility Studies, including final draft of feasibility report)

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