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Posts from September 2017

#FridayFact: Conflict Will Happen

#FridayFact: Conflict Will Happen published on

Reminder of how today’s posts work
#FridayFact posts will share a specific fact about writing in the workplace, which you can compare to what you know about your field. Usually these facts have an accompanying article that supports or expands on the fact.

 

Today’s Fact

No matter how hard you try to get along, at some point, there will be conflict with the people you work with. Sometimes it’s something incredibly unimportant (“Why can’t Jared ever close the copier lid when he’s finished?”) to something significant (You want the company to go with all Google products and Katryn wants the company to go with all Microsoft). The conflict can be over anything, but you’re guaranteed that there will be times when you have to deal with conflict in the workplace.

This week you have been working on group dynamics as you think about how your writing group will collaborate and set up the ground rules for your interaction, so it’s a good time for us to talk about conflict. That way you are ready to deal with anything that comes up within your writing group as well.

The video Clashing with a Coworker? Here’s What to Do (8m37s) from the Harvard Business Review’s Whiteboard Sessions series discusses the four steps to resolving conflict. After you watch the video, you might comment about how you might apply the strategies that the Amy Gallo (the presenter) shares, or how you have followed some of these strategies in the past. You can, of course, comment on your own topics as well.

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 
Last updated on Friday, September 8, 2017

#InfographicInspiration: Which Team Are You In?

#InfographicInspiration: Which Team Are You In? published on

Reminder of how today’s posts work
#InfographicInspiration posts present an infographic about communication and writing in the workplace.
 

The Infographic

Today’s infographic is a fun look at teams and teamwork. It is long and detailed, so you need to click the image to see the full size version.

Once you read through the analysis of teams the image presents, think about teams you have been a member of (including your writing group in this course). You can make a comment below that answers one of the questions below, or write something else that you noticed or thought of.

  • Does the team you are thinking of match any of those in the infographic? Tell us how.
  • Are there any teams you would add to the infographic? If so, consider creating a small image that presents your dream team, modeled on the infographic.
  • How do the characteristics of teams in the infographic relate to those in the readings for this week?

 

 

 

Note: This infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.


 
Last updated on Thursday, September 7, 2017

#WednesdayWrite: A Reply-All Scenario

#WednesdayWrite: A Reply-All Scenario published on

Reminder of how today’s posts work
#WednesdayWrite posts ask you to consider how you would handle a specific situation in the workplace. As an example, you might consider an ethical scenario and discuss the various options available.
 

The Scenario

Screenshot of Google Gmail Inbox linksThe members of your writing group need to plan and write a short report on successful strategies for the job search. Your group has had two meetings in Slack so far, after which members have emailed and Replied to All, with everyone getting lots of emails with long threads about the report.

Two team members, Jasmine and Malik, are responsible for strategies for LinkedIn. Jasmine did research on what employers look for on LinkedIn, and she emailed her research to Malik without copying the writing group. Malik replied to Jasmine to ask a question, and he copied the other group members. Jasmine replied to Malik–not to all.

Malik is annoyed with Jasmine. He says they should be copying everyone in the writing group on everything they do so that people are in the loop.

Jasmine thinks they are drowning in email. She says they should only copy the entire group when everyone needs the information.

With whom do you agree? Why? Discuss with those who comment on the post.

 

Photo credit: Detail from Gmail – Inbox by Gustavo da Cunha Pimenta on Flickr, used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 license.

 


 
Last updated on Wednesday, September 6, 2017

An Extension & A Clarification

An Extension & A Clarification published on

Extension on Group Discussion

Orange Extension cord, in a coil on the ground. Mostly Circular by Roger H. Goun on Flickr, used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.I’ve noticed a lot of you struggling to collaborate on the activity to discuss writing in the workplace with your Writing Group in Discussions in Canvas. I have extended the open date for the activity to Saturday, September 9.

Take advantage of the readings assigned this week on collaborating as a group and this page on “Problems associated with group work,” which Riley shared in our Facebook group.

Clarification On Transcripts for Videos and Infographics

We only need transcripts for videos and infographics that do not already have an option for those who need them. I want to clarify how to tell when we need a transcript so you don’t have to guess.

For videos, check whether the video has closed captioning. On YouTube, you click on the CC button on the lower right, shown in the image below:

Closed Caption button on YouTube

If there is a separate transcript for a video, you will usually find a link to it in the YouTube Notes or on the page on our site that shows the video.

For infographics, look for an associated page that includes the information from the image in text. For instance, the infographics that I have made, like How to Succeed in This Online Course, are published on a page that includes (and expands) on the details in the image.

 

Photo credit: Mostly Circular by Roger H. Goun on Flickr, used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.


 
Last updated on Tuesday, September 5, 2017

#TuesdayTutorial: Taking a Professional Photo

#TuesdayTutorial: Taking a Professional Photo published on
Bathroom mirror selfie. Self Portrait in Barbados by Jens karlsson on Flickr, used under a CC-BY license

Don’t Use This Bathroom Mirror Selfie

Professional Photo with clean, gray background. Me for Lindberg glasses by Jens karlsson on Flickr, used under a CC-BY license

Use This Professional Photo Instead

The Professional Bio Statement that you are working on for your first major project needs a professional photo that shows readers both what you look like and something about your personality and style. I know that none of you would use a bathroom mirror selfie, but based on what students have submitted in the past, I want to provide some specific guidelines.

So what do you need? Take a photo where you are wearing the kind of clothes that you would wear to work or to an interview. Ring Dance or Wedding photos of you in a tux or formal dress may look nice, but they’re not quite right for this purpose. Everyone who looks at such photos knows that the person was trying to make-do with a photo that was clearly for another purpose.

You will find a lot more useful tips in the step-by-step tutorial in the Hubspot post How to Take Your Own Professional Headshot: A Bookmarkable Guide, which says it takes 15 minutes to read. The article covers everything from how to set up your camera to editing your final choice.

Take advantage of feedback from your writing group as well. If you can’t decide which photo is best, ask them to help you decide.

 

Photo credits: Self Portrait in Barbados by Jens karlsson on Flickr, used under a CC-BY license, and Me for Lindberg glasses by Jens karlsson on Flickr, used under a CC-BY license.


 
Last updated on Monday, September 4, 2017

Getting Started on Professional Bios

Getting Started on Professional Bios published on

This is the post for the week of September 4, 2017.

Happy Labor Day! Classes are cancelled today, so we all get a break. I am posting the work for the week anyway so that those who want to get started can do so.

Notes for This Week

  • Assignments all loaded in Canvas. The five major projects, final exam, labor logs, and group peer review sessions are all set up in Canvas now. If you are a planner who likes to map out due dates, you can now find all the details in Canvas.
  • Writing Groups set up. Everyone has been randomly assigned to a writing group in Canvas. You are in a group with others in the same course section as you.

Readings for This Week

Tasks for This Week

Here’s what you need to do for this week:

  1. Review the advice on How to Succeed in This Online Class, in the infographic above. In particular, set a schedule for getting your work done, just as you would for any other course that you take. Don’t assume that you can “fit it in.” That strategy doesn’t work out for most students.
  2. Introduce yourself to your writing group by posting in the Getting Acquainted with Your Writing Group Discussion in Canvas.
  3. Collaborate to set ground rules for your writing group. The primary work of your writing group is explained in the Writing Groups Overview. To help make your work together go smoothly, your group should make a set of guidelines, or ground rules, for how you will collaborate. The readings from Chapter 19: Group Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership will help you decide on the issues that are important and how to address them.

    Use the Group Ground Rules Discussion in Canvas to work out your guidelines, which should cover all of the following:

    • If you want, contact information that group members can use to contact one another outside Slack and Canvas.
    • Group responsibilities (division of labor) for the project. For instance, do you want a leader? Who is responsible for making sure everyone gets feedback on drafts?
    • Group scheduling and due dates. For example, do you need group due dates for posting drafts to make sure you have time to give one another feedback?
    • Communication policies that account for how the group will deal with any issues that arise, such as someone being offline for a few days or someone disappearing without notice.
    • Revision strategies and plans.
  4. (Optional) Participate in my AMA: Ask me anything discussion on Canvas. I set it up incorrectly last week, but it’s open now.

    Post any questions you have about me, my background, or the course. Read whatever has been posted. Add replies or follow-up questions as desired. Please keep the conversation classroom-friendly.

  5. Read the Professional Bio Statement assignment, and ask any questions you have. If you have any questions about the assignment, check in #general in Slack to see if they have already been answered. If they have not, post your question there and I will reply when I can. Asking a question is not required.
  6. Get started on your Professional Bio by jotting out things you want to be sure you include. We’ll talk about some example bios next week. Here are the relevant dates for the project:
    • Wed, September 13: Post a rough draft of your bio to your Writing Group in Canvas by 11:59PM.
    • Fri, September 15: Post feedback in Canvas to all your group members by 11:59PM.
    • Mon, September 18: Submit your Professional Bio Project by 11:59PM.
    • Thu, September 21: The grace period ends at 11:59PM.
  7. By 11:59PM on Friday, September 8, write your 09/08 Labor Log in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, September 11.

 

Image Credit: How to Succeed in This Online Class by Traci Gardner.


 
Last updated on Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Online Discussion Guidelines

Online Discussion Guidelines published on

During this first week of classes, I am sharing additional information about the course in my daily posts. The Daily Discussion Posts that I described earlier this week will start on Tuesday, 9/5.

As outlined on the syllabus, all work and participation in these courses are governed by the Virginia Tech Principles of Community. You surely read the Principles of Community when you first came to Virginia Tech, but you may not have returned to them for a careful reading since then. Today, I will share how the Principles of Community apply in the course.

To get started, we need to review the Principles. You can read the Principles online or watch the video below (click the CC button if you want to see the subtitles):

These Principles relate particularly to how we, as Hokies, interact with, treat, and think about other people. They are especially pertinent then when you work with your Writing Groups and when you enter into conversations in Discussions, on Slack, on Facebook, and in website comments.

We can narrow the ideas down to some simple guidelines for our interaction in the courses:

  • Respect everyone. Listen to what others have to say.
  • Allow everyone to state their ideas freely and openly.
  • Support diverse ideas and the diversity of those in the courses.
  • Commit to following these guidelines in order to support our classroom community.

To sum it up, remember that everyone is welcome, and be nice and supportive to one another. That’s it. If you have any questions about the Principles and how they apply to the course, you can leave a comment below and we’ll work out an answer.

 


 
Last updated on Saturday, September 2, 2017

How Canvas Grades Works

How Canvas Grades Works published on

During this first week of classes, I am sharing additional information about the course in my daily posts. The Daily Discussion Posts that I described earlier this week will start on Tuesday, 9/5.

Grade book by David Mulder on Flickr, used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 licenseI use Canvas Grades differently from the way most teachers do, so today, I want to explain how it works.

What Is Tracked in Canvas Grades

Canvas only tracks what you have done and what you have not done. It’s not calculating your course grade.

As explained in the Syllabus and on the Requirements page, your grade in this course is based on labor, on the work you put into the course. There are essentially three categories your work can fall into:

  • If you complete the required activities, you will earn a B in the course.
  • If you do not complete the required activities, you will earn less than a B in the course.
  • If you complete additional work, you will earn a grade higher than a B in the course.

Most of the work you do in the course earns either a Complete or an Incomplete. In Quizzes, because of limitations in Canvas, your work earns a 100 (Complete) or a 0 (Incomplete). If you do not attempt an activity at all, your work (or lack thereof) earns a 0.

Because Canvas Grades is a computer program, it will provide you a Total calculation at the bottom of the list. Remember that calculation doesn’t matter. Canvas doesn’t have a way to calculate your grade in this labor-based system.

Completes vs. Incompletes

Canvas Grades tracks the Complete and Incomplete status of your work with icons. Here’s a screenshot of the Grades for an Example Student:

Screenshot of the Grades for an Example Student
Click for larger image

As shown under the Score column in the image, a checkmark means that the work is Complete. An X mark in the Score column means that the work is Incomplete. It doesn’t desginate that anything is wrong. It tells you that you need to revise.

How to Tell How You’re Doing

If you have completed all the work that is required, you are on track to earn at least a B in the course. Even if you have an Incomplete on a Major Project or a Labor Log, you are still on track to earn at least a B in the course. As long as you are putting in your best effort, you don’t need to worry.

If you’d like confirmation, look at Grades in Canvas for one of these indications:

  • Look at the Score column in the light gray list of activities at the top of the table. If you see 100s, checkmarks, and X marks, you are on track to at least a B in the course.
  • Find the categories followed by an asterisk (*) in the medium gray list at the bottom of the table (marked on the Screenshot above). Look at the Score column for those categories, which are required for a B. If you see 100% for those categories, you are on track to at least a B in the course.
  • If you do not see 100% for the required categories, look at the Out of column in the medium gray area to tell how far off you are. If you see 200/300, for instance, you’ll know that just one thing is missing (so you are still likely to be on track for at least a B in the course).

If you are working toward a grade higher than a B, pay attention to how many of the additional contributions listed on the Requirements page you have completed. I have not found a way to track this additional work in Canvas yet. If I do find a workable solution, I will update you.

 

 

Photo credit: Grade book by David Mulder on Flickr, used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 license.


 
Last updated on Monday, November 13, 2017

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