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#TuesdayTutorial: What to Include in Your Proposal

#TuesdayTutorial: What to Include in Your Proposal published on

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

For your #TuesdayTutorial, I’m sharing a series of videos on Lynda.com that goes over the different parts that go into a proposal. Altogether, the videos will take 28m53s of your time. The videos includes all of the following:

  • Overview of proposal parts (4m40s)
  • Prefatory parts (5m28s)
  • Body parts (5m7s)
  • Ending parts (4m31s)
  • Appended parts (4m22s)
  • Visuals (4m45s)

Log in to see the video. A preview is below:


Writing a Proposal by Judy Steiner-Williams

 


 
Last updated on Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Organizing and Writing Your Proposal

Organizing and Writing Your Proposal published on

This is the post for the week of October 16, 2017.

Gantt chart example by Vheilman from Wikimedia Commons, used under a CC-BY-SA 3.0 licenseI hope everyone had an enjoyable Fall break. It’s the half-way point in the term, so we’re getting closer and closer to the last day of class. This week we are picking back up on the Short Proposal project. As a reminder, your Short Proposal tells me what kind of writing you will focus on in your Genre Analysis Report.

Readings for the Week

This week’s readings are specific sections from your online texts that focus on the organization of your proposal. Even short proposals will include most of these sections. To prepare for the workplace, review all of the following information. Sections marked with an asterisk are required in your short proposal:

Tasks for the Week

  1. Practice the process of organizing a proposal with the Business Proposal Package Activities from City University of Hong Kong. Try all four of the Activities at the bottom of the page. They are drag-and-drop and multiple choice style activities, which work as a self-test on your understanding of proposal structure..
    • TIP: The last of the four activities asks you to organize text into the correct order. You need to scroll down to the bottom to see the chunks of text.
  2. Complete steps 3 and 4 of the Proposal.
    • You should have completed steps 1 and 2 before Fall Break. If you did not finish, do so now.
    • Write a full draft of your proposal this week, including all the required sections. Follow the details in steps 3 and 4.
      • TIP: For an easy way to begin drafting your proposal, I recommend copying the required section details from the assignment and pasting it into your word processor. That process will give you the details you need to include within the document, so you an begin adding your specific information under each heading.
    • Be prepared to post the full draft of your proposal for feedback from your Writing Group on Wednesday, October 25.
  3. By 11:59PM on Friday, September 20, write your 10/20 Labor Log in Canvas. Your log this week covers October 7 to October 20 (because of Fall break). Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, October 23.

 

Photo credit: Gantt chart example by Vheilman from Wikimedia Commons, used under a CC-BY-SA 3.0 license.

 


 
Last updated on Monday, October 16, 2017

#WeekendWatch: Reader-Friendly Proposals

#WeekendWatch: Reader-Friendly Proposals published on

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

Today’s #WeekendWatch demonstrates how Reader-Friendly Design (4m40s) can improve a proposal, making it more likely that readers will consider the document fully.

The video shows a before and after version of a chunk of text from a proposal and walks through the changes that make the original document easier to read. The video shows why it’s important to pay attention to paragraphing, headings, and document structures like bullet lists for a reader-friendly design.

Watch the video for more information on strategies that you can apply in your short proposal.

Screenshot of the opening image from the Lynda.com video on Reader-Friendly Design in Proposals

 

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


 
Last updated on Tuesday, October 10, 2017

#FridayFact: Proposal Readers Don’t Want Suspense

#FridayFact: Proposal Readers Don’t Want Suspense published on

The Psycho House by Steve on Flickr, used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 licenseIf you want a positive response to your proposal, be up front with the key information. Don’t keep your readers in suspense, waiting for the details.

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) article “Don’t Make Your Innovation Proposal into a Hitchcock Movie” explains that readers don’t like to wait for the details in a proposal. Suspense works well, the author Scott Anthony argues, for movies like Hitchcock’s Psycho, but proposal readers want the key information right way. Anthony explains, “You simply cannot leave them waiting and wondering about what you want to do and what you need.”

Just as yesterday’s #InfographicInspiration suggested, audience awareness can make or break your proposal. Your document has to give readers what they want and need. “The One Unbreakable Rule in Business Writing,” according to Harvard Business Review’s Tucker Max, is that your document “has to be about the reader, not about you.” Read the article for three questions that will help you make sure you meet your reader’s expectations.

 

 

Photo credit: The Psycho House by Steve on Flickr, used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 license


 
Last updated on Wednesday, October 18, 2017

#InfographicInspiration: Advice on Proposals

#InfographicInspiration: Advice on Proposals published on

Today’s #InfographicInspiration is very straightforward. You will find six categories of tips, with three additional details for each tip.

You should notice that paying attention to your readers is important for proposals. When you write a proposal, you are trying to convince someone to do something. You might want them to buy your product or service. You might want them to try a new way of doing something. You might want them to choose you (or your company) for something. Your persuasive skills in these situations will make or break your proposal. That’s why paying attention to your readers is so important: You can’t persuade someone if you aren’t paying attention to their interests.

The short proposal that you are writing for your next project needs to persuade me that the topic for your Genre Analysis Report is a good choice for you. Your audience is me, so use the tips in the infographic below to persuade me that you have chosen a kind of writing that will be useful to you in the future.

6 Tips to Write a Winning Proposal

 

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


 
Last updated on Tuesday, October 10, 2017

#WednesdayWrite: Midterm Evaluation

#WednesdayWrite: Midterm Evaluation published on

Course Evaluation Day. Finally I Have My Revenge!Since it’s the middle of the term, I want to invite you to tell me how you feel about the course so far.

For your #WednesdayWrite, add a comment that tells me how you feel about the course so far. You can also reply to a comment someone else has made. It’s useful to know if a lot of you are interested in the same thing.

Possible Questions

I will share some questions you can answer if you like; however, you are free to comment in whatever way you like. Don’t feel limited by the questions.

  • What do you love about the course?
  • What do you hate about the course?
  • How can I help you learn better?
  • What can you do to do better in the course?
  • What is most helpful to you about the course?
  • Is there anything you wish the course would cover? What?
  • “Stop, Start, Continue”:
    • What do you want to stop in the course?
    • What would you like to start?
    • What would you like to continue?

Please Be Honest

I will not use your comments against you, nor will your comments help you. Just be honest, and give me some details to support what you say. Here’s an example:

Not Very Helpful
This class sucks! [This response doesn’ let me know what I need to do to improve.]

Helpful
This class sucks because I prefer multiple choice quizzes to writing projects.

Naturally, I cannot make every change you might like. I can’t eliminate writing projects, for example, since this is a writing course. I will take your suggestions seriously and make changes that the majority of people want if possible however.

Private Suggestion?

If you want to tell me something about the course privately, send me a private message in Slack.

 

 


 
Last updated on Tuesday, October 10, 2017

#TuesdayTutorial: Proposal Overview

#TuesdayTutorial: Proposal Overview published on

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

The posts this week provide more information about proposals. Some of the information, like today’s tutorial, include information that expands beyond the basic details you need to write your short proposal for this class. Since you are likely to write more than one kind of proposal once you enter the workforce, today’s thorough details are sure to come in handy

This week’s #Tuesday Tutorial, the Lynda.com video Overview of Business Proposals (5m25s), introduces the four different types of proposals and goes on to discuss common proposal characteristics such as document structure, the necessary length, and audience needs.

As you watch the video, consider how the information relates to the short proposal that you will write. Since you will write about different kind of writing and for different reasons, how can you apply the information the video shares? If you have experience writing proposals in the workplace or elsewhere, how does your experience match the information in the video?

Screenshot of the opening screen of the Lynda.com video Overview of Business Proposals
Screenshot of the opening screen of the Lynda.com video Overview of Business Proposals

 

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


 
Last updated on Tuesday, October 10, 2017

The Final Three Major Projects

The Final Three Major Projects published on

This is the post for the week of October 9, 2017.

This week, we begin work on the last three projects you will complete for the course. All of the remaining major projects in the course are connected. Here’s how:

Genre Report Timeline

The take-away message is that you have to decide on your plan for both the proposal and the genre analysis report this week.

Readings for the Week

Everyone
Business Writing Students
Technical Writing Students

Tasks for the Week

  1. By 11:59PM on Monday, October 9, submit your 10/06 Labor Log in Canvas, if you are using the grace period.
  2. By 11:59PM on Monday, October 9, submit your project in the Analysis assignment in Canvas. If you are using the grace period, submit your project by 11:59PM on October 12.
  3. Check out the posts on the rubric for the Bio project and on grades for the project. If you have an Incomplete, remember that you simply need to revise. I have suggested you revise by October 12. If you have a lot of work already this week (I know it’s midterm time), turn it in later. There’s no penalty for turning it in next week.
  4. Review the assignments for the Short Report Proposal (due 10/30) and Genre Analysis Report (due 12/11). The Examples, Cases & Models: Proposal provides some models you can use as you work. There are also examples on the assignment pages. Post any questions you have about the assignments in #general on Slack.
  5. Complete Steps 1 and 2 of the Proposal Assignment:
    • Read Step 1 of the assignment, and consider the advice on how to choose your topic.
    • Examine the kinds of writing you listed in your Analysis Project and, if you completed it, your answers to the #WednesdayWrite: Writing Superlatives post.
    • Choose your focus for the remaining projects, based on the advice and what you know about writing in your field.
    • Complete Step 2 of the assignment to familiarize yourself with the characteristics and features of proposals. You will do so by reading the online texts that are appropriate for your course.
  6. Have a fun day off on Friday, and enjoy the weekend.
    • No Labor Log is due this week because of Fall Break. Continue to track your work as usual. Next week, your Log will cover October 7–20.
    • I will take some time off this weekend too. I will check in occasionally, but I will spend some time away from the computer as well. Look for responses to any questions you send on Monday, October 16.

Note: This image already has a text description, so a transcript is not needed.


 
Last updated on Monday, October 9, 2017

Grades on the Professional Bio Project

Grades on the Professional Bio Project published on
Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Grade
Top Five Ways to Improve Your Grade

I have graded all of the Professional Bio projects. In this post, I’ll comment on how you all did and what you can do if you are not happy with your grade. Please read the information carefully and note the related dates.

Overall Feedback for the Class

  • Complete bios: Most of you did a good job following the instructions in the assignment by including all of the required information and paying attention to document design.
  • Missing project self-assessments: Unfortunately, most of you failed to include the project self-assessment. Because the error was so prevalent, I ignored it for this project. For future projects, it will be required. The self-assessment was explained in Step 6 on the Assignment page.
  • Work on document design: Many projects could be improved with more attention to document design. In particular, review the information on using headings and subheadings create information-rich signposts for readers and on “chunking” text and visual elements.
  • Help from the Writing Center: Remember that anyone can visit the Writing Center in the library for help with projects for the course. Writing Center tutors can help you strengthen your content as well as work on document design and issues with phrasing, grammar, or punctuation. You can read more about the Writing Center and make an appointment at https://lib.vt.edu/spaces/writing-center.html.

Revision Activities for the Analysis Project

I have reopened the assignment so that those of you who want to revise can improve your project. Follow the guidelines below to resubmit your work.

  1. If I made a mistake
    Send me an email message or a private message on Slack with the details. I’ll fix it.
  2. If there were problems with the content or design of your bio
    Revise your project to improve your work, adding whatever is missing or tweaking the design. Resubmit your project, and I will regrade your work.
  3. If you did not submit your work at all
    It is too late. Be sure to turn in all the remaining projects if you want to pass the course.
  4. If something else is going on
    Send me an email message or a private message on Slack with the details. I’ll see what I can do to help you.

Suggested Revision Dates

By 11:59PM on October 12, aim to submit your revision (before you leave for Fall break). It will help you to have the bio done before we dive into the second half of the term.

If you need more time, that is fine. The bio assignment is open until 11:59PM on Saturday, October 28. You do not need to contact me. Just work to submit your revision by the 28th.

 

Note: This infographic already has a long description, so a transcript is not needed.

 

Credits: Infographic was created on canva.com. Star icon from The Noun Project, used under a CC-BY 3.0 license: rating by Guilhem. Burruss Hall by joepyrek on Flickr, used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 license.


 
Last updated on Sunday, October 8, 2017

Professional Bio Rubric Added

Professional Bio Rubric Added published on

I added a basic rubric to the professional bio to speed up the grading process. Rather than having to write out comments, I can just click whether you met (or didn’t meet) the requirements for the project.

The characteristics in the rubric came directly from Step 4 of the assignment.

Nothing about how your work is graded changes. Your bio is still either complete or incomplete. If it’s incomplete, you can revise until you meet all the characteristics. Because of the way rubrics work in Canvas, I had to assign a value to each criteria. These numbers are just how Canvas works. Your grade will either be 100 or 0. If it’s 0, all you have to do is revise.


 
Last updated on Saturday, October 7, 2017

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