English 3106 critical responses, spring 2010

Note that critical response essays have a 200 word minimum and must be typed.

Format your response according to MLA guidelines for margins, spacing, name, date, etc., headers, etc. as outlined on my "simple stuff" page. Works cited pages are unnecessary for critical responses. Even without works cited pages, do still follow the MLA conventions for documenting quotations as explained in QD1-4 on my quotes and documentation page.

2.7 Due Wednesday, April 28: Read Chapter 16 and discuss either a) your job searches in the past, or b) the next major job search you anticipate in your future. In particular, consider what information you might add to what the authors advise about job searches and the employment process in our textbook. What important information do they not cover—or at least not thoroughly enough? You might also point out what our text does well at in this chapter, but your primary focus should be on constructive criticism.

3.1 Due with the final project: Explain how our textbook and the course as a whole helped you in preparing this portfolio. Being careful to consider your audience (of course!), you might also point out areas where the text and/or course as a whole may have been lacking: describe any hurdles you faced in the portfolio that required you to reach outside of course materials to bring it all together.

1.1 Due Wednesday, January 13: In two or three paragraphs, explain how communication, both written and oral, if possible, is important in the career field you aim to pursue after college. In what particular situations do significant problems arise when communication is not clear and effective in this field? How do people who are excellent communicators have an advantage in your chosen field over those whose communication skills are either poor or average? Explain. . . .

1.2 Due Wednesday, January 20: In what sorts of workplace communications do you think an impersonal, professional, business-like tone are desirable or appropriate? Explain. Also explain how sometimes an impersonal, professional, business-like tone can be inappropriate and reflect badly on the writer. Do you think workplace writing where you work (or desire to work) should be primarily formal and "professional"? Why, or why not?

1.3 Due Wednesday, January 27: Read my "on plagiarism" page and then discuss how plagiarism in the workplace, or in any non-academic professional environment, differs from plagiarism in academic arenas. More specifically, consider how plagiarism in the workplace is either more or less of a significant concern than it is in college coursework. Explain, giving concrete examples to illustrate your claims.

1.4 Due Wednesday, February 3: What are the pros and cons of working collaboratively on a specific assignment or project or task in the workplace (or in college classes if you have no concrete experience with this sort of collaboration in the workplace)? Explore both sides of the issue with at least one fully developed paragraph for each, positives and negatives. If you were a supervisor in your workplace (or a college instructor), how would you ensure the most wholly effective collaborative work in your employees (or students)?

1.5 Due Wednesday, February 10: Complete this week's reading assignment and then explain how Internet research is useful and reliable in your field (professional or academic) for some matters, but not others, where library research tends to be more necessary.

1.6 Due Wednesday, February 17: Complete writing exercise 5—see the assignment on our schedule page—then explain your process and all the layout decisions you made in creating the document for the exercise. Explain where you got the "visuals," how you incorporated them into the document, why you made the choices in visuals, type font(s), font sizes, "white space," headings, etc. Lastly, also explain what you consider the document's greatest two or three strengths and greatest couple of weaknesses.

1.7 Due Wednesday, February 24: Your choice of one, do not do both: p. 319, question 1 or 2.

2.4 Due Wednesday, April 7: What information, tips, or advice in Chapter 13 did you find most useful or helpful? What do you think it most important from this chapter that we should emphasize in class discussion? Explain, and note that if you honestly find nothing useful or valuable in the reading, you should not write this critical response!

2.5 Due Wednesday, April 14: Read Chapter 14 and then discuss your experiences either a) conducting meetings, or b) giving oral presentations. In particular, what obstacles, difficulties, or challenges did the experiences pose for you? What lessons did you learn from them? What advice would you offer peers about conducting meetings or giving oral presentations?

2.6 Due Wednesday, April 21: What lessons or information about writing for the web in Chapter 15 struck you as especially valuable? Bring in two or three examples of existing websites that illustrate aspects of these lessons either positively or negatively (well-designed or poorly-designed websites) and include a works cited page with this response (see QD5w).