Good or Bad?

As I look back over the past ten weeks of my technical writing class, I really have mixed emotions. I would love to tell you that it has been nothing but fun and excitement, but that would not be true. On the other hand, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed parts of it.

Although the class hasn’t really changed my view of writing as a whole, I can honestly say that I have really learned a lot and have been pushed out of my comfort zone at times. Before this class I had never heard of the term “technical writing”. I can assure you that I was not excited to see it on my degree plan. However, it has actually been very informative and I have learned things like how to blog (although still not my favorite thing in the world), how to create an ePortfolio, and how to create graphs and charts. Simultaneously, I have been able to elevate some of the writing skills that I came into the class with.

I believe many of the things I have learned in this class will really help me out in my career. I know that technical writing isn’t going away and is likely to become more prevalent in the workplace of the future. I am glad I decided to take this class and really see the value.

Public Speaking?

How do you feel about public speaking?  I would venture to guess that most people aren’t crazy about speaking in public. While I will admit that public speaking opportunities have never been something that I have sought out, I really don’t mind public speaking.

As I have advanced in my career, I have had to get more comfortable with public speaking.  As a Training Captain, I routinely teach classes and have to not only speak in front of audiences, I have to speak in front of firemen.  I have spoken in front of community leaders and business executives, but there is nothing as intimidating as teaching a room full of firemen. Firemen are naturally outspoken and honest.  By our very nature, we are inquisitive and not only want to know how to do something, but why we have to do it that way and want to know if there are alternate ways of doing it. It’s similar to being in front of a jury of your peers. Even though I have known most of them for many years, you can rest assured that they will not cut me any slack if I try to “wing it” or “pull the wool over their eyes”.

It might sound weird, but I really enjoy it.  I feel that it makes me better as I have to ensure that I am well prepared and know the information inside and out. I figure that if i can speak to a room full of firemen, I can speak in front of anyone.

Too Much Creativity?

Does creativity fit into technical writing? Before I give my opinion on this matter, I would like to reflect on what technical writing really is.

Technical writing is not all about punctuation or grammar (although that is part of any writing). Technical writing is more about the ability to use common communication avenues commonly used in today’s workplace. This covers everything from emails to ePortfolios and many things in between.

I think creativity not only fits in to technical writing, but really enhances it.  In order to represent yourself well, you must have at least a little creativity. Communication is not only what you say, but how you say it. You can have a great message, but if the message is conveyed poorly, it will surely not have the same effect.

Can too much creativity in technical writing be a bad thing? While I don’t think too much creativity itself is a bad thing, the over utilization of that creativity in a professional setting can be detrimental. I think most would appreciate some creativity in technical writing.  However, the level of creativity has to be very carefully balanced so that the essence of the message is not lost. As with most anything else, the key is balance. Think of creativity like spices.  Too little, the food is bland.  Too much, and the food is inedible.

Charts and Graphs?

I have learned many things in my Technical Writing class, but one thing seems to be particularly useful. The thing that I find myself using the most in my professional career is being able to create professional charts and graphs.  Although it may not seem particularly interesting, learning how to take information and represent it in a visual form has actually been cool.

I have often seen the charts and graphs, but I never knew how to do them.  With a little help (OK, a lot) from you tube, I am now able to make what would ordinarily be a bunch of number on a page look neat and organized. If you review some of the tutorial videos on the internet, they will show you a very simple way to create whatever type of chart or graph you need.

 Do any of you routinely use charts and graphs in your presentations? If so, did you learn from a class or an online resource?

I have to admit that It has been quite a while since I have been in school (25 years) and I am enamored by the plethora of websites (commonly referred to as writing tools) that are available to help a writer out these days.

As a very novice writer, I have had the “opportunity” to use a pretty wide variety of the websites and I’ll tell you about my two favorites.

Coming in at the top of my list is www.bibme.com. I love this website because I can never remember how to properly cite in MLA format.  With just a few clicks of the mouse, the website provides me with the proper citation every time.

My next favorite is a website owl.purdue.edu. This cite has much more to do with the actual learning process than just a “shortcut website”. On this website, you can learn as much or as little as you want about writing. They seem to have it all covered. Lessons on grammar, spelling, formatting, and punctuation are all right here at my fingertips.

As a new (old) student, I am very thankful for websites (writing tools) like these. What writing tools do you use and what do you use them for?

Job Postings?

Thankfully, I have worked for the same organization for the last twenty years and have been able to advance inside the organization and not had to hunt for a new job. However, I was given an assignment to explore at least one and review it.

After typing in the search on the google website, I was amazed to see how many websites there are out there.  I ended up selecting the website monster.com and was instantly impressed when the site loaded.

The first thing I noticed was the large search bar in the middle of the screen. I like the fact that I didn’t have to hunt for what I wanted.  After typing in Fire Chief as the job title, about fifty positions pulled up. Once again, I was impressed by the ease of use on this page also.  All of the listings were organized on the left side of the page and a short description was well presented in the middle of the page. With just a single click on any one of the listings brought up all of the pertinent information about the job posting, including a button to allow me to apply online. Long gone are the days of having to search for jobs in the classified sections of the morning newspaper. After playing around in the site for a minute or two, I noticed a “button” that would allow me to set up alerts when a job posting that met my criteria was posted.

All in all, I was very impressed with this job site.  Have you ever used a site like this and have you been successful in finding a job?

"Constructive" Criticism?

I define constructive criticism in the workplace as criticism designed to legitimately help someone.  The key word here is “help”.

I love receiving constructive criticism in the workplace, but I’m pretty slow to give constructive criticism in the workplace. When I say I love it, I mean I love it from some people.  I tend to be really reluctant to take criticism if I know it is not meant to help, but to ridicule. I also tend to take criticism better from those I respect than those I don’t respect. I have very little tolerance for criticism if I think it is mean spirited or from someone who is completely inept.

When it comes to dishing out constructive criticism in the workplace, I’m not as comfortable.  I tend to only give constructive criticism if I’m asked to do so.  Furthermore, I will typically only give constructive criticism to those with whom I have some sort of relationship. It just doesn’t seem right to go around criticizing everything everyone does. At that point, you are just a “know it all” who likes to tell people they are doing something wrong.

I believe constructive criticism in the workplace can be a very valuable thing when done correctly and with the right intentions. What do you think?

Bad Habits?

I have a bad habit. It’s not drinking, drugs, or gambling. My bad habit is too many commas.

“Hello, my name is Alex, and I’m an over comma-er”. It’ true, I love commas.

 I tend to write like I talk and being a native Texan, I tend to take very short pauses quite often when I talk. While this is not necessarily a bad thing when communicating verbally, it isn’t all that great when writing. It could be that I’m not that comfortable with other forms of punctuation like colons and semi colons, or it could just be that I don’t really know when I it is unnecessary to insert a comma.

I know that I use too many commas, and I make a very conscious effort to only use them when I have to. I think the only real way to break this bad habit is to first acknowledge that I have a problem and take steps to minimize it. One the bright side, you will probably never find me chattering at 100 miles per hours or creating run on sentences when I write.

Do you have any bad writing habits? If so, what have you done to change them?

Does Appearance Really Matter?

Does appearance really matter? I’m not asking about how the appearance of a person, but the appearance of a written page. What I’m talking about is page design.

Page design refers to the design and layout of a page. Whether it is a web page, a memo, a flyer, or some other document, page design is a critical aspect. Imagine that you receive an email or letter.  If you are like most people, you will gain some kind of overall impression within the first couple seconds.  That impression could quite possible make you want to enthusiastically delve deeper to see what the context is.  On the other hand, the impression could make you want to immediately hit the delete button. Page design is something we see every day, but many of us seldom take the time to appreciate a good page design.  Does it draw you in, or does it make you want to look away?

I had really never given much conscious thought to page design before last week. However, learning about page design has really opened my eyes to how powerful it can be. Not only the color palette, but how the words are formatted to look neat and well organized. Does it matter to you?

How Do You Feel About Writing?

I’m just going to come out and admit it. I like writing! I have found that it is often times easier for me to write down my thoughts than it is to say them.  There is a reason.  When I write, I tend to concentrate and focus on the message I am trying to convey without all of the distractions that come with having a communicating face to face.  When we are communicating face to face, we should be engaged in receiving the message that is being delivered by the other person instead of formulating our responses. However, this is a difficult thing to do for most of us.  We either end up focusing too much on what other person is trying to convey, or too much on what we want to say.  Writing allows me time to organize my thoughts before anyone else knows what they are.

While Technical Writing may not be as glamorous as writing a novel, the concept is still the same. It allows you to effectively convey your message. The Technical Writing class hasn’t really change my view of writing as a whole, as I see Technical Writing as another form of writing. While I don’t think that Technical Writing is the “end-all, be-all”, it has certainly taught me how to effectively communicate in situations and formats that I don’t normally use.

A "Writing Process"?

Do you ever try to write something only to later find yourself frustrated or completely off track? I can say that I have found myself in this situation many times. While not all of us are cut out to me a master “wordsmith”, writing doesn’t have to be as hard as we sometimes make it out to be.

 By following a very simple process, novice writers like myself can really improve our writing while at the same time reducing the frustration that many times accompanies writing.

Think of the writing process as a road map. Most of us don’t just get in our car, slam it into drive, and drive aimlessly until we settle on a random destination. Even if we are just driving to the local grocery store, we still have a plan.  We often use the shortest, and most efficient route.

 The same should go for writing. With a solid plan, we can easily navigate through the seemingly endless thoughts (streets) in our mind until we reach our destination.  Not only does this save us time and energy, it can also help us avoid writing potholes like plagiarism and copyright infringement issues. The more we practice, the easier it gets, and the more confident we are likely to be in our writing skills.

Is It Worth It?

The importance of Technical Writing really cannot be overemphasized.  If you are or have any intention of being successful in the “business world”, you have to be able to communicate effectively. In addition to being able to communicate verbally, communication through the wide variety of media available must be a skill that you possess.

Do you just want to be more successful and proficient in the career you already have or do you want to be successful in a different career? Through the knowledge learned in a Technical Writing class, you will be able to increase your chances of getting a higher level job. Additionally and maybe more importantly, you will increase your chances of being successful in that position.

From being able to create and use memos to revising and editing documents, a Technical Writing class will teach you much of what you need to know to be successful in the workplace. Don’t worry if you begin the class not even knowing how to build a resume, you will learn that too in addition to other venues you can use market yourself and connect with others. Even if you don’t plan on any other college classes, this is one that is well worth the time and money.

Technical Writing?

While I have to admit that I wasn’t exactly thrilled when I saw “Technical and Business Writing” on the list of courses I have to complete to get my degree, I can honestly say that I’m glad I am taking it.

When I saw the title of the class, I had visions of late nights spent scouring through documents trying to find every punctuation, format, and grammar mistake. You have no idea how much I was dreading the first day of class. Much to my surprise, this class really isn’t about grammar and punctuation as much as it is learning to use the various forms of media commonly used in today’s workforce.  We are learning about blogs, ePortfolios, and memos to name a few. Looking ahead in the syllabus, it appears that we will be creating a resume as well as other things that will actually help us land and keep a job in today’s world. While I really have no intention of changing jobs or careers, I can honestly say that what I have already learned in this class has already helped me in my current position.  There really hasn’t been a single thing I have learned that will not help me. As the old saying goes, “knowledge is power”.

Capital Offense?

Last week in class, we learned about a little thing called plagiarism.  While I have always had some idea of what plagiarism is, I guess I never knew how others felt about it.  When I think of plagiarism, the first thing that comes to my mind is accidentally using someone else’s work without properly citing it.  While this is true, there are some that are much more skeptical about the “accidental” part of it.  We were asked to read an article called “Plagiarism-The Capital Offense of College”.  Maybe my mind works differently than others, but my first thought was “really”? Of all of the offenses that take place on college campuses, I would hardly rank plagiarism as one of the most significant and much less one that would require capital punishment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not discounting the fact that plagiarism is wrong. However, it really comes down to the intent. Whether the student do it intentionally or unintentionally is really what matters.  If a student intentionally plagiarizes and gets caught, the grade for the paper should be a zero.  If the student made a simple mistake (as we all have), a lower grade should be given to the student along with correspondence telling that student how he/ she plagiarized.  What do you think?

Welcome

Hello, my name is Alex.  Welcome to my blog. As this is a project for my college writing class, we will be discussing Technical Writing.