Week 8, Final blog assignment: Reflection posting

A reflection paper or presentation is often used in colleges to identify how well students are able to apply course concepts. For this posting, tell us the following:
1) Explain what you learned and the insights you had from completing the blog assignments. Be specific.
2) Include what you learned from reading the comments posted by your classmates.
3) Identify which blog assignment you felt contributed the most to your professional writing ability.

Week 7, Chapter 7: Persuasive messages

Many of you will have careers that do not require you to write sales letters or marketing materials. There are, however, reasons why you should still be aware of persuasive strategies and techniques. Describe a situation where you were persuaded to do something, buy something or say something that you would have preferred not to do/buy/say. What was the primary persuasive technique the person used and why do you think it was effective on you?

Week 6, Chapter 6: Direct letters and goodwill messages

This site provides some good examples and instructions for a variety of letter types, including such specialty items as fax cover sheets: http://www.letterwritingguide.com/ (You may want to add it to your favorites/bookmark it for future use.)

For this week’s blog assignment, describe a goodwill message you have written or have received from someone else. Explain what the situation was (thank-you note, sympathy letter, or other expression of goodwill). Analyze how well you think the purpose was accomplished based on the “Five Ss of Goodwill Messages” discussed in your textbook. What could have been done differently? What was particularly good about the message?

Week 5, Chapter 5: Email and memorandums

Read this article about tips for writing email in the workplace: http://careerplanning.about.com/od/communication/a/email_tips.htm The author provides seven tips. Describe an email you have received that broke one or more of this tips. Be specific. Explain what the email said, which tip(s) it violated, and suggest how the email could have been improved.