Welcome to Engl 271-60, Summer 2006

We will be blogging our text this summer as a part of our course work. I expect one student to blog a chapter each week. Here is the question that you should answer: Specifically how does this chapter (the chapter that you read for that week) in our text, Rebecca Burnett's Technical Communication, 6th edition, connect with your own experiences in courses, at work, or at home?

Here's an example of what I mean: For me, maps are fascinating examples of technical communication. Look at page 441 in the text for example. I use maps to give visitors information for finding my farm house in Iowa, I use maps to find new locations when I am driving somewhere, I study maps for fun, I use maps for teaching about the uses of color, non-textual information, and the use of the information in a map legend.

Therefore in my blog I would describe how I use maps for their technical communication value in various ways. I would describe online maps (Google, Mapquest), printed paper maps (highway maps), and hand drawn maps that I have used. I would discuss the kinds of information that is available in the maps. I would discuss the various uses for these maps. In other words, I would connect my own life with page 441 in Burnett.

I expect you to write a minimum of 100 words in the blog on the week that you take one chapter. In your reply to that blog you should write a minimum of 50 words.

So to summarize: You pick one chapter to blog. (Note: I have now assigned your chapters in the course timetable). In addition, you reply every week to the blog for that week. And one more thing, if you have a rather formal photograph, similar to the one I posted, I would like you to post your photo in the week that you are blogging a chapter in Burnett.

Let's have some good conversation with this blog.