Short Assignments
Forum Posts/Follow up Comments
This is a weekly two part assignment.
Part one: When indicated on the syllabus, please respond to the writing prompt given for each week. The prompt will correlate to the assigned readings for that week. The posts will be made on the class website. Unless otherwise specified these should be two paragraphs long (5-7 sentences per paragraph).
Due: Monday nights by 10 pm.
Part two: You must respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts. In your response you may comment upon, evaluate, and critique your classmate’s work. You may ask questions. You should strive to be constructive and helpful. Your responses should be no less than one paragraph in length.
Due: Wednesday nights by 10 pm.
Workshop
Workshop is an essential part of the writing process. Each student will be workshopped once during the semester, but all students must comment on the work of whomever is being workshopped.
Student being workshopped: Each student in class will submit their own work for consideration by the class one during the course of the semester. Please follow this protocol:
1) You will submit your work according to a schedule that will be posted on the class site during the first week of class.
2) Your work will by uploaded to a class Google drive file and the document should be clearly labeled as follows: first name + last name + WS round (1, 2, 3, or etc.). Ex: James Peterson (WS 2).
3) You must submit your document by 10 pm on the date listed on the calendar. This date will always be a Sunday. Your classmates will be expected to comment upon your work by the following Tuesday at 10 pm.
*Be sure your document meets the minimum word requirement for your workshop.
People commenting on work: Writing will be uploaded on Fridays by midnight. All workshop comments are due by 10 pm on the Sunday following submission. Workshop is a safe space. This means you should provide constructive criticism without being harsh. This does not mean that you need only offer praise. All comments must be made online. This means you will have to open the document in Google Docs in order to view it and comment upon it. You should use the “Comments’ button in top right hand corner of the page to make comments in text. You should also write a short paragraph at the bottom of the page with more detailed responses.
Workshop #1: Profile half completed (Paste the link in the Google Doc. Your classmates will make comments in the Google Doc.)
Workshop #2: Profile 90% completed (Paste the link in the Google Doc. Your classmates will make comments in the Google Doc.)
Workshop #3: First 2 paragraphs of each essay. (These can both be in the same Google Doc. Be sure they are clearly labelled.)
Workshop #4: First 4 paragraphs of each essay. (These can both be in the same Google Doc. Be sure they are clearly labelled.)
Workshop #5: First page of the statement of intent and 3 sources. (These can both be in the same Google Doc. Be sure they are clearly labelled.)
Workshop #6: Full draft of the statement of intent and 3 sources. (These can both be in the same Google Doc. Be sure they are clearly labelled.)
Workshop #7: Proposal steps #1-11.
Workshop #8: Proposal steps #1-15
Group Teaching & Usability Report
At the beginning of the semester everyone in the class will be placed into a group of 3 to 4 people. Each group will be assigned a topic that is relevant to our classwork. You are expected to collaborate with your group members to produce an online tutorial in which you teach your topic to the class.
All of the tutorials will be evaluated by the entire class using an online opinion poll. This information will then be given to the group for their consideration. They will then use the results of the opinion poll to produce a usability report in which they evaluate their tutorial.
The tutorials will be staggered throughout the semester.
Formal Papers
Paper 1
For this assignment you will complete a LinkedIn Profile. To earn full credit for this assignment you must meet the following criteria:
1) All fields must be filled out fully and appropriately.
2) You must upload a professional picture of yourself.
3) You must upload a well written resume.
4) Your profile must be free of surface errors.
5) Share the link to your profile in the designated area on our class site.
*Note: You do not need to sign up for a professional LinkedIn account. A basic account is sufficient.
Paper 2
For this assignment you will write contrasting technical descriptions. The purpose of this assignment is to give you experience in adapting a piece of technical writing to a specific audience. The assignment consists of two short independent pieces.
Word count: 1200-1600 words (600-800 words each)
*Note- this is a FIRM word count. Your two papers may not exceed 1600 words cumulatively.
To earn full credit for this assignment you must do the following:
1) Choose something that you know a lot about, but which would probably not be familiar to a broad, general audience. It could be anything from an abstract concept, to a technique, a skill, an object, or an activity (e.g. a sport or a hobby).
2) Write a description or explanation of it that is aimed at a general audience. (Characterize the audience you have in mind before you begin to write.) You could imagine that this description will be one component of a larger piece of writing directed at that audience.
3) Then write another description of the same thing, this time for a more specialized audience of your peers. This audience could be people who share with you a very specific area of specialization within a field, or it could be a broader audience within that field.
4) Upload your documents to Dropbox with the following labels:
Paper 2-General
Paper 2- Specialized
Paper 3
This assignment links to Paper 4. It is a two part assignment: RISE grant proposal and Literature Review.
RISE grant proposal: In this assignment, projects must address the SIREN purpose “investing in energy efficiency programs and renewable energy projects’ or one of the issues and visions recommended in the document UAF Campus Sustainability: Recommendations from the Chancellor’s Sustainability Transitions Team, July 2008. The purpose of this assignment is for you to become familiar with the format and style of a proposal.
Your initial proposal will be a statement of intent. It should be a minimum of two pages in length, and should clearly explain and justify your idea. More information about the larger project can be found under the Paper 4 description.
Literature Review: In order to write your proposal, you have to very thoroughly research your topic. A successful grant proposal responds to a variety of questions. To answer these questions, you need to delve into a variety of kinds of research. These may include: examining programs at other institutions; interviewing or surveying faculty or students; reviewing past proposals on the UAF office of Sustainability website; becoming familiar current sustainability programs at UAF. Your literature review should consist of:
1) A bibliography of at least 15 sources you may be able to use in the creation of your course.
2) An annotation for each source which briefly explains what you have found, what was useful and what was not, and what research gaps you have yet to fill before you can write the design proposal. Each annotation should be about six sentences in length.
*In this literature review all sources must be properly cited according to the rules of MLA.
Paper 4
The proposal will include the items below.
1) Date
2) Project title
3) Amount requested
4) Proposal author(s)
5) Contact information
6) Academic department, year in school, undergraduate or graduate standing
7) Sustainability theme
8) Project summary
9) Project description
10) Project value
11) Implementation plan
12) Outreach plan
13) Budget
14) Budget justification
15) Qualification & Experience
16) Technical advisers and collaborators
17) Attachments
The project summary should include a note on how the project will be maintained on an ongoing basis, if applicable. Check the UAF Office of Sustainability website for proposal guidelines for a detailed description of each item and to download the proposal template.
Sustainable areas
Energy
Transportation
Purchasing
Waste Management
Sustainable Design
Food systems
Education and Curriculum
Social Sustainability
Process and Institution
Proposals will include the items listed below.
Formatting
Proposals should be written with one-inch margins in no smaller than 12-point Times Roman font and should include required elements listed in the proposal guidelines. Proposals should be submitted in a single electronic document in both word and .pdf format. Once the proposals are received, the RISE Board will convene to the review proposals.