YOUR CHOICE OF A FOURTH

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ON-LINE ENG 121

Dr. David B. Axelrod

(Suffolk County Poet Laureate)

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YOUR CHOICE OF A FOURTH

TECHNICAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Now that you have a grasp of some of the technical skills, you may wish to compete for an "A" for the term. To do so, first, you must have done all three of the required assignments well and have done all other required workshops in a timely manner. If so, you may then contact me to receive approval for a fourth assignment and complete it by the deadline date.

THE FOURTH ASSIGNMENT IS OPTIONAL. You only need to do a fourth assignment if you want to eligible for an "A".

(You may also do this assignment as either "extra credit" to raise your grade or even to "make up" for any other assignment you may not have done well. You must do the first three assignments. This is not a substitute for the three that I require. If you skipped or truly "botched" one of those first three assignments, you won't be eligible for the "A". However, by doing this fourth assignment for "extra credit" you can learn more and do better.)

Depending on your own needs or career path, you may choose one of a number of options. We have used Chapters 8, 9, 14 &/or 15 for our first three assignments. That leaves six more chapters of possible standard technical writing tasks that you can select from to do your last assignment.

NOTE: I would prefer your fourth assignment not repeat the same category of work as you have previously practiced. For instance, if you did one brochure, please think of something else to do than a second brochure.

What do you want to be if you ever grow up? I ask myself that regularly. In fact, I'm pretty much settled in as a professional writer and whatever I do, I find that writing enhances my life and can earn me a steady living.

Now it's up to you to put this course to use. You need to write one more (total of four) assignment and it should be something that will serve your own needs and future purposes. For instance, if you run or plan to run a business, you could consider writing a newsletter or brochure, ad copy or even a promotional newsletter for your own business. In fact, you could design a brochure promoting yourself and attach it to your standard resume!

Certainly, if you work for an organization or business and would like to offer a formal proposal, there are models for how to do so in the book. Or you might offer to do a newsletter or mailing piece for your association.

I would consider allowing you to submit work that you are doing on your job. It isn't "cheating" to revise or re-use work you have done. It will allow you to look at what you've done in a new light--evaluating it with the text as a standard and soliciting comments from me and your fellow students.

Your last assignment could be your best effort. Certainly it should be a strong finish for you. With it you are saying you feel that you are able to do excellent--professional--work.