Hello,
Today is the end of the first week. You should have done quite a bit of preparation for the rest of the semester. The workload is heavy, but not unmanageable if you work steadily.How to participate in Peer Review
See the instructions on the Peer Review space on the Discussion Board for specific how-to info on sharing drafts.If you're participating in the peer review (which is optional), you should post a draft of your Introductory Memo by the end of the day on Sunday, and comment on at least two other drafts by Tuesday.
NOTE: Check the announcements from Web Campus (on your main Web Campus page, not on our course page) to see if there is scheduled down time for Web Campus this weekend. If downtime is scheduled, plan accordingly, such as downloading peer drafts to your home computer so that you can read and respond offline.
Take your time and give your peers feedback that is helpful. Be kind, but don’t be afraid to offer your opinion to make the text better. Again, the more we help each other, the better we all will do. Often, I find people focus on the small things (spelling, punctuation, grammar) and lose sight of the big things (doesn’t use effective memo format, lacks an introduction and conclusion, the argument isn’t clear or isn’t as strong as it could be.)
You can help your partners the most by carefully reviewing the requirements and grading criteria for the assignment and giving them feedback that helps them write a more effective memo.
Finally, after you have received feedback, remember that, as a writer, the text is yours. Consider each of the comments from your peers seriously, but don’t make changes wholesale unless you firmly believe that the comment is one that is helpful.
International Project
I had originally planned to assign people to their International Project teams today. Because we’ve had a lot of flux in enrollment (as usual), I’ll hold off on official team assignments until Monday.At that point, these will be the groups for the rest of the semester. Get to know your International Project group members. Introduce yourself and prepare for the group work that you need to complete by the end of the term. The group that you are in will be listed in the Discussion link under International Project Groups on Monday morning. If you do not find your name, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can make the necessary corrections.
Also, this weekend (or early next week), you need to read the International Project materials and begin working your way through the quizzes and exercises. This is a group project, so you need to begin to work with your teammates and begin the discussion for meeting all of the requirements for this major assignment. Overall, I think this is a very manageable project for the summer session, but you have to make connections with your teammates immediately.
