Web Folio

The development of a web folio for English 301, Technical Writing, was a tedious, yet satisfying project. It was quite time-consuming to develop a new website to showcase our writing pieces over the last semester. Also, as I am not a very tech-savvy individual, this provided me with the opportunity to further develop these skills.

I attempted to make the home page of my website simple for the user. I created subheadings for each of the pages with a brief description for each. I believe this will allow my audience, the dental health field, to understand the purpose of my website. Furthermore, my goal was to capture the audience by including photos at the end. I used a cartoon to add humour that would directly target my audience. The photo of myself provides a personal touch. I chose a bright and colourful wallpaper to make the site pop and attract dental professionals.

Uploading files and organizing the website was tricky as I had to find the most recent edits of my work developed throughout the term. I did my best to choose appropriate pieces for the section titled “Best Work”. I decided upon an array of assignments that would portray both my academic achievements and professional career. For example, the definition assignment not only demonstrates my writing ability, but also shows the audience that I am able to communicate with people of a non-dental background- such as patients seen on a regular basis.

The finished product feels very rewarding. The web folio acknowledges a variety of writing techniques and styles I have gained throughout the course. The reflection pieces allow the viewer to understand my progression with writing development and the challenges I have faced. This was a good assignment to consolidate the Technical Writing class.

In Unit Four, a large portion of work was dedicated to completing the major assignments for the course. These assignments consisted of an application package, a formal report, and a web folio. This reflection will also include how I have developed as a writer and editor, along with strengths and weaknesses encountered.

The application package was a very beneficial aspect to Technical Writing. I found this to be very helpful for myself as I am currently seeking employment in the dental hygiene field. It is very common for me to find advertisements on the Internet for positions at private dental offices or with the public health unit. I am now familiar with the aspects I should include in my résumé, and what is not necessarily needed. When writing my cover letter, I focused on including aspects directly from the advertisement and mentioning experience I have had pertaining to community work. I feel as though this tailored the package to the specific position, not just dental hygiene in general. In addition, the creation of letters requesting references is something I have not had experience with in the past. By using “You Attitude” techniques, I was able to make the letters sound appreciative by making the reader the center of focus rather than myself. This assignment will substantially make a difference for my goals at present and the near future.

In terms of peer editing, I believe I have improved as the course has progressed. I tried to give both positive and constructive feedback to the author while including general and specific comments. I am comfortable giving comments about organization, content, writing style, and design. Giving grammatical corrections is an area I am fairly competent in; however, I will continue working on providing useful design tips.

The development of a formal report was the most challenging, involved assignment, in my opinion. Initiating a workplace change, the process I chose to engage in, was much more difficult than I originally thought. Evaluation for my proposed topic of dental hygiene scheduling changes, was incomplete at the time of the report due date. I had to hypothesize some results with scientific research, as full implementation was unable to take place immediately. Lengthening appointments is a gradual process because pre-booked appointments could not be altered as per the dentist and owner of the business. Writing a letter of transmittal, and report abstract were new concepts for me. My abstract was fair, although I found it tough to include all sections of the report while providing enough, but not too much information.

The web folio assignment will be analyzed in a separate reflection blog.

Overall, Technical Writing has provided me writing opportunities required for real life situations. This is an excellent course for all university students to prepare for work, volunteering, or teaching.

In Unit Three, the main portion of work was dedicated to creating the Formal Report. Editing of a peer’s report and developing a progress report regarding a job search were other tasks completed. The writing with “You-Attitude” assignments were beneficial in strengthening my professional writing tone. I believe this unit provided the student with a vast array of writing opportunities to engage in.

This unit began with improving the student’s business writing skills. I learned to apply the principles of the “You-Attitude” format to two letters- complaint and bad news. The “You-Attitude” technique encourages the writer to view the piece from the reader’s point of view. It seeks to express appreciation, respect the reader’s ego, and stay positive. This lesson taught me to write respectfully and with an understanding tone in any situation. I found that the letter development was extremely helpful in preparing me for the Formal Report.

The Formal Report draft was the most time-consuming, and challenging section of this unit. I found this portion difficult because my implementation plan cannot be fully implemented right away. The dental office I am employed at is working towards altering the length of dental hygiene appointments from 40 minutes to 50 minutes. As this schedule change would negatively affect patients already booked, we have started arranging future appointments for 50 minutes. With this being a long-term implementation, it is not feasible for me to draw accurate conclusions before a formal evaluation. This makes my draft feel unfinished, however, I tried to hypothesize on the areas of inquiry through academic research reports.

I feel as though I improved on the peer review portion this unit. When editing my partner’s Formal Report draft, I gave both broad and specific feedback. I discussed what content was informative and what was redundant or confusing. I identified terms that would benefit from a definition, how to improve transition elements, and suggestions for design improvement. I also evaluated the piece for the “You-Attitude” tone. Moreover, I provided specific grammatical edits.

The last portion of this unit was to identify an appropriate advertisement for a job, volunteer, or graduate position. This will allow the student to create an application package including a cover letter and resume to their Web-folio. I researched advertisements for dental hygiene positions with the public health unit. This type of employment would interest me, as I am passionate about working with the community, especially children. I would like to explore the other roles of the dental hygienist aside from clinician. Educator and advocator are exciting new hats I could try in this field. I may also get to engage in epidemiological research studies.

Overall, this unit was progressed into nicely as units one and two provided a strong writing framework to draw upon. I feel as though I was really able to progress with my writing performance, editing skills and research abilities. I look forward to the advancement Unit Four will yield.

In Unit Two, I began work on two of the major documents for the course- The Formal Report, and The Application Package. This unit allowed for more peer reviewing, which I find an excellent tool for writing improvement. I found this unit involved lots of brainstorming techniques and preparation work. I appreciate this aspect, as this way the student is able to receive feedback and criticism prior to delving into an assignment full force.

The first lesson focused on topic development for the report proposal. I found this process challenging because the action plan must be practical and able to be carried out, at least partially, over the next couple of months. This limited my options, however, I decided upon a problem that relates to my profession. Improving the quality of dental hygiene services is an issue I am quite passionate about; therefore, I felt it was a fitting topic to base my report on. I specifically wish to concentrate on the inadequate length of appointments at my current dental practice. I anticipate that scheduling changes will require some strong persuading techniques, so I am grateful to be addressing this action plan with the assistance of my colleagues and classmates. I believe it was useful to peer edit another individual’s proposal as it allowed me to recognize areas I could improve on in my own piece.

The second lesson allowed me to begin developing my professional application package through the creation of a LinkedIn account. This was an excellent chance for me to identify my skills and traits based on my past work and volunteer experience. I believe I am able to precisely differentiate myself from other dental hygienists by engaging in this assignment. For example, I now see that I have developed communication skills for many age groups based on my past experiences. I have not recognized this connection before, but I presume it is a useful trait to have when applying for a position. Also, I find this networking system a good way to meet other professionals I may wish to collaborate with in the future. The most useful part of this lesson, in my opinion, was researching best practices for LinkedIn. By reading through different blogs online, I became more familiar with how to make a strong, appealing profile. I was able to see different examples of profiles to get a sense for what a potential employer is interested in.

The third lesson was the most difficult for me. Development of an action plan outline was quite tedious and stressful. I did not consider how many details and planning sessions are required to make change with a workplace. I had to develop a survey for my co-worker to obtain insight on her view of the issue. It was difficult to make the survey both simple and quick while allowing for detailed answers. I tried to manage this by giving a variety of open-ended and closed-ended questions. Organizing a template for my report was extremely beneficial as I can now clearly identify which areas I want to research further and discuss at the planned consultations with the dentist.

In terms of peer editing, I have concluded that detailed critiques are more helpful for the writer as opposed to broad suggestions. I would like to work towards making my reviews more focused next time. Based on the feedback I received pertaining to my report proposal, my goal is to minimize over-wording my sentences, and avoid placing three verbs in a row.

I look forward to undertaking Unit Three with the newly acquired skills I have obtained through this unit.