Monthly Archives: June 2017

For the longest time, I have put off the task of providing content for my LinkedIn profile because I did not feel like I have enough credentials. One of the reasons I chose to take this course is to give myself motivation to fill in my profile in preparation for graduation. I find the best practice assignment to be particularly helpful as it encourages shared knowledge. As well, the peer review comments are effective to point out things I have neglected. All in all, completing the professional networking assignment is a fruitful experience. Plus, I never knew that the slab of drywall beside my laundry machine can also serve as a portrait background.

Moreover, the formal report assignments are new to me because most of the reports I have done tend to only summarize information whereas this assignment seeks to provide recommendations. I appreciate the progress report as it forced me to examine and plan ahead for the coming deadlines. In particular, it makes me aware of the fact that I really need to get things started in order to free up the Canada Day long weekend.

Lastly, through the peer review process, I have learned that I have a tendency to omit details because I falsely presume that the audience is familiar with the context. This highlights to me the importance of putting effort in considering the needs of recipients. As well, I appreciate that a classmate with a background in computer science reviewed my LinkedIn profile because he is able to give me industry-specific comments.

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Link to peer review

One of the points in the reading that stood out to me is context and audience. Definitions are often written with an intended audience in mind. This assignment is challenging to me because I have not previously written descriptions of meteorological terms to people outside of the field. This assignment taught me to anticipate questions and adjust the content accordingly. For example, rather than explaining terms in detail, I am tasked with answering questions regarding how the term is relevant to the average person. Hence, the practice of addressing the needs of intended audience is both challenging, and beneficial to my writing as it focuses my attention to the needs of the readers.

The opportunity to peer review my team mate’s work is valuable because it allowed me to see how my peers tackled problems I encountered when I wrote the definition. In particular, I like how my team mate addressed the issue of relevance using examples that tie in with things we use in our daily life such as popular social media platforms.

Moreover, the review process also allowed me to receive feedback on my writing. The additional perspective is very helpful in identifying areas of improvement that I otherwise would not have discovered. One example would be to be careful with the use of jargon. I realized that when jargon is used without context, it can distract the reader and cause confusion that can otherwise be avoided. Plus, I agree with the recommendation to comment on figures as weather maps are often very cluttered. Consequently, additional guidance is needed to direct the focus of the reader to the important features. All in all, writing the definition has given me greater appreciation for definitions that are brief and engaging.

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Peer Review