Unit 3 involved using our new writing skills for more demanding assignments. My technique blossomed the most in this stage of the course work, particularly when learning how to write with a YOU-Attitude and then applying it towards compiling the first draft of the formal report.
1. Practicing YOU-Attitude Writing Techniques
Memorandum of Advice
Reviewing Evan Crisp’s email to Professor Lambert was an exciting assignment. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about writing with a YOU attitude and applying it towards a useful email with technical writing recommendations.
Complaint and Bad News Letters
Both of these letters were a great way to learn how to use this writing style in either personal or professional aspects.
Learning about a new technical writing style was interesting, useful and I learned how to write a request confidently although keeping a positive and friendly tone. This lesson will be applied to documents written daily in my professional life.
2. Organizing Ideas into a Formal Report Draft
Researching
Primary Data: Having a science background, this section of the formal report was familiar and allowed me to incorporate several lessons taught in CEGEP and previous research courses. Creating an ethical survey introduction was new and insightful. With my position at the office, I was able to easily send the surveys to Realtors and easily interview administrative staff members to obtain data regarding costs and printing habits relatively easily.
Secondary data: The research applied to learning more about global deforestation and how the pulp and paper industry actually contributes to the issue allowed me to enjoy my subject even deeper. Real issues are happening around us and this was a great way to acknowledge how realistic changes can be applied to one single issue in order to minimize negative impacts.
Organizing
The example in the textbook was an incredibly helpful source when outlining the elements of the report. Having pre-structured the draft and applying the data in each section helped me when formally writing each paragraph.
Writing
I found the writing component to be intensive. The draft took a significant amount of time to compose even with an optimal outline and organized information. I found it easy to get lost in the data sections which was a trigger to edit and review my headlines. I had underestimated the amount of time it would take to write the draft, however I look forward to applying a great amount of effort to finalize the draft by using Zoe’s peer review and fine-combing all my sentences.
Peer Review
I found this component of Lesson 3 to be difficult. As with any peer review in this course, there is a higher level of reading analysis applied to editing the document in order to offer useful recommendations. These reports are long and peer reviewing each element of Zoe’s report in order to offer helpful advice was difficult as I am not familiar with the topic.
Reviewing Zoe Maika’s Formal Report Draft
To conclude, unit 3 was intensive, challenging though enjoyable. I have learned how to apply YOU attitude to professional communication as well as apply research methods to find realistic solutions to an issue that relates to me.