Part 1:
I have had a negative experience on a team project a few years ago. As I was born and raised in India, I had thought that expressing disagreement in a group is very rude. There were many situations were I couldn't accept what one of my team member was suggesting. But since that cultural element was still in me, I hesitated to express my dissent to avoid any sort of problem. Even though my other team members had the knowledge about other cultural backgrounds and they were flexible, this experience occurred as a result of my team member's failure of recognizing cultural differences. There can be differences in interactions that we never even imagined. Even the way we address someone can be different. For instance, in certain cultures such as Indian culture, it is absolutely impolite to call anyone older than us by their name. Recognizing cultural differences can play an important role in the success of every team work. Once these differences are noticed, it will allow every team members to be fully engaged and it will impact the discussion of ideas positively. Active listening can aid in breaking the differences . In order to improve the team effectiveness across cultural differences, we should communicate with others and create a self awareness to understand how cultural backgrounds will influence our team.
Part 2:
Anderson has provided several guidelines for managing clients and effectively communicating with them that we can use for the project. Initially, it is important to establish a detailed understanding all all the important aspects of the project by learning the client's goals and preferences. To achieve that, we should learn more about the client's organization prior to meeting with them, identify who the target audience and stakeholders will be. It is also important to communicate with the client during the project. We have to communicate constructively and be specific about the progress we have made in the project or about the problems we have encountered while working on it. All the guidelines provided focuses on the strategies for managing both the project and our relations with the client.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Topic Sentence's Posting
Part 1
Topic sentence is the first sentence of a paragraph that introduces it. It states the main idea that we will have to develop in the rest of the paragraph. Topic sentences talks about the whole and in the rest of the paragraph, we talk about the parts. There are several types of topic sentences. Few of them are: compare/contrast, cause and effect, ascending/descending order, chronological order, spacial order, etc.
Part 2
1. The CAT scan creates an image resembling a “slice” that clearly visualizes anatomical structures within the body.
The sentence presents a comparison relationship between a CAT scan's image and anatomical structures within the body. The paragraph will discuss how the image visualizes anatomical structures within the body
2. Improper down stroke and follow-through can cause the golf ball to either hook and fade to the left or slice and fade to the right.
The sentence presents a cause and effect relationship between improper downs stroke and follow-through and how the golf ball will look
3. Three main types of parachutes are used for skydiving. The most widely used parachute has a round, dome-like canopy.
This sentence presents a chronological/sequential order of the three main types of parachutes used for skydiving. The paragraph will identify these types and describe them
4. A square parachute provides more maneuverability and a better overall ride than does a conventional round parachute.
This sentence uses the compare/contrast relationship between the maneuverability of a square parachute and conventional round parachute. The paragraph will identify how they are different.
5. Two methods of disinfecting treated waste water are chlorination and ozonation.
This sentence presents a chronological/sequential order of the two methods of disinfecting treated waste. This paragraph will talk about these two methods in detail.
6. The chlorinator room contains the evaporators, chlorinators, and injectors, three of each. The evaporators are used only when liquid chlorine is being drawn from the containers.
This sentence presents both chronological and spacial order. The paragraph will discuss about evaporators, chlorinators and injectors and how/when they are used
Topic sentence is the first sentence of a paragraph that introduces it. It states the main idea that we will have to develop in the rest of the paragraph. Topic sentences talks about the whole and in the rest of the paragraph, we talk about the parts. There are several types of topic sentences. Few of them are: compare/contrast, cause and effect, ascending/descending order, chronological order, spacial order, etc.
Part 2
1. The CAT scan creates an image resembling a “slice” that clearly visualizes anatomical structures within the body.
The sentence presents a comparison relationship between a CAT scan's image and anatomical structures within the body. The paragraph will discuss how the image visualizes anatomical structures within the body
2. Improper down stroke and follow-through can cause the golf ball to either hook and fade to the left or slice and fade to the right.
The sentence presents a cause and effect relationship between improper downs stroke and follow-through and how the golf ball will look
3. Three main types of parachutes are used for skydiving. The most widely used parachute has a round, dome-like canopy.
This sentence presents a chronological/sequential order of the three main types of parachutes used for skydiving. The paragraph will identify these types and describe them
4. A square parachute provides more maneuverability and a better overall ride than does a conventional round parachute.
This sentence uses the compare/contrast relationship between the maneuverability of a square parachute and conventional round parachute. The paragraph will identify how they are different.
5. Two methods of disinfecting treated waste water are chlorination and ozonation.
This sentence presents a chronological/sequential order of the two methods of disinfecting treated waste. This paragraph will talk about these two methods in detail.
6. The chlorinator room contains the evaporators, chlorinators, and injectors, three of each. The evaporators are used only when liquid chlorine is being drawn from the containers.
This sentence presents both chronological and spacial order. The paragraph will discuss about evaporators, chlorinators and injectors and how/when they are used
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Blog Posting #2: Persuasion
Part 1
A)
Chapter 4 talks about planning for usefulness. It gives advice on content and organization needed to help the reader and it also provides strategies that we can use that will enable the reader to understand our meaning fast.The three helpful guidelines in the chapter was to provide the exact content that our readers need through identifying the reader's questions, organize in a way that would help our reader perform their tasks, and help readers quickly understand what we are saying. This can be done by identifying the background the reader need about the topic and the situation, and by identifying their cultural expectations. These guidelines can be used to plan communications that are highly useful
Part 3
Chapter 5 focuses on developing our persuasive skills. Some of the helpful guidelines from this chapter are: 1) Focusing on the reader's goals and values. This can be done through active listening, identifying business and value related goals that we can help them achieve. 2) Reason soundly. When we are trying to persuade others, it is essential to sound reasonable. This can be achieved by presenting reliable and sufficient evidences such as expert testimonies, numerical data, and examples. Responding to the reader's concerns and learning from the counterarguments can also be very useful. 3) Building an effective relationship with the readers. This is accomplished by establishing credibility, and presenting ourselves as a partner with helpful suggestions. These guidelines can be used to write persuasively in competitive and cooperative environments.
A)
- Chapter 3 focuses on envisioning our reader's response to each and every specific aspect of our communication. It talks about identifying our reader's tasks in a manner that will allow us to figure out how to make communications useful, and persuasive. One part that I found very interesting was describing the reader's cultural characteristics. Anderson talk about how cultural differences affect communication, how to gain knowledge about our intercultural readers and how to apply these cultural knowledge when we communicate in a work place. One thing that surprised me is how some images and gestures could be interpreted different across cultures. For example, some words or images that may seem normal to one culture may violate the cultural customs of another. So, we will have to develop strategies that would result in effective communication with them. All the guidelines can be very crucial at a workplace. It can be very useful to identify the relevant elements of the context for our communication. It is also important to identify our communication's stakeholders and how our communication might affect them. Helping the readers perform their tasks by learning about the reader and reader's context is the most effective way to predict the way the reader is likely to respond. The gist of the chapter is when we are defining objectives of communication, we should focus on the reader rather than ourselves
- Purpose: Introducing the team to the client and requesting to meet with them personally by the end of next week. Since our team came up with our own project the reader will be Prof Waters, and prospective users of the product.
- Creating a useful communication: Explain what the product would do and why it is recommended. Show evidence that there is a problem and this product could be a possible solution to it. Our project will show if a bus service is available as soon as the student leaves the class. The reader will search for the information either by sequential reading from the beginning to the end and reading for key points.The reader will use the information by comparing alternatives and determining how it will affect our institution.
- Creating a persuasive communication: The reader's attitude might be that the current system is good enough but I want them to see that our's is better. The reader's attitude should be positive towards the organization because it is a service for the organization itself. The reader's attitude towards me will depend on how I present myself
- Reader's profile: If the reader is Prof Waters, he is very familiar with the topic, student-teacher relationship, no cultural differences that would affect communication, identify characteristics such as ability to use the system. Other people that might read our communication is the prospective users.
- Context: Prof Waters might not use the GT bus service often, therefore might not see it as important.
- Ethical treatment of stakeholders: Stakeholders will be all the students that use the GT bus service and it might impact them positively and they would appreciate the better service.
Chapter 4 talks about planning for usefulness. It gives advice on content and organization needed to help the reader and it also provides strategies that we can use that will enable the reader to understand our meaning fast.The three helpful guidelines in the chapter was to provide the exact content that our readers need through identifying the reader's questions, organize in a way that would help our reader perform their tasks, and help readers quickly understand what we are saying. This can be done by identifying the background the reader need about the topic and the situation, and by identifying their cultural expectations. These guidelines can be used to plan communications that are highly useful
Part 3
Chapter 5 focuses on developing our persuasive skills. Some of the helpful guidelines from this chapter are: 1) Focusing on the reader's goals and values. This can be done through active listening, identifying business and value related goals that we can help them achieve. 2) Reason soundly. When we are trying to persuade others, it is essential to sound reasonable. This can be achieved by presenting reliable and sufficient evidences such as expert testimonies, numerical data, and examples. Responding to the reader's concerns and learning from the counterarguments can also be very useful. 3) Building an effective relationship with the readers. This is accomplished by establishing credibility, and presenting ourselves as a partner with helpful suggestions. These guidelines can be used to write persuasively in competitive and cooperative environments.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Blog Posting #1 : Reader-Centered Communication and Writing Emails
Part 1:
Chapter 1 describes several ways of how writing at a workplace differs significantly from writing in school. This chapter helps us to develop a "you attitude" by following the reader-centered approach to writing. This chapter provides advice on creating effective communications that are persuasive and useful for the readers and gives reader-centered strategies that we can use for brief communications. One difference between in school writing and work place writing that I found interesting is that it should satisfy different readers in a single communication. As students we have usually just written to a single reader, but at a work environment, we will have to prepare communications that will be delivered to one or more people that will have different concerns, interests, familiarity with our specialty, etc. I was surprised to learn that we will have to use distinctive types of communication at a work place such as memos, business emails and letters, project proposals, and progress reports. Each of the types of communication has its own convention which we have to follow. I think we will use the important strategies taught in this chapter in the future. Towards the end of the chapter, Anderson provides reader-centered strategies that can be used for any technical communication such as beginning by identifying specific task the reader will perform, talking with the readers, highlighting the points that the readers will find persuasive, and several others.
Part 2:
Anderson provides advice on considering a reader centered approach for writing job application letters. We can apply these advice in the email our team will be sending. The first guideline that we can follow is to define our email's objectives by identifying the questions professors wants it to answer. We will have to consider what professors expect to see when reading the email. We need to provide specific reasons for wanting to work for the particular project and since it's a team based project, we will have to display that we work well in team based environments. Before sending the email, we will have to learn more about the project and the host company through searching the web or contacting the company. Before sending in the final email, we have to create drafts that demonstrates our knowledge about the project , lists all the skills and qualifications our team members possess in order to contribute to the success of the project, and why we have chosen the desired projects. Finally, we should revise the email by reviewing our tone and assuring it present a good image of us before sending it in.
Part 3:
Subject line: CS2200 Project 5 grading question
Chapter 1 describes several ways of how writing at a workplace differs significantly from writing in school. This chapter helps us to develop a "you attitude" by following the reader-centered approach to writing. This chapter provides advice on creating effective communications that are persuasive and useful for the readers and gives reader-centered strategies that we can use for brief communications. One difference between in school writing and work place writing that I found interesting is that it should satisfy different readers in a single communication. As students we have usually just written to a single reader, but at a work environment, we will have to prepare communications that will be delivered to one or more people that will have different concerns, interests, familiarity with our specialty, etc. I was surprised to learn that we will have to use distinctive types of communication at a work place such as memos, business emails and letters, project proposals, and progress reports. Each of the types of communication has its own convention which we have to follow. I think we will use the important strategies taught in this chapter in the future. Towards the end of the chapter, Anderson provides reader-centered strategies that can be used for any technical communication such as beginning by identifying specific task the reader will perform, talking with the readers, highlighting the points that the readers will find persuasive, and several others.
Part 2:
Anderson provides advice on considering a reader centered approach for writing job application letters. We can apply these advice in the email our team will be sending. The first guideline that we can follow is to define our email's objectives by identifying the questions professors wants it to answer. We will have to consider what professors expect to see when reading the email. We need to provide specific reasons for wanting to work for the particular project and since it's a team based project, we will have to display that we work well in team based environments. Before sending the email, we will have to learn more about the project and the host company through searching the web or contacting the company. Before sending in the final email, we have to create drafts that demonstrates our knowledge about the project , lists all the skills and qualifications our team members possess in order to contribute to the success of the project, and why we have chosen the desired projects. Finally, we should revise the email by reviewing our tone and assuring it present a good image of us before sending it in.
Part 3:
Subject line: CS2200 Project 5 grading question
Hi Anirudh,
My name is Gilu George, and I’m taking CS 2200 this summer. I wanted to get in touch in you because of a troublesome matter. For my Project 5, which I spent the entire week on, I was able to finish the project and turning it in. However, it was buggy because I was getting a segfault that I could not figure out how to fix. That’s the worst part about segfaults—how to solve them. I consulted with one of the TA’s, and he told me that I may receive a 0 for the project. I am extremely shocked and depressed by this, because I have worked so, so hard on that project, and I can’t afford a 0. I’m already in the D range for this really tough course that I’ve spent countless nights on, and I really do not want to retake it. So can I please get a lot of partial credit instead of a 0? It makes no sense because it doesn’t list in the syllabus that a segfault results in a 0. Which is why I am emailing you right now, to ask if I would get a 0, and if so, if I could get partial credit. Please take my situation into consideration. I tried my best, but I couldn’t solve it.
My name is Gilu George, and I’m taking CS 2200 this summer. I wanted to get in touch in you because of a troublesome matter. For my Project 5, which I spent the entire week on, I was able to finish the project and turning it in. However, it was buggy because I was getting a segfault that I could not figure out how to fix. That’s the worst part about segfaults—how to solve them. I consulted with one of the TA’s, and he told me that I may receive a 0 for the project. I am extremely shocked and depressed by this, because I have worked so, so hard on that project, and I can’t afford a 0. I’m already in the D range for this really tough course that I’ve spent countless nights on, and I really do not want to retake it. So can I please get a lot of partial credit instead of a 0? It makes no sense because it doesn’t list in the syllabus that a segfault results in a 0. Which is why I am emailing you right now, to ask if I would get a 0, and if so, if I could get partial credit. Please take my situation into consideration. I tried my best, but I couldn’t solve it.
Thank you,
Gilu
Gilu
I will be analyzing this email that I wrote to CS 2200 head TA recently. Above I have included the email. I have followed certain guidelines listed in chapter 23. I have stated my main point up front and led off with it. I have kept it short and given informative subject line, given the reader the background information they needed. What I have not done is written separate email for the followup emails later on. I have just used the "reply" attribute to continue the conversation. This has resulted in some discontinuity. The relevant portions was scattered in multiple emails which had caused some confusion. Another guideline that I didn't follow is the use of headings and lists. In order for the reader to quickly grasp the issues presented in the email, headings and bulleted lists should have been made. Since this email was sent to a teacher's assistant who is also a student, even though I used a formal greeting in salutation, I just used a semi-formal tone in the body of the email. But I learned that it is important to use the appropriate level of formality that would match the reader's expectations and preferences. Another way I could have improved my email is through letting the reader know how to contact me through the email system's "signature" feature.
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