Seminar 2

Getting Started on the CM225 Writing Situations

Unit 2 Readings

• This week (as always) we have good videos and reading materials; be sure to learn what they are telling you.

• For the readings, take notes, or print them out and highlight the important ideas.

• For the videos—watch and listen, then the second time, just listen—look away, so you aren’t distracted by the peoples’ offices and expressions.

Unit 2 Project

• Write a 1-page essay.• Explain how you will solve the problem of time

management as you fit school into your already busy schedule.

• Be sure to cover all 6 steps in the problem-solving process: Analyze the problem; Establish a goal; Brainstorm possible solutions (strategies- see below) ; Create the solution; Evaluate the solution: Will it actually solve the problem…, is there evidence? Adjust solution if necessary .

• Be VERY concise!!!

Unit 4 Project

• Looking head, let’s generate ideas for the informative essay due in Unit 4.

• What are the instructions?• 2-3 pages, plus title page and references page• Informative only.• Do not take a position or persuade; of be

background information; be objective and informative; present a balanced analysis, or benefits and disadvantages

• Format for APA style.

What to Write About?

• Explore a particular business issue from the list provided in the Unit 1 “Assignment” link (list on next slide).

• Focus on an issue that is relevant to your experience and interests, your work field, or your volunteer or education experience.

• Note: whatever subject you select, you will need to limit the topic to a specific, arguable issue within this topic.

• The following is not a list of required topics, nor is this list all inclusive.

• You can create your own topic focus based on your interests and experience.

• It is a list of topic ideas for you to think about.

Ideas for Topics

• cultural diversity • social responsibility • the green work environment • telecommuting • outsourcing • e-commerce impact • environmental responsibility • contemporary advertising strategies • management strategies • employee motivation • information security • any business problem that your current company, city or

state government, or children’s school needs to address

Janice Logan’s Ideas

• Janice Logan’s printing company is in financial trouble.

• She brainstormed some topic ideas, researched some issues, and read some articles on the problem her company is facing.

• She then came up with a list of ideas. • Here is a list of some possible research

questions she might want to explore:

Janice Logan’s List

• Why is Greenwich publishing facing this problem? • What are some possible solutions? • What is digital publishing? • How can our company cut costs without losing

employees? • Should we hire a consultant to help us with this problem? • Can we reduce costs by cutting the number of books we

publish? • Could telecommuting be an answer? •  

• What do you think of Janice’s list?

Microsoft List

• There is another list of research questions, about Microsoft, in the PDF file under the Readings link.

• Study that list. • You will see that research questions span a wide

variety of possible topics to write about. • These questions result from brainstorming and

recording every idea that comes to your mind. • Later, you pick out the single question your

composition will focus on.

Generate Research Questions

• For each potential topic of the Unit 4 paper, please share 1 research question you can think of.

• Please wait to post your question until a topic comes up that you have a question for, so our answers stay together.

• First, cultural differences in the workplace or school.

• Second, social responsibility—businesses giving back to the community

Generate Research Questions

• Third, the green work environment

• Fourth, telecommuting

• Fifth, outsourcing

• Sixth, environmental responsibility

• Seventh, contemporary advertising strategies

• Eighth, management strategies

Generate Research Questions

• Ninth, employee motivation

• Tenth, information security

• Eleventh, any business problem that your current company, city or state government, or children’s school needs to address

• As you can see, coming up with questions starts to narrow down the scope of your research.

Audience & Purpose

• How do we create an audience and purpose in a writing situation?

• Why does the reader matter?

• Isn’t the most important thing to get our ideas out on paper, well-organized and fully developed?

• How does our purpose reflect the reader we have chosen?

Thesis Statements

• Let’s practice writing strong thesis statements.• A thesis statement is a very long sentence (25 or

more words) that condenses the paper’s contents, and reveals your purpose.

• The thesis statement is never expressed as a question; it is always a declarative sentence.

• It is usually found in the Introduction paragraph, and prepares readers for what to expect in the paper.

Write a Thesis Statement

• A working thesis statement is just a hypothesis or guess about what you hope to be able to prove.

• It helps you to focus and limit your research.

• Remember the research questions we asked about any of the suggested topics on the Unit 1 list.

• Take 1 topic, and write a thesis statement.