Edward Tufte

One of my students in my Information Design Course reminded me of Edward Tufte and a course he had taken with Mr. Tufte. It reminded me of how inspirational and thought provoking his work is. I thought I would mention him because I feel he makes working in a technical field creative without losing focus. It reminds me we are visual creatures no matter how technical we get. His site is at http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/

Student surveys on their Digital Experience...

I have a colleague that shared the fact he conducts a survey at the beginning of the semester with his students on their digital experience. I thought this was brilliant. He shares the fact that he can use this information to better tailor the students' educational experience. He uses the survey results to assign study groups, let students see how their background compares to others, and as classwork to study.

I really like the idea gathering data to help students and allowing it to be multipurpose. As a teacher and adjunct faculty I think this could be a really great tool  to enhance the learning experience of many students. 

FEMA course materials for tech writing

I thought this was a great discovery. FEMA's Emergency Management Institute has a class in technical writing. There is free course materials as well. The core of the course promises to:

1.Identify the proper use of research in training project development.
2.Describe the various characteristics of written communications.
3.Explain the communication features of graphics and visual media.

IS-613: Technical Writing

Sentence structure of technical writing - MIT

I found this little presentation web crawling last night and I thought I would post it. I like this presentation because it is information on technical writing from the perspective of writing as a scientist. I basically teach the same principles in my advanced tech writing course at CalState but I smiled at the examples in the Simplicity: Use Details Wisely section. My favorite mantra is clear, concise, & cohesive.

I particularly like the Language Ambiguity section!

Link:
http://web.mit.edu/me-ugoffice/communication/technical-writing.pdf

AMWA Conference

I was finally getting back to my email - it has a tendency to stack up. When I saw an email on the upcoming conference for the American Medical Writers Association's (AMWA's) 73rd Annual Conference, being held 6-9 November 2013 in Columbus, OH. Since I haven't posted in a while I thought I would post this info  for those interested. I don't write for medical related pubs at this time but I thought there are those out there who do might want to attend. (FYI - STC members get $$ off registering.)

Link:
http://www.amwa.org/events_annual_conference

Do you have a good attitude at work?

I got an article in email on working with difficult personalities at work and how it can shorten your life. I have seen some similar issues that not only have an effect on health but on the quality of work and motivation. I think that it is worth a read and giving some thought to how attitude affects our work and lives.

http://www.phoenixfocus.com/2013-02/dealing-difficult-coworkers/?utm_source=pf_email_february13&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Alumnus

Moving on to technical communication jobs

This post was motivated by my thoughts as the end of the semester comes around. In the program I teach, I get a lot of questions on what to do next when students graduate with certificates. I was reading a creative writing blog the other day and it provided the motivation to think about technical writing and how to be successful.

In examining the next step for new writers, I think they must consider that there is no easy way to get a job or magic bullets of getting out there. Instead, everyone has their own set of skills they bring to the writing table as well as unique portfolio. I am frequently asked plenty of questions on resumes and how to deal with interviews. Well that too is unique to you. Other than emphasizing that the mechanics of your docs are polished (grammar, look, structure etc.) we are all unique. In my courses I provide some basics for portfolios and resumes but honestly they are all about the person who the story is about. The background, skills, education, and work history makes each person interesting and talented in their own right as a technical writer and communicator.

Some students ask if they should go on and get an MA or other such degrees. While nice I think getting a higher degree is a personal choice and again decisions all come down to the individual, their background, and their motivation. In technical writing, as in other forms of writing, there is no magic bullet or steps to follow to get a job. Just self-motivation to improve one’s own skills and knowledge. The lessons we learn, training we get, and writing we do are the individual steps to a successful career, especially in technical writing.