Unit 2 Tutorial

Unit 2 Tutorial on Prezi

Unit 2 Prezi

Unit 2 on Prezi

Reading Response 9/18

I think it's safe to say that if I take anything from this class it will be that everything I learned in high school about writing was wrong. Reading from Krug's book was really interesting because it dispelled, yet again,  another writing habit. Before college, and even in some non-writing oriented courses now, I have been assigned a certain length for writing. I often found myself falling just short of that requirement and having to add tons of unnecessary words and statements. Krug's writing teaches that if it isn't necessary, it shouldn't be there. I will keep this idea in mind with my PWS to make sure it is full of substance and not empty words.

I also learned something new from the handout. There have been plenty of times I've been prompted to be persuasive in my writing, and this paper shows the best way to do that. Although your argument is typically focused on what you need or want someone to do, you can't make it about you. Rather, you have to show your audience how the situation will benefit them. Luckily, my call to action really does nothing for me other than getting people to see my point. My topic of running for health is purely beneficial to my audience, which makes persuasion at least a little easier.

The final handout talked about CRAP, which I didn't realize I had violated until now. For example, I have changed my alignments around in previous writings to make a page look more interesting. As the article went on, it talked about repetition, which I now realize is one of those characteristics of all web pages that you never really realize. For example, search bars, links, titles, etc. I will use the information from this reading to design my PWS to be interesting and to the point, all while following the general guidelines of CRAP. 

Presentation Tools Response

For this assignment, I used Bookr, a tool used to put pictures into a photobook with flickr. I could use this presentation tool to communicate my PWS by showing pictures of me running, others running, inspirational quotes, and non-typical runners. The pictures of myself would be used to illustrate why I run and how long I've been doing it (even though I have a love/hate relationship with running). I could use pictures of other people running to show that anyone can do it. For example, pictures of grade-school-aged kids running, college runners in uniform, middle-aged runners in marathons, and older runners. Inspirational quotes and pictures of people you wouldn't normally see running would help to motivate others. At the end of my PWS I included links to Cliff Young and Ben Comen, two incredible stories of unusual runners. Pictures of runners who have prosthetics or disabilities would show people they can do it, too.

The benefits of this tool would be the use of images, because pictures tell a story more quickly that words. However, just using images might not tell the entire story or prove my point as well. It would take away from a lot of the narration I have included.

Unit 1 Tutorial

Welcome to Unit 1—Professional Writing Story

So you want to be a writer, huh? Or maybe this class is just a requirement and you’re just trying to pass. Either way, wouldn’t it be easier if you had someone to walk you through it? I know you’re probably swamped with homework, a job, or “extra curriculars" so I’m here to help!

• Start with a sheet of paper and a pen, or your laptop and Word document for you tech-savvy environmentalists.
• Jot down the first three things that come to mind when I say “What Do You Care About?”
• Got ‘em? Now, ask yourself “Should others care about these topics as well?” All topics that receive a “no” answer should be crossed off the list, and you should pat yourself on the back for being so unique in your interests!
• Take the remaining topics and make a list for each answering the following question: “Why should others care?” You’ll probably find that these are the same reasons why you care.

Pretty simple so far right? Take a moment to shake it out and get focused; it’s time to tell a story.

Now, if your first thoughts when you saw “story” involved anything along the lines of beginning… middle… end or Hansel and Gretel, go back to that shaking and focusing thing.

Ready for real now? Ok, pick one topic from your list to write about.

The number one thing to keep in mind is that, despite how talented you think you are or aren’t at storytelling, you do it daily, multiple times even. Remember that crazy night last week? Did you tell someone about it? What about the next day when you told your professor or boss you were “coming down with something” and wouldn’t make it in that day? See? You are a great storyteller! (And liar.)

Number two is that no one wants to listen to someone who knows everything or only talks to hear the sound of his or her own voice. Be creative, don’t be afraid to sound stupid, and, most importantly, be a good listener! Stories come from experiences and you’ll never experience anything worth telling if you think you already know everything.

So, make up a story that draws your audience in or recall a personal experience. The idea is to give your listeners an experience as if it were their own, in order to motivate them to care about whatever it is you’re writing about-- all in a story that can be told in two minutes or less. Get those juices flowing and don’t forget to post to your blog!

Once you’ve completed your story, it might be beneficial to have someone read it over—be it a friend, classmate, professor, whomever. Feedback and constructive criticism are huge elements of writing so review carefully and update your writing accordingly.

Now comes the fun part! This is multimedia writing so you need to transform your story from the boring essay format it’s currently in to an engaging experience. 

• Add picture, videos, and links. 
• Play with font sizes to create a hierarchy of importance within the story. 
• Add color, special characteristics, whatever it takes. 

Make your story something that you would personally be interested in at least skimming through!

Throw everything you’ve written in this process into a folder to submit, including a printed copy of the final PWS.

Congrats! You made it through Unit 1! 

Run for Your Life-- Unit 1 PWS Final

How do you spend the majority of your day? 

Sitting in class? Watching TV? Staring at a computer screen in a cubicle? Do you spend more time brushing your teeth than exercising? Is the most you see the outdoors the walk from your car to the door of your home or workplace? One last and more serious question: How do you think this is affecting your health? 

When I was 11-years-old, a friend of mine convinced me to join our middle school’s cross country team. At first I ran because my friends did, but later I developed an interest. I never came in first, or even tenth, I rarely won a medal that wasn’t merely for participation, my name was never in the sports section of the local newspaper, I hated going to practice every evening, and I certainly wasn’t a star athlete. But running did something for me. Every Saturday morning, instead of sleeping in, I’d put on my hideous uniform, pack my bag full of granola bars, water, and fruit, and drive nearly an hour away just to cross the finish line in the rear of the pack. I had to talk myself through every single race. You can do this, I told myself, one more hill, pick up the pace, pass that girl, only one more mile. I hated every single minute of those races: beforehand, when my friend (who was actually very good) received a personal pep talk from the coach, during, when I was always three strides behind the same girl, and after, when awards were being handed out and I was still just trying to catch my breath. Yet every single evening I went to practice, and every weekend my scrawny legs somehow carried me over three miles of hills.

So why did I do it? To be honest, I have no idea. Fall after Fall I showed up at the local park for conditioning, never understanding why. One by one, my friends all left. Except for the one I was constantly compared to, that was more amazing that I could ever hope to be. It wasn’t until my senior year, seven years later, that I finally appreciated all the sport did for me. That same friend had a stress fracture and was in a boot. The regional meet came up, and she wasn’t going to run until our rival team discovered that, without her, there wouldn’t be enough girls competing for them to place. She surprised us all when she decided to tough it out, over three miles in the rain. But I surprised myself that day. I crossed the finish line nearly eight minutes faster than usual, and about ten minutes ahead of her. When I saw her heading through the chute, I met her at the beginning and ran the 200 meters to the finish by her side. I still didn’t win a medal— the most I got was high-fives and pats on the back from my teammates and coach—but I learned that I wouldn’t be me without having run three miles every Saturday, not including practices, for a quarter of a year for nine years. Now, I know what it means to persevere through the most difficult of situations and how to manage my time efficiently.  I eat healthy and exercise at least three times a week. And most of all, I am in the (slow) process of training for bigger races, with the hopes of completing a marathon someday.  Looking back on all that time I thought I was wasting in “misery,” I am truly thankful that I stuck it out.

The team before the Regional race in 2009

I live for the mornings when I can lace up my neon-pink shoes and hit the pavement, but what does that mean to you? Get out there! I dare you to run a lap around the nearest high school’s track, or for ten minutes on a treadmill, or even just one mile. You will hate it, every second of it, especially if you’ve never run before. But when you finish, and you see that you’ve reached your simplest goal, you'll see what running can do. You’ll eat healthier, even if just to assure your run wasn’t in vain. You’ll feel more awake, more focused. Your legs will become stronger, your arms more toned, your lungs fuller, your heart more efficient. All you have to do is run for thirty minutes, three times a week— time that you would’ve spent in front of the TV or computer anyway.

Think you can't?

Ben Comen-- Living Without Limits

The Cliff Young Story

Cliff Young 1983

Why I Run

“The Legend of Cliff Young: The 61-year-old Farmer who Won the World’s Toughest Race.” Elitefeet.com. 30 Dec. 2007. Web. Elitefeet.com. 29 Aug. 2012.

Reilly, Rick. “Worth the Wait.” 20 Oct. 2003. Sports Illustrated 99:16. Web. Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 29 Aug. 2012. 

Story and Billboard Design Response

"If you are breathing you are a storyteller..."

I've heard multiple times throughout the past two weeks that a story isn't what we have been taught it is throughout our pre-university education and the handout really cemented this concept to me. The beginning section about curiosity made me think. The author states that you must be curious about the world around you and you must be a good listener to be a good storyteller.

I like that the author states the entire idea of a story is based on experience, which brings me to understand that storytelling is how people communicate. If you need something done to your computer, you tell the IT guy a story about why it isn't acting properly and if you miss work, you tell your boss a story about why you weren't there. As the author states, if these people could be in your place they would understand the situation much better, however, since this is impossible, it is your job to write a story well enough that your experience is real and understandable to your listeners.

I will use the information I have gained from this handout to address several types of stories from experience in my Unit One PWS. I have already used my personal story of why I run, but I must now use others' experiences for support. I will do so by finding multimedia stories of unique runners, as well as how running has affected others.

Furthermore, Chapter 3 put writing and multimedia in simpler terms. I have learned that the design must be simple enough for the general audience to understand, yet bold enough to capture attention. Also, a hierarchy must be present for the audience to navigate throughout the page. I will use this information to assure my blog and writings engage my audience and get my point across.