Monthly Archives: April 2020

Make the Last Day of Class a Great One

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[Instructors: This post was written before COVID-19 closed our campuses. Still, many of the activities listed below are still applicable.]

In the busy weeks at the end of a semester, it’s easy to overlook creating meaningful activities for the final day of class. However, the last meeting can provide an excellent teaching opportunity that also reinforces pedagogical objectives. Below are ideas for activities on the last day of a term.

Connect coursework to future careers. This activity is tailor-made to the business communication classroom. Discuss why effective writing and oral communication can help advance careers. Cite from surveys and studies that talk about employers’ most wanted qualities in new-hires—excellent communication skills always top the lists. Then have students work together to discuss how they foresee using what they have learned when they enter the workplace.

Review course objectives. Provide an overview of the course’s goals, touching on how the assignments and tests helped to teach and reinforce those goals. Then allow students to work in small groups to create informal presentations of their favorite assignment.

Ask the class to address future students. Having current class members write letters to future students forces critical thinking and reflection. Request that current students include what new students can expect to learn and to give advice for success (e.g. do the readings, go to office hours, and the like.) Note: Be sure to obtain permission from current students to distribute the letters in the future.)

Assign an in-class reflection about individual experiences. Give students a prompt to guide them through a written reflection about what they learned about course content.

Share projects. If students have worked on a major project, have them share their work. Allow students to move around the room to see what their classmates have achieved.

Have a potluck. Students love free food, and a celebratory potluck in the classroom (or outside on a nice day) is a fun way to end the semester. Provide a sign-up sheet so all students commit to bring something.  [COVID-19 take on this activity: Ask students to bring a favorite treat to the last session. Allow each student to explain the choice.]

Give a mini-quiz. Have students write three of the most important takeaways from the class. Give them 10 minutes to write, after which you can ask a few students to volunteer to read their responses and explain their reasoning. These “quizzes” can be added to the final grade or not.

Whatever you choose to do on your last day, The Guffey Team wishes you a wonderful summer! See you in the fall!

Harvard Prof Says Hard Work Isn’t Enough… Cover Letter No-Nos… Making Slide Presentations Short and Effective

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Harvard Prof Says Hard Work Isn’t Enough

Hard work alone is not always enough to succeed in the workplace, according to new research published by Harvard professor Laura Huang. Huang says that many times racial stereotypes, gender inequity, and just plain unfairness surpass doing a job well.

In her new book, Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage, Huang identifies tips to further careers.

  • Know your strengths. Be aware of what separates you from others and adds value to an organization. Define your “circle of competence” and focus on what you do best.
  • Understand your limits. Know what you cannot do, but do not let those constraints define you. Focus instead on what makes you unique.
  • Surprise skeptics. The best way to overcome skepticism is to find commonalities, which Huang labels “points of connection,” and relate these shared ideas or experiences in a way that elicits a positive response: think storytelling.
  • Control how others perceive you. Be mindful of how others see you. If they have the wrong impression, guide them away from those incorrect notions by leading them to the real you.

From Harvard Business School

Cover Letter No-Nos

Since cover letters are critical for hirers to learn more about an applicant, experts suggest avoiding the following standardized phrases to avoid turning readers off.

To Whom It May Concern. The best choice is to address a cover letter to a decision-maker, but if a specific individual is impossible to locate, write “Dear Hiring Manager.”

Hope to hear from you soon. “Hope” suggests the possibility of not hearing from the hirer. Instead write “I look forward to speaking to you soon about the job opportunity.” 

I believe, I think. These phrases are unnecessary; why else would you write what follows? Write assertively, “I am the best fit for the position because of X, Y, and Z.”

Finally, a cover letter should never describe how a particular job will help the applicant or that the job seeker needs the job. No company is in business to help employees’ careers. Rather, the cover letter should explain how the applicants’ skill set will help the firm.

From payscale.com

Making Slide Presentations Short and Effective

 Research has shown that people simply cannot listen and read slides at the same time, making long talks accompanied by wordy slides ineffective. However, a company with an odd name—PechaKucha, Japanese for chit chat—offers an antidote to long, text-heavy PowerPoint presentations.

Developed in Japan by two European architects some 15 years ago, PechaKucha (pronounced pe-chok-cha) was originally a slideshare presentation format. PechaKucha the company named itself after that format and was formed in 2018.

PechaKucha presentations use the 20×20 formula, a highly efficient narrative format that recognizes audience’s limitations and that has gained popularity over the last decade. It allows speakers no more than 20 slides that advance every 20 seconds, making the presentation last no more than six minutes and 40 seconds, similar to a YouTube slide show. The platform is used by students and businesses alike to drive a point home succinctly and effectively by cutting the copy and keeping the material snappy.

The app doesn’t offer users many options, which helps keep presentations short and more interesting. Slides may only contain images and a few words of text.

From Edsurge.com

 

 

Which Is It–i.e. or e.g.?

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[Instructors: Download PDFs of the exercise and suggested solutions at the end of the post.]

Image from Bird GEI

The Latin abbreviations i.e. and e.g.are often confused because although they do not mean the exact same thing, they are closely related.

I.e. is the abbreviation for id est, or in English, that is. It is another way to say in other words and is used to introduce further clarification.

Example: My job requires good communication skills, i.e., clear writing and fluent conversing.

E.g. stands for the Latin exempli gratia, or in English, for example, and is used to introduce an example.

Example: I enjoy team sports, e.g., field hockey and basketball.

Follow these rules when using i.e. and e.g.

  • Never italicize i.e. or e.g.
  • Always include periods after each letter.
  • Do not start a sentence with i.e. or e.g.
  • Place a comma before and after the abbreviation.

Your task. In the sentences below, choose the correct abbreviation, i.e. or e.g.

  1. As an ER nurse, Joe works the late shift, (i.e. or e.g.), from 12 am to 8 am.
  2. The Winter Olympics include a variety of outdoor activities, (i.e. or e.g.), luge, freestyle skiing, and speed skating.
  3. As sea levels continue to rise, many American cities will be affected, (i.e. or e.g.) New Orleans, New York City, and San Diego.
  4. In addition to hiking and painting, I regularly participate in self-supported bicycle touring, (i.e. or e.g.), traveling hundreds of miles with all my camping equipment.
  5. The marketing team will require only the basic presentation materials for the Atlanta trip (i.e. or e.g.), Product Benefits PowerPoint and Competitor Comparison Checklist.
  6. We eliminated the Cronos shoe from our upcoming catalog after customer complaints pointed us to a significant quality issue, (i.e. or e.g.), the red ink was not colorfast.
  7. I will be traveling on business to three big cities, (i.e. or e.g.), Atlanta, Austin, and Denver.
  8. Our new product line will introduce many new flavors, (i.e. or e.g.), mango chutney, maple walnut, and peach cream.
  9. The hotel offers an array of business services, (i.e. or e.g.), free Wi-Fi, copying, and faxing.
  10. Some African countries, (i.e. or e.g.), Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt, had a high GDP.

Which Is It Exercise

Which Is It Answer Key