Tuesday, October 7, 2014


1)      How do you decide when to use direct or indirect strategy when writing a report? 

-When you want to create a report with information, but without analysis, a direct approach is the strategy to use. You can also use the direct approach when the audience is already familiar with the topic.

-When you want to create a report that you are reviewing to an audience who is not familiar with the topic, you will want to use the indirect approach. This way you can start with an introduction or description, followed by facts and interpretation.

2) What are the differences between secondary and primary data? Why would you want to start your research with secondary research rather primary research? 

- Secondary data is data that is coming from other sources who have seen or experienced the topic they have written about. Primary data is data you have collected yourself from firsthand experience. You may want to start your research with secondary research because it is less time consuming, cheaper, easier, and you have more sources to gather from.

3) What makes an effective heading? 

-An effective heading clearly states what’s in the content and directs readers to where they want to go. They are functional and directive.


4) Define quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing. Be sure to note the differences. 

-Quoting is used to show you are saying something someone else has said whereas summarizing is when you go through the introduction, main points, and conclusion in a short amount of words. Paraphrasing is when you rewrite something in your own words but copy the main points.


5) What is patch writing? 

-Patch writing is when you copy patches of information from another source, and take the credit for writing them. It is similar to plagiarism in a sense, but you are not copying entire blocks of writing.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Final Indirect Letter


September 30th, 2014

From: Jordanna Helm

New Pawz Sanctuary

4562 North Way, Boulder, Colorado

Kristina we are so thankful for your interest in volunteering for the New Pawz Sanctuary in Boulder, Colorado. Young, passionate people like yourself is what helps keep our sanctuaries running, and our motivation strong. We have reviewed your letter and resume’ and would like to review a couple of things.       

All New Pawz Sanctuaries follow strict laws regarding minors and there interaction with our animals. In your resume’ you stated you were under the age of eighteen, a statement which conflicts with our rules and regulations. Although your experience and desire is exactly what we are looking for, we are afraid we will not be allowed to bring you onboard until you turn eighteen.

Please do not hesitate to stop by and sign up for our animal awareness seminars, these will put you on the right track to learning specifically what New Pawz does and the type of animals we specialize in. We also recommend looking at the other volunteer opportunities we have such as: helping with fundraisers, marketing and advertising, and collecting donations.

We will be happy to keep your initial letter and resume on file, and hope to see an updated one in the future.

Thank you once more for your interest,

Jordanna Helm, Founder and Hiring Manager of New Pawz Sanctuary. 

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

1) What are the differences between a direct and an indirect letter? 
- A direct letter uses the "you" approach.
-Direct letters are good for getting a point across quick and straightforward.
-Direct letters usually hold positive news, or news where the receiver should not have to respond.

-Indirect letters are good for buffering bad news.
-Indirect letters usually have the news at the end of the letter, instead of upfront like a direct letter would.
-Indirect letters have more emotion or sincerity than a direct letter.
2) Why does the word persuasion have negative connotations? What are they? 
-The negative side of persuasion includes coming off too demanding or not providing enough reasoning for the benefits of everyone included. It can make people feel backed into a corner or like they do not have a choice in there answer.
3) What are the four parts of a successful persuasive messages? 
-AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action.
4) What distinguishes rational, emotional, and dual appeals in persuasion?
-In a rational appeal you are focused on making or saving money and making good use of your resources where in an emotional appeal you are focused on your status, ego, and sensual feelings. With dual appeal you are including both rational and emotional appeal.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014


1) How is proofreading different from revising?

-Proofreading is when you check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics while revision is about improving your content, sentence structure, and your design.


2) What design techniques can you use to improve the readability of e-mails, memos, letters, and reports? You can employ white spaces, understand margins and text alignments, choose appropriate typefaces, capitalize on type fonts and sizes, focus on numbering and bulleting, and adding heading for visual impact.


3) In proofreading, why is it often difficult to find your own errors? What are some techniques to overcome this barrier?  It is difficult to find your own errors when proofreading because you may not know what to look for when dealing with content, mechanics, and structure. These are things you learn as you go, so over-looking these mistakes may happen more often than not. Some techniques you can use are researching; find similar documents online and compare yours to theirs. You can also take the time to learn more about your writing weaknesses and pay special attention to them as you proofread.


4) Reflect in a paragraph on the following prompt: How does your use of email, instant messaging, social media, and other current communication technologies with your friends and family compare with the business uses of these technologies that you learned about in this chapter?  They compare because these use similar methods of communication. We use social media as a quick and effective way of reaching out to people, contacting people, and making plans or creating events, just like businesses use social media.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Memo Wk 3


To: Kimberly Olson

From: Jordanna Helm

Date: 9/15/2014

Subject: Issues with Lemonade

 

                I would like to address a new issue that has risen regarding the process in which we make our lemonade back-ups. It has come to the attention of myself, co-workers, and guests that our lemonade is being served with inconsistency and lack of flavor. At first the problem was unsolved, the issue remained a mystery, and in my perspective, no one had taken the time to solve it. After doing some research and double checking co-workers were following procedure, I have found the source of the problem, and an easy and effective way to solve it.

                The problem regarding the lemonades seems to be the transfer from the lexon into the pitcher. When we make the lemonade in the pitcher, the sugar stays disintegrated, making the lemonade how we ideally expect it, and how our guests like it. When we make our back-ups in the lexons, and the lexons sit in the cooler for 1-2 days, the sugar begins to cake on the bottom, resulting in separation from the lemon juice and water. When the transfer happens from the lexon to an empty pitcher some employees over-see the caked sugar on the bottom of the lexon, and serve the new lemonade without sugar. Now we could always send out an informational letter telling employees to watch out for the caked sugar, although some employees may not take notice of the letter, or newer employees joining us may miss the memo. So an easy and effective way to approach this, is to simply gain two more pitchers that we can create back-ups in, instead of the lexons.

                I hope you consider my idea, it may seem like a simple issue, but the satisfaction of guests is the number one priority and I would like to help in any way I can to fix problems when they come to my attention. Thank you for taking the time to read this,

Jordanna Helm, employee of Milwaukee Burger Company.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014


To: Stephanie Chesloc

From: Jordanna Helm

Date: 9/3/14

Subject: Getting to know you, getting to know all about you

 

                Growing up in Arizona, a place where only one season seems to live (Summer, in case you aren’t familiar with the South and the weather that inhabits it,) my childhood was full of outdoor activity and nature. I found myself moving away at age seven, to a place of unfamiliarity and four seasons, so my mother could follow her heart and be with the one she loved. I spent the next six years migrating back and forth from Wisconsin and Arizona, tagging along on my mother’s journey to find happiness, before we finally settled in Wisconsin at age fourteen, for good. I was unhappy with this decision as I longed for constant warm weather, mountains I could hike, and wildlife beyond deer and rabbits. This new found longing however had a positive, it guided me to my career choice in zoology.

                Since I could remember I had always had an overwhelming love for animals, I felt so much compassion towards these creatures of the earth, and had a strong instinct to protect and care for them. I also knew I wasn’t one for staying in one place, and the need to explore the world and learn more about the different types of animals was continuing to grow. At age 14 I began looking into different fields regarding the care-taking of animals as well as the study of animals, and spent a lot of time trying to pin-point exactly what it is I wanted to do. I went from animal trainer to zookeeper, never really being happy with a decision, until my senior year when I took a career class. This class showed me a career I had not come across, wildlife conservation, a career where I could pursue field research, a great choice since it contains both my love for travel and my love for animals.

                Since my career involves research, I know writing and communication skills are something I will want, and need, to master, and I am hoping this class will lead me in that direction. It will be important to be able to efficiently type up reports, take notes, and be able to record my sights and findings. One day I also hope to own my own Wildlife Refuge, which in its own right is a business, so learning how to write documents pertaining to that business, will also be an essential key in my success.