What My Students Learned This Semester

Taking inspiration from Jo(e), I passed out index cards and asked my students to write down one thing they learned in class this semester.  These are the anonymous responses I received in the order in which I received them.

Different posters target different audiences.  Pictures and wording can make the difference.

I learned how to write memos and what goes into medical posters.  I also learned that medical writing is vastly different than creative writing.

I learned that I write just as well when I procrastinate, but my stomach hurts less when I don't.

I have finally mastered the art of incorporating psychology into RPW!  Woo Hoo!  Oh, and the crazy amount of info that goes into charting.

I learned about the range of issues that go into medical writing, like legal and ethical issues.

I learned how different aspects of rhetoric apply to medical documents.  It's amazing how much attention to detail and audience needs to be considered when it comes to dealing with charts, posters, etc.

I learned that writing outside your field increases your range as a writer.

I learned I don't have a career in writing medical reports.

Action List for the Rest of the Semester

Your final Action List!

• On Thursday, April 28, class will again be an open-lab with time to work.  Those who show up with get credit for DWA #24, though most of you do not need it.
• On Friday, April 29, I need to have optional revisions of the Communication Strategies Proposal and the Letter to Your Congressional Representative by noon: I cannot accept late revisions for any reason.
• On Tuesday, May 3, I need to have your Public Health Posters (and memo) by 3:30 PM; we will look at the posters in class, and I cannot accept late posters for any reason.

That's it!

Action List for Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A couple of people have asked for extensions on the report. Since I am not taking any late reports for any reason and since moving the deadline would still allow me to get them graded in time to turn in final grades, I am moving the deadline to 8:00 PM on Monday. I have office hours from 1:00 to 3:00 on Friday (with someone already scheduled at 2:00), and you can email specific questions, but not entire drafts, over the weekend.

• Email the Drug Company Analysis Report to me by 8:00 PM on Monday, April 25, 2011; remember that I cannot accept late reports for any reason.
• Start thinking of the topic for your Public Health Posters.
• Remember that DWA #23 will take place during class; since I intend to keep most of class time open for you to do your own work, all who show up and hang around will get credit.

In-Class Activity for Thursday, April 21, 2011

For each of the statements below, find a Creative-Commons licensed photo on Flickr that you could use in a poster to illustrate that message.  Don't just go for the obvious or the first thing you find.  Do some digging and some thinking.  Also, think about where and how you would place the text.  Have each of your photos open in a browser window so that we can go around the room and see what everyone found.

• The more fiber the better!
• Do you have a friend in trouble? Let them know suicide is not their only option.
• One in five college students are infected with Chlamydia, most without knowing it.

Action List for Thursday, April 21, 2011

• Complete drafting of your report.
• Email to me drafts of Executive Summaries/Abstracts for your report that you would like us to go over in class by 6:00 PM on Wednesday, April 20, 2011.

In-Class Activity for Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Go the National Institutes of Health Images from the History of Medicine archive of health posters.  Take some time to examine a range of posters from a range of times about a range of issues.  Choose one that you think is particular compelling and be ready to say why to the class.  Choose on that you think is not that particularly compelling and be ready to say why to the class.  When I tell you to do so, add a comment to this post with links to your two posters.  You just need to give links; you do not need to provide any details.  We'll go over as many as we can.

Action List for Tuesday, April 19, 2011

• Continue researching and begin drafting your report.
• Email to me drafts of any part of your report that you would like us to go over in class by 6:00 PM on Monday, April 18, 2011; this does NOT include Executive Summaries or Abstracts, which I want to go over separately on Thursday.
• See this website if you want guidance on learning how to create an automatic Table of Contents in Microsoft Word (I have decided not to go over this in class because people are working from different versions of Word, so you may want to google for help with your version if this link does not help).