Last week we recorded an Intermountain-STC chapter event, “Educational Programs and Workplace Practices,” held in Layton, Utah. The event included a panel of academics from local technical communication programs in Utah. We had six programs represented: BYU Provo, Westminster College, Utah Valley University, University of Utah, Utah State University, and Weber Utah State University.
Tag Archives: academia
Are Academics Just Talking to Themselves?
Last week I was at a writing conference at BYU Idaho and had some interesting thoughts about the academia, as I often do when I’m in a university setting. In one conversation with a faculty member, I mentioned how great it would be to have access to a university library’s online journal databases, so that Continue Reading »
The Seven Deadly Sins of Blogging: Sin #3, Being Boring
Being boring is sin #3 in my list of the seven deadly sins (other sins include being fake, irrelevant, unreadable, irresponsible, unfindable, and inattentive). Perhaps a more tactful way of saying something is boring is to say the writer neglects to “keep the audience’s attention.” I’m always hearing about the short attention spans of online audiences, Continue Reading »
Choosing Between Academic and Corporate Life: Did I Make the Wrong Choice?
Download MP3 Length: 15 min. For the past couple of days I’ve been in Idaho at a pre-professional writing conference at Brigham Young University – Idaho. The purpose of the writing conference is to bring in published novelists, poets, editors, and professional writers to give students a glimpse into the careers they plan to enter. Continue Reading »
Palimpsest: Technical Writing 101: new edition, new approach
Transitioning from Literary Studies to Technical Communication
Last night, unable to sleep at about 4 a.m., either because I went to bed early or because I simply couldn’t sleep, I grabbed my BlackBerry, on its usual place on my nightstand, and began to read through my email and feeds, as I am accustomed to do, lying half-conscious on my pillow, when I Continue Reading »
Reflections on Allison Reynold’s Talk on Job Skills for the Workplace
I listened to STC Atlanta’s recording of Allison Reynold’s talk on job skills for the workplace and what universities should be teaching tech writers. Three ideas struck me during the presentation. They may not have been her main points (there was a lot of audience discussion), but they were what I walked away with. 1. Continue Reading »