Advanced Writing Seminar

Calendar

LEC #	TITLES	TOPICS
1	The Writing Process	Class Introduction What does the CEO Want? How can You Manage up the Ladder? In-Class Exercises 1. Find and interview your writing partner about a work or school incident that was disappointing/discouraging. What was the person’s action, reaction and what was the final result? 2. Give a 2 minute presentation introducing you writing partner and describing the incident to the class. 3. We will review and analyze real company memoranda.
2	What is an Argument?	Today we will discuss and evaluate Good/Bad Writing. Op-ed Pieces In-Class Exercises 1. Today we will review and comment on arguments made by students and pros.
3	Class Individual Research Day: Grant Research	Today you will take the class time to focus on how to conduct grant research. I expect you to take time to head to the library or take a trip to the Boston Grant Making Library in order to begin your homework. Find 1 grant related to a topic of interest to you. Print the grant write up out and bring it to our next class for review and discussion.
4	Grant Writing Workshop	Today we will discuss the grants that you found and talk briefly about grant-writing strategy. Also, we will begin to look at your submitted writing.
5	Press Releases	We will hear from Keith Hamilton, a DUSP faculty member and visiting fellow from Harvard about his I-Neighborhood project - a project for which you will write the press release.
6	What Does the Media Look for?	We will hear from Thea Singer, reporter for the Boston Herald, about working with the press. How much detail do you give? How do you control the information that gets reported? Writing Sound Bites - What the heck do you say and how?
7	Graphics	In-Class Writing Workshop
8	Communication Crises	Today we will discuss the video - Meltdown and Three-mile Island and we will think about the following questions: 1. How can you prepare for a crisis? 2. What action should you take first? 3. Sound bites - what is appropriate? 4. What should the press release look like? 5. What about timing?
9	Handling the Media - the Public Sector Point of View	Today we will hear from Tim Shevlin, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy.
10	Handling a Communication Crisis	Paul Levy, President and CEO of the Beth Israel/Deaconess Medical Center. Judy Glazer, Vice President of Communications for the Beth Israel/Deaconess Medical Center.
11	Oral Presentations	Presenting yourself 1. What is a speech? 2. What is debate? 3. What is argument? 4. How to weave your story?
12	Oral Presentations Filmed
13	Oral Presentations Reviewed