REVIEW: First PLN Summaries

Students,

While a few of you have yet to hand in your first PLN summaries, I want to post some notes on them in general based on the ones that have come in.  In general, I am really impressed with you and what excites you, and I think what this class will be able to accomplish over the course of the semester will be awesome.  Based on your comments, some of you are already transforming the way you access information and find opportunities, which is awesome.  However, moving forward, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Spelling counts.  So does grammar.  Please accept this in the spirit it is intended.  Some of the written responses I received were not up to academic standards, let along professional ones.  Ultimately, if I do my job correctly it will help each of you land a job and a satisfying career.  I will not take off points for spelling and grammar errors (yet!) but please be mindful of your writing when you submit something for review.  Proofread before you send.  Watch for suggestions from the word processor on typos.  Perhaps even share with a colleague.
   
   Had I been an employer, some of the typos and grammar I saw would have thrown up warning flags about a potential employee's professionalism.
   
2. Title your files,  Many of you shared with me untitled documents.  I realize that our Google Docs demo was rushed, and I am not deducting points for this first go 'round, but you should always title a file you're working with.
   
3. Speaking of working with files and sharing, the way I wanted to receive these involved you going to the top right of your Google Doc and under the share drop down menu, selecting share settings and adding me by my email address (bencapozzi@mac.com) as I have done in the screen shots below.
   
   

   

   As you see indicated in the top right of your Google Docs window.

   
   
   

   

   Except here where I've added "tina," you'd add bencapozzi@mac.com...

   
   
   

   

   ...So that I can leave comments on the side in orange as pictured here.

4. Summarize 5 (FIVE) articles.  As described in the Bi-Weekly Summary Guidelines here.
   
5. If you are unsure, contact me.  I've given you a phone number, email, AND text number to reach me at.  A few of you made excellent use of those services to contact me over the week when things weren't going as planned.  Those who remained silent, I assumed were AOK.  But we know that's accurate, since I'm still missing more than a few assignments.
   
6. Spell "Summary" and its plural form, "Summaries" correctly.
   
7. If you're still not getting the hang of this, that's fine.  You'll have 3 more chances to do this over the next 6 weeks, and then this will take on a different form as audio mp3s, which will bring with them their own challenges.  But that's for later.

Okay, 'nuff said!  (Unless you have questions, in which case contact me.)

~mrc