Hi, My name is Sarah Wright and I am a senior Communication Sciences and Disorders major with a minor in Special Education at Longwood University. I entered Longwood University in 2015 with the intention of completing the required coursework to allow me to apply for a graduate program in speech-language pathology. I have been interested in this field since I was 10 years old. My brother had a speech impediment as a child. He regularly attended therapy sessions with a speech-language pathologist. Seeing his progress and the impact his therapist had on his life inspired me to pursue this career. Throughout my college career I have shadowed speech-language pathologists in numerous settings including the school system, private practice, and hospital. I enjoy working with people and having a positive impact on their life. I also believe that communication, in any means, is essential to living a positive life. As a speech-language pathologist I would have the ability to help other people with their communication skills. Speech-language pathologists have a profound impact on lives and I am excited to have those experiences in the future.
My purpose in creating this ePortfolio is to present and reflect on my assignments from my ENGL 470: Professional Writing Skills. The course focused on developing professional writing skills through “real world” writing projects. I have included my my correspondence letters, brochure, press release, and formal report. Through these assignments I have had the opportunity to develop my writing skills individually and while working in a group. On the following pages, the link between the assignments and the course learning outcomes (listed below) will be explained and examined. Overall, the assignments in this course have taught me about professional writing skills in the workplace while allowing me to practice these skills with real-world simulated assignments. The skills practiced will benefit me in the coming years after I graduate and enter the working world.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Analyze and produce writing genres commonly found in the professional world (e.g., business, gov., media);
- Create professional documents that use plain English (clear, concise, and grammatically correct);
- Conduct research to create content for a variety of professional documents (memos, letters, reports, etc.);
- Create professional documents that uses design—standard formats, layout, use of graphics, etc.
- Practice oral communication skills to present content effectively (enhanced with multimedia tools);
- Participate productively in collaborative projects.