Weekly Course Schedule

Professional Editing Weekly Schedule

 

Download Weekly Course Schedule Here: Professional Editing Weekly Schedule

This is a list of the major reading assignments for the course.  It may be revised as dictated by the needs of the class.  Students are responsible for completing all assigned readings.

Course Schedule

Week 1: Welcome and Introductions:  January 29—February 7

  • Read the syllabus. Familiarize yourself with the OpenLab site and Blackboard.
  • Take syllabus quiz

Week 2: Introduction to Editing & Revising: February 7—February 14

  • Read Editing Made Easy: “Lean and Clean: What Editor’s Do” (pp. 12-14); “The Golden Rules” (p. 15)
  • View: Video: How to Proofread Tutorial: 10 Proofreading Techniques They Didn’t Teach You In School.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYb7p0DiVMI

Next:  Go to your favorite job advertising website and search “technical editor”.  How many jobs are there?  Where in the country are the positions located?  What job requirements do they list?  What responsibilities are mentioned?  How much experience do they request?  If they specify a salary, what is it?  Find TWO advertisements that interest you.  Upload the answers to these questions and the TWO ADVERTISEMENTS into Blackboard assignment dropbox located in Week 2.

Week 3: The Editor: February 14—February 21

  • Read Chapter 5 in New Perspectives: “The Editor Within the Modern Organization” (pp.67-83) by Michelle Corbin. http://cityte.ch/yw

Next: Go into Blackboard and complete the Assignment Worksheet found in Blackboard, Week 3. Due by Sunday, February 21, 11:59 p.m.

Week 4: Marking Paper Copy: February 21—February 28

Next: Go into Blackboard, Week 4, and complete two assignments. One is a practice assignment.  If you have a printer available, you can print and mark the copy and upload it.  If not, just write the ways you would edit the sentences by indicating what symbol you would use to edit the sentence.

For the second assignment, do research on the roles of editor.  Define the editing roles of the following:

  • Proofreader
  • Production Editor
  • Copy Editor
  • Literary Editor
  • Developmental Editor
  • Technical Editor

Devote a paragraph for each. More specifics regarding this assignment can be found on the Assignment tab.

Week 5: Collaborating With Writers: February 28—March 7  

  • Assignment: Go into Blackboard, Week 5, and complete Week 5 Group Discussion Board: What Would You Do?

Week 6: Conferences: March 7—March 14

Week 7: Copyediting and Beyond: March 14—March 21

  • Read Chapter 6 in New Perspectives: “Copyediting and Beyond” (pp. 85-105) by Jean Hollis Web. http://cityte.ch/yw

Next: Go into Blackboard and complete the activities for Week 7 on copyediting. One of the assignments is the Assignment Worksheet (the same worksheet completed for Week 3) for the chapter.

For the second assignment, you have to find a style manual (APA, MLA, Chicago) or you can use one of the books we are using for the course, like the “The Young Adult’s Guide” to answer to respond to A-H.

You may also use “The Elements of Style” by William Shrunk.  This book can be accessed through the Library at: https://archive.org/details/elementsofs00stru.  You will have to sign up for an account to access it.

Week 8: Grammar Part 1: March 21—March 26

Complete all exercises.  Check your answers against the answers in the back of the book.

Next: No Work Due in Blackboard.  Enjoy Your Spring Break Next Week

Week 9: Spring Break: March 27—April 4

 Week 10: Grammar Part 2: April 5—April 11

Complete All Exercises.  Match your answers with the answers at the back of the book.

  • Read Editing Made Easy: “Split Personalities: Beware the Split Infinitive” (pp.22-24); “Time for Action: Turning Nouns into Verbs” (pp. 25-28); “Small and Pesky: Two Words that Slow the Pace” (pp. 29-31); “Every Which Way: The Difference Between Which and That” (pp. 37-39); “Pronouns: How to Avoid Confusion” (pp. 52-54); “Feeling Single, Seeing Plural: More Tricky Pronouns” (pp. 55-56); “Oops: The Misplaced Phrase” (p. 91); “If Only: Be Careful to Say What You Mean” (pp. 92-93); “Now, See Here: Look Out For This Common Error” (p. 94). http://cityte.ch/xq
  • Video: “Does Grammar Matter”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn_eBrIDUuc

Next: Go into Blackboard, Week 10, and complete the activities.  There are grammar exercises in the group discussion board. Post and discuss your answers with your group members.

Week 11: Grammar Part 3: April 11—April 18

  • Read Young Adult’s Guide: Chapters 5 “Nouns and Pronouns,” Chapter 7 “Prepositions” (81-85); and Chapter 10 “Subject-Verb Agreement’ (pp. 97-101)
  • Young Adult’s Guide: Chapters 13, “Sentence Fragments” (pp. 153-169); Chapter 14, “Dangling Modifiers” (pp. 171-176); Chapter 15, “Gerunds, Participles, and Idioms” (pp. 177-188) https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/citytech-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4728989

Complete All Exercises.  Match your answers with the ones in the back of the book.

Next: Read the description of the Client Project. Then, locate a possible project (technical essay, proposal, instructions, manual, etc).  Then, upload it to Week 11 Assignment Dropbox for me to review and approve. 

Prepare for Grammar Test next week!

Week 12: Punctuation & Grammar Test: April 18—April 25

Next: Go into Blackboard, Week 12, and take the test.  It is due by Sunday, April 25, 11:59 p.m.

Week 13: Research in Technical Editing: April 25—May 2

  • Read in New Perspectives Chapter 2: “Conducting Research in Technical Editing.” http://cityte.ch/yw

Next: Go into Blackboard and complete activities for Week 13.  This includes a Assignment Worksheet for the chapter.

This week, you will also work with your group members on your final editing project.  For this assignment, you will exchange a document with a group member.  Along with the document, you will write a brief explanation to the editor that clarifies the purpose and readers of the document and any particular editing needs that he/she has identified. This will be discussed in Week 13 Discussion Board.  Your explanation and your sharing of the document along with a discussion with a peer will be the basis of your grade for this discussion board.

Week 14: Electronic Editing & Style: May 2—May 9

  • Read in New Perspectives: Chapter 7 “The Editor and the Electronic Word: Onscreen Editing as a Tool for Efficiency and Communication with Authors” (pp. 107-126). http://cityte.ch/yw
  • Read Young Adult’s Guide: Chapter 8 “Verbs” (pp. 87-92); Chapter 9 “Irregular Verbs” (pp. 93-96); Chapter 17 “Active and Passive Voice” (pp. 205-215); Chapter 18: “Parallel Structure” (pp. 217-232).

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/citytechebooks/reader.action?docID=4728989&ppg=234

  • Read Editing Made Easy: “Be Active: Avoiding Passive Voice” (pp. 18-21); “Briefly Speaking: A Guide to Shorter, Simpler Words” (43-51). http://cityte.ch/xq

Next: Go into Blackboard, Week 14, and complete the activity. Note:  The first one is a practice with the document that was given to you by the writer.  See if you can complete A-Q on your own.

Then, complete important sections of your project memo: Analysis and Evaluation; Objectives and Deliverables, and Schedule).  Type this as a Microsoft Word document (single-spaced), but double-space between paragraph sections.  Drop this in the assignment dropbox by Sunday, May 9, at 11: 59 p.m.

Week 15: Client Project: May 9—May 16

  • This week, you are working on your client project.

No Work due in Blackboard. 

Week 16: Client Project Due: May 16—May 23

This week, you should continue working on your client project.  Here are some things you should prepare this week:

  • Obtain the original document
  • Make necessary corrections to your project memo (analysis and evaluation, objectives and deliverables, and schedule)
  • Conference with the writer this week
  • Create a pdf version of the digital copy that shows your TRACK CHANGES along with a style sheet
  • Complete the editor evaluation

Next: Go into Blackboard, Week 16, and upload these items (AS ONE DOCUMENT) by 11:59 p.m., May 23, 11:59 p.m. And complete the editor evaluation as a separate document.

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