Content Outline

In Progress Edits

So, how am I going to organize my second project this week?

Opening:

Talk about what's new in ECE recently, introduce the field and what happens in it.

• Maybe talk about VR Tech?
• Elon Musk and Tesla / SpaceX

So, when writing about these new things, what genres do ECE professionals use? What types of rhetorical strategies do ECE professionals apply when writing, and what is the process by which they create their work? Today we’ll talk about the genres of social media, lectures and presentations, and the academic research paper.

Body Sections:

• Despite being technologically inclined, ECE professionals are not always active on social media.

- Dr. Tharp's lack of active social media, having only a very barebones LinkedIn page and his response to professionals on social media from my interview with him. Important since it shows that despite having a computer background, many are still uninterested in social media.

- When talking to Gavin, he said that while he is slightly more active on social media (Facebook (Must be logged in), LinkedIn) he explains that it has little professional value to him personally. However, I think that these are some anomalies rather than the real trend.

• Presentations and lectures are common practice for academic professionals within the ECE field given to prospective students or other practicing professionals.

- Evidenced by Dr. Tharp's homepage, both presentations and lectures are important to ECE professionals. This is important since it shows that there are other genres than very formal writing.

- Though Gavin does not have to present a thesis for his master's, he is required to make regular presentations as a research assistant and teaching assistant. This is important since it shows that while ECE majors may not enjoy presenting, we are often required to do so.

• Academic research reports are by far the most well known type of genre within the academic ECE field.

- With hundreds of academic journals available, finding research on new topics within ECE is very easy to do. Covering a wide variety of topics, it is important to view these publications as a central piece of ECE writing.

- A vast majority of academic professionals write, and both Gavin and Dr. Tharp were able to provide their own writing examples such as Gavin's 14-3-3 paper and Tharp's Optimal Pole Placement paper, which show the conventions for academic writing.

Closing:

As the world becomes more reliant on technology, ensuring that ECE majors are well prepared for all situations which they enter. Whether it be designing a new computer or the next Microsoft word, ECE majors are everywhere.