Introduction to The Personal Touch Assignment:
Do Now: Take out a piece of paper. We will vote on yearbook roles today! I will nominate two people and they class will complete a silent vote.
The Personal Touch Assignment
Task: Select a student in the class and conduct a 10-15-minute interview with this student about the yearbook. Use the following interview questions to guide you (but the interview is not limited to just these questions):
• Have you ever bought a yearbook before? Why/Why not?
• What is your favorite section of the yearbook?
• Would a discount in price entice you to purchase the yearbook early? What else would entice you?
• Do you have a suggestion for the theme of this year’s yearbook?
• How could the staff improve the yearbook? Content? Quantity? Sections? etc.
After the interview is completed, type a one-page summary of your interview. Use direct quotes, simple sentences and concise paragraphs just like you will when writing for the yearbook. Double space and spellcheck. This assignment will be marked out of 10 Communication marks. The due date for this assignment is this Friday! You can type it in class class
Marking Scheme:
0 – not handed in
5- answers only half of the questions, not spell checked, possibly handed in late
8 – answers all questions, spell checked, no additional questions added
10- answers all questions and created some questions of your own, double spaced, spell checked and handed in on time!
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015
Writing Interview or Survey Questions
Writing the copy, captions, or survey questions for your yearbook starts with writing interview questions. A yearbook staffer uses these question to gather facts and to obtain quotations to use when writing copy. In most cases, the better the questions are, the more likely the interviewer is to get meaningful quotations for the story. Listed below are the two most common types of questions: open-ended and close-ended.
AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION
- Has more than one answer
- Could have a different response from every person you ask
- Requires the respondent to describe actions and reactions
- Is asked with the intention of collecting a quote
E.g. “Describe your reaction to the principal’s announcement.”
“Why did you choose to participate in this service project?”
“What qualities do you value most in a friend?”
“What suggestions do you have for the staff on how to improve the book.”
A CLOSED-ENDED QUESTION:
- Can be answered with “yes” or “no” or one or two words
- Is used to obtain facts, figures, and other specifics
E.g. “What is your favourite colour?”
“What grade are you in?”
“Did you attend the homecoming dance?”
“What grade are you in?” “Did you purchase a yearbook last year?”
Closed-ended questions are often necessary to establish facts. An interviewer can also use a related follow-up question to gain more information from the source. E.g. “What is your favourite subject? What do you like about it?
Practice Identifying Open and Close-ended Questions:
- _______________________ Were you disappointed when your team lost in the playoffs?
- _______________________Describe your responsibilities as secretary of the student council.
- _________________________ How did you react when you were named homecoming queen?
- ________________________ Do you usually bring your lunch from home or buy it at school?
- ________________________ How many hours a night do you devote to homework?
- _________________________ If you could, how would you change the dress code at school?
- _________________________ Describe your perfect date.
- _________________________ Do you have any pets at home?
- _________________________What grade would you give the sports section of last year’s book?
Rewriting Close-ednded Questions:
Directions: Choose two of the close-ended questions above. First write a follow-up question to supplement each one. Then rewrite the question entirely so that it is open-ended.
Original Question #1
Follow- up Question
Open-Ended Question
Original Question #2
Follow-up Question
Open-ended Question
Survey Question Writing Assignment
“Advanced statistical analysis makes surveys enormously powerful and insightful. Once, conducting a survey was so complex and time-consuming that few companies could afford to do it. But increased processing power, new technologies like computer-aided telephone interviewing (CATI), affordable analytical software, and lower communications costs have put the capability to conduct meaningful surveys within the reach of the smallest company or department.”
“Generally, corporate surveys seek to understand markets, relationships, or transactions.”
Assignment: Please come up with 5 closed-ended and 5 open-ended questions that we could include in our survey to help us improve this years’ yearbook! (10 knowledge marks for providing me with 5 of each!)
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015
today you will learn about teamwork and
how to problem solve
1. Please hand in the Personal Touch and
Interview & Survey Questions Assignments
2. Print out a second copy of your
Interview questions and form a group of 5.
In your groups, come to a consensus on 4
interview questions that you would like to
include on the yearbook survey. Please
ensure that everyone in your group gets
heard and their questions considered.
When you are finished, join another group
and come to a consensus on 5 interview
questions to include. Next we will all join
and as a class we will agree on 8 final
survey questions. Each student must
survey at least 15 students
and report back on tomorrow.
Wednesday, 09/23/15
Drama in real life
Read the five real-world scenarios below. How would you handle these situations?
If you are working individually, write clear, complete sentences and concise paragraphs to communicate your responses. Use the back of this sheet.
If your class is working together, divide into groups and have each group discuss one of the scenarios. Plan a “mini-yearbook drama” to act out how your group would handle the situation.
Yearbook dramas
Yearbook Drama #1: Just shoot it!
You are the photography editor and learn that a critical, last-minute assignment needs to be shot tonight. You have plans to go to a movie with friends, but all of the other photographers have a test the next day and need to study.
Yearbook Drama #2: A sticky story situation
You are the copy editor and a writer turns in a story that needs extensive work before it can be submitted for the deadline. The story doesn’t contain facts or quotes. You are nervous about how to handle the situation since the writer thinks the story is outstanding. The deadline is looming and the spread must be mailed in four days.
Yearbook Drama #3: Budget blues
You are the business manager and ad sales are in a slump. The sales teams aren’t performing, or so you think. With only a few days left in the sales drive, 10 pages of business ads have been sold. Last year, at this point
in the campaign, 16 pages had been sold. You overhear staff members saying that some sales teams are spending time at a local coffee shop instead of selling ads.
Yearbook Drama # 4: Last-minute discovery
You are the production editor and you discover that an entire bogus story has been input on a spread that is scheduled to be shipped to the plant this afternoon. The staff member responsible for the bogus story says it will be replaced when the proofs arrive. You don’t feel comfortable sending the new copy on the proofs.
Yearbook Drama # 5: Editor vs. adviser
You are the editor-in-chief and you disagree with your adviser on the appropriateness of an anonymous, direct quote in a story. The adviser insists that if the story runs, the name of the student must appear with the quote and it must be approved by the student and his parents.
Read the five real-world scenarios below. How would you handle these situations?
If you are working individually, write clear, complete sentences and concise paragraphs to communicate your responses. Use the back of this sheet.
If your class is working together, divide into groups and have each group discuss one of the scenarios. Plan a “mini-yearbook drama” to act out how your group would handle the situation.
Yearbook dramas
Yearbook Drama #1: Just shoot it!
You are the photography editor and learn that a critical, last-minute assignment needs to be shot tonight. You have plans to go to a movie with friends, but all of the other photographers have a test the next day and need to study.
Yearbook Drama #2: A sticky story situation
You are the copy editor and a writer turns in a story that needs extensive work before it can be submitted for the deadline. The story doesn’t contain facts or quotes. You are nervous about how to handle the situation since the writer thinks the story is outstanding. The deadline is looming and the spread must be mailed in four days.
Yearbook Drama #3: Budget blues
You are the business manager and ad sales are in a slump. The sales teams aren’t performing, or so you think. With only a few days left in the sales drive, 10 pages of business ads have been sold. Last year, at this point
in the campaign, 16 pages had been sold. You overhear staff members saying that some sales teams are spending time at a local coffee shop instead of selling ads.
Yearbook Drama # 4: Last-minute discovery
You are the production editor and you discover that an entire bogus story has been input on a spread that is scheduled to be shipped to the plant this afternoon. The staff member responsible for the bogus story says it will be replaced when the proofs arrive. You don’t feel comfortable sending the new copy on the proofs.
Yearbook Drama # 5: Editor vs. adviser
You are the editor-in-chief and you disagree with your adviser on the appropriateness of an anonymous, direct quote in a story. The adviser insists that if the story runs, the name of the student must appear with the quote and it must be approved by the student and his parents.
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