From the world's leading business communication author, this quarterly e-newsletter brings you teaching tips, classroom techniques, current events, and handouts to enrich your courses.
November 2009 - Inside This Issue
Note From Mary Ellen
Attending the Association for Business Communication conference in historic Portsmouth, Virginia, presented the opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and greatly expand my repertoire of teaching tips and classroom applications. I always come back with dozens of handouts and pages of notes. This year over 280 speakers made presentations ranging from portfolio assessment to service learning to international etiquette. The fastest-paced presentations are "My Favorite Assignment," in which speakers have 5 minutes to speed through their recommended teaching technique, and it's always a hoot! Presenters deliver a startling number of clever classroom-tested teaching ideas before the cowbell rings.
 Holly Littlefield, University of Minnesota, described her technique for teaching students to write business reports as PowerPoint "decks," which her graduates tell her is how business reports are now presented. Teri Grant, from South Africa, told us how she uses "Body Parts" as an icebreaker in her business communication class (eyes, ears, hands, arms, heart). Claudia Orr, from Northern Michigan University, required us to write our names using a nondominant hand illustrating how awkward and ineffectual one feels when not allowed to use a preferred learning mode. Joel Whalen, DePaul University, made an amazingly complete 5-minute presentation showing how he teaches students to create tables.
I could sample only a fraction of the 280 sessions, but I also chatted with many instructors at the exhibition area, including Susan Terkelsen, Cedarville College, shown here.
Is Texting Real Writing?
LOL! Apparently even the teens who are texting don't consider it real writing. The Pew Internet project reports that 85 percent of teens use text messaging, e-mail, or instant messaging, but 60 percent say it's like saying hi to one another in the hall. Real writing, they say, is schoolwork, creative writing, and snail-mail letters. If this is true, then we business communication instructors should take heart that our efforts are not lost. We still need to teach our students that writing is more serious in the business world. Texting is fine for friends and family, but all caps and cutesy abbreviations are inappropriate in the workplace.
Fired for All-Caps E-Mail
Stern e-mails with red, bold, and all caps fonts cost Vicki Walker her job because of their "confrontational" tone that created "disharmony in the workplace." Despite the brusque and rude messages, however, Walker got the last laugh. After suing for wrongful termination, she was awarded $17,000 in lost wages. Do you think her employer overreacted?
New Edition of Business English Coming!
My coauthor Carolyn Seefer and I are working on the Tenth Edition of Business English, coming out in January, 2010. We'll let you know more about it shortly, but its biggest improvement is a Web site where half of the textbook homework assignments will be available as interactive exercises with immediate feedback and explanations. Our goal is to make homework more effective for students in both campus and distance classes.
Are Transparency Acetates Still Needed?
Over the years I've always provided instructors with a combination of transparency acetates and masters for all of my books—in addition to comprehensive PowerPoint programs. But I'm wondering if we have moved beyond the need for transparencies. Are you still using them? Please give me feedback to let me know what you think.
Guffey Books May Now Be Rented
All three of my major books (Business English, 9e, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e, and Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e) will be available in the new book rental program beginning in December. Cengage was the first higher-education publisher to move forward with a rental program. Talk to your sales rep for more information about 60-, 90-, or 130-day rental programs.
Frustrating Sale of AIEs to Students
Once again I've heard from instructors whose students come to class with copies of the Annotated Instructor's Edition with answers. You know, of course, that the publisher and I are horrified that AIEs sent to instructors are being sold to used-book representatives. I've considered giving up the AIE and moving all answers to the Instructor's Manual, a publication that is never sold. That would solve the problem. But it seems wrong to me to punish so many for the sins of so few. One thing you can do is include a statement in your syllabus that students must purchase the Student Edition. If anyone inadvertently buys the AIE, it should be returned with a demand for a refund. Students should be encouraged to let their instructors know the seller's identification so that the author and publisher can issue warnings.
New Video Coming for BC:PP
 My coauthor, Dr. Dana Loewy, shown here making a presentation at ABC, and I have commissioned a new video for the Seventh Edition of Business Communication: Process and Product. We were part of the script development, and we just approved the screen takes of several actors who will participate in our new video demonstrating electronic media. Although we were unable to convince Jon Hamm to play the part of a Don Draper-style executive, we were surprised at how the professional actors could convey such different personas in various takes. This new video will join the 13 others we already offer for my books. More information later!
Do You Need Ideas for Student Writing Problems?
Professors Cathy Onion and Becky Mahr, Western Illinois University, suggest that my Web site provide a place for instructors to share ideas for writing problems. Rather than provide a completely developed problem, they suggest just listing an idea. For example:
Persuasive: Convince people to get the flu shot.
Bad News: Notify audience that flu vaccine is no longer available.
Persuasive: Convince your senator to support a federal texting ban in cars.
Persuasive: Ask your congressperson to support a ban on companies accessing
credit history reports as part of background checks.
Would you share ideas for writing assignments if I provide a space at my Web site?
I always love to hear from you.
Cordially,
Mary Ellen
m.e.guffey (at) cox (dot) net
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