COMM 2020: Technical Communication

Timeline Assignment
DUE: Sept 20 @ 11:59 p.m. MARK: /12
Submit to Blackboard Discussion Board Percentage: /05%

Why am I doing this assignment?

 To apply what you learned so far about technical writing.

 To get you thinking about what you can teach or train someone else to do.
 To assist you in building your narrative with new and interesting details.
 To follow steps through a process to review your life and explore the skills, knowledge and
experience you have gained along the way.

What do I need to do?

Step 1: Take a sheet of paper and draw a horizontal line across the page.

At the left end of the line, mark your birth date and then mark 5-year intervals across the page. At the
right end of the page you can mark today’s date.
September
06, Jan 2019

Birth 5 10 15 20 25 30

Your time line can be hand-drawn or constructed in a Word Document

Step 2: Now take some time to reflect and brainstorm milestones, events and experiences in your
life.

You can divide these into three areas:

a. Knowledge: School, self-taught interests (read extensively in a particular subject)

b. Skills: Certificates or special training
c. Experience: Jobs, sports, music, dance
 Example of a timeline:
Your timeline may
be hand-drawn or
Start constructed in a
Business at Word Document
Nanny MacDonald’s
Grade 12 Georgian Co-op at
2 summers Crew
Diploma TD bank

Birth 5 10 15 20 25 30

Babysitting Varsity
CPR
Course Volleyball
Student Job in Fitness
Started
Exchange Centre-Georgian
Snowboarding
To Quebec

Step 3: Type your timeline using Microsoft Word.

Type a vertical listing of all your entries in a Word document. Start with the year followed by the entry.
Use color to signify knowledge, skills and experience.

2000: Babysitting course

2001: Nanny, two summers (2001 & 2002)

2003: First REAL job: MacDonald’s (crew)

2003: Started snowboarding

2004: Student exchange to Quebec

2005: Grade 12 Diploma

2006: CPR

2006: Start Business at Georgian College

2006: Varsity Volleyball

2006: Job in Fitness Centre at Georgian

2007: Co-op at TD Bank

Step 4: After you have completed your timeline, respond to the following statements.

Start by completing the statement, and then add two or three additional sentences for each statement.

d. Drawing my own timeline has shown me that…

e. When I look over all the things I have done, I have to say that I really enjoyed…
f. I think I could train someone to…

Step 5: Post your timeline, vertical listing of all your entries, and responses (steps 2, 3 and 4) to the
Discussion Board.

If you are new to posting in Blackboard discussion forums, be sure to read the guide to using the
discussion board. Access the guide by clicking on the Help & Support tab at the top of the Blackboard
screen and click on Student Tip Sheets.

Step 6: Peer response to uncover commonalities.

Review other students’ timelines and look for jobs or interests that you have in common.

Teaching Tip: To view all students' postings at once.

1. Open the discussion forum

2. Check off the boxes for all the postings that you want to view, or click on Select All.
3. Click on the Collect button (near the top of the forum).
All the student postings appear on one page.

Respond to one student who you have at least one job or interest in common with you.

Click on reply once you have chosen a student. Include the following in your response:

1. What was the workplace or interest that you had in common?

2. What were your responsibilities (or what did you accomplish)?
3. What helped or hindered your learning of this job or interest?
Evaluation Rubric
This assignment is worth 5 % of the total mark.

Construct your own timeline ( /12)

4 3 2 1 0

□ Timeline has For the most part: Only 2 criteria are Only 1 criteria is met: For the most part:
more than met:
10 entries □ Timeline has □ Timeline has □ Entries do not
with dates. more than 10 □ Timeline has more than 10 relate to
□ Entries relate entries with dates more than 10 entries with dates knowledge, skills
Timeline

well to □ Entries relate well entries with dates □ Entries relate well and experience
( /4)

knowledge, to knowledge, □ Entries relate well to knowledge, □ Entries lack

skills and skills and to knowledge, skills and thought
experience experience skills and experience
□ Entries □ Entries reflect experience □ Entries reflect
reflect thought □ Entries reflect thought
thought thought

□ Responses to all 3 □ For the most part □ In some parts the □ Responses to the
Quality of responses

questions are well the responses to responses to the questions are not
thought out and the questions are questions are well well thought out
connect to well thought out thought out and and lack a
( /5)

knowledge, skills and connect to connect to connection to

and experience knowledge, skills knowledge, skills knowledge, skills
□ Voice and and experience and experience and experience
parallelism □ Or some voice □ Or some voice □ No consideration
considered and parallelism and parallelism given to voice and
considered considered parallelism
□ Responsibilities □ For the most part □ Responsibilities □ Responsibilities
Peer response

are listed and the are not listed or are not listed or
clear with a responsibilities they are unclear; they are unclear
thoughtful are listed and however, there is and there is not a
(/3)

response around clear with a a thoughtful thoughtful

help or hindrance thoughtful response around response around
response around help or hindrance help or hindrance
help or hindrance