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PDM

To: Professor Benninghoff

From: Dominique Poma

Date: 10/04/07

Re: PDM

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Outline

This document will go over what I have learned about writing memos and the thought-filled process that it takes to complete a successful memo.

Issues

As I was looking closely back at my previous drafts, I saw a common issue with each. I was not taking what we were learning in class and applying it. My first two drafts were filled with facts about myself that would be of no use to my fellow classmates in regards to this class. I knew my ultimate goal was to show and prove that I was an asset to the classroom. Once I realized this it was fairly simple to start applying the ideas that we were being taught. I implemented the different sections which broke up the introduction memo in ways that made the goal more clear.

Claims, Evidence, and Warrant

Claims, Evidence and Warrant were discussed frequently in class and again, at first, I did not implement this concept into my memo. But when I did, I finally saw that having these three things in my memo made it clear to the reader that this is what I can do for my classmates, this is why I know I can do this and here is an example to back this statement up. I see now that having the claim, the evidence and the warrant really assist in getting my point across in such a simple way.

For the Class

My earlier drafts prove that my intent at first was not to make the class view me as useful, but instead to let them into my personal life. But ultimately, that would not help anything. It is very important to the goal of the memo to make the parallels with my classmates. I could have had several examples to give, but I tried to pick the examples that would, to some degree, show my classmates that my experiences will benefit them. I did this by incorporating my class project into my memo. This was effective because all of us obviously take classes and I felt this example shows them that I do a quality job on my projects and that I learn something from them, and that this class will be no different.

Finale

The process of writing this memo was a lot longer and more detailed than I first expected, but I did learn quite a bit. I am now more aware of the importance of relevancy and writing in a professional tone. I was able to step away and relate to the people that I needed too. Although several drafts were needed to get here, I think that was the most useful element. If there are any further comments or corrections then please feel free to contact me at dpoma@emich.edu.