Upcoming Workshops

Please see below for a list of all upcoming WCC workshops.
All workshops are free and open to any SIT student, staff and/or faculty member.
 

English Conversation Groups for International Students
When: Every Friday; 12pm-1pm (Starting Feb. 3)
Where: 210 Morton
What: Improve your English conversation skills in a free and informal setting with native English speakers. No homework is required and any student is welcome to visit any session.

FEB 1: Writing Effective Introduction
Wednesday, February 1; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
For many students (and their red-eyed professors), the introduction is the most painful part of any paper. Well, now you can save everyone a lot of heartache by coming to this workshop and mastering a core set of principles for writing effective introductions. In the process, you will also learn a great deal about what a college-level essay looks like.

FEB 8: Word Choice - Using Jargon, Idioms, Euphemisms, and Slang
Wednesday, February 8; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
A rolling stone may gather moss, but it's hard to make magic with your knees. Confused? So are we. While idioms, jargon, euphemisms, and doublespeak are some of the most colorful aspects of every language, these phrases that can also confuse us the most. In this workshop, we will discuss these types of phrases and practice how to avoid them in technical writing.

FEB 15: Punctuation Signs - Commas, Colons, Semicolons, Etc.
Wednesday, February 15; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
Think of a hammer. What can you do with it? We can use hammers to drive nails into walls; pull nails out of walls; or rip through and tear down drywall. Hammers have many uses. The same is true of punctuation; each symbol serves multiple functions. While this multiplicity can make punctuation frustrating to learn, this workshop is here to help.

FEB 22: Essay Structure & Organization: Brainstorming & Building
Wednesday, February 22; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
Imagine walking into a restaurant where something is not quite right. There are no menus, no tables or chairs, no host, and no wait staff. There is food, somewhere, but you wouldn't have any idea how you're supposed to eat. Your expectations have not been met, and thus what should have been a very familiar experience feels foreign and awkward. It's like that with essay structure. We learn seemingly rigid structures like the 5-Part Essay to ensure that when a reader approaches our writing, his/her expectations are met. This workshop explains the processes of moving you from ideas to essays.

FEB 29: Sentence-Level Clarity - Run-ons, Fragments, Wordiness
Wednesday, February 29; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
Many college students struggle with sentence boundaries in their papers. Since a sentence is essentially a complete and self-contained thought, these errors are usually the result of students struggling with the thought itself and feeling unsure of the logical relations between their own ideas. In this workshop, learn how to tame the sentence beast, putting it to work for you instead of the other way around.

MAR 7: Working with Texts - Selecting & Integrating Quotations
Wednesday, March 7; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
Academic writing is all about crafting and entering into a conversation. Just as you wouldn't allow a friend to barge in on your conversation with a job recruiter, you don't want to allow other authors to speak out of turn in your papers. Come learn how to incorporate other voices smoothly into your prose, an important skill that will help your writing to gain legitimacy, vibrancy, and richness.

MAR 21: Working with Texts - Critical Reading & Textual Responsibility
Wednesday, March 21; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
Learning to work responsibly and effectively with texts is one of the most important aspects of your college education. It involves a host of highly transferable skills, from critical thinking to data analysis to communication. Don't miss this workshop, which will teach you how to get the most out of your reading to enhance your writing.

MAR 28: Writing Effective Conclusions
Wednesday, March 28; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
It's 2:30 am. Do you know where your conclusion is? If you are like most college students, the answer is probably somewhere beween "No" and "When is this going to be over!?!?" Fear not, friends. In this workshop, we will give you the fundamentals to write effective conclusions that are not only painless, but even productive. Learn how to finish on a strong note, so you can really put those ideas ? and yourself - to bed!

APR 4: Presentation Strategies - Slide Creation
Wednesday, April 4; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
Like it or not, Microsoft PowerPoint is the standard for creating and designing presentation slides - and it has become an essential tool in the business world. This workshop will explain the user interface, the basic tools, and highlight several professional slide development strategies.

APR 11: Presentation Strategies - Public Speaking
Wednesday, April 11; 4-5pm; Peirce 220
Attend this workshop to learn and practice tips for crafting and delivering effective oral presentations. The importance of non-verbal communication, eye-contact, vocal projection and breath-work for keeping your audience's attention will be discussed.


NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED - NO GRADES GIVEN
Please drop by 210 Morton to sign up.