M2 Discussion: Topic Generation & Audience Analysis (Initial post due Saturday June 15; 2 replies due Tuesday, June 18)

Your Assignment

**Watch for instructor feedback on the discussion board for your topic ideas this week**

For the discussion board this week, read all M2 reading materials BEFORE you post about two topic ideas, and analyze your audience. Keep in mind that the topics you are brainstorming for this assignment should meet the same guidelines as the proposal we are writing for the quarter (See Proposal Essay Guidelines). ReadNarrowing Your Proposal Topic and Proposing a Topic as a reminder of what kinds of topics will and won't work.

Initial Post (due Saturday June 15th): *See examples below

• Identify two potential problems in local organizations, businesses, or schools that you might like to address within your proposal.
• For each topic, draft a paragraph (7-10 sentences) or two in which you provide details of the problem (examples and descriptions) and at least one piece of local research that proves the problem exists. Please provide a URL if the research came from a website or other appropriate information if the information came from a different type of source. (It does not need to be in MLA or APA yet, but we need a sense of where it came from.) To keep your paragraph(s) easy to read, simply mark the research parenthetically after the sentence (Source 1) to show where you've used it and then include the URLs in a list after the paragraph.
• Also, add an explanation to show your consideration of the audience to whom the proposal would be directed using the following questions to guide you:
  • • Who is the policy-making body for your proposal?
    • Why have they not already done what you are asking for?
    • What information would they need in your proposal in order to 1. be persuaded and 2. make it happen?

Then, analyze your primary and secondary audiences to identify potential obstacles, potential negative consequences of their changes, potential pushback from affected parties, the need for a culture shift, etc...

Replies to Classmates (due Tuesday June 18th)

After posting your own topic ideas and audience analyses, please respond to at least two classmates' posts in an engaging and helpful manner. Please address them by name.

• Begin with Praise: What did you know and not know about the problems they discussed? What did they explain particularly well? What observations were included that prove they are considering the audience?
• Offer Feedback: Of the two topics posted, which do you prefer and why? What additional information might they include to better develop or explain the problem or audience? What feasibility issues might they run into? How might the policy-making body be different from what they've identified?

At a minimum, your responses should be at least a paragraph in length (a college paragraph is 7-10 sentences). However, an A-level post exceeds expectations and will exceed that minimum. Try to engage with your classmates the way you might in person. :)

POSTING INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare your assignment in a word processor offline. Click on "Reply" below these instructions and copy and paste your work into the text box. Double-check the formatting to make sure your work is legible. Do not upload your documents as it decreases the likelihood that a classmate will reply to your work.

Examples:

1. Problem: Sgt. Peffers is a family-owned, Italian caf that is located in Millard and sits in a very populated spot for easy access for most customers. The current owner prides himself on excellent service and an ideology based around the customer's wellbeing, but it's been open long enough without making changes that it struggles to attract new customers and is losing old customers. There are several major problems. One is the decor. It's dated and mismatched, a combination of Beatles and an underwater theme. One customer, Billy Engelhart, described the atmosphere and dcor in his most recent excursion to the caf as "confusing" and "unfitting of a restaurant that has such amazing food" (Source 1). The procedures and equipment for ordering also cause problems. Sometimes the line will be so long that it runs out the door because there is only one computer for ordering at the front counter. According to one of the managers, there is a second computer in storage in the back, but they haven't brought it out since it usually isn't needed (Source 2). Consideration of Audience: The owner of Sgt. Peffers restaurant is the policy-making body (decision-maker) for this proposal; therefore, he is the primary audience. The secondary audience is probably his customers (since the owner cares about his customer service; he may expect buy-in from at least his "regulars"). The owner's first restaurant location, set in Northeast Omaha is similarly decorated and runs with one register, too. It is likely the owner has not changed the decor or added another register because it is what he has always done. Small businesses sometimes struggle with change when they grow. If the owner, a very customer-oriented restauranteur, was presented with survey results from his customers showing they want quicker service (i.e. adding a second register), he may take action. Getting the blended Beatles memorabilia and seaside decor changed may take more convincing since it has been the restaurant's signature look since it opened, so this could be one of the bigger obstacles. Sometimes sentimentality can play a role and make it difficult to initiate change, too. Source 1=Interview with customer Billy Engelhart Source 2=Interview with evening Manager
2. Problem: High school students in Omaha Public Schools are achieving below students at other public schools in Nebraska. A lot of students in OPS schools come from low-income backgrounds and other circumstances that make succeeding in school difficult for them. They don't all have the support and resources that students in other districts may have. The district has programs to try to address some of the disparities like free and reduced lunch programs (Source 1) and school-based health centers (Source 2), but despite these efforts, students are still falling short of other schools in the area. According to an article from the Omaha World-Herald, in a recent study of all 1100+ schools in the state, 28 OPS schools ranked at the bottom, "needs improvement" including five major high schools. OPS also has much lower graduation rates than other districts in the Omaha area, below 80%. By contrast, the Millard district schools were all in the category of "great" with more than half of the individual schools scoring the highest rank of "excellent." (Source 3). Consideration of Audience: The primary audience is the OPS school board since the board will need to approve/ implement any new support programs. The secondary audience may be community members/ taxpayers, because they may need to be convinced that this disparity exists. The OPS board likely thinks it already offers enough to aid its struggling students, so it may be difficult to convince them otherwise. Cost and staff could be obstacles to implementing more supportive programs. Research about supportive services in other districts will be important. District comparisons and contrasts in regard to student population make-up and the number of needy students will also need to be studied. Source 1= https://district.ops.org/DEPARTMENTS/DistrictOperationalServices/NutritionServices/OnlineMealApplication/OnlineMealApplication (Eng).aspxLinks to an external site. Source 2=https://district.ops.org/DEPARTMENTS/StudentandCommunityServices/HealthServices/School-BasedHealthCenters.aspxLinks to an external site. Source 3= http://www.omaha.com/news/education/ops-rated-good-but-schools-need-improvement-in-new-state/article_165b0bb1-df27-595e-a98f-02067f3d0c06.htmlLinks to an external site.