Sample Project Proposal Content
Note 1: I’ve written this draft of my project proposal with focus on the content, as you see the design is lousy and doesn’t facilitate readability. The next step for me will be to find a sample design that fits my proposal sections. To do that, I will read chapter 9 “Proposals” in Technical Communication Strategies for Today textbook, and I will analyze sample proposals in it. I also will search samples of proposals on Microsoft Word. Probably I will use a word template and I will amend it to make my proposal clear and easy to understand benefiting from sample proposals in the textbook and on the internet.
Title: Toward Improving Student Reading Comprehension: Project Proposal
To: Dr. XYZ
From: Kefaya Diab
A problem/ challenge: Every semester I recognize that students don’t read the learning material in depth. I usually assign to students reading responses, where I ask them to bring specific ideas that sound useful for their projects. Other times I ask them to agree, disagree, challenge and critique the text. My goal from these reading responses is not to make sure that students are reading the learning text, but more importantly to encourage them to have a conversation with the text. What I mean, is that I want students to think of what they read and connect it with a practical need in their lives. To re-enforce the learning text, I follow various techniques of: class discussion, class activities, and class assignments and projects. However, I don’t see students bringing past readings into these activities and projects. Most students submit shallow reflections on the readings It sounds as if they treat the readings as something that they just have to do without caring about making use of these readings for their class projects and/ or out of class projects.
The broader context of that problem: I notice that this is a common problem among students not only in reading textbooks and articles, but also in reading the class syllabus, assignments, the Canvas course content, and emails and feedback that I provide them with. Often, students ask me questions that are answered in the syllabus, or misunderstand an assignment because they didn’t read it carefully. Comprehension is very important, because how could someone perform a task appropriately if she didn’t comprehend the instructions for that task! It is important for students to learn how to read actively not only to succeed in their studies, but also to perform well in the workplace, and to act as active citizens in social and political spheres. The reading challenge, is not an issue that happens in classes that I teach solely, but also it occurs in other teachers’ classes. I heard complained from tenths of teachers, in my department and at NMSU about students’ poor reading and comprehension skills. Therefore, if I find the reasons why students don’t read carefully, don’t reflect on the text critically, and don’t comprehend text to apply it to practical tasks, perhaps I can find new strategies to motivate my students to read more deeply. This project will not only help me with my students, but it will also benefit other teachers in my department, at NMSU and nationwide.
With that in mind my main research questions are: what obstacles do students encounter in reading and comprehending texts? What strategies do students follow when reading texts? What successful strategies do students follow? To what extent do students believe that reading is important for their success in and outside the class?
Resources to Inform my Project: So far, I have found and read two scholarly articles in the composition filed concerning strategies of readings in composition courses. These two articles are:
Regarding primary resources, so far, I have casual observations of my student reading responses that I accumulated over the years. However, in the near future I plan to conduct [1] a more systematic analysis of student reading responses, [2] a student survey to investigate their reading strategies, and [3] a focus group to collect information from students in the Eng. 218 class that I teach.
Products of my Project: During and after conducting my research project, I anticipate creating three documents where possible ones are:
Timeline
After reviewing the class schedule, and as I anticipate to receive feedback regarding my proposal by 9/25th, I suggest the following timeline:
Note 2: Before you submit your proposal to me for feedback, individually analyze your proposal in accordance to the proposal requirements, and evaluation criteria as detailed in the proposal assignment sheet. Share your analysis, and revise your proposal accordingly, then submit it by 9/18/2017.
Note 1: I’ve written this draft of my project proposal with focus on the content, as you see the design is lousy and doesn’t facilitate readability. The next step for me will be to find a sample design that fits my proposal sections. To do that, I will read chapter 9 “Proposals” in Technical Communication Strategies for Today textbook, and I will analyze sample proposals in it. I also will search samples of proposals on Microsoft Word. Probably I will use a word template and I will amend it to make my proposal clear and easy to understand benefiting from sample proposals in the textbook and on the internet.
Title: Toward Improving Student Reading Comprehension: Project Proposal
To: Dr. XYZ
From: Kefaya Diab
A problem/ challenge: Every semester I recognize that students don’t read the learning material in depth. I usually assign to students reading responses, where I ask them to bring specific ideas that sound useful for their projects. Other times I ask them to agree, disagree, challenge and critique the text. My goal from these reading responses is not to make sure that students are reading the learning text, but more importantly to encourage them to have a conversation with the text. What I mean, is that I want students to think of what they read and connect it with a practical need in their lives. To re-enforce the learning text, I follow various techniques of: class discussion, class activities, and class assignments and projects. However, I don’t see students bringing past readings into these activities and projects. Most students submit shallow reflections on the readings It sounds as if they treat the readings as something that they just have to do without caring about making use of these readings for their class projects and/ or out of class projects.
The broader context of that problem: I notice that this is a common problem among students not only in reading textbooks and articles, but also in reading the class syllabus, assignments, the Canvas course content, and emails and feedback that I provide them with. Often, students ask me questions that are answered in the syllabus, or misunderstand an assignment because they didn’t read it carefully. Comprehension is very important, because how could someone perform a task appropriately if she didn’t comprehend the instructions for that task! It is important for students to learn how to read actively not only to succeed in their studies, but also to perform well in the workplace, and to act as active citizens in social and political spheres. The reading challenge, is not an issue that happens in classes that I teach solely, but also it occurs in other teachers’ classes. I heard complained from tenths of teachers, in my department and at NMSU about students’ poor reading and comprehension skills. Therefore, if I find the reasons why students don’t read carefully, don’t reflect on the text critically, and don’t comprehend text to apply it to practical tasks, perhaps I can find new strategies to motivate my students to read more deeply. This project will not only help me with my students, but it will also benefit other teachers in my department, at NMSU and nationwide.
With that in mind my main research questions are: what obstacles do students encounter in reading and comprehending texts? What strategies do students follow when reading texts? What successful strategies do students follow? To what extent do students believe that reading is important for their success in and outside the class?
Resources to Inform my Project: So far, I have found and read two scholarly articles in the composition filed concerning strategies of readings in composition courses. These two articles are:
- Carillo, E. C. (2016). Creating Mindful Readers in First-Year Composition Courses A Strategy to Facilitate Transfer. Pedagogy, 16(1), 9-22.
- Bunn, M. (2013). Motivation and connection: Teaching reading (and writing) in the composition classroom. College Composition and Communication, 496-516.
Regarding primary resources, so far, I have casual observations of my student reading responses that I accumulated over the years. However, in the near future I plan to conduct [1] a more systematic analysis of student reading responses, [2] a student survey to investigate their reading strategies, and [3] a focus group to collect information from students in the Eng. 218 class that I teach.
Products of my Project: During and after conducting my research project, I anticipate creating three documents where possible ones are:
- A website to represent my organization. The website will provide resources about strategies of reading, and teaching reading for both students and teachers.
- Reading responses assignments: to include new reading strategies targeting students in Eng. 218 class.
- A Brochure targeting students to persuade them about the importance of comprehending what they read for their academic, social and professional lives.
- A Brochure to inform teachers about resources that they can use in class to motivate their students to read critically.
- A video to show students how interactive reading might look like.
Timeline
After reviewing the class schedule, and as I anticipate to receive feedback regarding my proposal by 9/25th, I suggest the following timeline:
- Website to represent the organization that my project belongs to: 10/2
- Summary of secondary research resources: 10/2
- Work Progress Report 1: 10/9
- Summary of primary research resources: 10/16
- Campaign Proposal: 11/22
- Work Progress Report 2: 11/25
- Final Portfolio:
- Technical document 1: 11/7
- Technical document 2: 11/15
- : technical document 1 and 2, and my organization website: 11/30
- Reflection Memo: 12/5
Note 2: Before you submit your proposal to me for feedback, individually analyze your proposal in accordance to the proposal requirements, and evaluation criteria as detailed in the proposal assignment sheet. Share your analysis, and revise your proposal accordingly, then submit it by 9/18/2017.