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A Teacher’s Guide to Technical Writing
by Dr. Steven M. Gerson Johnson County Community College
Developed and Published by: Kansas Curriculum Center Washburn University Topeka, KS WritingWritingWritingWritingWriting ThatThatThatThatThat WWWWWorksorksorksorksorks A Teacher’s Guide to Technical Writing
by Dr. Steven M. Gerson Johnson County Community College
Project Advisor: Dr. Craig Haugsness Program Consultant: Technology Initiative KS State Dept. of Education
Designed and Edited by: Ben Clay Kansas Curriculum Center
Text Processing by: Esperanza Root PREFACE
Welcome to Technical Writing
by Dr. Steven Gerson
I hope this Teacher’s Guide will help you find new and interesting ways to incorporate technical writing in your classroom. The Teacher’s Guide seeks to accomplish the following:
Chapter One not only provides a rationale for teaching technical writing, but also defines technical writing and compares/contrasts it to other types of written communication. This puts technical writing into context, for you and your students. In addition, the chapter gives you several teaching tools. These include tables, which you can make into overheads, and a wide range of end-of-chapter activities. These teaching tools lend themselves to classroom discussions, assignments, and tests.
Chapter Two provides exact criteria for teaching technical writing. The technical writing criteria is expressed in 5 Traits, comparable to the 6 Traits rubric with which you may be familiar. These 5 Traits include clarity, conciseness, accessibility, audience, and accuracy. This chapter gives you a 5 Traits grading rubric and many end-of- chapter activities.
Chapter Three discusses the different types of technical writing. These include letters, memos, e-mail, reports, instructions, resumés, bro- chures, newsletters, fliers, web pages, PowerPoint presentations, and graphics. This chapter provides numerous samples for each type of technical writing, as well as peer evaluation checklists, ready for duplication and use in your classes.
Chapter Four focuses on technical writing assignments. Whether you teach elementary school, English, Spanish, math, physical education, business, history, psychology, or art, you will find assignments geared toward your classes . . . and they all work. They are interesting, diverse, and proven effective in classroom settings.
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i This revised teachers’ guide to technical writing includes the following New and Updated information: