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WritingThatWorksWorksA Teacher’s Guide toTechnical WritingbyDr. Steven M. GersonJohnson County Community CollegeDeveloped and Published by:Kansas Curriculum CenterWashburn UniversityTopeka, KS
WritingThatWorksWorksA Teacher’s Guide toTechnical WritingbyDr. Steven M. GersonJohnson County Community CollegeProject Advisor:Dr. Craig HaugsnessProgram Consultant: Technology InitiativeKS State Dept. of EducationDesigned and Edited by:Ben ClayKansas Curriculum CenterText Processing by:Esperanza Root
PREFACEWelcome toTechnical Writingby Dr. Steven GersonI hope this Teacher’s Guide will help you find new and interestingways to incorporate technical writing in your classroom. TheTeacher’s Guide seeks to accomplish the following:Chapter One not only provides a rationale for teaching technicalwriting, but also defines technical writing and compares/contrasts it toother types of written communication. This puts technical writing intocontext, for you and your students. In addition, the chapter gives youseveral teaching tools. These include tables, which you can make intooverheads, and a wide range of end-of-chapter activities. Theseteaching 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 tothe 6 Traits rubric with which you may be familiar. These 5 Traitsinclude clarity, conciseness, accessibility, audience, and accuracy.This chapter gives you a 5 Traits grading rubric and many end-ofchapter activities.Chapter Three discusses the different types of technical writing. Theseinclude letters, memos, e-mail, reports, instructions, resumés, brochures, newsletters, fliers, web pages, PowerPoint presentations, andgraphics. This chapter provides numerous samples for each type oftechnical writing, as well as peer evaluation checklists, ready forduplication and use in your classes.Chapter Four focuses on technical writing assignments. Whether youteach elementary school, English, Spanish, math, physical education,business, history, psychology, or art, you will find assignments gearedtoward your classes . . . and they all work. They are interesting,diverse, and proven effective in classroom settings.(Continued on next page )i
This revised teachers’ guide to technical writing includes the followingNew and Updated information:!!!!!!!!Updated information and New samples (screen captures) forwebsites. This includes revised criteria and explanations of theimportance of websites, as well as the ways in which on-line textdiffers from hard copy.Updated information and New samples (screen captures) for e-mail.This includes revised criteria and explanations of the increasedimportance of electronic communication in the workplace.Updated information and New samples of instructions, appropriatefor elementary as well as middle/high school students.Updated information and New samples of brochures andnewsletters.New information and samples of fliers.New information on the use of online wizards and templates formemos, letters, resumes, brochures, newsletters, and fliers. Thisincludes not only the benefits of wizards/templates but alsoproblems encountered.New information on the importance of graphics in technical writing.This includes samples, criteria, and the reasons why graphics (tablesand figures) are important in technical writing.New and revised assignments for technical writing, including—Assignments for elementary school students as well as middle/highschools.—Focus on different subject matters/disciplines, includingagricultural education, family and consumer sciences, industrialtechnology, business/computer classes, etc.I am available for on-line assistance via e-mail. I am always happy totalk about technical writing. If you have questions regarding assignments or curriculum, just contact me at:sgerson@jccc.netor you could use the two, old-fashioned approaches: phone(913-469-8500, ext. 3625) or mail (12345 College Blvd., JohnsonCounty Community College, Overland Park, KS 66210).I want to thank several people for helping me prepare this Teacher’sGuide. Carol Hailey, Shawnee Mission North High School, gave memany ideas for assignments and curriculum options; Carmen Shelly,DeSoto High School, created the 5 Traits rubric that I have adapted.My office mate, Professor James McWard, reviewed early copies of thistext and offered valuable suggestions for revision. Finally, my wife,Professor Sharon Gerson (DeVry Institute of Technology, Kansas City),was a constant source of assistance, helping me develop ideas, drafttext, revise, and proofread.ii
Table ofContentsPreface . i-iiChapter One: Why Teach Technical Writing . 1-9Definition . 1Rationale . 2-3Communication Continuum . 4-5Technical Writing vs. Essays . 6Five Components of Technical Writing . 7-8End of Chapter Activities . 9Chapter Two: Five Traits of Technical Writing . 10-25Clarity . 10-12Conciseness . 13-16Accessibility . 16-17Audience Recognition . 18-19Accuracy . 20Five Trait Rubric .21End of Chapter Activities . 22-25Chapter Three: Applications of Technical Writing . 26-80Letters . 26-33Memos . 34-38E-Mail . 39-42Reports . 43-45The Job Search . 46-54Instructions . 54-57Web Pages . 58-62PowerPoint Presentations . 63-65Brochures . 66-69Newsletters . 70-74Fliers . 75-78Graphics . 79-80Chapter Four: Technical Writing Assignments . 81-96Sales Letters . 81Letters of Inquiry . 82Memos . 82-83E-Mail . 83-84Reports . 84-85The Job Search . 85Instructions . 86Web Pages and PowerPoint . 86-87Brochures/Newsletters . 87-88Fliers . 88Grouped Assignments . 89-90Conclusion . 91Sample Technical Writing I . 91Sample Course Scope and Sequence . 92-96
Chapter OneTechnical Writing:A DefinitionTechnical writing is communication written for andabout business and industry,focusing on products andservices: how to manufacture them, market them,manage them, deliver them,and use them.Why TeachTechnical Writing?Technical writing is written:! in the work environment(in the office, from 8:00to 5:00, not countingovertime)! for supervisors, colleagues, subordinates,vendors, and customersTechnical writing, whichmust be understood easilyand quickly, includes:! memos and e-mail! letters! reports! instructions! brochures and newsletters! the job search! web pages! fliers! PowerPoint presentations! graphicsWhy is technical writing so important?Why would I want to teach technical writing?Don’t I have enough to teach now without adding one moreassignment or series of assignments to my curriculum?What’s the point?!Technical writing is theresumé that helps get ajob and the web pagethat promotes acompany.In each case, thetechnical documentmust be quantifiable,precise, and easilyunderstood.!!!Technical writing is not literature; it’s neither prose which recounts thefictional tales of characters nor poetry which expresses deeply felt,universal emotions through similes and metaphors.Technical writing is neither an expressive essay narrating anoccurrence nor an expository essay analyzing a topic.Technical writing is not journalism, written to report the news.Technical writing does not focus on poetic images, describe personalexperiences, or report who won the basketball game.Instead, technical writing is:—an instructional manual for repairing machinery—a memo listing meeting agendas—a letter from a vendor to a client—a recommendation report proposing a new computer system1
Once students are employed,will they have to write on thejob? The answer is aresounding YES!One reason for teaching technicalwriting is so students will knowthe types of documents theywill write on the job.When our students are employed and have to writeon the job, will they write essays?Students often donot believe theywill have to writeat work; theyassume that oncetheir education iscompleted,writing will be adistant memory.They are wrong.The answer is no. Our students, when employed, will not write essays atwork. They will write essays while working on their college degrees;they might even be asked to write an essay on their job application whenapplying for work. However, once the job begins, essays end.What takes the place of the essay?The answer is technical writing—memos, letters, reports, e-mail,proposals, instructions, even web pages. That’s why technical writing isimportant. Technical writing is the type of written communication thatour students will be responsible for on the job.Is technical writing a necessary component ofevery employee’s professional skill?Daily, newspapers tell us that employers want to hire people who cancommunicate effectively, both in writing and orally. Career counselorsreiterate this.!!!!In fact, we are told that on the job, an employee will spend at least 20percent of his or her time writing.This number increases as an employee’s responsibilities increase.Managers spend up to 50 percent of their time writing.CEOs spend between 80 and 100 percent of their work weekcommunicating.2
How does technical writing compare/contrast totraditional essays?Technical writing is different from other types of writtencommunication. Does that mean, therefore, that you must relearn allyour teaching skills to accommodate this new communication beast?Absolutely not. Many of the writing skills you already teach areapplicable to technical writing. Others are less valid.“Technical writing would come in handyfor some students, such as our vo-techkids. When they enter the job market,they could benefit by knowinghow to write at work.But what about our college-boundstudents? Why would they needtechnical writing?”Here is a reminder College lasts only four to six years. In K-12, we should continueto prepare our students for college by teaching essays. In addition,we should prepare them for what comes next—their jobs. Afterthey graduate with their AA or BA or BS, they go to work wherethey will write memos, letters, and reports.The career and technical education students—the students whowill work as mechanics, welders, office help, or daycare centerassistants—can benefit by learning how to write technicaldocuments.However, our students who acquire associate degrees and bachelordegrees—the students who go on to become computerprogrammers, CAD/CAM operators, dental hygienists, fashionmerchandising specialists, graphic artists, engineers, architects,accountants, doctors, and lawyers—also will need to write memos,letters, and reports.3On the nextpage is aCommunicationContinuumincluding traitsand examplesof five types ofwriting, rangingfrom theconnotativeto thedenotative.
Communication ContinuumConnotative/ExpressiveType ofWritingExamplesTraitsPoems, plays, storiesConnotative and expressivewords, fictional characters,imagery, and plotsExpressiveWritingNarratives, descriptionsSubjective, based onpersonal experience,connotative and t,analysis, ve, connotative anddenotative wordsObjective, written fromfactual observation, shortsentences and paragraphs,some connotative but moredenotative wordsNews stories, features,editorialsMemos, letters, reports,instructions, resumés,web pagesLegend:ConnotativeOf course, there are exceptions Newsletters, sales letters, websites, and fliers mightinclude promotional information. Such sales detailscould depend on expressive words—maybe evenfictional characters. However, generally speaking,most technical writing is denotativeversus connotative.4Objective, written aboutproducts or services, shortsentences and paragraphs,denotative wordsDenotativeOn the next page is apoem about a tennisshoe as well astechnical specificationsfor manufacturingthe same shoe.These two writingsamples further illustratethe difference betweentechnical writing andother types of writing.
Ode to a ShoeTechnical Specifications forManufacturing Tennis ShoesMy son’s tennis shoes rest temporarily in aheap against the kitchen door,their laces soiled, their tongues hanging outlike exhausted terriers.The soles, worn down on the insides fromsliding into second,are green, the shades of summer.Canvas exteriors, once pristine white, are thecolors of the rainbow—sun bleached, mud splattered, rained on,ketchup and mustard adorned,each shoe shouting a child’s joyousexuberance: “I’m alive!”The D40 Slammer Tennis Shoe will bemanufactured to the following ght:Neoprene rubber #345white enameled paint1.589" highSlammer waffle-textured Blue canvasWhite canvasOval Slammer logo heatpressure sealed, centered .50"from all sides15" long100% cottonClear polyacetate plastic #2901 lb. 6 oz.“Unclear writing costsAmerican businesses realmoney—over one billiondollars a year, according to oneestimate Did you know theThree Mile Island nuclearpower plant meltdown waspartly attributed to poorlywritten procedures?”(“Why Dick and Jane Can’t Write on the Job and How to Help Them,” Janet Van Wicklen,American Society of Training and Development, 2000).“The ability to communicateeffectively is the most important skillyou can have, whether you’re givingspeeches, pitching ideas to your boss,or simply sending off an e-mail orleaving a voice message.”(“What You Need to Know About Career Planning,” / 2002.)5The graphicappearing onthe next pageexamines howtechnical writingcompares andcontraststo essays.
Comparison/Contrast: Technical Writing vs. EssaysComponentsDevelopmentGrammarTechnical Writing!!!!Organization!!Style!DocumentDesignUses examples, anecdotes,testimony, data, researchIt is important!Essays!!Provides an introduction,body, and conclusionUses a subject line vs. a thesisand itemization of points vs.transitional wordsUses topic sentences onlywhen needed, dependentupon the type and length ofcorrespondenceUses short, denotative words;short sentences; and shortparagraphsUses highlighting techniques,such as graphics, headings,subheadings, various fonts,white space, bullets, etc.!!!Uses examples,anecdotes,testimony, data,researchSame for bothIt is important!Same for bothProvides anintroduction,thesis statement,body paragraphs,transitional words,and topicsentencesUses longer,connotative words;longer sentences;and longerparagraphsNot usually afactorPeople read literature for pleasure, essays forenlightenment, and journalism for news. Peopleread technical writing to accomplish a job.6SummarySimilar in someways, different inothersDifferentDifferentThe five componentslisted above arediscussed in greaterdetail on thefollowing pages.
Five Components of WritingDevelopmentIf you have been teaching your students to develop their essays usingsuch traditional means as examples, anecdotes, testimony, data, andresearch, then teaching technical writing will not be a strain. The samedevelopment techniques are applicable when the students write memos,letters, and reports.GrammarGrammar is important in essays. It might be more important in technicalwriting. Whereas errors often can hide in longer essays, those sameerrors loom large in one page memos or letters.In a survey (Gerson) of over 700 technical writers (coast to coast) askedto list important aspects of correspondence, 98% ranked correct grammar as an essential component of successful writing.Grammar is not merely the concern of English teachers. Professionalwriters and business people perceive it as essential.OrganizationEssays employ topic sentences, transition between and withinparagraphs, and a thesis statement. Technical writing usually does not.In a memo, letter, or report, the thesis would be replaced by a subjectline. The different aspects of organization help distinguish technicalwriting from essays.Since paragraphs are shorter in technical writing (often between one tothree sentences) than in many essays, topic sentences are less important.Transitional words and phrases in an essay can be replaced by anenumerated list, by a list of bullets (!# %, etc.), and/or by headingsand subheadings.StyleOf greater importance is the different style (word usage, sentencestructure, and paragraph length) used in essays versus technical writing.Essays rely on longer, more connotative words; longer, more complexsyntax; longer, more detailed paragraphs. Technical writing, in contrast,demands short, denotative words; short, simple sentences; short(Continued on next page )7
Style (continued)paragraphs with information clarified through graphics (pie charts, linegraphs, etc.). It has everything to do with audience and purpose.The reader of technical writing does not have time, nor necessarily aninterest in the subject matter. Envision this scenario. It is the nightbefore Christmas, your children are asleep, and you are trying to puttogether a Christmas present—a doll house, a train set, etc.To assemble this present, you are sitting on the floor (you have beensitting there for two hours, as your aching back attests). You are trying toread the complicated instructions which accompanied the toy (thoseinstructions are a type of technical writing). You do not enjoy theactivity. In fact, you just want to end the task and go to sleep. That is atypical technical writing situation.The same holds true when you read an instruction to install software,build a cabinet, lay tile, or any other task. People do not read technicalw
Technical writing is neither an expressive essay narrating an occurrence nor an expository essay analyzing a topic. Technical writing is not journalism, written to report the news. Technical writing does not focus on poetic images, describe personal experiences, or report who won the basketball game. Instead, technical writing is:
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Best Practice Book for IELTS Writing. Table of Contents IELTS Writing 1 IELTS Writing 9 IELTS Writing - Overview 9 IELTS Academic Writing 10 IELTS ACADEMIC WRITING 10 IELTS General Writing 11 IELTS Writing Task General (Task 1) 12 Sample 1 12 Sample 2 12 Sample 3 13 Sa
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