Writing for Mastery

Group Writing
Topic:

Technology as Tools for Education - (position: we need to use technology in schools today)

Introduction:

Begin with strong statement

o Ask a question
o Make a strong statement
o Use a quote
State your 3 points for our argument
Finish with a statement that leads into your first paragraph

Paragraph 1

Thesis statement: Technology provides students with easy access to information

Detail 1: Internet allows for instant access to unlimited sources of information
o Much of the information is reliable - from trusted sources
.edu, .gov, or other sites from professionals depending on your topic
o Some information is not reliable - we must be able to decide what we can trust
yahoo.answers, blogs, are not necessarily reliable depending on your topic
if you were searching a celebrity, then a blog may be reliable
if you were searching an academic subject, a blog is not likely a reliable
source
the question is: would the person reading your essay believe that your
information is reliable if they knew where you got the information?
Detail 2: Various devices allow for access to the internet
o computers, portable devices
"Mobile devices accounted for 55% of Internet usage in the United States in
January. Apps made up 47% of Internet traffic and 8% of traffic came from
mobile browsers, according to data from comScore, cited Thursday by research
firm Enders Analysis. PCs clocked in at 45%" Taken from: Mobile apps overtake
PC Internet usage in U.S., By James O'Toole @jtotoole February 28, 2014:
11:00 AM ET
o so much technology is portable that we can search answers before making decisions
Detail 3: Information is updated almost instantaneously
o news stories can be uploaded in real-time
example: reporting on a real-time event like an accident, fire or war
o blogs and other social media tools are used by professionals and common citizens
citizens use Instagram and Facebook to tell their stories instantly
example: many say that the citizen uprising in the middle east known as
Arab Spring was fuelled by social media

"Langman (2005) argues that computer-savvy activists use the Internet

to initiate and organize a broad spectrum of dissention activities,
including consumer boycotts and public protests and demonstrations"
taken from: Eltantawy, N., & Wiest, J. (2011). The Arab Spring| Social
Media in the Egyptian Revolution: Reconsidering Resource Mobilization
Theory.International Journal Of Communication, 5, 18. Retrieved from
http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/1242/597
**This citation was provided by the website. It is much easier for us to
cite our work with these tools. Visit
http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/1242/597 to see how we can
do that. You will also find that various methods of citation are offered.

Paragraph 2

Thesis statement: Technology provides students with various ways to present their knowledge
Detail 1: there are numerous ways to present your work
o visual, audio, text, combination
o Prezi, websites, PowerPoint, Animoto
o computer based or mobile based apps
Detail 2: the tools are user-friendly
o the tools are so easy to use that children can make presentations
o tools like Puppet Pals, Garage Band
o "Researchers in Massachusetts have created a basic computer coding app that they say
is the first designed specifically for children as young as 5. Kids who haven't yet learned
to read can use the app to craft their own interactive stories and games." Taken from:
Meet ScratchJr, the App that Teaches 5-Year-Olds How to Code: A new app teaches kids
as young as age 5 to code their own stories. by RODRIQUE NGOWI
Detail 3: provide users a way to stimulate their audience
o "According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, at the U.S. National
Library of Medicine, the average attention span of a human being has dropped from 12
seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013. This is one second less than the attention span of
a goldfish. Thats right, goldfish have an attention span of 9 seconds 1 second more
than you and I." Taken from: Thanks Social Media Our Average Attention Span Is Now
Shorter Than Goldfish [SLIDESHARE], By Michael Brenner, Published on May 30, 2014
o Technology allows us to the opportunity to display information and our learning through
various mediums in order to keep your audience's attention.
Paragraph 3

Thesis statement: Students must become familiar with technology for future employment
Detail 1: Many jobs today require technology to complete a task
o teachers need technology to do report cards, teach lessons and communicate
o meter readers use technology to issue tickets
o police use technology to solve crimes
computers in their cars
infrared cameras
computers to recreate accidents

"Significant changes in the workplace are the result of new and advanced
technology. For the past generation, technological inventions and
improvements seem to be introduced every week. The trend is guaranteed to
continue. Technology's impact on the 21st century workplace will result in rapid
changes." Taken from: How Is Technology Impacting the Changes in the 21st
Century Workplace?, by Ruth Mayhew, Demand Media, Dec. 28, 2015

Detail 2: Training for jobs requires the use of technology

o computers for simulations
for example: operating a crane can be simulated using a computer before
actually doing it
o apps for gathering information
building inspectors have to learn to use a tablet to gather information on the
building they are inspecting to fill out their final report
o tests
exams are taken on computers and mobile devices
ensure accuracy
easier to calculate marks
instantaneous results
provides learning from errors by showing correct answers
IXL uses this method to help students learn what mistake they made
Detail 3: Technology is evolving so fast that we haven't created tools that we will be using in the
future, so we must become familiar with how to use current and evolving tech
o "With all of the technological advances and evolving styles of communication and
management, the modern American workplace is drastically different from what it was
just a decade ago. But the business world is still changing, perhaps even more quickly
now than ever before." Taken from: What the Workplace of the Future Will Look Like by
Nicole Fallon, Business News Daily Assistant Editor, April 12, 2014 06:04am ET
o we must prepare for the ability to use future technologies for future employment
o if we don't, we will wind up not being employable, or not able to advance
Conclusion

Begin with strong statement to tell your reader that your opening statement is true: Students
need to use technology in schools today
o Ask a question
o Make a strong statement
o

Use a quote

Make statements like:

o We can see that... (speak to your points)
o Technology is...
o In the future...

Finish with a strong statement that promotes your thesis statement. Say that you are right.

Implementation Plan
1. Students evaluate the outline
a. Using color coding, indicate:
i. Topic sentences
ii. Supporting details
iii. Further supporting details
iv. Examples
2. Introduction
a. create a thesis statement
b. create sentences telling the reader what you are going to talk about
c. create a 'lead-in' sentence to the first paragraph
3. Paragraph 1, 2 & 3
a. create a thesis statement - make it interesting
i. Example: It is as easy as pushing a few virtual buttons to find out who won the
War of 1812, or who wrote Catcher in the Rye, or how to fix a 1998 Ford Taurus
window leak.
b. write a sentence for Detail 1. Make sure it connects to your thesis statement
c. now, connect the supporting details for 1 by creating sentences that go along with it
d. put examples in as they connect to the point/detail before it
e. This process is repeated for all details and supporting details
f. ** Make sure they integrate each element in their own words. Make them do it one
step at a time.
4. Conclusion