Re: teaching tech writing

[Len Olszewski <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM>]

Dickie Selfe responds to Mary Massirer:

> >
> I run a computer lab that serves a large tech. writing program at Mich.
> Tech. U. Here's a quick list of software that you may want to try.


[...nice looking list deleted...wish *I* could go back and learn all
this...]

> And I wonder if some of the tools we now have won't change the nature of
> our instruction and work pretty radically.

Yes, they will.

> I had an ex-student call me the
> other day and practically beg me to push multimedia experiences in our
> program--video & audio editing, animation, graphic manipulation,
> interactive hypertext systems.  I'd be interested to hear what readers on
> this list think of this request.

I think it's a reasonable request. To the extent that the curriculum
should prepare the student for as many situations as possible, these
situations will continue to become more common, so prepare your students
for them.  There are already a bunch of people who don't know anything
about the technologies Dickie lists; shouldn't the most recent
graduates have the most current knowledge?  I would think so. Why go to
school and avoid learning the latest technologies?

> Very expensive tools.

Well, yeah, but that's not a reason to not teach with them. It *is* a
reason to step up that alumni fund-raising campaign 8-). Don't raise
tuition, though; things are tough enough as it is.

|Len Olszewski, Technical Writer | "Incorrigible punster. Do not      |
|saslpo -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com|Cary, NC, USA|  incorrige." - Saying on a button  |
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| Opinions this ludicrous are mine. Reasonable opinions will cost you.|