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Subject:Tech writing in high school From:JonPrice -at- AOL -dot- COM Date:Fri, 2 Sep 1994 18:26:23 EDT
Students reach college with no idea that you can structure information in
different ways. If they know any form, it is the formal essay. Most call
this the "5-paragraph form" with intro stating the main point, three grafs of
evidence, and a conclusion pounding the point home. Let's teach high school
kids how to write 1)a procedure 2) a good glossary definition of something
complex 3) a reference section 4) a troubleshooting or diagnostic section.
Instead of teaching these "hard" subjects to grad students, let's move down a
level, and liven up high school English with technical writing. Couldn't
hurt.