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

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
o

"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

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

"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

we must prepare for the ability to use future technologies for future
employment

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

Make
o
o
o

Use a quote
statements like:
We can see that... (speak to your points)
Technology is...
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