Introduction to Technical Text s

1. Introduction to Technical Texts Unit One

2. What is the Technical Way of Describing Something? • Group A: How might a poet describe this object? • Group B: How might an advertiser describe this object? • Group C: Who might a furniture designer describe this object?

3. What is Technical Communication? • Good communication is good business. Every day, business people write, read, speak, and listen to do their work – sending e-mail messages, reporting on projects, making presentations, and developing proposals. The success of their work – and yours – often depends on the quality and speed of communication. • Write for Business, pg. iii

4. Communication • The process of sending and receiving messages. • Communication is effective when others understand your message correctly and respond to it in a way you want. • It also helps you manage your work flow, improves business relationships, enhances your professional images, and provides a variety of other important benefits. • Excellence in Business Communication, pg. 2

5. The Big Questions… • What is the importance of effective communication in your job? • What kind of writing do you do in your job? *** Let’s ask people in their workforce to get a better idea of what types of jobs are out there and how technical communication is part of any workforce.

6. Free-Write • Describe any work or volunteer experiences that you have had. AND/ OR • Describe any work or volunteer experiences that you are interested in having. • Remember: write in complete sentences and answer the question as fully as you can!

7. Technical Writing • Includes everything from business correspondence to scientific reports. • The purpose of this kind of writing is first and foremost to convey information; the conventions that surround its various forms are designed to help writers communicate this information with clarity and brevity (shortness). • The focus is on factual information, but it follows the same writing process as any other type of good writing. • Technical Communication, pg. ix

9. Carousel • A) Who is a technical writer? • B) What types of forms of writing are used for technical purposes? • C) What are some characteristics of effective communication?

10. Reading a Technical Document • 1) Establishing a purpose for reading • 2) Previewing • 3) Reviewing • 4) Following up on unanswered questions.

11. Code the Text – A Reading Strategy • “Reading furnishes our mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.” - John Locke • The SQ3R Strategy – get used to it! • S – Survey • Q – Question • R – Read • R - Recite • R – Review

12. “How To” Group Activity • Choose one of the tasks from the board. • Discuss how to complete the task – and practice. • Analyse your audience. • Think about what to call things (labeling). • Think about the order of the steps. • Write down the steps of the procedure. • Use diagrams and call-outs. • Another group will test your procedure. • Examples – how to knit, how to tie your shoelaces

13. Analysing a Technical Text

14. Writing a Technical Document • What do you need to think about before creating a technical document or text?

15. Free-Write • Write TWO short texts, addressing the new students of Garden City Collegiate. In one of the texts, you are going to focus on all of the positive of GC; in the other, you will focus on some of the negatives. In other words, one text will welcome, the other with warn.

16. 6 Characteristics of Effective Technical Writing • Clarity • Accuracy • Comprehensiveness • Accessibility • Conciseness • Correctness • We will be reviewing these characteristics in more depth in the next three units.

17. Employability Skills • What are employers looking for? • How do you give that to them? • Review of Top 20 Labour Market Skills • How can this list be updated? • Which ones do you have? • Which ones are you interested in updating/ acquiring?