5.

Instructional Material

Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR BRANCHES EXTENSIONS
MARAGONDON BRANCH

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
FOR
SEEN 30133
TECHNICAL WRITING

Compiled by:

Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT

Faculty

Date: March 11, 2021

Checked and Approved by:

Assoc. Prof. Cherry E. Angeles Assoc. Prof. Denise A. Abril

Head, Academic Programs Director

Date: Date:

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING i

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Polytechnic University of the Philippines- Maragondon Branch. As we open
the school year 2020- 2021, I hope you are geared and equipped with excitement to navigate
towards greater learning. From its establishment, the university remains to its commitment of
providing the highest quality of education for aspiring teachers like you. And as we move forward
let us continue to conquer the tides and build lives.

THE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

VISION

PUP: The National Polytechnic University

MISSION

Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities
through a re-engineered polytechnic university by committing to:

• provide democratized access to educational opportunities for the holistic development of

individuals with global perspective
• offer industry-oriented curricula that produce highly-skilled professionals with managerial
and technical capabilities and a strong sense of public service for nation building
• embed a culture of research and innovation
• continuously develop faculty and employees with the highest level of professionalism
• engage public and private institutions and other stakeholders for the attainment of social
development goal
• establish a strong presence and impact in the international academic community

PHILOSOPHY

As a state university, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines believes that:

• Education is an instrument for the development of the citizenry and for the enhancement
of nation building; and
• That meaningful growth and transmission of the country are best achieved in an
atmosphere of brotherhood, peace, freedom, justice and nationalist-oriented education
imbued with the spirit of humanist internationalism.

TEN PILLARS

Pillar 1: Dynamic, Transformational, and Responsible Leadership

Pillar 2: Responsive and Innovative Curricula and Instruction
Pillar 3: Enabling and Productive Learning Environment
Pillar 4: Holistic Student Development and Engagement
Pillar 5: Empowered Faculty Members and Employees
Pillar 6: Vigorous Research Production and Utilization
Pillar 7: Global Academic Standards and Excellence
 Pillar 8: Synergistic, Productive, Strategic Networks and Partnerships
Pillar 9: Active and Sustained Stakeholders’ Engagement
Pillar 10: Sustainable Social Development Programs and Projects

SHARED VALUES

• Integrity and Accountability

• Nationalism
• Spirituality
• Passion for Learning and Innovation
• Inclusivity
• Respect for Human Rights and The Environment
• Excellence
• Democracy

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

MARAGONDON BRANCH

GOALS

• Quality and excellent graduates

• Empowered faculty members
• Relevant curricula
• Efficient administration
• Development – oriented researches
• State-of-the-art physical facilities and laboratories
• Profitable income – generating programs
• Innovative instruction
• ICT – driven library
• Strong local and international linkages

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM

The Bachelor in Secondary Education major in English aims to provide training and practice
that will enable students to:
1. Acquire basic and advance level of literacy, communication, critical thinking and other
skills relevant to higher learning.
2. Develop a comprehensive and meaningful knowledge and understanding of the different
subject disciplines.
3. Apply a wide range of teaching process skills that include curriculum development,
lesson planning, materials development, educational assessment and teaching
approaches.
4. Gain direct experience from the field through classroom observations, teaching
assistance and practice teaching.
5. Develop researchers with quality outputs.
6. Strengthen Community Engagement.

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 SEEN 30133
TECHNICAL WRITING
COURSE DESCRIPTION

COURSE TITLE : Technical Writing

COURSE CODE : SEEN 30133
COURSE CREDIT : 3 units
PRE-REQUESITE : None

This course is designed to develop technical and scientific writing skills across discipline (CHED
Memo. 75, series of 2017.)

COURSE OBJECTIVES
After this course, the students should be able to:

1. Distinguish the different types of technical writing, different purposes, and properties.
2. Write different forms of technical writing.
3. Distinguish the basic and important elements of visual rhetoric.
4. Explicate the nuts and bolts of what social media is and how to get the most out of social
media and the digital world.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The course requirements are as follows:

1. Students are encouraged to attend the class sessions (online students) and complete all
the requirements (online and offline students).
2. The course is expected to have a minimum of four (4) quizzes and two (2) major
examination (Midterm and Final Examination).
3. Other requirements such as written outputs, exercises, assignments and the likes will be
given throughout the sessions. These shall be submitted on the due dates set by the
teacher.

GRADING SYSTEM

The grading system will determine if the student passed or failed the course. There will be two
grading periods: Midterm and Final Period. Each period has components of: 70% Class Standing
+ 30% Major Examination. Final Grade will be the average of the two periodical grades.

Midterm Grading Final Grading

Class Standing 70% Class Standing 70%
• Quizzes • Quizzes
• Activities • Activities
Midterm Examination 30% Final Examination 30%
100% 100%
FINAL GRADE = Midterm Grade + Final Grade
2

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COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
 COURSE GUIDE
Second Semester, 2020-2021 (18 weeks)
Week Topic Learning Outcomes Methodology Resources Assessment
Introduction to the Show interest and Orientation Course Statement of
course objectives, appreciation of the Syllabus appreciation
contents, activities, importance of knowing the
and requirements course. Preview of the Statement of
course syllabus, Expectations
1 Definition and Define technical writing learning Course
Principles of activities, and
Technical Writing Use the principles of assessment.
technical writing as a guide
in writing Interactive
discussion
Modular PowerPoint Class
Approach Presentation discussion and
Purposes and participation
Distinguish the purposes
Properties of Google Learning
and properties of technical
Technical Writing Classroom Quiz
writing Module
2
Technical Writing
Compare technical writing (Please refer
versus Creative
and creative writing to other
Writing
references
provided)
Modular Learning Class
Principles of Ethical Identify the proper ethical Approach Module discussion and
Communication practices participation
3 Google (Please refer
Do’s and Don’ts of Determine the Do’s and Classroom to other Quiz
Technical Writing Don’ts in writing references
provided)
The Writing Modular Learning Class
Process: Pre- Write an essay following Approach Module discussion and
Writing, Writing and the writing process participation
4 Re-Writing Stage Google (Please refer
Apply the different Classroom to other Quiz
Expository expository techniques references
Techniques provided)
Modular Learning Class
Communication in Demonstrate how Approach Module discussion and
Business and communication works in participation
Organization business and organization Google
5 (Please refer
Classroom to other Quiz
Personal versus Compare Personal and
Business Letters Business Letters references
provided)
Modular Learning Class
Evaluate and explain the Approach Module discussion and
Characteristics of participation
6 characteristics and
Business Letters Google
elements of business letter (Please refer
Classroom to other Quiz
 references
provided)
Modular Learning Class
Approach Module discussion and
Basic and Optional Compose business letter participation
7 Parts of a Business showing its basic and Google (Please refer
Letter optional parts Classroom to other Quiz
references
provided)
Modular Learning Class
Business Letter Distinguish the different Approach Module discussion and
Punctuation and business letter punctuation participation
Styles and styles Google
8 (Please refer
Classroom to other Quiz
Types of Business Discuss and write different
Letter types of business letters references
provided)

9 MID-TERM EXAMINATION
Modular Learning Class
Writing Memoranda Analyze and write a Approach Module discussion and
memorandum participation
10 Fundamental Google (Please refer
Concepts of Report Explain the fundamental Classroom to other Quiz
Writing concepts of report writing references
provided)
Distinguish the categories Modular Learning Class
of technical reports Approach Module discussion and
Classification of
participation
Technical Report
Write the different technical Google (Please refer
11
reports Classroom to other Quiz
Writing the Minutes
of the Meeting references
Write minutes of the provided)
meeting
Define Visual Rhetoric Modular Learning Class
Approach Module discussion and
Explain visual rhetoric’s participation
Definition of Visual significance in business Google (Please refer
Rhetoric communication Classroom to other Quiz
12 references
Various Media Analyze visual cues and provided)
Platforms of Visual images based on models of
Rhetoric persuasion

Criticize the manner of

visual rhetoric presentation
Modular Learning Class
Approach Module discussion and
Steps in Creating participation
Create their own visual Google
13 Hypertext and (Please refer
arguments in various forms Classroom Quiz
Generating Visual to other
Materials references
provided)

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 5

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
 Modular Learning Class
Steps in Conducting Approach Module discussion and
Evaluate visual rhetoric
Visual Rhetoric participation
examples
Analysis Google
14 (Please refer
Write own visual rhetoric Classroom to other Quiz
Writing a Visual
analysis paper references
Rhetoric Analysis
provided)
History of Social Modular Learning Class
Media and Approach Module discussion and
Electronic participation
Communication Google (Please refer
Classroom to other Quiz
How to get the most references
out of Social Media provided)
Explicate the nuts and bolts
Why Use Social of how to get the most out
Media of social media

15 Classification of Reflect on their usage of

Social Media social media apps and sites

Content Worth Customize their own social

Sharing media profile

The Apps and Social

Networking Sites

Mobile Devices as
one’s total life
package
Understand social media’s Modular Learning Class
Social Media and role in technical writing Approach Module discussion and
Technical participation
Documentation Analyze and criticize Google (Please refer
16 technical documentation Classroom to other Quiz
references
Challenges and Create credible provided)
Opportunities content/article to be
published online
Staying secure in Modular Learning Class
the digital world Secure student’s own Approach Module discussion and
cyberspace by following the participation
Cyber Crime Cases safety precautionary Google (Please refer
measures Classroom to other Quiz
17
Cyber Crime references
Technology Produce an advocacy provided)
campaign on safety and
How to be safe in security against cybercrime
Cybersafe
18 FINAL EXAMINATION
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Topic Page

Introduction i

LESSON 1 TECHNICAL WRITING

Unit 1: Definitions and Principles 1

Unit 2: Purposes and Properties 3
Unit 3: Technical Writing vs. Creative Writing 4
Unit 4: Principles of Ethical Communication 6
Unit 5: Do’s and Don’ts of Technical Writing 8

LESSON 2 THE WRITING PROCESS

Unit 1: Pre-Writing, Writing and Re-writing Stage 11

Unit 2: Expository Techniques 13

LESSON 3 COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATION

Unit 1. Personal vs. Business Letters 16

Unit 2: Characteristics of Business Letters 19
Unit 3: Basic and Optional Parts of a Business Letter 20
Unit 4: Business Letter Punctuation and Styles 22
Unit 5: Types of Business Letter 24

LESSON 4 TECHNICAL REPORT

Unit 1: Writing Memoranda 26

Unit 2: Fundamental Concepts of Report Writing 31
Unit 3: Classification of Technical Report 37
Unit 4: Writing the Minutes of the Meeting 39

LESSON 5 VISUAL RHETORIC

Unit 1: Definition of Visual Rhetoric and Its Importance 42

Unit 2: Various Media Platforms of Visual Rhetoric 44
Unit 3: Steps in Creating Hypertext and Generating Visual
Materials 45
Unit 4: Steps in Conducting and Writing Visual Rhetoric
Analysis 51

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LESSON 6 SOCIAL MEDIA AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

Unit 1: History of Social Media and Electronic Communication 52

• How to get the most out of Social Media
• Why use Social Media
• Classification of Social Media
• Content Worth Sharing
• The Apps and Social Networking Sites
• Mobile devices as one’s total life package
Unit 2: Social Media and Technical Documentation 61
Unit 3: Challenges and Opportunities 62

LESSON 7 STAYING SECURE IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

Unit 1: Cyber Crime Cases 63

Unit 2: Cyber Crime Technology 65
Unit 3: How to be Safe in Cyberspace 66

REFERENCE 68
 SEEN 30133- TECHNICAL WRITING

LESSON 1 – TECHNICAL WRITING

Unit 1- Definition and Its Principles

Overview:
Today, technical writing encompasses all documentation of complex technical processes.
It includes reports, executive summary statements, briefs. Any time technical information is
conveyed in writing at work, it is, by definition, technical writing.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the student should be able to:

1. Define technical writing
2. Identify the principles of technical writing

Course Materials:

Technical Writing, sometimes called business writing, is writing for a specific purpose and
with a specific goal. Usually its goal is to inform/instruct or persuade/argue. Technical writing can
really be considered transactional writing because there are two people or groups involved in the
communication. One party has a clear goal to inform or persuade the other party. This is real-
world writing in every sense. You may not be aware of how much it already impacts your world
through textbooks, instructions, web sites, and communications from many businesses and
service organizations. There are professional technical communicators but only large
organizations have them and even then they are not there to do your daily work for you and that
is why it is so helpful for many to take at least an introductory technical writing class.

ABOUT TECHNICAL WRITING

• Technical writing is a writing discipline that is sometimes defined as simplifying the complex.
• Technical writing involves communicating complex information to those who need it to accomplish
some task or goal.
• It often results in relevant, useful and accurate information geared to specifically targeted audiences
in order to enable a set of actions on the part of the audience in pursuit of a defined goal.
• It is not reserved solely for writing manuals for computers of software. Because of its wide range,
modern technical writing is present in nearly every industry in some form or another.

WHY IS TECHNICAL WRITING IMPORTANT?

Why is technical communication important and what will you use it for? Actually, technical writing
will be used by most college graduates as a regular part of their work. It is much more likely that you will
use technical writing than either academic or creative writing unless you specifically enter those fields. A
few examples of why you will likely need these skills include: getting a job – preparing a resume or

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 1

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
curriculum vitae, cover letter, application, and portfolio; doing your job – preparing memos, letters, reports,
instructions, case reports, reviews, assignments, descriptions, etc.; and keeping your job – communicating
with management, co-workers, peers, patients/students/public.

TECHNICAL WRITING CATEGORIES

Technical writing comprises the largest segment of technical communications. Technical writers
work together with editors, graphic designers and illustrators, document specialists, content managers,
instructional designers, trainers, and analysts to produce an amazing variety of deliverables, including:

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL WRITING

An effective technical report follows certain requirement. In order to properly serve its purpose, a
technical document must contain the following characteristics:

1. It addresses particular readers. All technical documents address a particular audience. For
example, if you are composing a proposal for your supervisor, you may think about that person’s
job responsibilities, the level of detail they expect, and their history with the organization. You
should always keep your audiences goals and expectations for the document in mind when
composing the document. Remember, technical documents are user-centered.

2. It helps readers solve problems. Technical documents help readers learn something or carry out
a task (action-oriented). For example, if you are reading an instruction manual on how to assemble
a bookshelf, you are reading this because you need information on how to carry out the task.

3. It reflects the organization’s goals and culture. Technical documents work to further the
organization’s goals. Technical documents also work to reflect the organization’s culture. For
example, think of brochures and pamphlets that are put out by a certain organization and think
about how these compositions work to further the organization’s goals as well as represent the
culture of the organization.

4. It is produced collaboratively. Although you will often compose documents, or portion of

documents on your own, you will most likely work as part of a team producing larger, more
complicated documents. Collaboration can vary from composing with a team to simply having a
colleague review your writing. The constant influx of technology is always working to make
collaboration easier. Think of technologies like Google Hangouts, Skype, and Google Drive.

5. It uses design to increase readability. Technical communicators often use design features such
as typography, spacing, color, special paper, etc. to accomplish three basic goals:
 • To make the document look attractive and professional,
• To help readers navigate the document,
• To help readers understand the document.

6. It consists of words or images or both. Most technical documents include both words and
images. The use of images helps the writer perform five main functions:

• Make the document more interesting and appealing to readers.

• Communicate and reinforce difficult concepts.
• Communicate instructions and descriptions of objects and processes.
• Communicate large amounts of quantifiable data.
• Communicate with nonnative speakers.

Unit 2 – Purposes and Properties

PURPOSES OF TECHNICAL WRITING

The output or product of technical communication comes in various shapes and forms
depending on the purpose and these are called technical document or technical artifact. Technical
communication serves three purposes that sometimes overlap:

1. To inform. This specifically answer the question “What?”. Brochures, leaflets, flyers,
labels, etc., serve this purpose by anticipating and answering the readers’ questions.

2. To instruct. This specifically answer the question “How?”. Instruction or user manuals,
recipe books, manual of procedures, flowcharts, etc., serve this purpose by enabling the
readers to perform certain tasks.

3. To persuade. This specifically answer the question “Why?”. By presenting facts, data,
figures and statistics backed by technical and scientific experiments and procedures
convince and motivate your readers that what they are reading is not just opinion or
assumptions. Therefore, confidence and trust is built which is essential in technical
communication.

PROPERTIES OF TECHNICAL WRITING

As opposed to creative writing, technical writing has specific characteristics which set it
apart and distinct from that of the former. The following are the basic characteristics of technical
writing:

1. Technical writing is formal and serious. Compared with creative writing which may be
informal and funny, technical writing communicates specific information which requires a
formal tone and serious disposition.

2. Technical writing is impartial and objective. There is no place for opinions, biases and
individual judgments in technical writing.

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 3. Technical writing is factual and accurate. The object of technical writing are scientific facts
and verified data which may spell destruction of properties and even lives if not being
communicated properly.

4. Technical writing is practical and powerful. To enable someone to perform specific task
which is virtually impossible previously is both practical and empowering. Thanks to
technical writing, we can now operate equipment and machinery, use gadgets and
appliances, among others.

FEATURES OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Think about the types of Technical Communication you have seen. These may be
instruction manuals, instructional videos, proposals, or reports. They all work to communicate
some type of action to the reader. Instructions work to have the reader complete the actions
where proposals are working to have the reader move on some type of proposed action. Over- all,
the following are essential features of technical communication.

1. Technical Communication is action-oriented.

2. Technical Communication uses multiple modes of communication.
3. Technical Communication details a certain kind of knowledge.
4. Technical Communication occurs in different genres.
5. Technical Communication is rhetorical.
6. Technical Communication utilizes design elements.
7. Technical Communication is user centered.

Unit 3 – Technical Writing vs. Creative Writing

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

1. Technical Writing:
Technical writing is a piece of writing which focuses on factual and straight forward content and
technical papers are published to inform and instruct and educate the user about some specific
topic. There exists specific readers who prefers technical papers. It gives readers information
about some technical topics or it gives directions on how to do something.

2. Creative Writing:
Creative writing is a piece of writing which focuses on imaginative and symbolic content and
creative papers are published to entertain, provoke, inspire the user. There is no such specific
readers who prefers creative papers. Anyone if wants can read creative paper and it gives readers
a theme, message, moral or lesson which is helpful in their real lives or gives a temporary
entertainment to the reader.

Style: There is a distinct difference in the sentence structure and linguistics of the creative and
the technical. While a biography can be a piece of technical writing, it can also be written the way
a romance novel would, appealing to the senses and pulling at the heart strings.

Since technical pieces have such a specific purpose, they are written objectively and sometimes
mistaken for dry and sparse, because they must to be to-the-point. Instead of dialogue and detailed
description, the author uses supporting facts and clear explanation.
 Purpose: CW may teach the reader something the author never intended, and everyone who
reads it responds differently. While creative writing may be for anyone who picks it up (which is
not to say it does not have an intended audience), technical writing is generally for a very specific
audience. It has a more concrete goal, and every person who reads a work of this nature should
take away essentially the same information. The creative writer hopes the reader will find their
own meaning and purpose, while the technical writer makes their meaning and purpose
unquestionably clear.

Genre Requirements: There are boundaries and specifics for writing in each genre, but there is
more freedom in creative writing. It likes to push limits, to make the sum of its parts more than its
whole, and the guidelines are quite vague. While some types of technical writing grant more
leeway, others have a very rigid recipe for their construction, and the technical writer must, for the
most part, follow the rules.

TECHNICAL WRITING CREATIVE WRITING

Technical writing is based on facts General writing is based on imaginations

01. and concepts. and creativity.

Technical writing focuses on factual Creative writing focuses on imaginative

02. and straight forward content. and symbolic content.

Technical writing has its specific Creative writing has general

03. reader/audience. reader/audience.

The purpose of technical writing is

to inform and instruct and educate The purpose of creative writing is to
04. the user. entertain, provoke, inspire.

It follows formal and standard style It follows informal and artistic style of
05. of writing. writing.

It gives readers a theme, message, moral

It gives readers information about or lesson which is helpful in their real lives
some technical topics or it gives or gives a temporary entertainment to the
06. directions on how to do something. reader.

It uses text features like the table of

contents, index, labels, charts, It uses narrative elements such conflict,
07. photos and graphs. character, theme, setting and resolution.

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COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
 The tone of technical writing is
08. objective. The tone of creative writing is subjective.
 It is based on specialized It is based on general, evocative
09. vocabulary. vocabulary.

It is organized in a sequential and It is organized in an arbitrary and a rtistic

10. systematic manner. manner and may not be systemati c.

In technical writing graphics are

included to give more information In creative writing graphics are inc luded to
11. to the topic. give more attraction to the topic.

Technical writing depends on any Creative writing depends on sche dule and
12. result, research, information etc. mindset of the writer.

The table below summarizes the comparative features of technical writing and creative
writing. Examine each area and try to analyze the point of similarity and difference.

Unit 4 – Principles of Ethical Communication

ETHICAL COMMUNICATION DEFINED

Ethical communication is a type of communication that is predicated upon certain business

values, such as being truthful, concise, and responsible with one’s words and the resulting actions.
As a set of principles, ethical communication understands that one’s thoughts must be conveyed
and expressed effectively and concisely, and that the resulting actions or consequences will
[potentially] be based solely on how the message was communicated. Thus, ethical
communication defines a framework or set of acceptable communication principles that align with
an enterprise’s overarching code of conduct or code of ethics.

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PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION

There are a myriad of core principles associated with ethical communication, starting with
the core value of honesty that all other values are connected to. However, it can be said that there
is a value underlying honesty (with regard to ethical communication) and that is emotional
intelligence/empathy as the precursor of all soft skills, which allows all personnel to be understood,
and to effectively communicate with others. Emotional intelligence, within the framework of ethical
communication, allows one to understand the needs of others, and meet those needs in the most
efficient manner possible as if you were in their shoes.

1. Be Truthful And Honest

Being honest means communicating what is known to be true (only 100 percent the facts)
to a listener, with no intent to deceive or present only parts of the truth. It also means being as
objective as possible, that is, not tailoring the story based on what the speaker wants the listener
to believe. Letting the listener take the data that is objectively presented and believe what they
choose to believe is a core goal of ethical communication. Ethical communication should be based
on accurate information and facts - in a word, do not lie.

2. Active Listening
Hearing someone and listening to them are two different things. In order for ethical
communication to be effective, it is necessary for the recipient to pro-actively listen to the speaker,
and to not just hear what they want to hear, or to hear only parts of the conversation. This also
means asking questions when any point is not completely understood, for the sake of clarification.

3. Speak Non-Judgmentally
Ethically and concisely communicating means speaking in a non-judgmental manner with
every recipient, negating unnecessary conflict, which typically creates a breakdown in
communication and causes misunderstandings. Unnecessary conflict is never good for any
business, and such conflicts usually result from unethical communications, with judgmental,
accusatory, and overly-critical comments often being the catalyst for such breakdowns in
communication.

4. Speak From Your Own Experience

Bringing your personal experience into a dialogue with business listeners is important,
providing backup for your arguments with something more tangible. Such a communication
method (experiential communication) paints a complete picture for your audience and helps to
prove your points so that the listeners have a better understanding of what is being said.

5. Consider the Receiver’s Preferred Communication Channel

You risk losing an audience if you use a communication channel that is not preferred by
your intended receiver. To effectively communicate with your listeners, use the most preferred
communication channel, whether that be face-to-face, email, conference call, phone call,
messenger app, etc. Also, when presenting data to a business audience, be aware of the preferred
method of presentation for that business, whether it be graphs, slides, PowerPoint presentations,
etc. Additionally, since body language is very important, it is often preferred to meet business clients
face-to-face.

6. Strive To Understand
While it is important to be proactive in listening, it is important for listeners to also strive to
fully understand what is being said before responding. While asking for clarification or confirmation
of a point is fine, many times questions that listeners pose have already been
 answered. Listeners should think about what has been said before constructing a reply. Reading
“in between the lines” is also an important skill that allows for understanding what isn’t said, but
was implicitly said or implied.

7. Avoid A Negative Tone

Ethically communicating assumes the speaker will avoid rudeness, be polite and
professional, and have tact. The ethical communicator knows that it’s not only important what you
say, but how you say it. Tone is one of the most critical facets of communication. A listener may
miss the meaning altogether if the tone is wrong, which can lead to unnecessary confrontations
that decrease business productivity.

Controlling one’s tone goes along with self-control, a soft skill that allows one to know how
they wish to reply to a terse business message (for instance) versus the most effective manner
for replying. Essentially, keeping the tone positive or neutral is best, as the tone of a written
message - or of one’s voice - is always picked up by the receiver, and can alter how the message
is received and/or understood.

Additionally, while it is acceptable to be honest and open, tact - and professional maturity
- means knowing when it is inappropriate to speak up, and when it is crucial to. Tact also means
knowing that being completely honest does not equate with being rude or negative - it is possible
to be completely honest and open with one’s thoughts and feelings while still remaining polite and
respectful.

8. Do Not Interrupt Others

Allowing others to speak is important for the creation of a civil, effective working
environment. Interrupting others results in misunderstandings and unnecessary conflicts and a
breakdown in workplace communications, which only hinders corporate progress and creates
problems. Interrupting others not only shows a lack of respect, but does not allow the listener to
fully grasp what is being said, which often results in incorrect assumptions being made.

9. Respect Privacy And Confidentiality

Most businesses should include a clause in their code of ethics defining what is appropriate
when it comes to honoring client and employee confidentiality and privacy. This can have a wide
range of implications, including minimizing workplace gossip, and mitigating toxic conversations
about the private lives of clients and/or personnel.

10. Accept Responsibility

As noted before, a core tenant within any ethical communication framework is taking
responsibility for the actions that result from one’s words, whether it be good or bad. This includes
both short term and long term consequences of one’s communications. Owning one’s words
reinforces the importance of being conscientious about ethical communication.

Unit 5 – Do’s a nd Don’ts of Te c hnica l Writing (Qua li ties a nd Mis tak es to

Avoid)

DO’s OF TECHNICAL WRITING (QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE TW)

As technical communicators, you should be familiar with these qualities of an effective

technical writing outputs. When your turn to write one comes, make sure that your technical
documents comply with the following required qualities. This is also known as the ABC of Effective
Technical Writing. They are the following:
SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 9
COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
1. Accuracy. This quality refers to the faithful recording of data, statement, and results of
calculating logical and mathematical figures. A technical writer must always aim to be accurate
and clear in order to be easily understood.

2. Brevity. This enhances understanding on the main purpose of the report by giving concise
statements.

3. Confidence. The ability of the writer to be decisive or sure of what is being written about helps
the reader/user a lot.

4. Dignity. This pertains to the adherence to ethical writing standards.

5. Emphasis. This refers to organizing points and ideas by observing hierarchy and subordination.

6. Facility. The document or report is easy to read and understand by proper pacing, sequence,
arrangement and continuity.

7. Grammatical Correctness. The thorough application of grammatical and linguistic rules is

indispensable in technical writing.

8. Honesty. The acknowledgement of sources and borrowed/lifted information, data, quotes and
statements is essential in technical writing.

9. Illustration. The use of graphics helps to make thoughts and/or ideas more concrete and
vivid.

10. Judgment. This refers to the choices made in the gathering of information gathered and
collected considering adequacy, relevance, simplicity and collaboration with the rest of the
data.

11. Knowledge. This involves the ability to process, analyze, and interpret the gathered data
which is necessary for the formulation of conclusion.

12. Logic. This refers to the process of showing the relation between and among groups of ideas
and things as well as classification and grouping.

13. Mechanical Neatness. This refers to the physical appearance of the report which helps not
only aesthetically but also its readability.

14. Normal Procedure. A technical report should follow acceptable and standard arrangement
of the different parts of a report.

15. Objectivity. The spirit of balance and fairness is important in technical writing. The use of
third person point of view is preferable because of its impersonal effect.

16. Planning. Technical writing is not like poetry which is spontaneous overflow of powerful
emotion. It needs careful and thorough preparation.
 17. Qualification. The writing ability has a direct relationship to the qualification of the writer.
However, proper training and exposure is also needed in order to become adept technical
writer.

18. Revision. This does not only involve checking spelling, punctuation marks, spacing and
margins, it also examines the diction, organization of ideas whether the subject was fully
treated or not.

19. Sentences. The sentences must be limited to only one idea or two closely related ideas. The
use of simple and compound sentence is highly encouraged.

20. Thoroughness. The technical writer must treat well the subject matter and see whether the
objectives are realized or not.

21. Unity. This is to ensure that every idea should have correlation to the main topic on hand.

22. Viewpoint. The document should be written from the viewpoint of the reader/user.

23. Word Choice. The writer must employ simple and appropriate words to suit the reader’s ability
and background.

DON’TS OF TECHNICAL WRITING (AVOID THESE TECHNICAL WRITING MISTAKES)

1. Poor organization
2. Misreading the reader
3. Writing in “technicalese”
4. Lengthy sentences
5. Big words
6. Writer’s block
7. Poorly defined topic
8. Inadequate content
9. Stopping after the first draft
10. Inconsistent usage
11. Dull, wordy prose
12. Poor page layout

Activities/Assessments:

1. As a future educator, give three examples of ethical communication in schools, colleges

and/or universities.
2. Compose one output of a creative writing and one output of technical writing, and compare
the two in terms of their subject, readership, format, language, style, tone, content and
purpose.

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 11

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
LESSON 2 – THE WRITING PROCESS

Unit 1- Five Basic Stages in the Writing Process

Overview:
The writing process is something that no two people do the same way. There is no "right
way" or "wrong way" to write. It can be a very messy and fluid process, and the following is only
a representation of commonly used steps..

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the student should be able to:

1. Apply the stages in the process of writing
2. Identify and use expository techniques

Course Materials:

Writing is a complex combination of skills which is best taught by breaking down the
process. The writing process involves a series of steps to follow in producing a finished piece of
writing. Educators have found that by focusing on the process of writing, almost everyone learns
to write successfully. By breaking down writing step-by-step, the mystery is removed and writer’s
block is reduced. Most importantly, students discover the benefits of constructive feedback on their
writing, and they progressively master, and even enjoy, writing.

Although they will often overlap, and sometimes students will move back and forth between
them, the writing process can generally be broken down stages. When a student learns to
internalize the five basic steps of the writing process, he or she will likely produce a logical and
well-written composition.

A process is a series of actions that are followed to some desired end result. In order for
the result to be successful, all steps must be followed. Cooking is a process and a recipe is the
directions you follow to get a positive end result. If you are baking a cake and skip one of the
ingredients or forget to bake the batter at the right temperature, you will not have a tasty or
successful final result. This is true for writing too…writing is a process that involves multiple steps
that must be completed to create an effective essay.

However, the writing process is more than a set of steps to follow in the right order. Some
have broken down the act of writing into steps and tried to suggest a sequence to follow, but the
act of writing doesn't follow a straight line. For instance, you may come to your real thesis as you
write your conclusion (causing you to backtrack almost to the beginning in the writing process
sequence). Writing is recursive; it doubles back upon itself and leaps ahead. If you correct a
spelling error as you write your first draft, you have done a proofreading act (a later stage) while
you are drafting (an early to middle stage).There are generally five recognized stages in the writing
process:

1. Prewriting – in this stage, you plan what you are going to write. You choose your topic, identify
your audience and purpose, brainstorm ideas, and organize your information.
 2. Drafting – in this stage, you start with a working thesis and then write your ideas in sentences
and paragraphs. You follow your prewriting plan to create a first draft of your essay.

3. Revising – This stage involves making changes that will improve your writing. You focus on
large-scale elements of the essay, such as, overall organization or logical flow of support, effective
thesis statement, interesting introduction and concluding paragraphs, well-developed body
paragraphs with clear topic sentences, appropriate tone and style for intended audience and
purpose, etc.

4. Editing and Proofreading – this is the stage of your essay where you polish your essay. You
focus on smaller-scale yet important essay elements, such as, clarity in sentence structure,
appropriate word choice, correct spelling and grammar, and accurate document format.

5. Publishing – in this final stage, you choose a way to present your work to an audience (often
this is indicated by your instructor).

As already stated, these steps do NOT need to be completed in this exact order; frequently,
in the writing process, you go back and forth between the different stages. A true visual
representation of this process may be more circular than linear. It may look something like this
example:

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 13

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
Unit 2 – Expository Techniques

REPORT WRITING VS LITERARY WRITING

Report writing may be different from literary writing but it should not lack style. It should
not be dull. The writer should present his ideas and findings in an interesting and convincing
manner which reflects his involvement with the problem and enthusiasm in preparing the report.

Writing techniques make the report interesting and easier to understand. These techniques
are:

1. Definition
The need for defining happens when the report uses technical terms which are not
familiar to the reader or when common terms are used in the technical way.

Two Classification of Definition

1. Formal Definition
2. Informal Definition

Formal Definition

This is an equation-like statement which has three parts: term, genus and differentia.
Term- word to be defined
Genus- group or class the term belongs to
Differentia- the distinctive characteristics of the term, distinguishing it from the other
members of the same class.

Ex. Triangle is a plane figure bounded by three straight lines and has three angles.
Carbohydrate is a food group including related substances such as sugars, starches and
cellulose.

Informal Definition

To make sure the technical writer is understood, he extends a definition beyond a single sentence.
The common techniques in extending are examples, analogy and description, details, concrete
examples and instances and word derivative (origin of a word)

2. Description
Using description is a way of writing about the way things appear, the way they are
constructed and the way they act.
There is a great need for manufacturers to write clear and technical manuals to
explain their products.

Two Kinds of Description

1. Description of Mechanism
2. Description of a Process

Description of Mechanism

This deals with the physical nature of whatever is being discussed, the purpose of the
device and how its parts work separately and with one another and as a whole.
 Mechanism - an assembly of movable parts having one part fixed with respect to a frame of
reference and designed to produce an effect. All parts operate and function properly.

Description of Process

Process- series of steps

A description of each of the steps in the process in the order in which they occur.

3. Comparison and Contrast

It involves a discussion of the subject in relation to other subject showing
similarities and differences as the article goes along.

4. Analogy
This compares the unfamiliar to the familiar words to make the unfamiliar more
understandable for the reader.
Analogy is needed when the writer is called to explain different concepts.

5. Classification
It is a systematic process of dividing materials into different classes or kinds. It also
involves grouping similar units in a subclass which in turn falls under longer class.
It is a useful technique when you have a number of like things to discuss among
which there are points of similarity and differences necessary for the reader to understand.

6. Partition
It divides a singular unit into its components, steps or aspects. Only singular units
are partitioned, plural units are classified.
Ex. Tree- roots, trunk, branches, leaves
Human Body
Desktop computer

7. Cause and Effect

This explains a condition by tracing it to what produced the effect by showing what
it will produce. This discusses the reason why something is true or shows the results of
some peculiar events or state of mind.

8. Giving Instructions
The purpose of giving instructions is to make the reader do a specific operation.
The reader is expected to act. Each step in the instruction is presented and clearly
explained to the reader who should carry out to perform the operation.

9. Persuasion
The writer should keep in mind that his report is designed to convince the reader
of his viewpoint and to get then to take some action.
Every time an idea is presented, the reader must be convinced that the idea
presented is well-reasoned and that the recommendation given is the best action to take.

10. Interpretation
This refers to the art of establishing a meaningful pattern of relationship among a
group of facts.

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 15

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
Activities/Assessments:

1. Apply the following expository techniques

 Definition:
Give the formal and informal definition of the following:
◦ Computer
◦ Doctor
◦ Philippines
 Illustrations:
Define the topics informally and expound by giving examples:
◦ Hobbies
◦ Flowers
◦ Domestic animals
 Comparison and Contrast
◦ High school and College friends
 LESSON 3 – COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATION

Unit 1- Personal vs. Business Letters

Overview:
Effective communication is a building block of successful organizations, In other words,
communication acts as organizational blood.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the student should be able to:

1. Differentiate Personal Letter from Business Letter
2. Identify the characteristics and elements of business letter
3. Identify the basic and optional parts of a business letter
4. Use and apply business letter punctuation and styles
5. Identify the types of business letter

Course Materials:

All managers and employees need to be aware of how people behave in order to provide
the best working environment. Organizational behavior is about how people may be motivated to
work together in more effective ways. The interaction required to direct a group toward a set of
common goals is called organizational communication.

In each of these interactions, we are occasionally satisfied but sometimes frustrated by

incompetence, insensitivity, lack of coordination, and red tape, all of which result from ineffective
organizational communication. A deeper understanding of communication permits us to better
comprehend the factors that contribute to a successful organization.

It is difficult to come across a job advertisement which does not mention eligibility criteria
such as “communicativeness” or “communication skills.” Concepts such as “organizational
communication,” “corporate communication” or “business communication” long ago became key
terms for management, entrepreneurship and human resources.

What is meant by “organizational communication”? What are its major functions and types?
What are the most important communication skills in the workplace? What are the most common
barriers and obstacles to contemporary organizational communication? The answers to these and
other questions throughout this course will give you a better understanding of the phenomenon
and process of organizational communication.

The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows:

1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the
task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their
performance if it is not up to the mark.

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 17

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
 2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-
making process as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of actions.

3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e., a well informed
individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual. Organizational
magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and written communication
help in molding employee’s attitudes.

4. Communication also helps in socializing. One cannot survive without communication.

5. Communication also assists in controlling process. It helps controlling organizational

member’s behavior in various ways. There are various levels of hierarchy and certain
principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an organization. They must comply
with organizational policies, perform their job role efficiently and communicate any work
problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus, communication helps in controlling function
of management.

PERSONAL LETTER VS. BUSINESS LETTER

The purposes of business and personal letters are completely different. Business Letters
are written to an individual, an authority, an office, an institution, or a company. They are written
for business purposes. Personal Letters are written to friends, family, relatives, and acquaintances.
They are written for the exchange of information, messages, and thoughts. So they differ from
each other on various grounds. The prime grounds of their distinctions are mentioned below.

BUSINESS / COMMERCIAL LETTER

1. Nature: The Commercial letter is impersonal and universal in one. It helps a great deal in
maintaining professional relationships and developing contacts within your network.
Generally, it contains business-related information.

2. Purpose: This letter is written for exchanging various business-related information.

3. Scope: Since it can contain various types of business information, its scope is vast and
wide. These letters are normally kept short and to the point. One does not go for useless
exaggeration in such letters as none has the time to kill in leisure in the business world.

4. Use of Structure: The Business letter is written by strictly following officially recognized
structure, rules, and procedures.

5. Size: Generally, the size of the business letter is concise as it avoids irrelevant matters.
They have single spacing, are left-justified with no paragraph indentation. They strictly
have to be typed.

6. Classification: Business letters can be categorized differently. A business letter has a lot
of business-related issues and information to include.

7. Salutation: Specific salutations such as Mr., Sir, Dear sir, Dear madam, etc. are used to
open the description of the letter. The use of salutation depends on the formal relationship
between the sender and the receiver.
 8. Language: No emotional or poetic language can be used in the business letter. The
language is kept very formal in business letters. Salutations and closings are chosen very
carefully to the most professional business sentiment. Its language should be
straightforward, easy, simple, and courteous.

9. The form of drafting: In most cases, the business letter is drafted in typewritten or
composed form.

10. Attachment of enclosure: If necessary, enclosures are attached to the business letter.

11. Copy: Copy of business letter is generally preserved and if necessary also sent to others.

PERSONAL LETTER

1. Nature: Its orientation is personal. This letter is communication between friends on strictly
non-official purposes. In this case, a handwritten personal letter is also legible. It contains
personal or family-related information.

2. Purpose: The purpose of this letter is to exchange personal or family-related information.

3. Scope: It contains only personal information. So its scope is limited as compared to the
business letter. These letters, length does not matter. All you need is to convey the right
sentiment in the right way.

4. Use of Structure: It does not follow any recognized structure, rule, or procedure.

5. Size: The size of the personal letter may be concise or large. It requires following no set
format. It is up to the writer to decide on what and how he wants to write the letter.

6. Classification: Generally, it is not categorized. Personal letters are restricted only to

personal or family affairs.

7. Salutation: Here salutation depends on the personal relationship between the sender and
the receiver. Generally, Respected, Dear friends, Dear, etc. are used as a salutation in the
personal letter.

8. Language: Here emotional, poetic, and sweet words are used to arrange messages.
Personal letters require no such formalities. Because of their informal tone, senders often
ignore the basic punctuation and capitalization standards.

9. The form of drafting: It is generally drafted in handwritten form.

10. Attachment of enclosure: No need to attach any enclosure here.

11. Copy: Its copy is not normally preserved and no copy is sent to others.

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 19

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
Unit 2 – Characteristics of Business Letter

In every business, letters play an important part. Through letters a business-man tries to
open up and maintain business relations, to introduce, to promote and conclude transactions. A
letter serves as a medium for buying goods, selling goods, collecting debts, earning the goodwill
of the customers and also thrashing out all the important problems.

It is through letter-writing a businessman can be in touch with everyone on the globe. He

can find market easily all over the world by sitting in his chair. Hence letter- writing is of vital
importance in business.

A letter represents the writer. It speaks to the addressee on behalf of the writer. Defects
in a letter will definitely endanger the chances of winning the attention of the reader. Therefore, a
letter should be care•fully drafted and sent to the addressee. Letter-writing is an art. The style of
the letterhead, the paper on which the letter is written, the neatness of writing etc. will create good
impression in the minds of the reader.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD BUSINESS LETTER

1. Clarity:
Clear thinking and simple expression are the two important virtues of effective writing. A
good letter should show its idea directly and clearly. Each sentence should be as simple as
possible. The reader should have no difficulty in understanding what the writer means to say.
When the reader gets the same meaning from the-message as what the sender intended, it is a
good letter.

2. Conciseness:
Transmission of maximum information by using minimum words should be the aim of
letter-writing. Unnecessary details and roundabout expressions should be avoided. People are
busy and they receive a number of letters daily. Unless one says quickly what one wishes to say,
he will not be able to get the attention of the reader and focus it on the message. Therefore, a
letter should be simple and brief.

3. Completeness:
The letter should contain all the essential points a reader is expected to know. For example,
a sales letter should include the description of the goods, price, quality, how and where to buy, the
date of delivery, discounts etc. If it gives only partial information, it is not a complete letter.

4. Correctness:
The correctness demands no error at all in grammar, idiom, spelling, and punctua•tion.
Besides, the information given in the letter must be accurate; otherwise it will shake the confidence
of the reader. The message should not be transmitted unless the sender is sure of its correctness.

5. Courtesy:
Courtesy means politeness. It always pays to be courteous in business. It softens the sting
of an unpleasant piece of information, creates goodwill and produces a favorable response.
Good•will is a great asset for an organization and courtesy in correspondence is one of the most
natural and economical means of building it.
 6. Cheerfulness:
There should be no negative approach in a letter. It must begin with a positive and
optimistic note. The approach should be friendly and convincing.

7. Promptness:
Promptness in replying a letter is absolutely necessary. The general practice is to reply a
letter the same day it is received. When it is known that a reply to a letter requires time it is
necessary to acknowledge the letter received and intimate the probable time required sending full
reply.

8. Appropriateness:
Appropriateness refers to writing or replying letters keeping in mind the rela•tion and
psychology of the reader as well as the need of the occasion. The tone, style and language should
be changed according to the occasion.

9. The ‘You’ attitude:

In business letters, the reader’s interest must be emphasized and not the sender s interest.
To make letters effective, avoid words such as T and “we’ and use as many as ‘you’ as possible.
The ‘you attitude’ can be used effectively in all kinds of business letters.

10. Integral:
The purpose of business communication is to create understanding, bring about
coop•eration and initiate constructive action. Therefore, all communication should be in conformity
with the general objectives of the organization.

Unit 3 – Basic and Optional Parts of a Business Letter

1. Heading:
Many business organizations use printed letter head for business correspondence. The
letterhead contains the name, the address, the line of business, telegraphic address, telephone
numbers, telex numbers, e-mail address etc.

2. Date:
The date should be indicated in the upper righthand corner of the letter sheet. It is
gener•ally written two or three spaces below the last line of the letterhead.

There are two methods of indicating the date:

(i) In the order of day, month and year — 10 July 1999.

(ii) In the order of month, day and year — July 10, 1999. Both methods are acceptable.

It is advisable to write the names of the month in full.

3. Inside Address:
The inside address consists of the names and address of the person or firm to whom the
letter is written. It is generally written two spaces above the attention line and two spaces below
the level of date. If there is no attention line it is given above the salutation in the left margin. The
full address, i.e., the name of the person, firm, street, road etc. should be written as indicated in
the source you got the address from. The details should not be abbreviated.
SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 21
COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
 While addressing a firm, ‘Messers’ is used before the name. If the firm bears personal title,
messers should be used. If the letter is addressed to an officer by name write Mr. or Shri before
the name. If the officer is an unmarried woman add Miss and if married Mrs. or Smt. before her
name.

4. Attention Line:
When a letter is addressed to a company so that it should reach a particular office by name
or a particular department, then attention line is typed below the inside address. This line
is generally underlined.

5. Salutation:
Salutation means greetings. It shows the respect or affection or politeness which you
introduce in a letter. The choice of salutation depends upon the personal relationship between
the writer and the reader. It is placed two spaces below attention line or two spaces below the
inside address. While addressing a firm, company or a club, etc. use ‘Dear Sirs’.

6. Subject:
The purpose of subject line is to let the reader know immediately what the message is
about. By seeing this the reader can understand at a glance what the letter is about. The usual
practice is to type this line in a double space between the salutation and the first line of the body.

Dear Sirs,

Subj.: Payment of Bill.

7. Reference:
In a reply to an earlier letter reference numbers, date etc. may be mentioned below the
subject. Subject and reference must be separate and must stand out clearly to get the attention
of the reader.

8. Body of the letter:

The body is the most important part of a letter. The purpose of this part is to convey the
message and to produce a suitable response in the reader. It is, therefore, important to organ•ise
and arrange the material very carefully.

Generally, the body consists of the following:

(i) Opening paragraph.

(ii) Main paragraph.

(iii) Closing paragraph.

The opening paragraph should be written in such a way that it attracts the attention of the
reader and makes him go through the letter.

The main paragraph contains the subject matter. It should cover all the relevant points
which the writer wants to convey. It should be written in simple, clear and unambiguous terms.
 The closing paragraph should indicate the expectations, intentions and wishes of the
sender.

9. Complimentary close:
The complimentary close is a polite way of ending a letter. It is typed two spaces below
the last line of the body of the letter.

10. Signature:
Signature is the assent of the writer to the subject-matter of the letter. It is placed below
the complementary close.

11. Enclosure:
Sometimes, papers such as price list, catalog, draft may be attached to the letter. This is
indicated after the signature and at the left hand margin. Generally, the abbreviated form “End.”
is typed against which the number of enclosures is indicated.

Unit 4 – Business Letter Punctuation and Styles

PUNCTUATION STYLES

The most common punctuation style in business letters is called open punctuation. It is
easy to remember because no punctuation at all is required in the heading, inside address,
salutation or closing. The full block format letter above is written with the open punctuation style.

Some offices prefer mixed punctuation. If you are using this style, the only punctuation is
a colon after the salutation and a comma after the complimentary close. The sample block format
letter is written with mixed punctuation.

An older style of punctuation is occasionally seen. It is called closed punctuation. Closed

punctuation requires…

• A comma after each item in the heading and inside address

• A period after the last item in the heading and inside address

• A colon after the salutation

• A comma after the complimentary closing

• Closed punctuation is shown in the modified block format letter above.

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 23

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
 Most organizations have a policy about which format and punctuation style will be used
on company correspondence. Of course, you will follow company guidelines, but if you have a
choice, you may use any of the three formats combined with any of the three punctuation styles.

Modern business letters typically use one of two styles of punctuation being used: mixed
punctuation and open punctuation. Mixed punctuation requires a colon to follow the opening
salutation – "Dear Mrs Smith:" – and comma to end the complementary close – "Sincerely,". In
open punctuation, both the colon and the comma can be omitted. This style is popular in the United
States and it's also gaining popularity in Europe.

WHAT IS OPEN PUNCTUATION?

Open punctuation is a relatively new concept in English grammar and has been
popularized by the use of computers. It involves a minimal use of punctuation throughout the body
of the letter. Due to the ability to review spelling and grammar content electronically, the open
punctuation style has become more and more accepted.

Examples of open punctuation include:

JT Doe PhD instead of J.T. Doe, Ph.D.,

Sincerely instead of

Sincerely,
* Dear Mr Rodriguqez instead of Dear Mr. Rodriguez:

and so on. Basically, you will not use periods in acronyms, abbreviations or times of the day. Don't
add commas unless it's necessary.

WHAT IS MIXED PUNCTUATION?

If you prefer a more conventional style, consider using mixed punctuation. This letter
formats the bridge between open and closed punctuation. You will add a colon after the salutation
and a comma after the closing line.

Example:

Dear Mr. Frazier:

[Body of letter]

Sincerely, (your name)

PUNCTUATION IN THE ADDRESS LINE

Traditionally, after each address line, a comma is used. Over the past years, open
punctuation has become increasingly popular in full block business letters. In this style, there is
usually no punctuation at the end of the address lines. This means that each line of the address
can be left without punctuation:

ABC Corporation
ABC Street
 Townville KY 40243

However, if you like the traditional style better, you can use a comma on each line of
address except for the last one, which is the more modern style of writing addresses on formal
letters.

PUNCTUATION IN AN U.S. VS EUROPEAN BUSINESS LETTER

The traditional United States rules for writing business letters state that a colon should be
used after the salutation greeting of the business letter; a comma should be used after the
complementary close. This style is known as mixed punctuation. In Europe, by contrast, a comma
is traditionally used both after the initial salutation greeting as well as the complementary close in
all business letters. Like in the U.S., open punctuation has started to be accepted here as well.

PUNCTUATION IN THE BODY

For block formats, or formats in which each line begins from the left margin, the layout has
been modified slightly. The body of the letter is kept justified and a blank line is left between each
paragraph. The punctuation in the body of the letter should be followed as the grammar and
syntax dictate. The context of the body remains largely the same, with an opening statement of
purpose and subsequent paragraphs stating the background and supporting information. Here,
open punctuation is not used.

BUSINESS EMAILS

Newer versions of Microsoft Office have business letter templates where the writing style
uses mostly open punctuation. For example, Microsoft Office 2000 offers three types of business
letter wizards that can be used to write the letters of your choice. All of these follow different styles
and rules of punctuation.

Unit 5 – Types of Business Letter

TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTER FORMATS

Common types of business letters include:

1. Cover letters. Sent with a package, report or other item, the purpose of a cover letter is
to describe what is enclosed and provide a description of what the receiver should do with
it.

2. Thank you letters. These can be great for networking and relationship building. Don’t just
write a, “Thanks for,” and leave it at that. Provide more details about what they did and
how it helped you, and then close with a second expression of thankfulness.

3. Complaint letters. The key to these types of letters is to demonstrate that you are
displeased without being over-the-top angry. Suggest how the receiver of the letter might
correct the situation.

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 25

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
 4. Adjustment letters. This is a response to a complaint letter. The point is to be humble in
the response and to offer potential solutions. You want to avoid burning bridges and instead
use your response as a relationship-building tool.

5. Bad news letters. The key with bad news letters is to soften the blow. Being direct is
valued in business writing. But when writing bad news letters, it’s best to remind the
receiver about what actually works in your business relationship before breaking the bad
news to him or her.

6. Acknowledgment letters. They are meant to acknowledge that you received an item from
someone, or that you are aware of a fact or error they pointed out. Let the receiver know
when you received the package or information, and then thank them for it.

7. Memos Often used to spread important news and directives inside a company, the point
with memos is to be fast and to the point with your communications.

8. Congratulatory letters. The point with these types of letters is to stay on point and avoid
sounding over-the-top or mocking. Describe what motivated you to send a congratulations
and the positive feedback that you have already heard. Keep the letter concise.

9. Response letters. This is about explaining or listing off how a request was fulfilled.

10. Letter of request. They key with these types of letters is to ask for help without groveling
or being overly emotional. Take a hard look at the adjectives you’re using in the letter.

11. Sales letters. These letters require a strong call to action or hook at the beginning so that
the receiver continues to read and discovers the benefits of whatever you are selling.
Make sure to provide information so that they can easily respond.

12. Resignation letters. This is about giving notice that you are leaving a position, providing
a last day of employment, and explaining what is causing you to leave.

Activities/Assessments:

1. Select a product you are familiar with and imagine that you are the manufacturer, trying to
get a local retail outlet to carry it. Use your imagination to make up information about the
product (information should seem realistic).
Your Task: Write a letter to the owner or (manager) of the store, proposing that the item
should be stocked in his/her store. Use the information you formed to describe
some of the product’s features and benefits to the store. Then make up some
reasonable figures, highlighting what item costs, what it can be sold for, and
what services your company provides (return of unsold items, free
replacement of unsatisfactory items, necessary repairs, and so on).

2. Amtex Internet Provider is a leading internet provider of the country and is recognized for
its quality products and efficient service. The company tests all the products before they
leave for selling. Internet Wireless Hub Model 1234 is one of your most sold items and for
this model your company has not received any complaint except for a few repair requests
due to customers’ mistake of mishandling the device. But now you have received a
 complaint letter from Mr. Jameel Khan asking for an exchange of Wireless Hub Model
1234.
Your task: As Sales Manager of Amtex Internet Provider, write a letter to Mr. Jameel Khan
refusing his claim for exchange of wireless hub model WMZ321. But make
sure your letter is polite in its tone and accommodates its customers in some
form so that you don’t lose the customer for future because Amtex values every
single customer of its products

LESSON 4 – TECHNICAL REPORT

Unit 1- Writing Memoranda

Overview:
A technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information in a clear
and easily accessible format. It is divided into sections which allow different readers to access
different levels of information. This guide explains the commonly accepted format for a technical
report; explains the purposes of the individual sections; and gives hints on how to go about drafting
and refining a report in order to produce an accurate, professional document..
Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the student should be able to:

1. Construct a memorandum
2. Identify the concepts of report writing
3. Identify the classification of technical report
4. Construct or write minutes of the meeting

Course Materials:

A memorandum is considered “inside” correspondence. It is written to someone in your

company. A written statement you prepare specially for a person or communicate an order to give
them information about a particular method.

The word memorandum is derived from the Latin word ‘memo rare’ which means “to
remember”. In law, a memorandum means a document recording terms of contract. The plural of
memorandum is memorandums or memoranda. It is commonly known by its abbreviation, viz.,
and memo.

A memo (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is normally used for communicating

policies, procedures, or related official business within an organization. It is often written from a
one-to-all perspective (like mass communication), broadcasting a message to an audience, rather
than a one-on-one, interpersonal communication. It may also be used to update a team on
activities for a given project, or to inform a specific group within a company of an event, action, or
observance.

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 27

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
MEMO PURPOSE

A memo’s purpose is often to inform, but it occasionally includes an element of persuasion

or a call to action. All organizations have informal and formal communication networks. The
unofficial, informal communication network within an organization is often called the grapevine,
and it is often characterized by rumour, gossip, and innuendo. On the grapevine, one person may
hear that someone else is going to be laid off and start passing the news around. Rumours change
and transform as they are passed from person to person, and before you know it, the word is that
they are shutting down your entire department.

One effective way to address informal, unofficial speculation is to spell out clearly for all
employees what is going on with a particular issue. If budget cuts are a concern, then it may be
wise to send a memo explaining the changes that are imminent. If a company wants employees
to take action, they may also issue a memorandum. For example, on February 13, 2009, upper
management at the Panasonic Corporation issued a declaration that all employees should buy at
least $1,600 worth of Panasonic products. The company president noted that if everyone
supported the company with purchases, it would benefit all (Lewis, 2009).

While memos do not normally include a call to action that requires personal spending, they
often represent the business or organization’s interests. They may also include statements that
align business and employee interest, and underscore common ground and benefit.

Memos are distinguished by a header that includes DATE, TO, FROM, and SUBJECT
lines. Other lines, such as CC or BCC, may be added as needed. An RE (“Reference”) line may
be used instead of SUBJECT, but this use is becoming rarer as “RE” is often mistaken as “Reply”
because of its use in email.

1. DATE: List the date on which the memo is distributed.

2. TO: List the names of the recipients of the memo. If there are several recipients, it’s
acceptable to use a group name, such as “All Employees” or “Personnel Committee
Members.”
3. FROM: List the name and job title of the writer(s).
4. SUBJECT: Think of the SUBJECT line as the title for the memo. Make it specific so that
readers can immediately identify the topic.

These headings may be double- or single-spaced, and the SUBJECT line is often in all
capital letters. Furthermore, the order of the items can vary. Many organizations have their own
style preferences on these issues. If not, the order listed above, double-spaced, is the most
common.

The text of memos typically uses block format, with single-spaced lines, an extra space
between paragraphs, and no indentions for new paragraphs. However, if a report using memo
format stretches to a few pages in length, double spacing may be used to improve its readability.

ORGANIZATION

Professional communication forms are organized according to one of two strategies: Direct
and indirect.
 • The direct organization strategy presents the purpose of the document in the first
paragraph (sometimes the first sentence) and provides supporting details in the body.

• The indirect organization strategy opens with relevant, attention-getting details that do not
directly state the purpose of the document. The purpose is revealed in the body of the
message, usually sandwiched between supporting details.

The direct approach is used for good news or routine communication; the indirect approach
is used for persuasive, sales, or bad news messages.

A directly stated purpose is welcome in good news or routine messages but could be
viewed as abrupt or insensitive in a bad news or persuasive message. When the audience is not
receptive to the message, it is best to lead up to the purpose gradually.

In both types of organization, action information (such as deadlines or contact information)

or a courteous closing statement is placed in the last paragraph.

Sample of Direct Memo

SUBJECT: SEEN 30133 TECHNICAL WRITING 29

COMPILED BY: Juan Carlos V. Malimban, LPT
Sample of Indirect Memo

STYLE AND TONE

While memo reports and policy memos are examples of documents that have a more
formal tone, most memos will have a conversational style—slightly informal but still professional.
The audience of memos are those with whom the writer works, so the writing style usually
assumes a relationship with them (and therefore a certain lack of formality); just keep in mind that
the relationship is a professional one, so the writing should reflect that. Furthermore, as with all
workplace documents, the audience may contain a variety of readers, and the style and tone
should be appropriate for all of their technical and authority levels.
COMMON MEMO WRITING SITUATIONS

Memos are used in a variety of workplace communication situations, from documentation

of procedures and policies to simple announcements. Below are some common types of memos:

• Policies (changes and new)

• Instructions
• Procedures
• Announcements
• Trip reports
• Distribution Medium

Memos may be distributed manually through print medium in organizations in which not all
employees have access to email. Organizations with access to email may distribute memos as
attachments to email.

In organizations in which email reaches every employee (or every employee in the memo’s
audience), writers must determine whether to send a memo or an email message to convey their
information. In cases such as this, writers should consider three factors: the nature of the
message, the depth/number of its details, and its likelihood of being printed for easier reference.
These types of messages should be written up in memo format and attached to an email message
for fast (and environmentally friendly) distribution:

• Messages that have an official aura, such as new policies or revisions of policies.
• Messages containing much detail (such as instructions on how to calibrate a complicated
piece of machinery).
• Messages requiring reference away from a computer (necessitating a print copy). Print
copies of emails generally use a small type that is difficult to read.

FIVE TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MEMOS

Audience Orientation
Always consider the audience and their needs when preparing a memo. An acronym or
abbreviation that is known to management may not be known by all the employees of the
organization, and if the memo is to be posted and distributed within the organization, the goal is
clear and concise communication at all levels with no ambiguity.

Professional, Formal Tone

Memos are often announcements, and the person sending the memo speaks for a part or
all of the organization. While it may contain a request for feedback, the announcement itself is
linear, from the organization to the employees. The memo may have legal standing as it often
reflects policies or procedures, and may reference an existing or new policy in the employee
manual, for example.

Subject Emphasis
The subject is normally declared in the subject line and should be clear and concise. If the
memo is announcing the observance of a holiday, for example, the specific holiday should be
named in the subject line—for example, use “Thanksgiving weekend schedule” rather than
“holiday observance”.
Direct Format
Some written business communication allows for a choice between direct and indirect
formats, but memorandums are always direct. The purpose is clearly announced.

Objectivity
Memos are a place for just the facts, and should have an objective tone without personal
bias, preference, or interest on display. Avoid subjectivity.

Unit 2 – Fundamental Concepts of Report Writing

BASICS OF REPORT WRITING:

Business reports are vital to larger organization. You will probably write complex &formal
reports when you work for large organization. A business report is an orderly and objective &
communication of factual information that serves a business purpose. As key words orderly
communication a report is prepared carefully. The objective quality of a report is its unbiased
approach. Reports seeks truth. They avoid human bias. The word communication is broad in
meaning. It covers all ways of transmitting meaning: Speaking, writing, drawing & such factual
information is based on events, records, data and the like. Not all reports are business reports. To
be classified as a business report must serve a business purpose.
DETERMINING THE REPORT PURPOSE:

A) THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION:

Getting your problem clearly in mind is largely a matter of gathering all the information
needed to understand it and then applying your best logic to it. It includes collecting data from
company files, talking over the problem with experts, searching through print and electronic
sources and discussing the problem those who authorized the report.
B) NEED FOR A CLEAR STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

The next step is writing the problem statement clearly is a good practice. A writing
statement of the problem normally takes one of the three forms: Infinitive phrase, question or
declarative statement.
(i) Infinitive Phrase : “To determine the causes of decreasing sales at store X”
(ii) Question :”What are the causes of decreasing sales at store X”
(iii) Declarative statement : “store X sales decreasing and management wants to know
why“

You may describe the statement of the problem in many ways but meaning should be same.
1) DETERMINING THE FACTORS:

Next step after stating the problem, you should determine what need to be done to solve
it. Specifically you look for the factors of the problem. That is you determine what subject area
you must look into solve the problem. The problem factors may be three types
(i) they may be subtopics of the overall topic about which the report is concerned.
(ii) They may be hypothesis that must be tested.
iii) In problems that involve comparisons, they may be the bases on which the comparisons
are made.

(i) USE OF SUBTOPICS IN INFORMATION REPORTS:

If the problem concerns a need for information, your mental effort should produce the
main areas about which information is needed. This is an informational report problem-
that is, it requires no analysis, no conclusion, no recommendation. It only requires that
information be presented. The mental effort in this case is concerned simply with
determining which sub-division of the overall topic should be covered. After thoroughly
evaluating the possibilities, you might come up with this analysis:
Problem statement: To review operations of company X from January 1 through March
31
Sub topics:
1) Production

2) Sales & Promotions

3) Financial Status

4) Computer Systems

5) Product Development

6) Human Resources

(ii) HYPOTHESIS FOR PROBLEMS REQUIRING SOLUTION:

Some problems concern why something bad is happening and perhaps how to correct
it in analyzing problems of this kind, you should seek explanations or solutions. Such
explanations or solutions are termed hypothesis once formulated, hypothesis are
tested and their applicability to the problem is either proved or disproved.
Problem Statement: Sales at the spring field store have declined and management
wants to know why.
Hypothesis:
1) Activities of the competition have caused the decline.

2) Changes in the economy of the area have caused the decline

3) Merchandising deficiencies have caused the decline

4) Changes in the environment (population shifts, political actions etc) have caused
the decline.

In the investigation that follows, you would test there hypothesis. You might find
that one, two or all apply or you might find that none is valid. If so, you would have
to test advance additional hypothesis for further evaluation.
 (iii) BASIS OF COMPARISON IN EVALUATION STUDIES:

When the problem concerns evaluating something, either singularly or in comparison

with other thing you should look for the basis for the evaluation that is you should
determine what characteristics you will evaluate. In some causes, the procedure may
concern more than naming the characteristics.
(EX) To determine the location of ABC company at three different places
City A City B City C
Comparison basis:
1) Availability of skilled workers

2) Tax structure

3) Community attitude

4) Transportation facilities

5) Nearness to market

The factors sometimes have factors of their own. For Example: The Comparison
of transportation facilities can be further subdivided into water, rail, truck and air. So they also may
be broken down into sub-factors.
GATHERING THE INFORMATION NEEDED:
The next step is to conduct the research needed. For most business problems, you
will need to investigate personally. Some business problems require analysis of primary data
based on experiments or surveys and few of them require secondary data on library research
is used. Most of the data can be gathered from internet & quality materials. In any event your
task is to apply whatever research techniques are required to get the information you need for
your problem.
INTERPRETING THE FINDINGS:
The next step after collecting the information is interpreting the findings. Applying
and interpreting your findings is obviously a mental process. When interpreting the findings
avoid human errors by remembering these fundamentals
1) Maintain a judicial attitude

2) Consult with others

3) Test your interpretations

A) STATISTICAL TOOLS IN INTERPRETATION:

The information you gather is quantitative that is expressed in numbers. Such data in
their law form usually are voluminous, consisting of tens, hundreds, even thousands of
figures. To use these figures intelligently you must find ways to simplifying these data so
that you can present these data to your reader. Various statistical tools are available for
calculation and interpreting the data.
ORGANIZING THE REPORT INFORMATION:
After finishing the interpreting the results you know the message of your report. Now
your information are presented in a form of outline. Outlines should usually be written. They serve
as tables of contents and captions. In constructing your outline, you probably will use either the
conventional as the decimal symbol system to mark the levels.
Conventional system & decimal system:

(EX) I.
A. 1.0
B. 1.1
2. (Conventional System) 1.2 (Decimal system)
a. 1.2.1
(1) 1.2.2
(a) 1.2.2.1
1.2.2.1.1 etc

THE NATURE AND EXTEND OF OUTLINING:

The outline is designed to meet the objective of the report. You should build the outline
around the objective of the report and the information you have gathered to meet that objective
with the and your information in mind, you build the structure of the report mentally. In this
process, you shift facts and ideas about until the most workable order becomes clear. That
order is that presents the findings in the clearest and meaningful way. When you reach the
outlining stage, you have probably done some of the work.
A) INTRODUCTORY AND CONCLUDING PARTS:

Outlining is concerned mainly with the part of the report commonly called the “body”.
The body is the part of the report that analysis and interpretations where needed. It is
usually preceded by an introduction, and an ending section of conclusion, and
recommendation.
B) ORGANIZATION BY DIVISION:

You may view organizing as a process of division. First you divide the whole into parts,
then you divide the parts into subparts. You may subdivide further.
C) DIVISION BY CONVENTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

In dividing your information into subparts, you have to find a way of dividing that will
produce approximately equal parts. Time, place, quantity and factor are the general bases
for these divisions. Time, place, quantity and factor are the bases for the process of
division. When the interpretation has a time basis division by time is possible. When the
 information is related to geographic location, a place division is possible. Division based
on the quantity is possible when the information has a number base. (For
Example).Rs.10000 to 20000 (on) age 18-30 etc.,
Factors are areas to be investigated are the fourth basis for dividing information (For
Example) The following organizational problem should be treated on the basis of location
accessibilities, rent, parking, facilities sometimes combinations of time (For Example) The period
orientation from May-July, Place Place of Sales: North, South, East, West., quantity and factor are
sometimes logical.

D) WORKING OF THE OUTLINE:

The outline in its finished form is the table of contents. Its part serve has headings to
the sections of the report (which is why we refer to three parts has headings in the following
discussion) because the outline is an important part of the report, you should construct the
final wording carefully. When outlining you may use topic or talking headings give only the
subject of discussion. For example present armar unit a) description & output, b) Cost, c)
Deficiencies.
Talking headings identify the subject and tell what is said about it (For example)
Operation analysis of armor unit a) Recent log in overall output, b) Increase in cost of
operations. Then every heading making up a level of division should be parallel
grammatically (i.e) Parallelism of construction. Then whenever you are using headings see
to that you are maintaining the conciseness in wording. Finally you want to use variety of
expressions. Repeating words in headings can be monotonous. So you should not
overwork works.

REPORT WRITING

In writing the report, communicate clearly and quickly, when you write your report see that
you follow these guidelines.

REQUIREMEN OF OBJECTIVITY:

Good report writing is objective. They don’t include subjective data for analysis by objective
report we mean keep out of all prejudices & biases and your report should seek the truth. Another
thing your objective writing should be believable. Second historically objective writing has meant
for writing has meant for writing impersonally, they don’t include I, we, you etc., Recently, some
writers have argued that personal writing is more interesting than impersonal writing and just as
objective. Good advice is to use personal style for routine reports and impersonal style for more
formal reports.

CONSISTENCY IN TIME VIEWPOINT:

Presenting information in the right place in time is a major problem in keeping order in a
report. Keep a consistent time view point throughout the report. There are two time viewpoints
past and present. Select any one and do not change. The past time view point views the research
and the findings as past, and prevailing concepts and proven conclusions as present. The present
time view point presents as current all information that can be assumed to be current at the time
of writing.
NEED FOR TRANSITION:

A well written report reads as one continuous story. The parts connect smoothly. You
should use transition to connect the parts of the report. Transition means “bridging across”.
Transitional are words or sentences that show the relationships of succeeding parts. Transitions
should be used where there is or need to connect the parts of the report. They should be made
naturally, not mechanically. For connecting large parts, transition sentences may be used and also
use of topic sentences also helps improve thought flow. Transitional words show relationships
between lesser parts.

1) MAINTAINING INTERS :

Report writing should be interesting. Interesting writing is necessary for good

communication. Interesting writing is the result of careful words choice, rhythm,
concreteness- in fact, all the good writing techniques. But efforts to make writing interesting
can be overdone. The writing style should be never draw attention away from the
information.

COLLABORATIVE REPORT WRITING

Collaborative report preparation is common for good reasons. Group involvement in

report preparation is becoming increasingly significant for a number of reasons. They are :-

DETERMINATION OF GROUP MAKEUP:

Groups should have five as fewer members and include all pertinent specialization areas.
Preferably, the group has a leader, but there are exceptions.

TECHNIQUES OF PARTICIPATION:

Headers and participants have clear duties to make the procedure work. Groups often
experience results that are less than ideal. Consult references on effective group.

PROCEDURE OF THE WORK:

At least two meetings and a work period are needed. The following activities activities
normally occur, usually in this sequence

1) First, determine the report purpose

2) Derive the factors involved for analysis
3) Gather the information needed
4) Interpret the information
5) Organize the material
6) Plan the writing
7) Assign the parts to be written
8) Write parts assigned
9) Revise the writing collaboratively
10) Edit the final draft as a synergistic final outcome.
Unit 3 – Classification of Technical Report

ABOUT THE TECHNICAL REPORT

The major focus of this technical writing course is the technical report. Just about
everything you study, everything you write, is geared toward preparing you to write this final report.
The early, short assignment involving instructions or descriptions and the like give you practice
using headings, lists, notices, and graphics; in handling numbers and abbreviations; and of course
in producing good, clear, well-organized writing.

For many students, the technical report is the longest document they've ever written. It
normally involves some research; often the information comes not only from published sources in
the library, but also sources outside the library, including nonpublished things such as interviews,
correspondence, and video tapes. It may also be the fanciest document: it uses binding and
covers and has special elements such as a table contents, title page, and graphics.

As you think about what you want to write about for this project, don't shy away from topics
you are curious about or interested in, but don't know much about. You don't need to do exhaustive
research; normally, you can pull together information for an excellent report from several books
and a half-dozen articles. Our real focus is the writing: how well adapted to a specific audience
it is, how clear and readable it is, how it flows, how it's organized, how much detail it provides. We
are also focused on format: how well you use headings, lists, notices; how well you incorporate
graphics; how well you handle the front- and back-matter elements; and how nice a job you do of
turning out the final copy of the report.

You don't need a fancy laser printer and you don't need to be a trained graphic artist to
produce a fine-looking report. A simple typewriter or dot-matrix printer, scissors, tape, whiteout, a
good-quality photocopier, and access to nice (but inexpensive) binding are all you need. Plan on
doing a first-rate job on the report; remember that past students have shown prospective
employers their reports and have benefited by doing so.

Your job in this unit then is define the following:

• Report topic: Decide what subject you are going to write on; narrow it as much as
possible.
• Report audience: Define a specific person or group of people for whom you are going to
write the report. Define the circumstances in which this report is needed.
• Report purpose: Define what the report will accomplish--what needs of the audience it is
going to fulfill.
• Report type: Decide on the type of report--for example, technical background report,
feasibility report, instructions, or some other.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF TECHNICAL REPORT

1. Technical-background report. The background report is the hardest to define but the
most commonly written. This type of technical report provides background on a topic--for
example, solar energy, global warming, CD-ROM technology, a medical problem, or U.S.
recycling activity. However, the information on the topic is not just for anybody who might
be interested in the topic, but for some individual or group that has specific needs for it
 and is even willing to pay for that information. For example, imagine an engineering firm
bidding on a portion of the work to build a hemodialysis clinic. The engineers need to know
general knowledge about renal disease and the technologies used to treat it, but they don't
want to have to go digging in the library to find it. What they need is a technical background
report on the subject. (For details on contents, organization, and format, see the section
on technical-background reports.)

2. Instructions. These are probably the most familiar of all the types of reports. Students
often write backup procedures for the jobs they do at their work. Others write short user
manuals for an appliance, equipment, or program. If there is too much to write about, they
write about some smaller segment--for example, instead of instructions on using all of
WordPerfect, just a guide on writing macros in WordPerfect.

3. Feasibility, recommendation, and evaluation reports. Another useful type of report is

one that studies a problem or opportunity and then makes a recommendation. A feasibility
report tells whether a project is "feasible"--that is, whether it is practical and technologically
possible. A recommendation report compares two or more alternatives and recommends
one (or, if necessary, none). An evaluation or assessment report studies something in
terms of its worth or value For example, a college might investigate the feasibility of giving
every student an e-mail address and putting many of the college functions online. The
same college might also seek recommendations on the best hardware and software to use
(after the feasibility report had determined it was a good idea). In practice, however, it's
hard to keep these two kinds of reports distinct. Elements of the feasibility and
recommendation report intermingle in specific reports--but the main thing is to get the job
done!

4. Primary research report. Primary research refers to the actual work someone does in a
laboratory or in the field--in other words, experiments and surveys. You may have written
a "lab report," as they are commonly called, for one of your previous courses. This is a
perfectly good possibility for the technical report as well. In this type of report, you not only
present your data and draw conclusions about it, but also explain your methodology,
describe the equipment and facilities you used, and give some background on the problem.
You can modify this type by summarizing other primary research reports. For example, you
could report on the research that has been done on saccharine.

5. Technical specifications. In this report type, you discuss some new product design in
terms of its construction, materials, functions, features, operation, and market potential.
True specifications are not much on writing--the text is dense, fragmented; tables, lists,
and graphics replace regular sentences and paragraphs whenever possible. Thus,
specifications are not a good exercise of your writing abilities. However, you can write a
more high-level version--one that might be read by marketing and planning executives.

6. Report-length proposal. As you may be aware, proposals can be monster documents of

hundreds or even thousands of pages. (Please, not this semester.) Most of the elements
are the same, just bigger. Plus elements from other kinds of reports get imported--such
as feasibility discussion, review of literature, and qualifications; these become much more
elaborate. The problem with writing a proposal in our technical-writing class is coordinating
it with the proposal you write at the beginning of the semester (a proposal to write a
proposal, come on!). Several students have set up scenarios in which they proposed
internally to write an external proposal, in which they went after some contract or grant.
 7. Business prospectus. If you are ambitious to run your own business, you can write a
business prospectus, which is a plan or proposal to start a new business or to expand an
existing one. It is aimed primarily at potential investors. Therefore, it describes the
proposed business, explores the marketplace and the competition, projects revenues, and
describes the operation and output of the proposed business.

Unit 4 – Writing the Minutes of the Meeting

Whether you’ve been tasked with taking notes for a committee or you’ve been appointed
Secretary to the Board of your organization, preparing meeting minutes doesn’t have to be an
arduous task. Here are some tips and ideas that will help you get started with writing and preparing
effective meeting minutes, as well as a meeting minutes sample and a meeting minutes template
that you can follow.

This guide on how to write meeting minutes was prepared by Wild Apricot to help the
volunteers and/or staff of small non-profits and membership organizations who may be new to the
task of taking and preparing minutes of meeting for committees or Boards of Directors.

Please note that since the format, style and content requirements for meeting minutes
varies depending on the organization and the type of committee or Board, this article offers only
general guidelines to help get you started.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING

Meeting minutes, or mom (for minutes of meeting) can be defined as the written record of
everything that's happened during a meeting. They're used to inform people who didn't attend the
meeting about what happened, or to keep track of what was decided during the meeting so that
you can revisit it and use it to inform future decisions.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MEETING MINUTES?

You shouldn’t be intimidated by the term “minutes”, since it’s actually a little misleading.
After all, your committee or Board doesn’t want or need a record of its meeting proceedings minute
by minute! But it is important to capture the essence of the meeting, including details such as:

• decisions made (motions made, votes, etc.)

• next steps planned
• identification and tracking of action items

Minutes are a tangible record of the meeting for its participants and a source of information for
members who were unable to attend. In some cases, meeting minutes can act as a reference point,
for example:

• when a meeting’s outcomes impact other collaborative activities or projects within the
organization
• minutes can serve to notify (or remind) individuals of tasks assigned to them and/or
timelines
WHAT’S INVOLVED WITH MEETING MINUTES?

1. Pre-Planning
2. Record taking - at the meeting
3. Minutes writing or transcribing
4. Distributing or sharing of meeting minutes
5. Filing or storage of minutes for future reference

Pre-Planning Meeting Minutes:

A well-planned meeting helps ensure effective meeting minutes. If the Chair and the
Secretary or minutes-taker work together to ensure the agenda and meeting are well thought out,
it makes minute taking much easier. For example, depending on the meeting structure and the
tools you use, the minutes-taker could work with the Chair to create a document format that works
as an agenda and minutes outline as well.

• What Is the Agenda of a Meeting?

• Meeting agenda = outline:

At the very least, it’s important to get a copy of the meeting agenda and use it as a guide
or outline for taking notes, setting up your mom format, and preparing the minutes – with the order
and numbering of items on the minutes of meeting matching those of the agenda.

In addition, the agenda and/or meeting notice also provides information that will need to
be included in the minutes, such as:

• the names of all the meeting attendees, including guests or speakers

• documents that are sent out with the agenda or handed out in the meeting – copies (digital
or hard copy) of handouts should be stored with the meeting minutes for future reference
and for sharing with those who were unable to attend the meeting (and others as
determined by the meeting’s Chair).

Clarifying Expectations:

When you take on a new role as minutes-taker or Secretary, be sure to ask the Chair of
the committee or Board what their expectations are of your role during the meeting, as well as the
type of detail he/she expects in the minutes. For example, if your Board or committee will be
dealing with motions, or voting on items/issues, be clear on whether you need to offer names of
those making motions, seconding, etc. If you will be dealing with this type of procedures, you (and
your Chair) may want to refer to Robert’s Rules of Order.

What Should Be Included in Meeting Minutes?

Before you start taking notes, it’s important to understand the type of information you need
to record at the meeting. As noted earlier, your organization may have required content and a
specific mom format that you’ll need to follow, but generally, meeting minutes usually include the
following:

• Date and time of the meeting

• Names of the meeting participants and those unable to attend (e.g., “regrets”)
• Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes
 • Decisions made about each agenda item, for example:
o Actions taken or agreed to be taken
o Next steps
o Voting outcomes – e.g., (if necessary, details regarding who made motions; who
seconded and approved or via show of hands, etc.)
o Motions taken or rejected
o Items to be held over
o New business
o Next meeting date and time
o You can find more templates and details on formatting meeting minutes here.

Tips that might help your note taking:

1. Create an outline – as discussed earlier, having an outline (or template) based on the
agenda makes it easy for you to simply jot down notes, decisions, etc. under each item as
you go along. If you are taking notes by hand, consider including space below each item
on your outline for your hand-written notes, then print these out and use this to capture
minutes.
2. Check-off attendees as they enter the room - if you know the meeting attendees, you can
check them off as they arrive, if not have folks introduce themselves at the start of the
meeting or circulate an attendance list they can check-off themselves.
3. Record decisions or notes on action items in your outline as soon as they occur to be sure
they are recorded accurately
4. Ask for clarification if necessary – for example, if the group moves on without making a
decision or an obvious conclusion, ask for clarification of the decision and/or next steps
involved.
5. Don’t try to capture it all – you can’t keep up if you try to write down the conversation
verbatim, so be sure to simply (and clearly) write (or type) just the decisions, assignments,
action steps, etc.
6. Record it – literally, if you are concerned about being able to keep up with note taking,
consider recording the meeting (e.g., on your smart phone, iPad, recording device, etc.)
but be sure to let participants know they are being recording. While you don’t want to use
the recording to create a word-for-word transcript of the meeting, the recording can come
in handy if you need clarification.

Activities/Assessments:

1. You are a school principal. You want to tell 10 people about an upcoming computer training
seminar. You are attaching a brochure about the seminar from the presenter, but you also
need to inform them of the following:
• what the training is for
• who the presenter is, including a brief statement about his/her background
• where the training will be held, including the date and time
• whether or not parking is available
• whether or not lunch and/or any refreshments will be served

2. Listen to the first meeting of President Rodrigo Duterte and his Cabinet members.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT7JoT-u24M . Write minutes of this meeting
following the discussed format/template.
LESSON 5 – VISUAL RHETORIC

Unit 1 – Definition of Visual Rhetoric and Its Importance in Business

Communication

Overview:
“Visual rhetoric is pervasive, in part, because it is powerful. Visual messages are volatile,
eliciting positive and negative responses simultaneously. The familiar expressions ‘seeing is
believing’ and ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ capture their high ethos appeal.” Karlyn Kohrs
Campbell, Suszn Schultz Huxman

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the student should be able to:

1. Define visual rhetoric and identify its importance
2. Identify the different platforms of visual rhetoric
3. Identify the steps in creating hypertext and generating visual materials
4. Conduct and write visual rhetoric analysis

Course Materials:

WHAT IS VISUAL RHETORIC?

The term visual rhetoric falls under an umbrella term known as visual literacy, which is
generally split into three categories: visual thinking, visual learning, visual rhetoric/communication
(though clearly visual thinking and visual learning must occur in order to communicate visually).
The following diagram illustrates these ideas. The graphic is modified from Sandra Moriarty's
diagram in her essay, "A Conceptual Map of Visual Communication" and from "Teaching Visual
Literacy and Document Design in First-Year Composition" (MA Thesis) by Allen Brizee.
VISUAL RHETORIC
Rhetoric is typically known as the “art of persuasion;” it informs, motivates or entertains
an audience through the means of written or verbal communication. It can present an argument
to a specific audience, entice or convince them to think or act differently. Visual rhetoric, on the
other hand, as described by OWL, Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab, “has been used to
mean anything from the use of images as argument, to the arrangement of elements on a page
for rhetorical effect, to the use of typography (fonts), and more
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/691/01/). The structure of a document and the use of
graphics or typefaces can create a rhetorical effect. One example of visual rhetoric might be in the
form of a brochure promoting auto insurance to young drivers. The purpose may be to entice the
young audience to buy their insurance by establishing credibility through the use of typography.
The use of visual language can make it seem like their insurance coverage is better than others.
Visual rhetoric is a special area of academic study unto its own. It has a long history in the
study of art and semiotics (the study of symbols) and it has kinship to the classical study of oral
rhetoric such as persuasive speeches and legal arguments.

For the purpose of our studies, we will define the phrase “visual rhetoric” as the means by
which visual imagery can be used to achieve a communication goal such as to influence people’s
attitudes, opinions, and beliefs. The study of visual rhetoric, therefore, is to ask the question, “How
do images act rhetorically upon viewers?” (Hill, C. A., & Helmers, M., 2012, p. 1).

The techniques of visual rhetoric align with the classic pillars of rhetoric:

• Ethos – An ethical appeal meant to convince an audience of the author’s credibility

or character.
• Pathos – An emotional appeal meant to persuade an audience by appealing to
their emotions.
• Logos – An appeal to logic meant to convince an audience by use of logic or
reason.

One of today’s most familiar uses of visual rhetoric are the memes you see in social media.
Memes, in an incredibly concise and penetrating way, are able to punctuate a dialogue or issue
with “likes” and shares calculating a somewhat blunt measure of their popularity.
Unit 2 – Various Media Platform of Visual Rhetoric

SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media allows for the weaving of "offline and online communities into integrated
movements". Digital activism serves an agenda-setting function as it can influence mainstream
media and news outlets. Hashtags, which curate posts with similar themes and ideas into a central
location on a digital platform, bring exposure to social and political issues. They put pressure on
private institutions and governments to address these issues, as can be seen with movements
like #CripTheVote, #BringBackOurGirls, or #MeToo. Many recent social movements have
originated on Twitter, as Twitter Topic Networks provide a framework for online community
organizing.
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Mobile applications are computer programs designed specifically for mobile devices, such
as phones or tablets. Mobile applications cater to a wide range of audiences and needs. There
are apps for social media, employment, education, etc. Mobile apps allow for a "cultural hybridity
of habit" which allows anyone to stay connected with anyone, anywhere. Due to this, there is
always access to changing cultures and lifestyles, since there are so many different apps available
to research or publish work.[18] Furthermore, mobile apps allow individual users to manage
many aspects of their lives while allowing the apps themselves to be able to continue to largely
change and upgrade socially.

ONLINE COMMUNITIES
Online communities are groups of people with a common interest that interact and engage
over the Internet. Many online communities are found within social networking sites, online forums,
and chat rooms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, 4chan, etc., where members can share and
discuss information and inquiries. These online spaces often establish their own rules, norms, and
culture, and in some cases, users will adopt community-specific terminology or phrases.
Scholars have noted that online communities have especially gained prominence among
users like e-patients and victim-survivors of abuse. Within online health and support groups
respectively, members have been able to find others who share similar experiences, receive
advice and emotional support, and record their own narrative. However, online communities also
face issues with online harassment in the form of trolling, cyberbullying, and hate speech.
According to the Pew Research Center, 41% of Americans have experienced some form of online
harassment with 75% of these experiences occurring over social media.
Another area of concern is the influence of algorithms on delineating the online
communities a user can come in contact with. Personalizing algorithms can tailor a user's
experience to their analytically-determined preference, creating a "filter bubble". The user loses
agency in content accessibility and information dissemination.
VIDEO GAMES
The procedural and interactive nature of video games leads them to be rich examples of
procedural rhetoric. This rhetoric can range from games designed to bolster children's learning to
challenging one's assumptions of the world around them. Each game has its own set of language
which help shape the way information is transferred between players in the community. With the
popularization of online gaming, games such as Call of Duty, League of Legends, and many more,
players have gained to communicate with one another to create their own rhetoric within the
established world of the game which allows players to influence and be influenced by the other
gamers around them.
An educational video game developed for students at the University of Texas at Austin,
titled Rhetorical Peaks, was made with the goal of examining rhetoric's procedural nature and to
capture the constantly changing contexts of rhetoric. The open-ended nature of the game as well
as the developer's intent on playing the game within a classroom setting encouraged collaboration
among students and for them to develop their own interpretations on the game's plot based on
vague clues, ultimately helping them to realize that there must be a willingness to change between
lines of thought and to work within and past limits in understanding rhetoric.

Unit 3 – Steps in Creating Hypertext and Generating Visual Materials

WHAT IS HYPERTEXT?
Hypertext is simply a non-linear way of presenting information. Rather than reading or
learning about things in the order that an author, or editor, or publisher sets out for us, readers of
hypertext may follow their own path, create their own order-- their own meaning out the material.
This is accomplished by creating "links" between information. These links are provided so
that readers may "jump" to further information about a specific topic being discussed (which may
have more links, leading each reader off into a different direction). For instance, if you are reading
an article about marine mammal bioacoustics, you may be interested in seeing a picture of a
dolphin. Or you may want to hear the sound it makes (~80K). Or you may even be interested in
seeing what a marine mammal sound "looks like" in a spectrogram. You might even want to find
out more about sounds made by other animals in the sea, thus leading you on a completely
different, detailed path.
As you can see by these examples, this medium is not limited simply to text. It can
incorporate pictures, sound, even video. So it presents a multimedia approach to gaining
information--hypermedia.
WHY USE HYPERTEXT?
Because in general, humans learn better associatively. That is, we are better able to figure
out material if we are allowed to move at our own pace, investigating that which interests us, and
stimulating more senses through multimedia.
As Bush says in "Classic Technology," "All our steps in creating or absorbing material of
the record proceed through one or the senses--the tactile when we touch keys, the oral when we
speak or listen, the visual when we read. Is it not possible that some day the path may be
established more directly?"
Also, hypertext operates very similar to the way our brains do--in a series of networks, or
associations--as opposed to a linear path. "Hypertext software provides for the human element in
the management of information...Since hypertext analogizes the way our minds normally work
(that is, not in a straight line but in several dimensions at once), hypertext can be considered a
thought machine. Some have claimed that the hypertext idea is one of those crucial ideas in
intellectual history, akin to the development of the printing press of the computer itself" ("Manage
Information the Way you Think." Home-Office Computing, 11/88).
The ability for people to learn more, or at least learn more pleasurably through hypertext,
has been demonstrated again and again through testing. Researchers at the University of Texas
Medical School at Houston, for example, created self instructional electronic texts on aplastic
anemia, and compared students who used the electronic texts to those who used traditional
learning methods. While test scores showed no significant difference in retention, time spent in
study of the multimedia program was on average 15 minutes longer than for the syllabus.
"Evaluation responses by the students were extremely positive and indicated a desire to have
electronic texts available for required courses" ("Interactive Computer Based Programs," 1994).
And in two separate studies, learning disabled, remedial and regular education students
were separated into three groups: lecture, lecture/computer study guide, and computer study
guide. Results indicated that while the two latter methods were as effective as lecture, posttest
and retention test scores were higher for computer study guide group ("Hypertext Computer Study
Guides," 1990).
As Pat Ward and Kristopher Davis wrote in an article presented at the Second International
WWW Conference, "In the midst of an information driven society, tomorrow's educational system
must provide an environment where students are actively involved in learning and have action to
the world's information sources...Students encouraged to develop critical thinking skills, creativity,
problem-solving approaches and cooperation are actively engaged in their own learning" (
"Empowering Students in the Information Age," 10/94).
And because the author is no longer in control over what path a reader will take, hypertext
creates an environment for independent critical thinking. In a sense, the readers are also the
"writers" of the material, by making connections themselves. And making those connections on
their own, pulling together different bits of information and creating a whole new meaning, entails
critical thinking.
HOW TO WRITE FOR HYPERTEXT
For writers, whose job is to create order and meaning for readers, the medium of hypertext
might at first appear to be disappointing. The readers are left to organize the material to suit them,
making them in a sense, co-authors of the piece. In some advanced hypertext systems, the reader
may even "add" to the document, making links to their own work, or tacking on comments. What
purpose then, does the writer serve?
Believe it or not, writers do not have to relinquish all their control over a document when
they enter the realm of hypertext. Rather than handing over the controls to an inexperienced pilot
of information, it is the writer's job to make the destination extremely clear so that anyone could
find it. At the same time, the writer should also anticipate any needs the user may encounter.
It is the same thing as writing a persuasive argument, where the writer must consider
ahead of time all the arguments that may surface and provide beforehand suitable counter-
arguments. Except in hypertext format, instead of holding your reader by the hand and dragging
them step by step towards your irrefutable conclusion, you must have all arguments, all counter-
arguments ready at all times.
This, of course, makes it very easy to end up with a confused, disoriented reader. There
is that inherent danger--that your reader can become so side-tracked with ancillary information
that they lose interest in or even track of where they begun. Paradoxically, it is also the joy of
perusing information in hypertext. Gary Wolf, in his Wired article (10/94) "Why I Dig Mosaic,"
shares his "vertigo" experience:
"Many documents are linked into the NCSA demo page, which is full of links leading out
into the Web. I scanned down the lines of gray text and selected a blue link that had nothing to
do with my official mission: 'An experiment in hypermedia publishing: excerpts and audio from a
book reading by author Paul Kafka of his novel LOVE Enter,' it said. This I hoped, would be a nice
breather...
Before finding out, I glanced at the rest of the document, and it was then that I began to
experience the vertigo of Net travel. On the lower parts of the page were abstracts of Paul's
scientific papers, some co-authored with Benjamin Grinstein...
It was a type of voyeurism, yes, but it was less like peeking into a person's window and
more like dropping in on a small seminar with a cloak of invisibility.
One thing it was not like: it was not like being in a library. The whole experience gave an
intense illusion, not of information, but of personality. I had been treating the ether as a kind of
data repository and I suddenly found myself in the confines of a scientist's study, complete with
family pictures...
It was late. I'd been in Paul Mende's life for an hour. I turned the computer off. It was not
until this morning that I remembered I had never made it back to CERN."
So the dangers of disorientation are not always so devastating for the reader. It simply
means that something has caught their attention--just not the same document they began with.
However, there are going to be readers who will want a more linear approach, or may be looking
for a specific piece of information, and will want to move directly and easily to it.
Herein lies the first and perhaps most important challenge to the hypertext author:
organization. Maintaining that balance between control and using the hypertext format to its full
potential takes careful planning--and the open-mindedness to recognize valuable links when you
stumble upon them. The other categories that follow simply provide some guidelines in writing for
hypertext, dealing with the most basic elements of writing: style, content, and audience (yes, you
do have some control over audience!).
1) Organization
While readers do develop their own methods of moving about a series of documents, the
author does create the master plan of a piece. Where the author provides links or doesn't, what
content is left in or left out, and the placement or prominence of content (will it be encased in a
"main text," or will it be located "outside" the main document in a link?) all contribute to the
organization and impact of a piece.
Greg Stone, Director of Publications at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and co-director
of the university's Advanced Electronic Communications Project, likens the approach to
journalism. The reporters and editors are always making subjective judgments about what is more
important. Now, the reader has control over that. According to Stone, the author is essentially
saying, "This is really more important than that, but if you really think that's important, here's a link
to it."
So you can present your information dominantly with links to "not so important" related material.
Even if you do place "important" information in a separate link (either because it's a stand-alone
piece, or simply too big or long to include with the original document), you can make that link
pronounced in several ways. You could either place it in a dominant location in the text (at the
beginning or end or by itself--much like the critical areas of other writing), or draw attention to that
link by bringing in graphics or another attention-getter. Again, it still relates to other forms of writing
in that you're trying to interest your readers, only now you have a multimedia format at your
fingertips to draw in an audience.

2) Style
Rhetorically, a hypertext writer's style should still be generated for the intended audience. But the
writer should also keep in mind the limits of readers' electronic capabilities. Most people accessing
information will be doing so from networks with 9600 or even 2400 baud modems. The speed of
their computers will vary, but you can bet that most won't be working from exceptionally fast
mainframe computers. Because of this, large sized documents with long download times will not
be appreciated. Neither will exclusive graphic displays bode well with users on a non-graphical
browser (such as LYNX, which most students at UMass Dartmouth use to get into the university's
server). A good example of this problem is Wired magazine's on-line publication, Hotwired. Anyone
without a graphical browser just won't be able to view their main menu page, which consists of a
brightly colored calypso graphic, "mapped out" for different sections of the magazine.
Keeping this in mind, authors might want to consider breaking up very large files into
smaller ones. Or, in the case of graphics or audio, provide the user with alternatives: a smaller
document with a shorter video or low resolution picture, and for those who think the final product
will be worth the wait, a full-fledged longer movie or high resolution graphic.
The concept of breaking down information into smaller, easier to manipulate pieces is also
important when considering the medium it will be viewed in. Text on a printed page and text on a
scrolling screen are very different: it is much more difficult to orient yourself geographically in a
scrolling document (to relocate information, or just to find your spot) than on a page. We tend to
remember, if not on which page number, at least where on a page certain passages are located.
This is not the case for a scrolling screen. Therefore, the hypertext writer might want to consider
breaking up text into smaller pieces and linking them together, or providing internal links that
divide the document into categories that the reader can easily jump back and forth to.
 These links are very important. They provide easy access between documents, so users
can jump from one document to the next, but still be assured that they can get back to the original
point of entry. However, don't break the piece up too much so that the users have to plow through
several "menus" before they get to the final product. They may get impatient and lose interest.
If your hypertext project is meant for advertising or marketing, you might also want to
consider "branding" your document. According to Andrew Fry, "Branding reminds your audience
that they are within specific boundaries. It is because of the modular, free flowing nature of global
hypermedia that branding is so important. You want your audience to know where they are so they
can get there again, and not only through one specific entry point" ("Publishing in the New Mass
Medium," 10/94). Branding, to a small extent, seems to counteract the goal of the web-- presenting
a seamless world of information accessible by free association. But it is a necessary element if
you are to have your audience associate the page they are viewing with your organization or
product.
Branding is accomplished by creating a very tight series of inter-document links, and by
maintaining a set style guide for all the documents within the piece. Fry also calls for maintaining
a mood and a common bond across several media documents.

3) Content
The amount of competition on the web is nearing that of the print medium. In January of 1993,
there were 50 known web servers providing hypertext information. By October, there were more
than 500. By June of 1994, there were 1,500. And obviously the list is still growing.

Which makes content even more important--yours should be interesting and accurate. And it
should maintained and kept up to date. Because a new copy doesn't have to be printed out for
each reader, there's no reason for him or her to wait around for a "new, expanded and revised"
edition of your work.
Again, be sympathetic to the limits of your reader's electronics. Keep documents to a reasonable
size for downloading. Test documents by downloading them yourself. If an element is exceptionally
large, perhaps provide smaller and larger versions for the user to select from. Gratuitous graphics,
such as "buttons" that open up into pictures that you must press again to move on, should be
avoided--at least until the speed of hardware catches up.

4) Audience
Writing for the web is certainly much different than writing for print. Instead of writing and
submitting an article for "Chronicle of Higher Education" intended only for subscribers, publications
on the web may be stumbled across by anyone with access to them.
However, you do have a small amount of control over your intended audience. Just as the
placement of books in a bookstore herald a certain audience (for example, the cooking or "how
to" section of a bookstore), so too does your placement of documents on the web wave a red flag
at an intended audience. Careful selection of which "pages" you link your work to will help to
define your audience. For example, if you write a column on amateur astronomy, you might want
to link it to an astronomy page like Shoemaker-Levy's (if they will allow you access), or to a
university's astronomy department.
And although initially you can't determine without a doubt who will read your work, the web
allows you to track how many people come to "check out" your page. The database will also show
you where in the world these readers are coming from (another determinant of audience), and
the peak times of readership. This is definitely an advantage over the print medium, where you
can only guess who your readers are.
In determining the success of your work, this ability is extremely valuable. You might even
experiment with different links and strategies to see if readership improves or declines.
Finally one very important element that you might include in your creation is the capability
for audience response. This audience interaction creates an "information community," according
to Andrew Fry, much like building an audience for a television network or increasing circulation for
a newspaper. Providing the ability for the audience to e-mail the authors, submitting to the final
publication, and creating bulletin boards where readers can discuss topics (for example, Time
magazine on-line provides bulletin boards for readers), add to this sense of community and
connection. This sense of connection can help develop a following of dedicated readers.

Unit 4 – Steps in Conducting and Writing Visual Rhetoric Analysis

One of the best ways to improve visual literacy and visual communication skills is to
analyze a visual artifact of some kind. If you haven’t done one before, a visual analysis can seem
kind of overwhelming. Doing one requires you to think about a visual artifact of some kind, whether
it be a billboard on the side of the freeway, an Andy Warhol painting, or a new toaster for sale,
and actually have something important to say about it. A visual analysis requires you to think about
what the artifact is, what its role in society is, and the impact is has had or probably will have on
viewers. To do such an analysis, you need to understand how to do five important things:

1) choose a visual artifact that has meaning, purpose, or intrigue;

2) research the artifact to understand its context;
3) evaluate the rhetorical devices the artifact uses to affect an audience;
4) examine the design principles the artifact employs;
5) make a sophisticated argument about the topic based on your analysis.

It’s been my experience that students approaching a visual analysis assume that they have
to find a visual artifact that is overtly controversial (like a racy lingerie ad using teenagers to sell
products) or else there is nothing to say about it. However, thousands and thousands of visual
objects and images that surround us make statements that are worth evaluating. In fact, you might
check out a student example of an a visual analysis about the Volkswagen Beetle “Lemon” ad to
see just how a seemingly mundane topic can be quite interesting.

CONSTRUCTING AN EFFECTIVE VISUAL RHETORIC ANALYSIS ESSAY OUTLINE

There is no single absolute system of organizing a visual rhetoric analysis essay. As a

matter of fact, you should always be a bit cautious of plug-in formulas that purport to offer an
absolute format. It is important consider the specific demands of the writing task while planning
the organization of your paper. Remember that the goal of writing a visual rhetoric analysis is to
analyze how the creator or writer of the visual document is presenting his/her arguments. Here
are some useful tips for crafting the overall outline of your paper.

Introduction
The introduction should immediately set the stage for your intended purpose. In the
introductory paragraphs, ensure that you inform the reader that you are conducting a rhetorical
analysis. Clearly define the document of interest and provide some brief but relevant background
information regarding its development or history. Additionally, provide a brief analysis of the
rhetorical situation that surrounds the document, i.e. the author, audience, purpose and context.

Thesis Statement
Often times, students will experience challenges with the thesis statement with respect to
rhetoric analysis essays. A common temptation is to assume that merely stating that the paper is
a rhetoric analysis suffices as purpose. Depending on the length of your paper, the reader may
require a clearer and more direct statement of your intended purpose.

Order of Analysis in the Body Paragraphs

There are several logical ways you can organize the body paragraphs. However, this will
depend on the size and genre of the document you will be analyzing. The three main approaches
to rhetorical analysis include chronological ordering, spatial ordering and persuasive appeals.
Whichever option you select, the aim of your body paragraphs should be to discuss parts or
elements of the document. Provide an analysis of how the part or element functions and provide
a suggestion on how the element relates to your goal/thesis statement.

The chronological approach is the most direct approach. It allows you to discuss your
insights according to the same order that anyone viewing the document will experience the
images. On the other hand, a spatial order covers the elements of the document according to the
order in which the eye is most likely to scan them. The classical rhetorical appeals include ethos,
pathos and logos. These concepts practically correspond to the character, emotion and logic of
the document’s attempts to persuade.

Conclusion
In the conclusion of your essay, you should restate the main ideas, explain why they are
vital, and restate the thesis. You can also outline any further work or research that you think
should be undertaken to supplement your efforts.

Activity/Assessment:

Search for a graffiti and a meme (of your choice) then, conduct and write a visual rhetoric analysis
on such.
LESSON 6 – SOCIAL MEDIA AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

Unit 1 – History of Social Media and Electronic Communication

Overview:
Internet use has rapidly changed as a result of the proliferation of interactive social media,
with sites like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter. When employees engage in such internet social
networking, the line between workplace and personal conduct can be easily blurred. The
expansion of such internet use serves as an important reminder to employers to: (1) revisit existing
electronic communication policies covering employee internet and email usage generally; and (2)
formulate policy language establishing guidelines and expectations concerning employee use of
social media and networking.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the student should be able to:

1. Understand the History of Social Media and Electronic Communication
2. Understand social media’s role in technical writing

Course Materials:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOCIAL MEDIA

In less than a generation, social media has evolved from direct electronic information
exchange, to virtual gathering place, to retail platform, to vital 21st-century marketing tool.

How did it begin? How has social media affected the lives of billions of people? How have
businesses adapted to the digital consumer lifestyle? How do marketing professionals use social
media? It’s all part of the story of social media’s ongoing evolution.

1. PRE-INTERNET ROOTS

In a sense, social media began on May 24, 1844, with a series of electronic dots and
dashes tapped out by hand on a telegraph machine.

The first electronic message from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., proved Samuel Morse
understood the historic ramifications of his scientific achievement: “What hath God wrought?” he
wrote.

A recent article in The Washington Post, “Before Twitter and Facebook, There Was Morse
Code: Remembering Social Media’s True Inventor,” details the history and relevance of Morse
code, complete with early versions of today’s “OMG” and “LOL.”

While the roots of digital communication run deep, most contemporary accounts of the
modern origins of today’s internet and social media point to the emergence in 1969 of the
Advanced Research Projects Agency Network — the ARPANET.
 This early digital network, created by the United States Department of Defense, allowed
scientists at four interconnected universities to share software, hardware, and other data.

In 1987, the direct precursor to today’s internet came into being when the National Science
Foundation launched a more robust, nationwide digital network known as the NSFNET. A decade
later, in 1997, the first true social media platform was launched.

2. THE LAUNCH OF SOCIAL SITES

In the 1980s and ’90s, according to “The History of Social Networking” on the technology
news site Digital Trends, the internet’s growth enabled the introduction of online communication
services such as CompuServe, America Online, and Prodigy. They introduced users to digital
communication through email, bulletin board messaging, and real-time online chatting.

This gave rise to the earliest social media networks, beginning with the short-lived Six
Degrees profile uploading service in 1997.

This service was followed in 2001 by Friendster. These rudimentary platforms attracted
millions of users and enabled email address registration and basic online networking.

Weblogs, or blogs, another early form of digital social communication, began to gain
popularity with the 1999 launch of the LiveJournal publishing site. This coincided with the launch
of the Blogger publishing platform by the tech company Pyra Labs, which was purchased by
Google in 2003.

In 2002, LinkedIn was founded as a networking site for career-minded professionals. By

2020, it had grown to more than 675 million users worldwide. It remains the social media site of
choice for job seekers as well as human resources managers searching for qualified candidates.

Two other major forays into social media collapsed after a burst of initial success. In 2003,
Myspace launched. By 2006, it was the most visited website on the planet, spurred by users’ ability
to share new music directly on their profile pages.

By 2008, it was eclipsed by Facebook. In 2011, Myspace was purchased by musician

Justin Timberlake for $35 million, but it has since become a social media afterthought.

Google’s attempt to elbow its way into the social media landscape, Google+, launched in
2012. A rocky existence came to an end in 2018, after the private information of nearly 500,000
Google+ users was compromised by a data security breach.

MODERN SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS

Today’s social media landscape is populated by a suite of services that jockey for the
attention of more than 5 billion mobile device users worldwide. Here is an overview of the most
prominent social media networks of 2020:

Facebook
Launched in 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, it has nearly 1.7 billion users —
including 69% of U.S. adults, according to Pew Research.
Reddit
Launched in 2005 by Massachusetts 20-somethings Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian
as a news-sharing platform, its 300 million users have transformed Reddit into a combination news
aggregation/social commentary site. Its popularity is based on the ability to “up-vote” and “down-
vote” user posts.

Twitter
Founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, and others as a microblogging
site, by 2020, 22% of U.S. adults were Twitter users, according to Pew Research.

Instagram
Founded in 2010 by Stanford graduate Kevin Systrom as a photo-sharing site and
purchased by Facebook in 2012, Instagram has more than 1 billion users worldwide.

Pinterest
Founded in 2010 by iPhone app developer Ben Silbermann as a visual “pin board,”
Pinterest became a publicly traded company in 2019 and has more than 335 million active monthly
users.

Snapchat
Founded in 2011 by a trio of Stanford students — Evan Spiegel, Reggie Brown, and Bobby
Murphy — this video-sharing service introduced the concept of “stories,” or serialized short
videos, and “filters,” run for informative digital effects, often based on location.

TikTok
Founded in 2016 by Chinese tech company ByteDance, this short-form video-sharing site
was merged with the U.S.-based mobile app Musical.ly in 2018 and became popular with
American teens and young adults. As of early 2020, it had more than 800 million users worldwide.

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is here to stay. While most of us use it to connect, laugh, stay informed, or
escape from work here and there, social media happens to be invaluable to businesses who use
it and use it well. Here are a few tips on how to utilize social media for your business, no matter
the size.

BRANCH OUT

Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest all have their own
strengths. One may be best for news and interviews, while the other is best suited for short,
punchy video content. If you can't decide which one you should devote your time and content to,
don't limit yourself to just one. Figure out what your customers need and like, what your business'
strengths are, and find a way to speak to both across multiple social media outlets.

ENGAGE
So, your post goes viral. Don't just sit there, do something! There's plenty of content out
there, and no written rule forcing anyone to engage with yours. If people take the time to like,
retweet, pin, reblog, or replay your content, a little engagement on your part goes a long way.

OPTIMIZE YOUR CONTENT

 Not all content is great. Sadly, even great content can go unnoticed. But you won't do your
content (or your business!) any favors by failing to optimize. Using a video for Twitter? Cut it down
to what customer's need most. Posting to Instagram? Go with high-resolution photos. Give people
a reason to do more than scroll past your content, and they may become customers.

BE YOURSELF
Don't be a robot, and don't be something you're not -- users will notice.

HAVE A PLAN
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Social media may move quickly, but it doesn't move so
quickly that you shouldn't nail down some goals and rules. Writing content for Facebook or
Twitter? Find a voice and tone and stick with them. Using Tumblr? Decide what you'll reblog and
what you won't. You may not have any of these rules for your personal social media usage, but
this is bigger than you.

BE HUMAN

This is a big one.

One of the worst mistakes to make on social media is coming off as the faceless
corporation with zero personality. In the modern age of transparency, people want to get to know
your company on a more personal level.

Many brands today crack jokes and aren’t afraid to talk to their followers like they would
their friends. Whereas brands were once lambasted for coming off like robots, a human social
media presence has become an expectation among many followers.

SEEK RELATIONSHIPS, NOT JUST FOLLOWERS

We can debate all day whether or not your follower count is a vanity metric.

That said, having 100 followers who regularly engage with you and your content are
infinitely more valuable than 10,000 that ignore you.

It might be cliche to say, but don’t leave the “social” out of your social media presence.
The beauty of social is that you can form relationships in an instant with followers from just about
anywhere.

CREATE CONTENT PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE

If you want to stand out on social media, you can’t just parrot the content everyone else is
posting. In short, you need to create. Whether you’re trying to build yourself up as a thought leader
or want to stand apart from your competitors, original content is exactly how you’re going to make
it happen. Perhaps it’s your original blog posts, research or infographics. Maybe it’s an eye-
popping snapshot you took during your last vacation. Or hey, it might be an opinionated rant on
the state of your industry. Either way, you should strive to post content that forces your followers
to stop in their tracks. There’s a lot of noise out here on social media: make it a goal to break
through it.
WHY USE SOCIAL MEDIA?

Social media plays an important role in every student’s life. It is often easier and more
convenient to access information, provide information and communicate via social media. Tutors
and students can be connected to each other and can make good use of these platforms for the
benefit of their learning and teaching.

Instant online discussions

Social media is the go to medium for people to interact. Current staff and students, prospective
staff and students, alumni, stakeholders and the wider community can all communicate with like-
minded individuals and have their questions answered, make friends and network.

Relationships

The University, and its staff, can use social media to connect to students, prospective students,
researchers and other organisations, but at its heart, social media is about creating relationships
with people like you.

Students can connect to:

Students on your course (in your cohort or years above/below)

Students studying in the same field at other institutions
Experts in your field
Knowledge Sharing

Social media provides a platform where you can share your knowledge and gain credibility in your
chosen field(s) or specialism(s). Within an online community, you can also acquire information and
insights from others who have already been where you are now or have completed similar
research.

Low cost

It can be very cost effective communication medium and is usually free for the end-user. Not only
can you use it to communicate, but it is also an excellent promotional tool for things like events,
new courses and research advances.

Connect at any time

Social networking never sleeps. You might not get an instant reply from someone local at 3am
GMT, but most social networking sites are not restricted by geography and there is often someone
to chat to from the international community. Or you can post a question and wait until daylight.

Branding

Many people are increasingly spending a great deal of time on social networking sites. Social
media should be seen as a wide-reaching tool to reach a huge audience and so getting your name,
the university’s name out there on the web, in the way we choose, is incredibly important.

It can also be used as a tool to see what people are saying about us! See Protect Yourself Online
Social media content is now integrated with search results

Search engines like Google and Bing are increasingly indexing and ranking information from social
networks. The more presence we have on social media sites, the higher our ratings become in online
search results. This makes it increasingly important that we present ourselves in a positive light.

CLASSIFICATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Social networks—Connect with people

2. Media sharing networks—Share photos, videos, and other media
3. Discussion forums—Share news and ideas
4. Bookmarking and content curation networks—Discover, save, and share new content
5. Consumer review networks—Find and review businesses
6. Blogging and publishing networks—Publish content online
7. Interest-based networks—Share interests and hobbies
8. Social shopping networks—Shop online
9. Sharing economy networks—Trade goods and services
10. Anonymous social networks—Communicate anonymously

CONTENT WORTH SHARING

SOCIAL CURRENCY

Social Currency is all about sharing content that makes you look good. Our social media profiles
are a direct reflection of us, our personality and our “social status”. So when people are checking
us out online, we want to give a good impression.

A bit like the house you live in, or the car your drive, what you talk about online influences peoples
impression of you.

So your content needs to make your followers “look good” when they share it. And by “look good”
I mean, make them appear more clever, rich, funny or cool.

TRIGGERS

A Trigger is the stimulus that prompts you to think about a related thing. It’s like how Fridays
remind you of fish and chips, or roast dinners remind you of Sundays.

When someone says “have a break”, what pops in your mind? KitKat!

KitKat is the perfect example of how to use triggers to prompt people to think of their product.

Whenever you’re about to have a break, you think about having a KitKat. That campaign was a
huge hit in the early 90’s and put KitKat back on the map after a rapid decline in sales.

When you’re thinking about your product or service, what memorable images, products or videos
can you link with it to create a trigger?
EMOTION

Emotion is really important when it comes to getting your content shared on social media.

Being able to evoke a strong feeling towards something makes people more likely to share it.
Jonah describes this as “physiological arousal.”

PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL

Physiological arousal is the state that gets us ready for action. Imagine your team is on the verge
of winning a gold medal in the Winter Olympics, you might start shouting at the telly, jumping up
and down and feeling your heart rate go up. Similarly if you watch a scary film, you might hide
behind your hands, shut your eyes or scream. That’s arousal.

There are 2 different types of physiological arousal, negative and positive. Both emotional states
have equal influence on whether content gets shared or not.

If you feel strongly about something, whether negative or positive, you are more likely to want to
tell people about it. It’s these high arousal emotions that will get people to share your content.

PUBLIC

Use your customers or audience to make things publicly visible and others will follow.

There’s a very good reason why Steve Jobs slapped a massive Apple icon on MacBooks, iPhones
and iPads; you’re advertising the brand, but there’s something more powerful happening and it’s
called “Social Proofing”.

Social proofing is where people emulate the actions of others in an attempt to reflect the correct
behaviour in a given situation – wikipedia.

In other words, when people don’t know what to do, where to turn or what to buy, they turn to
others for guidance.

To be able to copy someones behaviour we have to be able to see it first. By making things more
visible, makes it easy to imitate; and if it’s easy to imitate things become popular.

Some good examples of harnessing the power of the public are cancer awareness campaigns:

• Wearing pink in October shows you support breast cancer awareness.

• Growing a moustache in November or “Movember” shows support for mens health and
cancer research.

PRACTICAL VALUE

Adding value is something I’ve mentioned in previous posts (How To Get More Instagram
Followers), so it’s great to see this principle in Jonah’s list.

Giving practical value is where you connect with the human need: ‘to help others’.

You need to highlight the incredible value of your product or service to your followers.
Show them how it’s going to save them time, improve their health or make them better at their
job.

When something is helpful or meaningful it’s more likely to be passed on.

To create social media content worth sharing you need to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Will sharing this post make my followers look good?

2. What cues will make my posts recognizable?
3. Does the language in my post generate an emotion?
4. Will my posts show others how my product or service is being used?
5. Will sharing my post help others?
6. Can my followers relate to my story?

THE APPS AND SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

1. Snapchat:
It is an over rated extremely popular private messaging app for sharing photos and short
live videos having a touch of fun elements attached with it. Snapchat works on the idea of
ephemeral messaging which means once the message or snap is viewed, it will be disappeared
forever.
The interesting part of Snapchat is that it is not only a photo sharing or a messaging app;
you can also do marketing for your business on it as well and if you are not using it for marketing,
you can still download the app to have an eye on the others to know what’s going on in the market
and how others are using Snapchat precisely for their business.
We can say with over 100 million active users daily, Snapchat is the future of social media.

2. Whatsapp:
Being a messaging app Whatsapp has more users than Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and
Pinterest combined. Whatsapp not only allows you to send text but also allows you to share
photos, videos, location, update status and make voice and video calls over the internet. One can
download the app on mobile and computer and also use it on the web as well.
Whatsapp is one of the life-saver through which you can stay connected to your friends
and family even when you are on your international trip. It is widely being used for marketing and
dealing in businesses by the marketers as well.

3. Twitter:
It is one of the biggest platforms to share real-time news and get connected with famous
personalities around the word like CEOs of big companies, politicians, celebs etc. Millions of
people around the world tweet about various topics and trending news using relevant hashtags
and there are many other apps to help them to do that.
Twitter is also a very popular medium which is being prioritized by many companies for
the digital marketing of an individual or for a business. Again like any other social networking app,
you can also share photos, videos, and GIFs on it.

4. Linkedin:
Are you looking for a better career opportunity? / are you looking for a suitable candidate
for the job? Linkedin serves you a phenomenal platform full of incredible opportunties / candidates.
Linkedin has evolved from being just an online resume updating website to a social
networking platform for all the professionals around the world. One can directly reach out to the
professional of your field, make valuable connections, participate in a conversation, be a part of
different groups of your interest, publish articles and post and search a job on Linkedin.

5. Instagram:
No one is unknown of the fact that Instagram is most popular image sharing app. Facebook
might rule over the web for its image sharing feature but Instagram undoubtedly ruling over mobile.
It also allows you to share video clips. Instagram has proven itself as a boon for the e-commerce
businesses. One can share their product’s images and videos along with appropriate hashtags to
reach out to the maximum number of audience.

6. Google+:
Google plus is Google’s own social networking app/site. Google+ presents an open
platform to all to share feeds. You can make circles of people who share the same interest. Google
plus is packed with other cool features like photo editing and hangout; Google’s text and video
chat service.

7. Pinterest:
Here you can find tons of creative ideas of your interest. It is again very popular means of
marketing in the e-commerce sector. You can easily like any image and pin them or your own
images to your feed.

8. Facebook messenger:
Many were annoyed when Facebook had introduced a separate app specially for
messaging but accepted with grace by the people later on. It has 900 million active users as on
April 2016 and the counting is still growing up.
Messenger allows you to make voice and video call over the internet, send text and
animations on chat. Facebook offers a list of options to the businesses to grow on it, using
Facebook messenger for resolving customer issues is imperious.

9. Tumblr:
Tumblr is one of the well-liked blog platforms. Like Instagram, and Pinterest, tumbler is
highly dominated by visual content like videos, images, animations and GIFs.
It allows its users to share blogs and articles in all formats like text, audio and dialogues
along with visual content which makes your time spending on it more interesting and worthwhile.

Unit 2 – Social Media and Technical Documentation

It is exciting to see how technical writing is evolving and is being reshaped by the ever-
changing world around us.

Social media was set on its mission to conquer the world in the 90s. This is when internet
relay chats were developed and became available to the general public. First blogs appeared in
the late 90s and blogging started gaining popularity quickly. But the true revolution happened in
the mid-'00s with players like Facebook and Twitter entering the scene. And so it began.

Seems like social media has predefined the mindsets of the generations to come. It keeps
influencing so many aspects of our lives, and technical communication is one of them. Let's see
what traits of help authoring were changed by the omnipresent social media.
BETTER DESIGN OF USER MANUALS

A couple of decades ago people didn't really think too much about how user manuals
looked. The main criterion was readability. So, most of technical documentation was more or less
the same in terms of design.

Now, technical writers have to worry about documentation looking outdated. While people
do not expect anything edgy from user manual design, they still expect to see familiar fonts,
thought-through layouts, and easy-on-the-eye color schemes.

As an example of this phenomenon, take a look at our portal gallery. These are online
documentation portals of our clients that showcase how far we have come in terms of web design
in technical writing. Some of the portals look like corporate websites!

MORE VISUAL CONTENT

Social media is not so much about text as it is about photos, memes, gifs, and videos. This
trend has a simple explanation - reading text requires more time and mental resources.

People do not stop complaining about the crazy flow of data they have to deal with daily
and so this snowball of information had no other choice but to find more efficient ways of getting
inside our brain hence the prevalence of the visual content.

If faster ways of transmitting an idea to readers can be implemented in a help topic, you
should definitely use them. However, omitting text altogether would be wrong. We advise adding
visual elements to help topics and using text as an additional means to explain and elaborate.

READERS ARE GETTING CLOSER

The distance between technical writers and readers had to shorten because of social
media. So, things like help topic ratings, comments, or even communities are commonly seen in
modern techcomm.

Since social media had influenced our behavior patterns and habits so much, user manuals
had to keep up. The Internet is a place that welcomes discussion and having no way to give
feedback makes readers feel isolated and uncomfortable.

Another factor that pushed documentation to be more communication-friendly is the

appearance of open-source software. Creating user manuals, in this case, is done through
common efforts.

Unit 3 – Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media in Technical Writing

Opportunities:
1. Relevance and familiarity
2. Access and connectivity
3. Rhetorical awareness
4. Composing
Challenges:
1. Lack of efficacy of the writer
2. Access to technology
3. Lack of support systems to sustain social media use
4. Time constraints/pressure to keep up to technology
5. Mistrust/ privacy issues
6. Seeing social media as distraction
7. Concern about intellectual property issues

Activity/Assessment:

Create credible content/article (of your choice) and publish it online.

LESSON 7 – STAYING SECURE IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

Overview:
Staying safe and private in the digital world can be difficult. If you’re experiencing abuse
or are worried about your privacy, there are things you can do to making using your computer,
email, or cell phone safer.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the student should be able to:

1. Identify cybercrime cases
2. Identify cybercrime technology
3. Secure one’s own cyberspace

Course Materials:

Unit 1 – Cyber Crime Cases

CYBERCRIME: EMAIL AND CONNECTED DEVICES

Consumers are more attuned to safeguarding their personal computers from established
risks. Consumers are taking steps to protect themselves, through keeping passwords private, not
opening suspicious files, and limiting information shared on social channels. But email and
connected home devices; where the public is less aware of the dangers – are also avenues for
fraud.

Norton's research noted that 30% of consumers on a global scale are not aware that their
smart devices can be hacked (including smart homes, TVs, door locks, and baby monitors). 1 in
4 consumers don’t know that unauthorized access to an email account may lead to access to all
linked devices.

It is important to highlight the risks of cybercrime in an effort to prevent any further losses.
Here are some of the most dangerous privacy threats to watch out for.

Email Phishing
Phishing is when Internet scammers use email lures to “fish” for passwords and financial
data from the sea of online users. Phishing attacks use “spoofed” (look-alike) email messages and
fraudulent websites designed to trick recipients into divulging personal, business and sensitive
information such as credit card numbers, account usernames and passwords or social insurance
numbers. Under the guise of a reputable brand like a financial institution, credit card company or
government agency, thieves will approach you with a bogus appeal to lure you into responding.

This might be a request to update your account, confirm billing information or enter a
contest. That request often includes a time element such as a threat to cancel or close your
account if you don't respond quickly.
 The malicious email will direct you to click on a link connected to a web address that's
standing in for a legitimate website. Once there, you'll be asked to provide personal or financial
information like credit card details, social insurance numbers or banking passwords.

Phishing scams often target the financial and payment services sectors.

SMS PHISHING
SMiShing, short for "SMS phishing", is similar to phishing. But it is the practise of using
text messages sent to a mobile device in an attempt to get you to release personal information or
click on a fraudulent link. Many people are unaware of this type of scam.

A SMiShing attack usually has a call to action for the intended victim that requires an
“immediate response”.

BlueShore Financial has implemented a number of safety measures to combat scams

including security alerts. One of which advises clients if an account has been locked due to three
unsuccessful login attempts.

If you have any suspicions or concerns at any time, it's best to contact your financial
institution directly.

VOICE PHISHING
Vishing or "voice phishing" works phone contact into the act. A visher calls and speaks
directly to you or leave's a voice message to try to get you to call them back. Either in person or
through an automated system, they then attempt to get you to release personal information.

ANGLER PHISHING
Online customer service through social media channels like Facebook and Instagram are
vulnerable to fraud. “Angler phishing” is when requests for support or information to a legitimate
company are monitored by scammers and then “answered” by the scammer asking for personal
information or luring the victim to fraudulent websites.

You can check that their “handle” matches other responses, but remember, a legitimate
company will never ask you for personal details on a public network. If you’re unsure, call the
company directly using a phone number you know is accurate.

SPYWARE AND RANSOMWARE

Spyware is a type of malicious software or "malware" that, once installed on your computer,
allows criminals to monitor your behaviour and gather valuable data. Spyware isn't
intended to crash your system or wipe its memory like the computer viruses of the past. Instead,
it works quietly in the background tracking your keystrokes, searching your hard drive and sniffing
out your personal details to send to unknown parties.

Ransomware on the other hand, is software designed to block access to a computer

system until a sum of money has been paid. While often targeted to company networks, individuals
have also been caught.

FAKE HOTSPOTS
Public WiFi access is convenient, but not secure. Many people use free or unsecured Wi-
Fi networks in airports, coffee shops and other public places. The perils of open Wi-Fi begin when
you log on to a network that appears valid.
 That free network may be nothing more than a gateway to track your activities, gather
passwords you enter or view your sensitive information. Criminals will sometimes use a different
tactic, setting up copycat hotspots with the same name as a legitimate network hoping to fool you
into thinking you're connecting to the real thing.

SMART USE OF YOUR SMARTPHONE

We live in a wireless world where technology helps bring many things, including banking,
into the palm of your hand. But with this flexibility comes the need for attention to safety and a
clear understanding of where your private information may be vulnerable.

Bluetooth technology provides a way to exchange information between wireless devices

such as mobile phones, laptops, computers, printers, and digital cameras across a low-cost,
globally available, short-range radio frequency band. It provides nearly ubiquitous connectivity, but
it also can open the door to data theft.

When Bluetooth is enabled, it creates an open network to your mobile device. For sensitive
information like mobile banking, we recommend you disable Bluetooth until your transactions are
complete.

And use built-in smartphone security features to their best advantage. Password protect
your device. Use biometric authentication. Ensure you have the auto lock set to the shortest time
possible. That way if you lose your phone (or it's stolen), you'll be protected.

Unit 2 – Cyber Crime Technology

Computer-related Crime involves the use of a computer to commit a crime and/or as a

repository of evidence related to the crime. Generally, this includes traditional crimes that have
been transformed by computer technology such as:

• computer-generated counterfeit documents;

• computer generated threats;
• possession of computer-based child pornography images; or,
• any crime in which documents or evidence is stored in a computer such as records of
narcotic distribution, gambling or embezzlement.

Computer-related crime can involve use of the Internet to facilitate crimes such as:
• Internet auction fraud (primarily thefts);
• criminal threats;
• stalking (cyberstalking);
• threatening or annoying electronic mail;
• distribution of child pornography;
• online gambling;
• fraudulent credit card transactions;
• fraudulent application for goods or services; or,
• identity theft.
Unit 3 – How to be S afe i n One ’s O wn Cy be rs pac e

Even though apps loom larger in most people's daily online interactions than traditional
websites do, that does not mean that the basic Internet safety rules have changed. Hackers are
still on the lookout for personal information they can use to access your credit card and bank
information.

Unsafe surfing can also lead to other threats—from embarrassing personal comments or
images that, once online, are nearly impossible to erase, to getting mixed up with people you'd
rather have had nothing to do with.

Here are the Top 10 Internet safety rules to follow to help you avoid getting into trouble online
(and offline).

1. Keep Personal Information Professional and Limited

Potential employers or customers don't need to know your personal relationship status or
your home address. They do need to know about your expertise and professional background,
and how to get in touch with you. You wouldn't hand purely personal information out to strangers
individually—don't hand it out to millions of people online.

2. Keep Your Privacy Settings On

Marketers love to know all about you, and so do hackers. Both can learn a lot from your
browsing and social media usage. But you can take charge of your information. As noted by
Lifehacker, both web browsers and mobile operating systems have settings available to protect
your privacy online. Major websites like Facebook also have privacy-enhancing settings available.
These settings are sometimes (deliberately) hard to find because companies want your personal
information for its marketing value. Make sure you have enabled these privacy safeguards, and
keep them enabled.

3. Practice Safe Browsing

You wouldn't choose to walk through a dangerous neighborhood—don't visit dangerous
neighborhoods online. Cybercriminals use lurid content as bait. They know people are sometimes
tempted by dubious content and may let their guard down when searching for it. The Internet's
demimonde is filled with hard-to-see pitfalls, where one careless click could expose personal data
or infect your device with malware. By resisting the urge, you don't even give the hackers a
chance.

4. Make Sure Your Internet Connection is Secure. Use a Secure VPN Connection
When you go online in a public place, for example by using a public Wi-Fi connection,
PCMag notes you have no direct control over its security. Corporate cybersecurity experts worry
about "endpoints"—the places where a private network connects to the outside world. Your
vulnerable endpoint is your local Internet connection. Make sure your device is secure, and when
in doubt, wait for a better time (i.e., until you're able to connect to a secure Wi-Fi network) before
providing information such as your bank account number.

To further improve your Internet browsing safety, use secure VPN connection (virtual
private network). VPN enables you to have a secure connection between your device and an
Internet server that no one can monitor or access the data that you’re exchanging. Read more
about What is VPN.
5. Be Careful What You Download
A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps
that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything
from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather. As PCWorld advises, don't
download apps that look suspicious or come from a site you don't trust.

6. Choose Strong Passwords

Passwords are one of the biggest weak spots in the whole Internet security structure, but
there's currently no way around them. And the problem with passwords is that people tend to
choose easy ones to remember (such as "password" and "123456"), which are also easy for cyber
thieves to guess. Select strong passwords that are harder for cybercriminals to demystify.
Password manager software can help you to manage multiple passwords so that you don't forget
them. A strong password is one that is unique and complex—at least 15 characters long, mixing
letters, numbers and special characters.

7. Make Online Purchases From Secure Sites

Any time you make a purchase online, you need to provide credit card or bank account
information—just what cybercriminals are most eager to get their hands on. Only supply this
information to sites that provide secure, encrypted connections. As Boston University notes, you
can identify secure sites by looking for an address that starts with https: (the S stands for secure)
rather than simply http: They may also be marked by a padlock icon next to the address bar.

8. Be Careful What You Post

The Internet does not have a delete key, as that young candidate in New Hampshire found
out. Any comment or image you post online may stay online forever because removing the original
(say, from Twitter) does not remove any copies that other people made. There is no way for you
to "take back" a remark you wish you hadn't made, or get rid of that embarrassing selfie you took
at a party. Don't put anything online that you wouldn't want your mom or a prospective employer
to see.

9. Be Careful Who You Meet Online

People you meet online are not always who they claim to be. Indeed, they may not even
be real. As InfoWorld reports, fake social media profiles are a popular way for hackers to cozy up
to unwary Web users and pick their cyber pockets. Be as cautious and sensible in your online
social life as you are in your in-person social life.

10. Keep Your Antivirus Program Up To Date

Internet security software cannot protect against every threat, but it will detect and remove
most malware—though you should make sure it's to date. Be sure to stay current with your
operating system's updates and updates to applications you use. They provide a vital layer of
security.

Activity/Assessment:

Produce and advocacy campaign on safety and security against cybercrime to be published on
your own social media account.
REFERENCES

https://salirickandres.altervista.org/principles-effective-technical-writing/

https://salirickandres.altervista.org/nature-technical-communication/

https://www.freelancewriting.com/copywriting/what-is-technical-
writing/#:~:text=There%20are%20seven%20principles%20to,%2C%20appropriate%20langua
ge
%20to%20audience)%2C

https://careers.alot.com/career-paths/creative-writing-vs-technical-writing-whats-the-difference--
8740

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-technical-writing-and-creative-
writing/#:~:text=Technical%20writing%20has%20its%20specific,writing%20has%20general%
20
reader%2Faudience.&text=The%20purpose%20of%20technical%20writing,to%20entertain%2
C
%20provoke%2C%20inspire.

https://www.smbadvisors.com/capabilities/knowledge-
management/insights/ethical- communication-the-basic-principles

https://web.csulb.edu/~tgredig/docs/TechnicalWriting1.pdf

https://library.defiance.edu/writingprocess/writingprocess

https://qsstudy.com/business-studies/differences-business-letter-personal-
letter#:~:text=Business%20Letters%20are%20written%20to,information%2C%20messages
%2
C%20and%20thoughts.

https://sba.thehartford.com/business-management/marketing/business-letter-formats/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/technicalwriting/chapter/memos/#:~:text=Short%20for%20
%
E2%80%9Cmemorandum%2C%E2%80%9D%20a,may%20also%20employ%20memo%20fo
r mat.

https://rkmvcbba.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/fundamentals-of-report-writing/

https://sheisdigital.co/6-steps-to-make-social-media-content-worth-sharing/

https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/top-10-internet-safety-rules-
and- what-not-to-do-online
 Compiled by
JENNY ESTINGOR

BUILDING AND
ENHANCING NEW
LITERACIES ACROSS
THE CURRICULUM
 Introduction
The term “21st-century skills” is generally used to refer to certain core competencies such
as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving that advocates believe
schools need to teach to help students thrive in today’s world. In a broader sense, however, the
idea of what learning in the 21st century should look like is open to interpretation—and controversy.

With the wealth of information that can be easily accessed through various media - the
Internet, TV, radio, printed materials, formal and informal instruction - how do we guide our
students in learning skills or competencies that have great use for them to adjust to the demands
of the 21st century? As a 21st century teacher, you must be familiar with the new literacies, or
new areas of learning, that you have to emphasize and prioritize when handling teaching and
learning activities.
 Table of Contents
Chapter 1-Introduction to 21st Century Literacies .............................................................0
Learning Outcomes......................................................................................................0
Defining literacy: UNESCO ..........................................................................................0
Traditional Literacy.......................................................................................................1
21st Century Literacies ................................................................................................2
Potential Pitfalls of 21st Century Literacies ..................................................................3
Developing Early Literacy ............................................................................................4
Expanding the Concept of Literacy ..............................................................................9
Lesson 2: Globalization and Cultural and Multicultural Literacies...................................13
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................13
What is Multicultural Literacy?....................................................................................13
What is Global Literacy? ............................................................................................13
How are Multicultural and Global Literacy Interconnected? ........................................14
Globalization ..............................................................................................................14
The Significance of Culture-based Education in the Philippines .................................22
Philippines – Cultural Challenges...............................................................................22
Multicultural Literacy ..................................................................................................24
Lesson 3: Social Literacy...............................................................................................25
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................25
What Are 21st Century Skills?....................................................................................25
The Three 21st Century Skill Categories....................................................................26
This is 21st Century skills Category ...........................................................................27
How Do You Teach 21st Century Skills?....................................................................32
Lesson 4: Financial literacy for Filipinos: understanding for better living ........................35
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................35
What is financial literacy?...........................................................................................35
Financial Literacy among Filipinos .............................................................................36
Lesson 5: Media and Cyber or Digital Literacy...............................................................38
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................38
The Importance of Digital Literacy in K-12 .................................................................38
 What Is Digital Literacy? ............................................................................................39
Differences between Traditional Literacy and Digital Literacy ....................................39
Building Communication and Literacy Skills with Digital Media ..................................40
Introducing Digital Skills in Formative Years ..............................................................40
Digital Literacy Goes Beyond Reading and Writing ....................................................40
5 Ways Digital Literacy Makes Learning More Effective .............................................41
Integrating Web-based Technology in the Classroom ................................................42
DIGITAL LITERACY in the Philippines .......................................................................43
Lesson 6: Ecological Literacy ........................................................................................47
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................47
Environmental Literacy...............................................................................................47
The Role of Artistic Literacy in Teaching and Learning ..............................................49
Thinking Like an Artist................................................................................................49
Process Components in the Arts Standards...............................................................50
Best Practices for Active/Student-Centered Instruction ..............................................51
The Role of Inquiry and Feedback .............................................................................52
Dispositions and 21st Century Skills ..........................................................................57
Artistic Process and 21st Century Skills .....................................................................58
WHAT IS CRITICAL LITERACY? ..............................................................................59
WHY IS CRITICAL LITERACY IMPORTANT? ...........................................................60
Course Title : Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the Curriculum
Course Code : EDUC 30113
Course Credit : 3.0
Pre-requisite : None
Course Description : The course introduces the concepts of new literacies in the 21stcentury as an evolving
social phenomenon and shared cultural practices across learning areas. The 21stcentury literacies shall include (a) globalization
and multi-cultural literacy, (b) social literacy, (c) media literacy, (d) financial literacy, (e) cyber literacy/ digital literacy, (f) eco-
literacy, and (g) arts and creativity literacy. Field based-interdisciplinary explorations and other teaching strategies shall be used
in this course. Course
Objectives : At the end of the course, the students can: Cognitive (Knowledge) 1.Exhibit an
understanding of the concepts of new literacies 2.Critically analyze 21stcentury trends, social phenomena, and cultural practices
across learning areas 3. Explore teaching strategies to integrate new literacies in the curriculum 4. Forecast possibilities of
emerging literacies Affective (Attitude) 1.Express appreciation of the diverse literacies of the 21stcentury2. Valuate the new
literacies in terms of relevance to the students’ lives, education goals, and national agenda3. Show enthusiasm in integrating new
literacies in different areas4. Develop optimism for developing the trend of new literacies Psychomotor (Skills) 1.Conduct field-
based explorations on each literacy2. Acquire skills in developing the new literacies3. Innovate on strategies in teaching new
literacies4. Write a paper on experiences in building new literacies
 lnst1tut1onal
Learning Outcomes Program Outcomes Course Outcomes

Creative and Critical Graduates with full capacity for academic and practical application of the theoretical studies At the end of the course,the students are expected to:
Thinking and critical analyses instilled by the program. 1. PCDA-Pian Development Check Act
Effective Graduates have excellent communication skills as manifested by their understanding of 2. UseICT to develop 21st CentUJry Skills,Information,
Communication not only of the subject matter in its totality but also evident in the manner they carry out life Media and Technology Skills,Life and Career Skills,and
decions and create good human interactions. Effective Communication Skills
Strong Service Graduates are committed to achieve excellence for the success of the leaming process by
3. Develop pro ject-and problem-based, collaborative
Orientation being cognizant of how reasoning must be exhibited in their relationship with others in the
Activities ung technology tolls
society.
Community 4. Use open-ended tools (such as word proceng,
Graduates use the potent power of correct reasoning and proper thinking by formulating
Engagement spreadsheets,presentation software, and authoring tools) in
good advocacies for the development of communities.
subject specific application
Adeptness in the Graduates maintain a high literacy in the technologies used in the present social setting
5. Produce learning resources using technology tools in
Responble Use of and, at the same time, can adapt to any given tuation with regard to technical equipment
various subject areas
Technology and facilities.
Passion to Life-long 6. Evaluate the relevance and appropriateness of digital
Graduates never cease to improve their
Leaming and non-digital resources based on the learning context
Knowledge of the ever-changing development in the study of literature in the Philippines
7. Use technology tools to collaborate and share resources
and in the world by pursuing graduate studies or joining workshops, conferences, and
among communities of practice.
debate oriented proqrams.
High Level of
Graduates are capable of leading any responsibility given to them with exemplary
Leadership and
organizational skills.
Organizational Skills
Sense of Personal and Graduates have a strong sense ofEthical conduct manifested in their personal and
Profesonal Ethics professional attitude and set of values as guided by their reason.
Sense of Nationalism Graduates are rooted to a nationalist perspective in the manner they analyze issues
and Global concerning the Philippine setting in general while exhibiting world-class caliber in response
Responveness to the demands of the global scenario.
COURSE PLAN
Week Topic Learning Outcomes Methodology Resources Assessment
Week 1 General Oentation or the Course Student are aware or what to Oentation Course Syllabus Discussion
expect from the course;its Setting expectations
requirements and classroom Reviewing syllabus
manaaement strateaies
Week 2-4 Chapter 1-lntroduction to 21st Cen :.> Define literacy, traditional Power point https1jwww.readingrockets.org/article/nelp-report- Discussion
tury literacy,and 21literacy. presentation developing- case Analysis
Llteracles ;.. Identify the benefits or Discussion early- Quiz
globalization literacy#:N:telct=Conventional%20iiteracy%20skills%20refers%20
Learning Outcomes to,comprehension%2C%20Writing%2C%20and%20spelling.&text
Oeflnlng literacy:UNESCO =Conventlonal%20readlng%20and%20Wrltlng%20skills,wl th%20
TraditionalLiteracy later'!l20conventional%201iteracy%20skills.
21st Century U teracies https1/nces.ed.govjnaal/1iteracytypes.asp
PotentialPitfalls of 21st Century http://forum.mlt.edu/articles/expanding-the-concept-of -
Developing Early Literacy literacy/ll:"':text=An%20expanded%20definition%20of%20iitera

Week 5-6 Expanding

Lesson the Concept
2:Globalization of Literacy :.> Give the implications on t>oth
and Cultural Power point nllpS1iWWW.aepea.gov .j-11 II.<VU" /UI Ub OO- L-S-LW Discussion
and MulticulturalUteracles the national and lndlvidual level presentation inc1usive-education-as-strategy-1orncreasing-participati on-Case Analysis
of globalization Discussion rate-of-children! Quiz
httpsJtwww.speciai-educaijon-degree.net/what-
are- IncIusIve-speclai-educatlon-
programs/lt.-:lex t=The%20primary"/o20otljective%20or%20
incIusive.students%20in%201he%20reguiar%20ciassroom.
httpsJtwww.palllsersd.at>.ca/Incluslve-eclucaijon/Incluslve-
education-philosophy
httpsJtwww.lcdphiiippinesfoundation.org/inclusive-
education/

Learning Outcomes :.> Identify the cultural and

multicultural literacy in the https1jwww.google.comjsearch?q=multicultural+literacy&rlz=1
Philippines C1CHBD_enPHB74PHB74&oq=mu&aqs=chrome.03.5i39i457j0i6
7]69157J35139j6916014.1870JOJ7&sourceld=chrome&ie=UTF 8
What is MulticulturalLiteracy? :.> Share personal Ievel of cultural
and mulijculturalliteracy https1jsites.google.com/site/teaching21stcenturyliterades/mu
l ticultural-11 teracy
What is Global Uteracy? https1/philippines.sil.erg/language_development/literacy_edu
c ationI:N:text=Aithough%20the%20Philippines%20has%20a% ,
25
%2C%20pockets%20of%20illiteracy%20remain.&text=Many%20
of%20these%20are%20found,written%20tradition%20for%20th
elr%201anguages.
 How are Multicultural and Global
Literacy Interconnected? http://theculturetrip.com/aia/philippinjarticle /11-
thing- you-hould-know-about-the-filipino-culture/
Globalization http 1fwww.wternydney.edu.au/tudymart/home/cultural
Jiteracy/why_i_cultural_literacy Jmportant
The Significance of Culture-ba ed
Education in the Philippine http:/fwww.wternydney.edu.au/tudymartfhomejcultural
Ji teracy/what_i_cuitural_literacy
Philippine-Cultural Challeng
http://21tcenturyliteracy214.wordpre .com jtet·2/
MulticulturalLiteracy http://youmatter.world/en/definition/definition-globalization-
definition-benefi-ef fect-
example/ll:"':text=At%2othe%20ame%2otime%2C%20global,e
coytem%20and%2Olo%20of%20biodiverity.
httpJ/gaml.uis.unesco.orgtwp-
contenl/uploads/sites/2/2018/1214.6.1_07_4.6-defining-
literacy.pdf
Weekl-8 Power point Discussion
l> Define social literacy presentation http 1fwww.aeeducation.com/blog/wh at-are:-21t-cen tury- Case Analysis
Leon 3: Social Uteracy Discussion kill Quiz
Learning Outcome l> Explain the rules of parents http1/360430028271334326.weeblyc.om/#:N:text=Sociai%20Li
and teachers in teaching social teracy%20i%20a%20tudent,effectively%20with%2othoe%20
skills around%2othem.
What Are 211Century Skill ? > Discuss and examine issues in
social literacy
The Three 21t Century Skill
Thii211Century killCategory
How Do You Teach 21t Century

Week9 Midterm Examination

Week 10-11 Leon 4:Financial literacy for Filipino: Power point http:/Inro13.neda.gov.ph/financial-literacy-for-filipino- Discussion
l> Deline financial literacy under anding·for-better-livin gJ
presentation Case Analysis
Learning Outcome l> Assess the level of personal Discussion Quiz
financial literacy
What ifinandalliteracy?
> Characterize financial literacy
in thePhilippines

FinancialLiteracy among Filipino

Week 12-15 lesson 5:Media and Cyber or Digital Power point https://WWW.commonsensemedia.orgjnews-and-medla- Discussion
1> Deline dif,11allilercx:y
literacy presentation literacy/what-is igita-lliteracy case Analysis
learning Outcomes I> AR)reciate the importar-.:e a Discussion Oliz
devetoprQ Media am https://WWW.educatloncorner.com/ mportance-digltal- iteracy·k
Cyber/Oifjtlitercx:y 12.html
The Importance of Digital iteracyin K- https://WWW.deped.gov.ph/Wp-content/uploads/2019/01/15-f>-
12 Digi tal·llteracy.pdf
What Is Digitalliteracy?
Differences between Traditional
literacy and Digitalliteracy
Building Communication and literacy
Skills with DigitalMedia
lntrodudng DigitalSkills in Formative
Yea!l
Digitalliteracy Goes Beyond Reading
and Writing
5 Ways Digitalliteracy Makes earning
More Effective
Integrating Web-based Technology in
DIGITAlilTERACY In the Philippines
WeeK 1S.17 Power point https://hendersonhallway.wordpress.com/2012111/09/is- Discussion
;.. Deline ecological literacy case Analysis
lesson 6:Ecological Uteracy presentation 21st-eentury-learning-in-need-<>-1an-ecologic al-literac yt
Oulz
Learning Outcomes l> Describe Eco literate person Discussion https:J/sltes.google.corntsile/leaching21stcenturyliteraclesl
envlronrnental iterocy
Environmentalliteracy httQs;Uunfccc.ln!Lstles[defaui!Lfiels{unfccc the role of ecolog
leal literin the shift to a more sustainabe l future.l!df
The Role of Artistic literacy in Teaching 'To explain whal Eco literacy i s,
and learning why It IsImportant andhow It httQS:f.{I!Ortai.Clgg_v{-{medSiDE{Arts{Guide-to-K12-Prol[am·
Develol!ment-ln-the-Arts{Achei ving-Artlsbc-Uteracy.l!df?la=en
wCfks
Thinking Uke an Artist b1IIU;l/JI [Q!:i!!l [.wl: b!x,,!!mMll'iil-111!:[ !/t blml
Process Components In the Arts
Standards
Best Practices for Active/Student- The
Role of Inquiry and Feedback
Dispositions and 21st Century Skills
Artistic Process and 21st Century Skills

WHAT IS CRITICAlilTERACY?
W'tfl IS CRITICAlilTERACY
IMPOFITANT?
WeeK 18 Final Examination
 Chapter 1-Introduction to 21st Century Literacies
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students would be able to:

Define literacy, traditional literacy, and 21st literacy.
Identify the benefits of globalization

Defining literacy: UNESCO

Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and

compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.
Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their
goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community
and wider society (UNESCO, 2004; 2017).
Three key features of the UNESCO’ definition of literacy
 Literacy is about the uses people make of it as a means of
communication and expression, through a variety of media;
 Literacy is plural, being practiced in particular contexts for particular
purposes and using specific languages;
 Literacy involves a continuum of learning measured at different proficient
levels.
UNESCO-led assessments: LAMP and RAMMA
Defining literacy:
Other international organizations or assessment programs

International
organization Defining literacy Note

European Literacy refers to the ability to A multi-layered definition

Literacy Policy read and write at a level whereby of literacy, from baseline literacy
Network: individuals can effectively understand to functional and multiple
and use written communication in all literacies.
European
media (print or electronic), including
Declaration of the
digital literacy.
Right to Literacy

OECD: Literacy is understanding, It measures adults’

Survey of Adult evaluating, using, and engaging with proficiency in key information-
Skills (PIAAC) written text to participate in society, to processing skills - literacy,
achieve one's goals, and to develop numeracy, and problem-solving
one's knowledge and potential. in technology-rich environments
 World Bank: Cognitive skills are defined as 1.It assesses the skills
Skills Towards the “ability to understand complex ideas,
(cognitive, technical,
Employability and to adapt effectively to the environment,
and non-cognitive) of adults in
Productivity (STEP) to learn from experience, to engage in urban areas.
various forms of reasoning, to overcome
obstacles by taking thought” 2.The scales of the test are the
same as those used in the
PIAAC.

Four criteria are used to describe assessment/survey on literacy

 Definition invokes continuum
 The assessment covers a full range of skills
 Statistical methods confirm psychometric stability
 Statistical methods support comparison

Traditional Literacy

Traditional literacy is defined as "the quality of being literate; knowledge of letters;

a condition in respect to education, esp. ability to read and write" (OED Online, "literacy,"
2nd ed.).According to the CIA World Factbook, 83.7% of the world is literate - literate
meaning anyone age 15 or older who can read and write (2012). Alphabetic literacy is still
extremely important and a major focus in schools, public libraries, and organizations like the
Library of Congress. Traditional literacy is the building block for all other literacies;
without it, they would be impossible to master.
Graph
 21st Century Literacies

1. Library instruction/information Literacy

Set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and
have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" (ALA) First
introduced in 1974 Commonly addressed in academic libraries
2. Visual Literacy
Ability to construct meaning from visual images
Ability to think, learn, and express oneself in terms of images
Making judgments on accuracy, validity, and worth of images
3. Media Literacy
"Provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a
variety of forms - from print to video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an understanding
of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression
necessary for citizens of a democracy" (Center for Media Literacy)
Participatory culture
Low barriers for engagement
Strong support for sharing creations with others
Informal mentorship
Members believe contributions matter
Care about others' opinions of self and work
Social connection with one another
4. Technology Literacy
Can encompass digital literacy, computer literacy, etc.
As simple as using a PC or writing an email or as advanced as data-analysis or
manipulating hardware
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy
Use digital technology and communication networks for problem-solving and critical
thinking
iSkills: define, access, evaluate, manage, integrate, create, communicate, use
technology ethically
5. Network Literacy
Have an understanding of the system by which networked information is generated
Can retrieve specific types of information from the network using a range of
information discovery tools
Can use networked information to analyze and resolve both work and personal
related decisions
McClure, C.R. "Network Literacy in an Electronic Society: An Educational
Disconnect?" Annual Review of the Institute of Information Studies, the Knowledge
Economy Queenstown, MD: Aspen Institute: 193, 160.
 6. Cultural Literacy
"The ability to analyze and understand a particular society or culture; familiarity with
the customs and characteristics of a culture" (OED Online, "cultural," 2nd ed.)
Understand that culture impacts their behaviors and beliefs, and the behavior and
beliefs of others
Are aware of specific cultural beliefs, values, and sensibilities that might affect the
way that they and others think or behave
Appreciate and accept diverse beliefs, appearances, and lifestyles
Are aware of the similarities between groups of different cultural backgrounds and
is accepting of differences between them
Understand the dangers of stereotyping and other biases; are aware of and
sensitive to issues of racism and prejudice
Are familiar with existing cultural norms of new technology environments (instant
messaging, virtual workspaces, email) and can interact successfully in such environments

Potential Pitfalls of 21st Century Literacies

1. Digital divide - can't assume that all students have 24/7 access to technology
2. Transparency - students might not have the right vocabulary, an environment
where information is out there for everyone to see and access
3. Ethical challenges - ownership/authorship, working with someone else's text or
media
Implications for Libraries
1. Not a radical change - we are already familiar with these literacies because of
social networking, using media, and instructing students on how to access electronic
resources
2. Education on ethical issues and participatory challenges - offer guidance and
coaching on how to behave and use the tools to survive in a digital world
3. Unique opportunity to embrace and encourage 21st-century literacies through
instruction, reference, and collection development
 Tools for Integrating Other Literacies into Instruction
 Video hosting (visual, media, technology, network)
 YouTube, Metacafe
 Photosharing (visual, cultural)
 Flickr, Photobucket
 Wikis (media, technology, cultural)
 PBWiki, Wetpaint
 Blogs (media, technology, cultural)
 Blogger, WordPress
 Tag clouds (visual, cultural, technology)
 Wordle, Tagcrowd, Bubbl
 Word Cloud
 Developing Early Literacy

The National Early Literacy Panel looked at studies of early literacy and found that
there are many things that parents and preschools can do to improve the literacy
development of their young children and that different approaches influence the
development of a different pattern of essential skills.
In 2002, the National Early Literacy Panel was appointed to examine the implications
of instructional practices used with children from birth through age 5.
The panel was asked to apply a similar methodological review process to that used
by the National Reading Panel (NRP) to issues of instructional practices for young children
so that parents and teachers could better support their emerging literacy skills.
NELP's primary goal was to identify interventions, parenting activities, and
instructional practices that promote the development of children's early literacy skills.
Toward that end, the panel posed the following four questions:
What are the skills and abilities of young children (age birth through five years or
kindergarten) that predict later reading, writing, or spelling outcomes?
Which programs, interventions, and other instructional approaches or procedures
have contributed to or inhibited gains in children's skills and abilities that are linked to later
outcomes in reading, writing, or spelling?
What environments and settings have contributed to or inhibited gains in children's
skills and abilities that are linked to later outcomes in reading, writing, or spelling?
What child characteristics have contributed to or inhibited gains in children's skills
and abilities that are linked to later outcomes in reading, writing, or spelling?
Identification of the domain of early literacy skills
The panel set out first to establish which early skills or abilities could properly be
said to be the precursors of later literacy achievement.
This was important because, without such a determination, it would be impossible
to ascertain what programs or practices were most effective. After all, even in the best of
circumstances, most young children develop few conventional literacy skills before starting
school. To identify the essential early skills or abilities relevant to later literacy development,
the panel searched for published scientific studies that could provide correlational evidence
showing the relationship between early skill attainment and later literacy growth in decoding,
reading comprehension, or spelling.
Conventional literacy skills refer to such skills as decoding, oral reading fluency,
reading comprehension, writing, and spelling. The use of these skills is evident within all
literacy practices, and they are readily recognizable as being necessary or useful
components of literacy. The term conventional literacy skills are not widely used in the field
but are adopted here to distinguish between these aspects of literacy that are the focus of
the reading, writing, and spelling instruction provided to elementary and secondary students
and those earlier-developing precursor skills that may not themselves be used within literacy
practice but that may presage the development of conventional literacy skills. Conventional
skills can be thought of as being more sophisticated, mature, or later- developing
manifestations of reading and writing, and they are to be contrasted with precursor,
predictive, foundational, or emergent skills (all terms used in this report). The report
sometimes uses, more generally, early literacy skills, which can refer to both precursor
skills and the conventional literacy skills of preschool and kindergarten children.
 Conventional reading and writing skills that are developed in the years from birth to
age 5 have a clear and consistently strong relationship with later conventional literacy skills.
Additionally, six variables representing early literacy skills or precursor literacy skills had
medium to large predictive relationships with later measures of literacy development. These
six variables not only correlated with later literacy as shown by data drawn from multiple
studies with large numbers of children but also maintained their predictive power even
when the role of other variables, such as IQ or socioeconomic status (SES), were accounted
for.
These six variables are:
Alphabet knowledge (AK): knowledge of the names and sounds associated with
printed letters
Phonological awareness (PA): the ability to detect, manipulate, or analyze the
auditory aspects of spoken language (including the ability to distinguish or segment words,
syllables, or phonemes), independent of meaning
Rapid automatic naming (RAN) of letters or digits: the ability to rapidly name a
sequence of random letters or digits
RAN of objects or colors: the ability to rapidly name a sequence of repeating random
sets of pictures of objects (e.g., "car," "tree," "house," "man") or colors
Writing or writing name: the ability to write letters in isolation on request or to write
one's name
Phonological memory: the ability to remember spoken information for a short time.
Six early skills predictive of later literacy achievement
1. Alphabet knowledge
2. phonological awareness
3. Rapid automatic naming of letters or digits
4. Rapid automatic naming of objects or colors
5. Writing or writing name
6. Phonological memory
An additional five early literacy skills were also moderately correlated with at least
one measure of later literacy achievement but either did not maintain this predictive power
when other important contextual variables were accounted for or have not yet been
evaluated by researchers in this way.
These five additionally potentially important variables include
Concepts about print: knowledge of print conventions (e.g., left-right, front-back)
and concepts (book cover, author, text)
Print knowledge: a combination of elements of AK, concepts about print, and early
decoding
Reading readiness: usually a combination of AK, concepts of print, vocabulary,
memory, and PA
Oral language: the ability to produce or comprehend spoken language, including
vocabulary and grammar
 Visual processing: the ability to match or discriminate visually presented
symbols.
 Five early skills moderately predictive of later literacy achievement
  Concept of print
 Print knowledge
 Reading readiness
 Oral language
 Visual processing
Instructional practices that enhance early literacy skills
The panel also set out to identify studies that employed experimental or quasi-
experimental methods to determine the effectiveness of instructional strategies, programs,
or practices in imparting conventional literacy skills or any of these precursor skills to young
children.
The panel did not set out to find evaluations of previously identified programs or
interventions but searched for all such studies that had been published in refereed journals
in the English language. The panelists then grouped the identified studies into five analytical
categories. The categories of intervention and the number of studies within each category
included the following:
Code-focused interventions (n = 78): Interventions designed to teach children skills
related to cracking the alphabetic code. Most code-focused interventions included PA
instruction.
Shared-reading interventions (n = 19): Interventions involving reading books to
children. These interventions included studies of simple shared reading and those that
encouraged various forms of reader-child interactions around the material being read.
Parent and home programs (n = 32): Interventions using parents as agents of
intervention. These interventions may have involved teaching parents instructional
techniques to use with their children at home to stimulate children's linguistic or cognitive
development.
Preschool and kindergarten programs (n = 33): Studies evaluating any aspect of a
preschool or kindergarten program. Ten studies in this category concerned one particular
intervention (the Abecedarian Project). Other studies evaluated the effects of educational
programs, curricula, or policies, such as extended-year experience, on kindergartners.
Language-enhancement interventions (n = 28): Studies examining the
effectiveness of an instructional effort aimed at improving young children's language
development.
How the types of interventions fared
The code-focused instructional efforts reported statistically significant and
moderate to large effects across a broad spectrum of early literacy outcomes. Code-
focused interventions consistently demonstrated positive effects directly on children's
conventional literacy skills.
Book-sharing interventions produced statistically significant and moderate-sized
effects on children's print knowledge and oral language skills.
Home and parent programs yielded statistically significant and moderate to large
effects on children's oral language skills and general cognitive abilities.
Studies of preschool and kindergarten programs produced significant and
moderate to large effects on spelling and reading readiness.
 Finally, language-enhancement interventions were successful at increasing
children's oral language skills to a large and statistically significant degree.
Together, these findings suggest that there are many things that parents and
preschools can do to improve the literacy development of their young children and that
different approaches influence the development of a different pattern of essential skills.
Age-appropriate interventions
There is great interest in the idea of providing age-appropriate interventions.
However, there were few important differences among these categories of study concerning
age. One important exception was in the area of language interventions, which showed
greater effectiveness early on. Otherwise, when age-level comparisons were possible, the
large and significant effects of the various interventions were obtained with groups of both
younger and older children. This means that most of the types of instruction that are effective
in kindergarten are very similar to those that can be used in preschool.
Unfortunately, there have not been direct tests of age differentiation in early literacy
instruction across kindergarten and preschool, and there are still too few studies of
preschool literacy instruction to provide comparison results that can be embraced with a
high degree of certainty. Future research into this issue could shed greater light on what,
to some observers, may seem a surprising finding.
What the original study measured is important interventions improved conventional
literacy skills or the precursor skills most related to later literacy growth, the exception being
code-focused interventions. One reason so few interventions were found to foster
improvement in these measures is that few intervention studies with young children included
measures of such outcomes. Generally, code-focused intervention studies included such
measures, while studies of other instructional approaches did not. Some of these other
approaches may also be effective in improving early literacy skills, but that can only be
determined through studies employing such measures. Code-focused programs, book
sharing, programs for parents to use at home, and language-enhancement instruction all
improved children's oral language skills.
The panel wanted to determine whether any child characteristics influenced the
effectiveness of the instructional interventions. In most cases, the panel could not determine
the role of children's characteristics because of reporting limitations in the original studies.
In general, however, variables, such as age, socio-economic status, and race, did not seem
to alter the effectiveness of the various interventions, and it will take future research to
determine whether certain interventions would be effective with particular groups of children.
Small-group interventions
It should be noted that the interventions that produced large and positive effects on
children's code-related skills and conventional literacy skills were usually conducted as
one-on-one or small-group instructional activities. These activities tended to be teacher-
directed and focused on helping children learn skills by engaging in the use of those skills.
Almost all of the code-focused interventions included some form of PA intervention. These
PA activities generally required children to detect or manipulate (e.g., delete or blend) small
units of sounds in words. Few of the interventions used rhyming activities as the primary
teaching approach. Teaching children about the alphabet (e.g., letter names or letter
sounds) or simple phonics tasks (e.g., blending letter sounds to make words) seemed to
enhance the effects of PA training.
 Limitations
The major limitation confronting any meta-analysis is the quality of the original studies
that are being combined.
All studies have varying degrees of weakness in their implementation and reporting.
A basic premise of meta-analysis is that all studies on a particular issue would be unlikely
to suffer the same problems and that the influence that such factors may have on results
can therefore be analyzed and understood.
The reality is that the various study-design features, demographic characteristics of
participating children, and crucial elements of the educational environments are hopelessly
confounded across studies. Therefore, meta-analysis provides clues to what might be
influencing the effectiveness of an intervention but cannot provide the final word on such
findings.
It is impossible to be certain that any meta-analysis will identify all studies on a
particular topic, and any study that is not included could provide information that would be
at odds with the conclusions drawn. In this case, because the meta-analysis examined only
the results of published studies, different pictures could be derived if a broader net were
cast.
In this case, many substantive issues of great concern to educators and parents
could not even be explored adequately because of limitations in the reporting of original
studies. There are many theories, both naïve and scientific, suggesting the likelihood of
individual differences in instructional effectiveness that demographic characteristics might
mitigate. This meta-analysis evaluated whether such variables as race or socio-economic
status mitigated or moderated the effectiveness of the various interventions. Unfortunately,
it was all too rare that the original studies had provided sufficient data to allow for
unambiguous conclusions to be drawn.
Three Types of Literacy
NAAL is designed to measure functional English literacy. The assessment measures
how adults use printed and written information to adequately function at home, in the
workplace, and the community.
Since adults use different kinds of printed and written materials in their daily lives,
NAAL measures three types of literacy—prose, document, and quantitative—and reports
a separate scale score for each of these three areas. By measuring literacy along with three
scales, instead of just one, NAAL can provide more comprehensive data on literacy
tasks and literacy skills associated with the broad range of printed and written materials
adults use.
The 2003 NAAL assessment questions were developed to permit measurement of
these three types of literacy:

Prose literacy

The knowledge and skills needed to perform prose tasks, (i.e.,

to search, comprehend, and use continuous texts). Examples include
editorials, news stories, brochures, and instructional materials.
 Document literacy
The knowledge and skills needed to perform document tasks,
(i.e., to search, comprehend, and use non-continuous texts in various
formats). Examples include job applications, payroll forms,
transportation schedules, maps, tables, and drug or food labels.

Quantitative literacy
The knowledge and skills required to perform quantitative
tasks, (i.e., to identify and perform computations, either alone or
sequentially, using numbers embedded in printed materials).
Examples include balancing a checkbook, figuring out a tip,
completing an order form, or determining the amount.

Expanding the Concept of Literacy

Most people think of literacy as related to words. Literate one can read and write
words or text and can use language to conceptualize ideas, convey meaning, and receive
and share information and knowledge. Notions of media or computer literacy tend to be
raised in very limited contexts, if at all. Media literacy is most often defined as the ability to
understand how television and film manipulate viewers, and computer literacy is frequently
described as the skills to use a computer as a tool to perform various tasks, such as gaining
access to the World Wide Web. Elizabeth Daley, dean of the University of Southern
California’s (USC’s) School of Cinema-Television and executive director of the Annenberg
Center for Communication there, urges that the definition of literacy be expanded to
acknowledge the prevalence of the multimedia language of the screen in our everyday lives.
The Language of Multimedia
An expanded definition of literacy would recognize the fact that most people receive
information, communicate with one another, and entertain themselves through methods that
most often involve audio recordings, radio, film, television, and computers rather than print
language. Technology is enabling these alternative means of communicating to penetrate
our lives more directly and in more powerful ways. Today, to be able to interpret and express
oneself in the language of the screen, of sound and image, is arguably as important as
being able to read and write an essay.
One of the primary goals of the USC Annenberg Center’s Institute for Multimedia
Literacy is to introduce a multimedia screen language into teaching, research, and
publication. Although it is difficult to explain this vision to colleagues in academia, the
following four principles that underlie the institute’s work should help to clarify the
discussion:
1. The multimedia language of the screen has become our vernacular.
Imagine living and teaching in Padua around the year 1300. Inside the stone walls
of that great university, your colleagues lecture in Latin but the people walking on the streets
below, including your students, speak Italian. Eventually, that vernacular has to be
embraced within the Italian academy.
The print was instrumental in promoting mass literacy and as such has proven to be
tremendously important. But to privilege a print language is often to ignore the progress of
the technologies created since the primary modes of print were developed. Today, the
images and sounds that exist on computers, television, and film screens have become our
vernacular, more often than not the source of our everyday shared experiences as human
beings.
2. The language of multimedia is capable of constructing complex meanings
independent of the text.
Media creators and scholars believe that images and sounds, integrated into a time-
based medium, can be as important as text in creating knowledge and communicating
ideas and information. At its most fundamental level, their work does not endorse the
premise widely held for the past two millennia that comprehension of and expression
through the printed medium defines what it means to be literate and, by extension,
educated.
By arguing for the importance of the language of the screen, media scholars do not
intend to attack words or print. Rather, we wish to emphasize the value of a multimedia
language—which has clear differences and, in some instances, advantages overprint. Print
carries its own technological bias. It supports linear argument but does not value aspects of
experience that cannot be contained in books. The print is inadequate for nonverbal
modes of thought and nonlinear construction.
Similar to text, multimedia enables us to develop concepts and abstractions,
comparisons and metaphors, while at the same time engaging our emotional and aesthetic
sensibilities. Think for a moment of the still images that have defined many of the important
moments of our lifetime: a sailor kissing a girl in Times Square at the end of World War II,
a young Vietnamese girl fleeing napalm, or a college student at Kent State kneeling over a
body. These images demand no text be understood, although the text may extend their
meaning. Multimedia and cinema, while sometimes enriched by language, embrace many
other elements as equal—not only image but also sound, duration, color, and design.
One of the greatest challenges we faced in early courses offered through the
Institute for Multimedia Literacy was to convince students and faculty that they did not need
to describe with words what was on the screen. The images and sound sequences could
stand alone.
3. The language of multimedia enables modes of thought, communication, teaching,
research, and publication that are essentially different from the text.
Multimedia encourages approaches different from those used to write text, as
evidenced by its vocabulary. One creates and constructs media rather than writing it; one
navigates and explores it rather than reading it. The process is active, interactive, and often
social, allowing for many angles of view.
Perhaps the key characteristic of multimedia production is that it most often involves
a collaborative effort. Collaboration is an implicit part of the creative process; indeed, faculty
have commented on the surprisingly consistent ability among students to collaborate, each
contributing his or her unique abilities and ideas to bear on the project at hand. Most
interesting is the collaboration evident among faculty, which may well offer important
avenues for cross-disciplinary research.
Another production technique distinguishing multimedia from text is that the final
product is most successful when it emerges in large part during the process of creation.
Multimedia forms allow room for discovery and even serendipity during their production or
creation. One of America’s great filmmakers, Walter Murch, who edited The English
Patient, among other well-known films, refers to this process as the “collision of intelligence,”
which produces something unforeseen by the creative team—a process that allows for and
respects intuition. In many ways, this process constitutes a type of active
 research in which one studies what one is doing while doing it. It allows for rapid iteration
and quick changes of direction.
Multimedia may well have the potential to provide a much-needed new space in
which cross-disciplinary conversation can occur between the humanities and the sciences.
Finally, media forms usually are meant for public distribution and presentation. This
has led to a shift like an authorship for our students, who no longer write only to please their
professors. They want to be understood by their peers and others who will see and
experience their projects. Indeed, they often return to our labs many months after the
completion of a course to continue working on a project. Likewise, faculty in our workshops
are intent on making their research projects accessible to those outside their discipline.
Faculty from disciplines as diverse as quantum physics, art history, and philosophy have
found common ground, insights, and points of access into the pedagogical and research
issues in one another’s disciplines. Multimedia may well have the potential to provide a
much-needed new space in which cross-disciplinary conversation can occur between the
humanities and the sciences.
4. To be truly literate in the 21st century, one must study multimedia as a language
and learn to both reads and write in its various forms.
Typical so-called media or visual literacy courses have severe limitations. They are
often based on underlying assumptions that television, cinema, and related media are
inferior forms of communication that may misrepresent reality, that media at its worst
manipulates us and at its best is superficial. The courses tend to limit the definition of
literacy to a “read-only” approach, when in fact full media literacy demands the ability to
create as well as to interpret.
To read and write the language of multimedia and learn how it creates meaning
within particular contexts, one needs some understanding of frame composition, color
palette, editing techniques, and sound-image relations, as well as the ability to mobilize
generic and narrative conventions and some knowledge of the context of signs and images,
sound as a conveyor of meaning, and the effects of typography. Outside schools of film,
instruction in these formal elements of multimedia and cinematic construction are not
provided in the same way that it is in English or foreign languages. Even the most cursory
knowledge of media is not included in the general education curriculum of most colleges or
universities.
The Institute for Multimedia Literacy is committed to empowering faculty and
students to choose the best language for the task at hand. In some cases this language
may well be linear text, in other cases, one or more kinds of multimedia may be most
effective. To make that choice, one must have a command of the elements of multimedia
and screen language and understand how to use it to create and disseminate knowledge.
Questions
Read the questions and instructions carefully.
1. Define literacy, traditional literacy, and 21st literacy.
2. Identify the benefits of globalization.
3. Differentiate Traditional literacy from conventional literacy.

Evaluate:
Prepare a detailed lesson plan that incorporates some of the new literacies.
References:
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/nelp-report-developing-early-
literacy#:~:text=Conventional%20literacy%20skills%20refers%20to,comprehension%2C%20
writing%2C%20and%20spelling.&text=Conventional%20reading%20and%20writing%20skill
s,with%20later%20conventional%20literacy%20skills.
https://nces.ed.gov/naal/literacytypes.asp
http://forum.mit.edu/articles/expanding-the-concept-of-
literacy/#:~:text=An%20expanded%20definition%20of%20literacy,computers%20rather%20t
han%20print%20language.
 Lesson 2: Globalization and Cultural and Multicultural
Literacies
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students would be able to:

Give the implications on both the national and individual level of
globalization
Identify the cultural and multicultural literacy in the Philippines
Share personal level of cultural and multicultural literacy

What is Multicultural Literacy?

Multicultural Literacy consists of the skills and ability to

identify the creators of knowledge and their interests (Banks,
1996), to uncover the assumptions of knowledge, to view
knowledge from a diverse ethnic and cultural perspective, and to
use knowledge to guide action that will create a humane and just
world (Boutte, 2008).
Multicultural Literacy then brings attention to diversity,
equity, and social justice to foster cultural awareness by addressing difficult issues like
discrimination and oppression towards other ethnicities (Boutte, 2008). According to Boutte
(2008), education for multicultural literacy should help students to develop the 21st-century
skills and attitudes that are needed to become active citizens who will work towards
achieving social justice within our communities. Because of the growing racial, language,
and ethnic diversity in our country, Multicultural Literacy needs to be transformed in
substantial ways to prepare students to function effectively in the 21st Century (Boutte,
2008).
By making small changes within the classrooms, it can create big changes globally
(Boutte, 2008). As diversity grows, there is a need for the emergence of multicultural
education that is more representative of the students in today’s classrooms. By teaching
students to be advocates for multiculturalism, we are also sending a message of empathy
and tolerance in schools as a need to develop a deeper understanding of others and
appreciation of different cultures (Banks, 2003). With this being said, for students to develop
these attitudes and skills, it requires basic knowledge before teaching students how to
question assumptions about cultural knowledge and how to critique and critically think about
these important cultural issues, which is what essentially makes Multicultural Literacy a 21st
Century Literacy (Banks, 2003).

What is Global Literacy?

Global Literacy aims to address issues of globalization, racism,

diversity, and social justice (Guo, 2014). It requires awareness and action,
consistent with a broad understanding of humanity, the planet, and the
impact of the human decision on both. Global Literacy also aims to
empower students with the knowledge and take action to make a positive
impact in the world and their local community (Guo, 2014).
 According to the Ontario Ministry of Education (2015), A global citizen should display
most or all of the following characteristics:
 Respect for humans no matter their race, gender, religion, or political perspectives.
 Respect for diversity and various perspectives.
 Promoting sustainable patterns of living, consumption, and production.
 Appreciate the natural world and demonstrate respect towards the rights of all living
things.

How are Multicultural and Global Literacy Interconnected?

Every classroom contains students of a different race, religion, and cultural group.
Students embrace diverse behaviors, cultural values, patterns of practice, and communication.
Yet they all share one commonality: their educational opportunity (Guo,
2014).
Teachers should teach their students that other cultures exist and that these deserve
to be acknowledged and respected. Integrating a variety of cultural contexts into lessons
and activities teaches students to view the world from many angles, creates respect for
diversity, and enables students to learn exciting information. As classrooms become
increasingly more diverse, it is important for educators to acknowledge and address
diversity issues and to integrate multiculturalism information into the classroom curriculum
(Guo, 2014).

Globalization

Globalization – what is it? What is the definition of globalization? Benefits and

negative effects? What are the top examples of globalization? What famous quotes have
been said about globalization?
What is Globalization?
Globalization means the speedup of movements and exchanges (of human beings,
goods, and services, capital, technologies, or cultural practices) all over the planet. One of
the effects of globalization is that it promotes and increases interactions between different
regions and populations around the globe.
An Official Definition of Globalization by the World Health Organization (WHO)
According to WHO, globalization can be defined as ” the increased
interconnectedness and interdependence of peoples and countries. It is generally
understood to include two interrelated elements: the opening of international borders to
increasingly fast flows of goods, services, finance, people and ideas; and the changes in
institutions and policies at national and international levels that facilitate or promote such
flows.”
What Is Globalization in the Economy?
According to the Committee for Development Policy (a subsidiary body of the
United Nations), from an economic point of view, globalization can be defined as:
“(…) the increasing interdependence of world economies as a result of the growing scale
of cross-border trade of commodities and services, the flow of international capital, and the
wide and rapid spread of technologies. It reflects the continuing expansion and mutual
integration of market frontiers (…) and the rapid growing significance of information in all
types of productive activities and marketization are the two major driving forces for
economic globalization.”
 Related: Planet VS Economy: How Coronavirus Is Unraveling A Dysfunctional
System
What Is Globalization in Geography?
In geography, globalization is defined as the set of processes (economic, social,
cultural, technological, institutional) that contribute to the relationship between societies and
individuals around the world. It is a progressive process by which exchanges and flows
between different parts of the world are intensified.
Globalization and the G20: What is the G20?
The G20 is a global bloc composed of governments and central bank governors
from 19 countries and the European Union (EU). Established in 1999, the G20 gathers the
most important industrialized and developing economies to discuss international economic
and financial stability. Together, the nations of the G20 account for around 80% of global
economic output, nearly 75 percent of all global trade, and about two-thirds of the world’s
population.
G20 leaders get together in an annual summit to discuss and coordinate pressing global
issues of mutual interest. Though economics and trade are usually the centerpieces of each
summit’s agenda, issues like climate change, migration policies, terrorism, the future of
work, or global wealth are recurring focuses too. Since the G20 leaders represent the
“political backbone of the global financial architecture that secures open markets, orderly
capital flows, and a safety net for countries in difficulty”, it is often thanks to bilateral
meetings during summits that major international agreements are achieved and that
globalization can move forward.
The joint action of G20 leaders has unquestionably been useful to save the global
financial system in the 2008/2009 crisis, thanks to trade barriers removal and the
implementation of huge financial reforms. Nonetheless, the G20 was been struggling to be
successful at coordinating monetary and fiscal policies and unable to root out tax evasion
and corruption, among other downsides of globalization. As a result of this and other failures
from the G20 in coordinating globalization, popular, nationalist movements across the world
have been defending countries should pursue their interests alone or form fruitful coalitions.
How Do We Make Globalization More Just?
The ability of countries to rise above narrow self-interest has brought unprecedented
economic wealth and plenty of applicable scientific progress. However, for different reasons,
not everyone has been benefiting the same from globalization and technological change:
wealth is unfairly distributed and economic growth came at huge environmental costs. How
can countries rise above narrow self-interest and act together or designing fairer societies
and a healthier planet? How do we make globalization more just?
According to Christine Lagarde, former President of the International Monetary
Fund, “debates about trade and access to foreign goods are as old as society itself ” and
history tells us that closing borders or protectionism policies are not the way to go, as many
countries doing it have failed.
Lagarde defends we should pursue globalization policies that extend the benefits
of openness and integration while alleviating their side effects. How to make globalization
more just is a very complex question that involves redesigning economic systems. But
how? That’s the question.
Globalization is deeply connected with economic systems and markets, which, in
their turn, impact and are impacted by social issues, cultural factors that are hard to
 overcome, regional specificities, timings of activities, and collaborative networks. All of this
requires, on one hand, global consensus and cooperation, and on the other, country-
specific solutions, apart from a good definition of the adjective “just”.
When Did Globalization Begin? The History of Globalization

For some people, this global phenomenon is inherent to human nature. Because of
this, some say globalization begun about 60,000 years ago, at the beginning of human
history. Throughout time, human societies’ exchanging trade has been growing. Since the
old times, different civilizations have developed commercial trade routes and experienced
cultural exchanges. And as well, the migratory phenomenon has also been contributing to
these populational exchanges. Especially nowadays, since traveling became quicker, more
comfortable, and more affordable.
This phenomenon has continued throughout history, notably through military
conquests and exploration expeditions. But it wasn’t until technological advances in
transportation and communication that globalization speeded up. It was particularly after
the second half of the 20th century that world trades accelerated in such a dimension and
speed that the term “globalization” started to be commonly used.
Are we living oppositely to sustainable development?
Because of trade developments and financial exchanges, we often think of
globalization as an economic and financial phenomenon. Nonetheless, it includes a much
wider field than just flowing goods, services, or capital. Often referred to as the globalization
concept map, some examples of globalization are:
Economic globalization: is the development of trade systems within transnational
actors such as corporations or NGOs;
Financial globalization: can be linked with the rise of a global financial system with
international financial exchanges and monetary exchanges. Stock markets, for instance, are
a great example of the financially connected global world since when one stock market has a
decline, it affects other markets negatively as well as the economy as a whole.
Cultural globalization: refers to the interpenetration of cultures which, as a
consequence, means nations adopt principles, beliefs, and costumes of other nations,
losing their unique culture to a unique, globalized supra-culture;
Political globalization: the development and growing influence of international
organizations such as the UN or WHO means governmental action takes place at an
international level. Other bodies are operating a global level such as NGOs like Doctors
without borders or Oxfam;
Sociological globalization: information moves almost in real-time, together with the
interconnection and interdependence of events and their consequences. People move all
the time too, mixing and integrating different societies;
Technological globalization: the phenomenon by which millions of people have
interconnected thanks to the power of the digital world via platforms such as Facebook,
Instagram, Skype, or Youtube.
Geographic globalization: is the new organization and hierarchy of different regions
of the world that is constantly changing. Moreover, with transportation and flying made so
easy and affordable, apart from a few countries with demanding visas, it is possible to travel
the world without barely any restrictions;
Ecological globalization: accounts for the idea of considering planet Earth as a
single global entity – a common good all societies should protect since the weather affects
everyone and we are all protected by the same atmosphere. In this regard, it is often said
that the poorest countries that have been polluting the least will suffer the most from climate
change.
The Benefits of Globalization
Globalization has benefits that cover many different areas. It reciprocally developed
economies all over the world and increased cultural exchanges. It also allowed financial
exchanges between companies, changing the paradigm of work. Many people are
nowadays citizens of the world. The origin of goods became secondary and geographic
distance is no longer a barrier for many services to happen. Let’s dig deeper.
The Engine of Globalization – An Economic Example
The most visible impacts of globalization are the ones affecting the economic
world. Globalization has led to a sharp increase in trade and economic exchanges, but also
to a multiplication of financial exchanges.
In the 1970s world economies opened up and the development of free trade policies
accelerated the globalization phenomenon. Between 1950 and 2010, world exports
increased 33-fold. This significantly contributed to increasing the interactions between
different regions of the world.
This acceleration of economic exchanges has led to strong global economic growth.
It fostered as well a rapid global industrial development that allowed the rapid development
of many of the technologies and commodities we have available nowadays.
Knowledge became easily shared and international cooperation among the brightest
minds speeded things up. According to some analysts, globalization has also contributed
to improving global economic conditions, creating much economic wealth (thas was,
nevertheless, unequally distributed – more information ahead).
 Globalization Benefits – A Financial Example
At the same time, finance also became globalized. From the 1980s, driven by neo-
liberal policies, the world of finance gradually opened. Many states, particularly the US
under Ronald Reagan and the UK under Margaret Thatcher introduced the famous “3D
Policy”: Disintermediation, Decommissioning, Deregulation.
The idea was to simplify finance regulations, eliminate mediators and break down
the barriers between the world’s financial centers. And the goal was to make it easier to
exchange capital between the world’s financial players. This financial globalization has
contributed to the rise of a global financial market in which contracts and capital exchanges
have multiplied.
Globalization – A Cultural Example

Together with economic and financial

globalization, there has also been cultural
globalization. Indeed, the multiplication of economic
and financial exchanges has been followed by an
increase in human exchanges such as migration,
expatriation, or traveling. These human exchanges
have contributed to the development of cultural
exchanges. This means that different customs and
habits shared among local communities have been
shared among communities that (used to) have
different procedures and even different beliefs.
Good examples of cultural globalization are, for instance, the trading of commodities
such as coffee or avocados. Coffee is said to be originally from Ethiopia and consumed in
the Arabid region. Nonetheless, due to commercial trades after the 11th century, it is
nowadays known as a globally consumed commodity. Avocados, for instance, are grown
mostly under the tropical temperatures of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or Peru. They
started by being produced in small quantities to supply the local populations but today
guacamole or avocado toasts are common in meals all over the world.
At the same time, books, movies, and music are now instantaneously available all
around the world thanks to the development of the digital world and the power of the internet.
These are perhaps the greatest contributors to the speed at which cultural exchanges and
globalization are happening. There are also other examples of globalization regarding
traditions like Black Friday in the US, the Brazilian Carnival, or the Indian Holi Festival.
They all were created following their countries’ local traditions and beliefs but as the world
got to know them, they are now common traditions in other countries too.
Why Is Globalization Bad? The Negative Effects of Globalization
Globalization is a complex phenomenon. As such, it has a considerable influence
on several areas of contemporary societies. Let’s take a look at some of the main negative
effects globalization has had so far.
The Negative Effects of Globalization on Cultural Loss
Apart from all the benefits globalization has had on allowing cultural exchanges it
also homogenized the world’s cultures. That’s why specific cultural characteristics from
some countries are disappearing. From languages to traditions or even specific industries.
That’s why according to UNESCO, the mix between the benefits of globalization and the
protection of local culture’s uniqueness requires a careful approach.
The Economic Negative Effects of Globalization
Despite its benefits, the economic growth driven by globalization has not been done
without awakening criticism. The consequences of globalization are far from homogeneous:
income inequalities, disproportional wealth, and trades that benefit parties differently. In the
end, one of the criticisms is that some actors (countries, companies, individuals) benefit
more from the phenomena of globalization, while others are sometimes perceived as the
“losers” of globalization. A recent report from Oxfam says that 82% of the world’s generated
wealth goes to 1% of the population.
The Negative Effects of Globalization on the Environment

Many critics have also pointed out that

globalization has negative effects on
the environment. Thus, the massive
development of transport that has been
the basis of globalization is also
responsible for serious environmental
problems such as greenhouse gas
emissions, global warming, or air
pollution.
At the same time, global
economic growth and industrial
productivities are both the driving force and the major consequences of globalization. They
also have big environmental consequences as they contribute to the depletion of natural
resources, deforestation and the destruction of ecosystems, and the loss of biodiversity.
The worldwide distribution of goods is also creating a big garbage problem, especially on
what concerns plastic pollution.
Globalization, Sustainable Development, and CSR
Globalization affects all sectors of activity to a greater or lesser extent. By doing so,
its gap with issues that have to do with sustainable development and corporate social
responsibility is short.
By promoting large-scale industrial production and the globalized circulation of
goods, globalization is sometimes opposed to concepts such as resource savings, energy
savings, or the limitation of greenhouse gases. As a result, critics of globalization often
argue that it contributes to accelerating climate change and that it does not respect the
principles of ecology. At the same time, big companies that don’t give local jobs and choose
instead to use the manpower of countries with low wages (to have lower costs) or pay taxes
in countries with more favorable regulations are also opposed to the criteria of
a CSR approach. Moreover, the ideologies of economic growth and the constant pursuit of
productivity that come along with globalization, also make it difficult to design a sustainable
economy based on resilience.
On the other hand, globalization is also needed for the transitioning to a more
sustainable world, since only a global synergy would be able to allow a real ecological
transition. Issues such as global warming indeed require a coordinated response from all
global players: fight against CO2 emissions, reduction of waste, a transition to renewable
energies. The same goes for ocean or air pollution, or ocean acidification, problems that
can’t be solved without global action. The dissemination of green ideas also depends on
the ability of committed actors to make them heard globally.
The Road From Globalization to Regionalization

From a globalization perspective, regionalization

means a world that is less interconnected and has
a stronger regional focus.
Regionalization can also be analyzed from
a corporate perspective. For instance, businesses
such as McDonald’s or Starbucks don’t sell the
same products everywhere. In some specific stores,
they consider people’s regional habits. That’s why
the McChicken isn’t sold in India,
whereas in Portugal there’s a steak sandwich menu like the ones you can get in a typical
Portuguese restaurant.
What is cultural literacy?
You have cultural literacy when you know what an average member of that culture
would be expected to know, which is usually assumed and often unstated (Hirsch, 1983).
Hirsch (1983) developed the term "cultural literacy" because people can't learn reading,
writing, and other communication as skills separate from the culturally assumed knowledge
that shapes what people communicate about. For example, the meaning of many words is
culture-specific. Telling someone you wear thongs to the beach in Australia is common, but
it would have a very different reaction in the USA!
Cultural literacy is culture-specific. There are too many different cultures to be
literate in all of them. Most people have a fluent cultural literacy in their culture of origin, as
they will have been learning their culture's assumed knowledge from childhood. You will
need to develop new cultural literacies when you enter a new culture or interact with
members of that culture.
What is the assumed knowledge of culture?
Culture is often described as being like an
iceberg. Above the water are the aspects of the culture
that you can easily see and experience: language,
dress, food, festivals, and the like. Below the water,
where you can't see it, are the aspects of the culture that
those within the culture know and understand, often
without thinking about it or questioning it.
The unspoken aspects of a culture are
influenced by its history, values, and assumptions, and
range from perceptions of right and wrong, gender and other roles, and customs like the
use of personal space, to idiomatic language use (language based on assumed knowledge).
For example, people from English-speaking cultures usually know what a "white elephant"
is (a possession or gift that has no use and is expensive or difficult to keep), but the term
makes no sense unless you know what its meaning is in the culture.
Assumed knowledge and values have a real impact on people's lives. One example
is racism, in which people do not have an understanding or valuing of the other culture or
peoples, and negatively stereotype its members. Racism can lead to discrimination,
exclusion, and even violence.
Another example is gender and gender roles. Many cultures recognize only male
and female genders and have assumptions about what a man or a woman should be, or
do: how to behave, what to wear, what kinds of work they can do. "Men are strong" and
"women are caring" are two examples of cultural assumptions about gender. People who
don't match up to the assumptions may be judged negatively.
Culture can also be specific to workplaces or institutions. When you first arrived at
university, did you feel like you didn't understand much of what was going on? The values,
customs, and language, and terminology used at university have to be learned like any other
culture. Words such as 'referencing' have meanings, expectations, assumptions, and right-
and-wrongs that may often be unstated.
Why is cultural literacy important?
Cultural literacy is important both to individuals and to the society they live in.
As an individual, your cultural literacy will help you to successfully interact with
people from diverse backgrounds, including Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples. It helps you to develop a critical cultural perspective, especially if you are part of
the dominant culture': instead of taking your own cultural beliefs and practices for granted
and seeing them as 'normal', you can see them in the context of many cultures and evaluate
their strengths and limitations (Flavell, Thackrah & Hoffman, 2013). Cultural literacy also
helps you develop associated skills, such as communication and self-reflection (Flavell,
Thackrah & Hoffman, 2013).
 Cultural literacy contributes positively to the society in which you live. It
 reduces prejudice and inequality based on culture,
 increases the value placed on diversity, and
 increases participation in the social practices of that society, including
access to institutions and services (Anning, 2010).
For example, when culturally literate people influence institutions like universities or
government agencies, they can ensure that people from all cultural backgrounds can
participate equitably in education and services.
Literacy & Education
Literacy continues to be a part of the work of SIL internationally and in the
Philippines. SIL is involved in literacy activities which touch the lives of adults, young people,
and children.
Although the Philippines has a basic literacy rate of more than 88.5%, pockets of
illiteracy remain. According to the Department of Education, there are more than 1 million
pre-literates in the country and more than 6 million people are deemed to be functionally
illiterate. Many of these are found among the indigenous cultural communities where SIL
works in association with the Philippines Department of Education.
Some of these communities have no written tradition for their languages. In those
instances, linguistic research can be the starting point for the development of an appropriate
orthography for the language. The goal is to produce an alphabet that is easy to read and
write so that students can transfer their literacy skills in the vernacular into other Philippine
languages that they learn. SIL endeavors to serve these communities through a learner-
centered, “bottom-up” approach which keeps the power of decision – ownership of the
process and the product – in the hands of the community. We desire that, from the
beginning, learner success and enjoyment will build a foundation for continuing education,
benefitting the individual, the community, and the nation.

The Significance of Culture-based Education in the Philippines

The Philippines is the world’s second-largest archipelago which consists of more

than 7,000 islands. It is the only English-speaking archipelago in Southeast Asia with a
majority of people following the Catholic religion. The national language of the Philippines
is English next to Filipino and its uniqueness has a great impact on its education system.
The Philippine education system is based on the American system where English is the
medium of instruction. Along with academics social and cultural aspects are also cherished
by the Philippine schools.
Culture is the foundation of education, sustainable development, and governance
in culture-based education. Culture provides perspective, methodology, principle,
assessment, framework, and evaluation upon which abilities, skills, and knowledge
regarding a person and the world are disseminated. It is a teaching strategy and a
philosophy of education where student learning is grounded on the unique values, norms,
cultural beliefs, knowledge, practices, heritage, language, experiences of the community.
The Filipinos develop a great understanding, awareness, and appreciation of their history,
arts, heritage, and geography towards the perception that will enhance the quality of life.
With the implementation of culture-based education, the Philippines visualizes progress as
a nation of culturally empowered and literate Filipinos who are committed global citizens
as well as ardent nationalists and patriotic people.
The motive of Culture-based Education
Applying cultural values in education has a positive effect on several elements. It
nurtures the sense of belonging, identity, and strengthens community participation; it also
promotes appreciation and understanding of history and cultural heritage. Cultural heritage
is not only about old things but also about new objects, practices, and places which hold
cultural value for recent generations. The crucial role of the community’s culture carriers in
the teaching and learning process is maintained. A sense of responsibility in valuing,
developing, and protecting the environment is inculcated in children. Students develop
competencies and cultural skills which are required for interacting with people around the
world. The culture instills a sense of national pride and develops an individual’s identity as
a nation. Preserving the cultural memory will lead to a greater understanding of the nation’s
destiny in the global society and community of nations.

Philippines – Cultural Challenges

A significant part of a successful international assignment is being able to adapt to

the new culture. Although full assimilation is almost always impossible, it’s very important to
at least understand the culture and eliminate the distress that comes with moving into a new
nation. The Philippines has an amusing lifestyle, given the diverse cultural influences, mainly
from the Spanish, American mixed with the original Southeast Asian culture.
Amor Propio
One interesting thing about Filipinos is the Amor-Propio or one’s sense of self. An
expatriate needs to understand this whole concept of Amor-propio and everything that
comes with it, namely the hiya, utang na loob, and euphemisms as this will be a part of your
living as they communicate and form relationships with the locals.
 To an outsider or an expatriate, amor-propio seems like a simple characteristic and
understood exactly as its literal translation: self-love.
But this high sense of dignity strengthens all other traditional characteristics of
Filipinos that may seem to contradict a westerner who grew up with a strong sense of
individuality and frankness.
Hiya or Social Propriety
An example of this is the hiya or shame if translated literally. Sociologist-
anthropologist Mary Hollnsteiner described hiya as a sense of social propriety. This
instigates the need for Filipinos to conform to society’s
standards of what’s normal and what isn’t. You wouldn’t want to do anything that
will cause your bloodline shame.
Utang na Loob or Debt of Gratitude
Another traditional characteristic is the utang na loob or debt of gratitude. Although
utang na loob is not exclusively a Filipino belief, it’s highly respected and followed by the
citizens. This concept of reciprocity isn’t as simple as the regular debt, as utang na loob is
highly subjective being based heavily on one’s manners or etiquette and quantified solely
by emotions and sometimes hiya, or social propriety.
There is also a widely followed idea in the country where the child owes her parents
for supporting him and giving them their needs from birth up to adulthood. This social and
emotional indebtedness encourages the children to give back once they get their diplomas.
When he gets a job, he is expected to help support the family as a way of giving back to his
parents after raising him to adulthood. This is frowned upon and considered irrational by
free-thinkers and misunderstood by expatriates but the acceptability of this concept mostly
depends on the families themselves.
High Context Communicators
Filipinos are also more of high context communicators rather than low-context.
Confrontation will be avoided as much as possible, as this might express negative
intentions. Most Filipinos will be very shy to say “No” to you and would rather say something
considerate and hope that the other person gets it that he meant “No.” Examples of this
are, “Maybe,” “I will try,” “I will make an effort to,” “I’m not sure but I will try,” “We’ll see how
it goes,” “I don’t know.” This can be a problem, especially at work, if the other person is not
used to non-verbal cues, and/or cannot pick up the hint that he wanted to say “No” but is
too polite to say it directly.
Filipino Time
One thing to also take note of is the Filipino’s concept of time. Filipinos are
polychromic as opposed to monochromic like most western countries. Schedules must
remain loose.
In general, the Filipinos are very welcoming and optimistic. There are a lot of festivals or
fiestas, and there’s always a reason to celebrate and have a good time. There are also a
lot of superstitions that are still widely believed all over the country, but especially in the
provinces.
Like all transitions, relocating to the Philippines won’t be easy and will take a lot of
understanding and patience. But the Filipinos are, in general, very hospitable and helpful,
and will help you as much as possible to make your transition manageable.
 Multicultural Literacy

Multicultural literacy refers to the skills involved when uncovering bias in regards
to culture, as well as the ability to take different perspectives to gain a more humane
perspective. Students need to be multiculturally literate because it is very multicultural.
Students need to be able to take the perspectives of different cultures to allow themselves
to grow into responsible citizens, who consider other people's opinions.
Why is multicultural literacy important?
Multicultural literature serves as a powerful tool in enabling students to gain a better
understanding of both their own culture and the cultures of others. ... Students, therefore,
develop greater cognitive skills as they learn to engage with and critically evaluate the texts
that they read.
Questions:
1. Are we living oppositely to sustainable development?
2. How are Multicultural and Global Literacy Interconnected?
3. Philippines – Cultural Challenges
4. The Significance of Culture-based Education in the Philippines
5. What is Global Literacy?
6. What Is Globalization in the Economy?
7. What is Globalization?
8. What is Multicultural Literacy
9. Why Is Globalization Bad? The Negative Effects of Globalization
10. Why Is Globalization Bad? The Negative Effects of Globalization
11. Why is multicultural literacy important?
12. Why is cultural literacy important?
Evaluate:
Prepare a detailed lesson plan that incorporates some of the new literacies.

https://www.google.com/search?q=multicultural+literacy&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH874PH874&o
q=mu&aqs=chrome.0.35i39i457j0i67j69i57j35i39j69i60l4.1870j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UT
F-8
https://sites.google.com/site/teaching21stcenturyliteracies/multicultural-literacy
https://philippines.sil.org/language_development/literacy_education#:~:text=Although%20the
%20Philippines%20has%20a,%25%2C%20pockets%20of%20illiteracy%20remain.&text=Ma
ny%20of%20these%20are%20found,written%20tradition%20for%20their%20languages.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/11-things-you-should-know-about-the-
filipino-culture/
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart/home/cultural_literacy/why_is_cultural_literac
y_important
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart/home/cultural_literacy/what_is_cultural_litera
cy
https://21stcenturyliteracy214.wordpress.com/test-2/
https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-globalization-definition-benefits-effects-
examples/#:~:text=At%20the%20same%20time%2C%20global,ecosystems%20and%20loss
%20of%20biodiversity.
http://gaml.uis.unesco.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/12/4.6.1_07_4.6-defining-
literacy.pdf
Lesson 3: Social Literacy
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students would be able to:

Define social literacy
Explain the rules of parents and teachers in teaching social skills
Discuss and examine issues in social literacy
Social Literacy is a student’s successful performance and understanding of social
skills, organizational skills, and communication skills. The student can connect effectively
with those around them. Social literacy spans interacting with peers, family, coworkers,
teachers, and even people we may not have met face to face.
Social literacy is so crucial in a person’s success. The ability to communicate and voice
opinions and thoughts, as well as listening to the opinions and thoughts of others, is
essential in learning. Firmly grasping social cues and norms is extremely beneficial. In
literally every single setting of our lives: school, home, work, clubs, and activities,
interacting with people (whether face to face or behind the technology), we use our social
literacy. We play so many roles every day and we socially need to understand how to play
those roles appropriately. For example, I would speak differently with my friends than I
would my mother, or I would chat on Facebook differently than I would while emailing a
professor. Without an understanding of this communication, one cannot function with
success in society.

What Are 21st Century Skills?

21st Century skills are 12 abilities that today’s students need to succeed in their
careers during the Information Age.
The twelve 21st Century skills are:
Critical thinking Social skills
Creativity
Collaboration
Communication
Information literacy
Media literacy
Technology literacy
Flexibility
Leadership
Initiative
Productivity
 These skills are intended to help students keep up with the lightning-pace of today’s
modern markets. Each skill is unique in how it helps students, but they all have one quality in
common.

The Three 21st Century Skill Categories

Each 21st Century skill is broken into one of three categories:

Learning skills
Literacy skills
Life skills
Learning skills (the four C’s) teach students about the mental processes required to
adapt and improve upon a modern work environment.
 Literacy skills (IMT) focuses on how students can discern facts, publishing outlets, and
the technology behind them. There’s a strong focus on determining trustworthy sources and
factual information to separate it from the misinformation that floods the Internet.
Life skills (FLIPS) take a look at intangible elements of a student’s everyday life. These
intangibles focus on both personal and professional qualities.
Altogether, these categories cover all 12 21st Century skills that contribute to a
student’s future career.

This is 21st Century skills Category

Category 1. Learning Skills (The Four C’s)

The four C’s are by far the most popular 21st Century skills. These skills are also
called learning skills.
More educators know about these skills because they’re universal needs for any
career. They also vary in terms of importance, depending on an individual’s career aspirations.
Critical thinking: Finding solutions to problems
Creativity: Thinking outside the box
Collaboration: Working with others
Communication: Talking to others
Arguably, critical thinking is the most important quality for someone to have in health
sciences.
 In business settings, critical thinking is essential to improvement. It’s the mechanism
that weeds out problems and replaces them with fruitful endeavors.
It’s what helps students figure stuff out for themselves when they don’t have a teacher
at their disposal.
Creativity is equally important as a means of adaptation. This skill empowers students
to see concepts in a different light, which leads to innovation.
In any field, innovation is key to the adaptability and overall success of a company.
Learning creativity as a skill requires someone to understand that “the way things have
always been done” may have been best 10 years ago — but someday, that has to change.
Collaboration means getting students to work together, achieve compromises, and get
the best possible results from solving a problem.
Collaboration may be the most difficult concept in the four C’s. But once it’s mastered,
it can bring companies back from the brink of bankruptcy.
The key element of collaboration is willingness. All participants have to be willing to
sacrifice parts of their ideas and adopt others to get results for the company.
That means understanding the idea of a “greater good,” which in this case tends to be
a company-wide success.
Finally, communication is the glue that brings all of these educational qualities together.
Communication is a requirement for any company to maintain profitability. Students
must learn how to effectively convey ideas among different personality types.
That has the potential to eliminate confusion in a workplace, which makes your students
valuable parts of their teams, departments, and companies.
Effective communication is also one of the most underrated soft skills in the United
States. For many, it’s viewed as a “given,” and some companies may even take good
communication for granted.
But when employees communicate poorly, whole projects fall apart. No one can see the
objectives they want to achieve. No one can take responsibility because nobody’s claimed it.
Without understanding proper communication, students in the 21st Century will lack a
pivotal skill to progress their careers.
But the four C’s are only the beginning. 21st Century skills also require students to
understand the information that’s around them.
Category 2. Literacy Skills (IMT)
 Literacy skills are the next category of 21st Century skills.
They’re sometimes called IMT skills, and they’re each concerned with a different
element in digital comprehension.
Information literacy: Understanding facts, figures, statistics, and data
Media literacy: Understanding the methods and outlets in which information is
published
Technology literacy: Understanding the machines that make the Information Age
possible
Information literacy is the foundational skill. It helps students understand facts,
especially data points, that they’ll encounter online.
More importantly, it teaches them how to separate fact from fiction.
In an age of chronic misinformation, finding truth online has become a job all on its own.
Students must identify honesty on their own.
Otherwise, they can fall prey to myths, misconceptions, and outright lies.
Media literacy is the practice of identifying publishing methods, outlets, and sources
while distinguishing between the ones that are credible and the ones that aren’t.
Just like the previous skill, media literacy helps find truth in a world that’s saturated with
information.
This is how students find trustworthy sources of information in their lives. Without it,
anything that looks credible becomes credible.
But with it, they can learn which media outlets or formats to ignore. They also learn
which ones to embrace, which is equally important.
Last, technology literacy goes another step further to teach students about the
machines involved in the Information Age.
As computers, cloud programming, and mobile devices become more important to the
world, the world needs more people to understand those concepts.
Technology literacy gives students the basic information they need to understand what
gadgets perform what tasks and why.
 This understanding removes the intimidating feeling that technology tends to have.
After all, if you don’t understand how the technology works, it might as well be magic.
But technology literacy unmasks the high-powered tools that run today’s world.
As a result, students can adapt to the world more effectively. They can play an important
role in its evolution.
They might even guide its future.
But to truly round out a student’s 21st Century skills, they need to learn from a third
category.
Category 3. Life Skills (FLIPS)

Life skills are the final category. Also called FLIPS, these skills all pertain to someone’s
personal life, but they also bleed into professional settings.
Flexibility: Deviating from plans as needed
Leadership: Motivating a team to accomplish a goal
Initiative: Starting projects, strategies, and plans on one’s own
Productivity: Maintaining efficiency in an age of distractions
Social skills: Meeting and networking with others for mutual benefit
Flexibility is the expression of someone’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
This is one of the most challenging qualities to learn for students because it’s based on
two uncomfortable ideas:
Your way isn’t always the best
You have to know and admit when you’re wrong
That’s a struggle for a lot of students, especially in an age when you can know any bit
of information at the drop of a hat.
Flexibility requires them to show humility and accept that they’ll always have a lot to
learn — even when they’re experienced.
Still, flexibility is crucial to a student’s long-term success in a career. Knowing when to
change, how to change, and how to react to change is a skill that’ll pay dividends for
someone’s entire life.
It also plays a big role in the next skill in this category.
 Leadership is someone’s penchant for setting goals, walking a team through the steps
required, and achieving those goals collaboratively.
Whether someone’s a seasoned entrepreneur or a fresh hire just starting their careers,
leadership applies to career.
Entry-level workers need leadership skills for several reasons. The most important is
that it helps them understand the decisions that managers and business leaders make.
Then, those entry-level employees can apply their leadership skills when they’re
promoted to middle management (or the equivalent). This is where 21st Century skill learners
can apply the previous skills they’ve learned.
It’s also where they get the real-world experience they need to lead entire companies.
As they lead individual departments, they can learn the ins and outs of their specific careers.
That gives ambitious students the expertise they need to grow professionally and lead whole
corporations. Leadership alone isn’t enough to get ahead though. True success also
requires initiative, requiring students to be self-starters. The initiative only comes naturally to a
handful of people. As a result, students need o to learn it to fully succeed.
This is one of the hardest skills to learn and practice. Initiative often means working on
projects outside of regular working hours. The rewards for students with extreme initiative vary
from person to person. Sometimes they’re good grades. Other times they’re new business
ventures. Sometimes, it’s spending an extra 30 minutes at their jobs wrapping something up
before the weekend. Regardless, the initiative is an attribute that earns rewards. It’s especially
indicative of someone’s character in terms of work ethic and professional progress.
That goes double when an initiative is practiced with qualities like flexibility and
leadership. Along with initiative, 21st Century skills require students to learn about productivity.
That’s a student’s ability to complete work in an appropriate amount of time. In business terms,
it’s called “efficiency. The common goal of any professional — from entry-level employee to
CEO — is to get more done in less time.
By understanding productivity strategies at every level, students discover how they work
best while gaining an appreciation for how others work as well. That equips them with the
practical means to carry out the ideas they determine through flexibility, leadership, and
initiative. Still, there’s one last skill that ties all other 21st Century skills together. Social
skills are crucial to the ongoing success of a professional. Business is frequently done through
the connections one person makes with others around them.
This concept of networking is more active in some industries than others, but proper
social skills are excellent tools for forging long-lasting relationships. While these may have been
implied in past generations, the rise of social media and instant communications have changed
the nature of human interaction.
As a result, today’s students possess a wide range of social skills. Some are more
socially adept than others. Some are far behind their peers. And some lucky few may be far
ahead, as socializing comes naturally to them. But most students need a crash course in social
skills at least. Etiquette, manners, politeness, and small talk still play major roles in today’s
world.
 That means some students need to learn them in an educational setting instead of a
social setting. For them, it’s another skill to add to their lives. Now that we’ve established what
21st Century skills are, let’s answer the next big question.
Do employers want people with 21st Century skills?
What’s the Demand for 21st Century Skills?
While 21st Century skills have always been important, they’ve become essential in a
worldwide market that moves faster by the day.
These skills all double back to one key focus. Someone’s ability to enact and/or adapt
to change. This is because any industry is capable of changing at a moment’s notice. Industries
are now regularly disrupted with new ideas and methodologies. Those industries that haven’t
been disrupted aren’t immune though. They just haven’t been disrupted yet.
With that in mind, the world has entered an era where nothing is guaranteed. As a
result, students need to learn to guide the change that’ll inundate their lives. At the very least,
they need to learn how to react to it. Otherwise, they’ll be left behind. This is especially true as
customer demand accelerates in all industries along with expectations for newer features,
higher-level capabilities, and lower prices.
In today’s marketplace, falling behind means becoming obsolete. That’s a familiar
concept to all of today’s students as tomorrow’s advancements make today’s miracles quaint
or unimpressive.
Today, the only consistency from year to year is change. With 21st Century skills, your
students will have the adaptive qualities they need to keep up with a business environment
that’s constantly evolving.

How Do You Teach 21st Century Skills?

Now you know what 21st Century skills are and why employers want new hires to have
them. So how do you teach them in your daily classes? Before getting into the details, it's
important to identify who should teach 21st Century skills.
Importance of Teaching Social Skills to Children
As children get older, they become part of a larger social world. Many parents are
concerned about their child’s relationships. This includes relationships with other children and
adults in school as well as outside of school. How can parents help their children to develop
good social relationships?
Each child has his/her temperament. Some children enjoy higher levels of social activity
while other children prefer less. While this may be a preference child are born with, much of
what experts call ‘social competence’ or the ability to get along with others is skill-based or
learned. This means that it can be practiced and improved upon, especially if the child’s parent
is a patient coach.
Children don’t need to be the most popular in their class, but they do need good social
skills. Being sociable helps us with resilience (the ability to withstand hard times). Children who
are constantly rejected by peers are lonely and have lower self-esteem. When they are older,
these children are more likely to drop out of school and use drugs and alcohol. Parents can
help their children learn social skills so that they are not constantly rejected or begin to bully
and reject others.
Social skills include our emotions, intellect, ethics, and behaviors. Emotionally we learn
to manage strong feelings such as anger and show empathy for others. Our intellect is used
to solve relationship conflicts and make decisions. Ethically we develop the ability to sincerely
care for others and engage in socially-responsible actions. Behaviorally we learn specific
communication skills such as turn-taking and how to start a conversation.
Parents can act as coaches for their children to develop these social skills. Children
learn a lot from how parents treat them and when they observe how parents interact with
others. Parents, like other coaches, will need to be creative and specific in teaching social skills.
Beyond saying “You need to be better at X,” good coaches teach concrete skills and then
support the use of these skills across a variety of situations. The goal should be not just to
teach children to “be nice” but also to help them to advocate for themselves as well as care for
others.
Most children experience occasional rejection, and most children are sometimes
socially clumsy, insensitive, or even unkind. Signs that a child may need some social coaching
include:
Lacks at least one or two close mutual friends
Has trouble losing or winning gracefully
Doesn’t show empathy when others are hurt or rejected
Acts bossy or insists on their way a lot
Can’t seem to start or maintain a conversation
Uses a louder voice than most children
Seems constantly ignored or victimized by other children or constantly teases or annoys
other children
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents use a 4-part strategy
when helping their children develop social skills: Practice, Praise, Point out, and Prompt. These
four steps can be used when parents notice that a child needs to work on a particular social
skill. Before using them, however, the parent should point out the problem area sensitively and
privately (not in front of others) to the child.
Practice: A parent can help a child substitute a specific appropriate response for a
specific inappropriate one. This might mean brainstorming with the child about different
alternative responses and then practicing one or more with the child. Practicing can involve
mapping out actual words to say or behaviors to use, role-playing, and using the newly learned
skills in real situations.
Praise: Often children are not eager to work on new skills so parents must reward their
children with praise when the new skills are practiced as a way of helping the skills become
habits. This might be a specific verbal statement (“You did an awesome job of X instead of Y
when you got angry at the store”), a nonverbal sign such as a thumbs up, or even a treat (10
minutes extra fun time before bedtime).
Point Out: Parents can use opportunities to point out when others are using the desired
skills. It might be a specific behavior of the parent, another adult, a child, or even a character
 in a book or on TV. The idea is to give children examples and role models of people engaging
in the appropriate social skill.
Prompt: Without nagging, parents can gently remind their child to use a new skill when
the opportunity arises. This might be verbal (“Now might be a good time to count to ten in your
head”) or nonverbal (a nonverbal cue such as zipping the lips when a child is about to interrupt).
Any good coach knows that patience is important because learning new skills takes
time and practice. And everyone differs in how long it takes to learn something new. Coaches
often have to be creative in their teaching strategies because children have different ways of
learning.
The important thing to remember is that the ability to have good social relationships is
not simply about personality or in-born traits. People who get along with others have learned
skills to do so, and they practice these regularly. Just like a good coach can make a difference
for a budding soccer player, parents can help their children become socially skilled.
Questions:
1. Define social literacy
2. Explain the rules of parents and teachers in teaching social skills
3. Discuss and examine issues in social literacy
4. What Are 21st Century Skills?
5. How Do You Teach 21st Century Skills?
6. The Three 21st Century Skill Categories
Evaluate:

Prepare a detailed lesson plan that incorporates some of the new literacies.
References
https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-are-21st-century-skills
https://360430028271334326.weebly.com/#:~:text=Social%20Literacy%20is%20a%20students,
effectively%20with%20those%20around%20them.
Lesson 4: Financial literacy for Filipinos: understanding for
better living
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students would be able to:

Define financial literacy
Assess the level of personal financial literacy
Characterize financial literacy in the Philippines

What is financial literacy?

Financial literacy, financial knowledge, and financial education are used

interchangeably informal literature and popular media. Various sources provide various
definitions of financial literacy, but have one thing in common— everything revolves around
money, knowledge, and use.
Mandell (2009) defines financial literacy as “the ability to use knowledge and skills to
manage one’s financial resources effectively for lifetime financial security.” Huston (2010)
explains that financial literacy is made up of two elements: understanding and use.
Understanding financial literacy implies that a person is knowledgeable about personal finance,
and applies such knowledge in dealing with one’s finances.
Meanwhile, Hastings, et al (2013) refers to financial literacy as:
 Knowledge of financial products (e.g., what is a stock vs. a bond; the difference between a
fixed vs. an adjustable-rate mortgage);
 Knowledge of financial concepts (inflation, compounding, diversification, credit scores);
 Having the mathematical skills or numeracy necessary for effective financial decision
making; and
 Being engaged in certain activities such as financial planning.
Determinants of financially-literate persons:
 Plans save, invests in stocks, accumulate more wealth (Lusardi and Mitchell, 2014)
 Less credit card debt
 When they borrow, they manage their loans better, paying off the full amount each month
rather than just the minimum due.
 They refinance their mortgages when it makes sense to do so
 Less likely to use high-cost borrowing methods
 More knowledgeable individuals “invest in more sophisticated assets, generating higher
expected returns on retirement saving along with lower nonsystematic risks,” according to
Mitchell (2014).
Is financial education an antidote to poor financial decision-making?
Bernheim, et al (2001) believe that although financial literacy is somewhat new, policy
initiatives in financial literacy are not. In the 1950s, the United States began recommending
policies to improve the quality of personal financial decision-making through financial
education thru the “inclusion of personal finance, economics, and other consumer education
topics” to children enrolled in the K-12 educational curriculum.
Financial education should be the best tool to effectively come up with better financial
outcomes. Previous studies have shown that lower levels of financial literacy are associated
with lower rates for planning for retirement, lower rates of asset accumulation, using higher-
cost financial services, lower participation in the stock market, and higher levels of debt4.
Saving is imperative to improve individual and societal welfare. At the personal level,
savings help households achieve smooth consumption patterns. Savings also help finance
productive investments in human and business capital. At the macroeconomic level, savings
rates are strongly predictive of future economic growth.6
However, access to financial education does not guarantee that poor financial practices
are provided with solutions. In saving, learners should be taught the best way to save and
safeguard their money. Although saving is now taught in schools and various conferences,
policymakers need to look into teaching people the possibility of saving more by paying down
existing debt. In the Philippines, the current administration has been taking small steps to pin
down the problem of debts and encourage saving more by offering lower loan rates to micro
and small business enterprises.

Financial Literacy among Filipinos

The Filipino mindset upon receipt of salaries, as commonly known, is that upon receipt
of salaries, spending comes in before saving. What is left, is saved. If there’s none left, then,
there’s nothing saved.
According to a study conducted by Philam Life, 96 percent of Filipinos are concerned
about their own and their family’s health, however, only 16 percent of them are prepared to pay
for medical costs in case they are diagnosed with a critical illness.9
There is a rising number of senior-dependents or those retirees who depend on their
children for financial help, due to lack of financial education.
Financial planning teaches individuals to be responsible when it comes to their finances
and instills the discipline needed to keep track of their financial goals.9
Financial planning involves educating Filipinos on the different types of goals that they
should set: short-term, medium-term, and long-term. Short-term goals involve monthly living
expenses that need to be paid, or the person’s basic needs, including the setting-up of an
emergency fund. In contrast, medium-term goals are those you want to achieve in one to five
years like buying a house or a car, while long-term goals are those that take longer than five
years to achieve.
To address the growing demand for more investments in the country, the financial
industry advises that Filipinos should save first and spend whatever is left after putting their
savings aside.
What can the government and financial institutions do to make Filipinos financially-
literate?
Develop financial education policies and set up robust financial products available to
financial intermediaries and their customers.
 Develop financial education policies and set up robust financial consumer protection
frameworks to ensure that consumers are informed and understand the financial products
available to them.
Involve financial service providers and other key stakeholders to build the financial
capabilities of the youth and adults through a variety of delivery channels.
Empower teenagers to deliver financial education on issues such as savings to younger
children. This peer-to-peer approach is useful because young people tend to listen to their
peers more than adults, and the participative approach helps foster youth as agents of change
in their communities.
Financial literacy programs can reduce economic inequalities as well as empowering
citizens and decreasing information asymmetries between financial intermediaries and their
customers.
Questions:
1. What is financial literacy?
2. What is your level of personal financial literacy?
3. Characterize financial literacy in the Philippines.
Evaluate:

Prepare a detailed lesson plan that incorporates some of the new literacies.
Reference
http://nro13.neda.gov.ph/financial-literacy-for-filipinos-understanding-for-better-living/
Lesson 5: Media and Cyber or Digital Literacy
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students would be able to:

Define digital literacy
Appreciate the importance of developing Media and Cyber/Digital literacy
Digital literacy is part of media literacy. They are both included in the idea of
"information literacy," which is the ability to effectively find, identify, evaluate, and use
information. Digital literacy specifically applies to media from the internet, smartphones, video
games, and other nontraditional sources. Just as media, literacy includes the ability to identify
media and its messages and create media responsibly; digital literacy includes both nuts-and-
bolts skills and ethical obligations.
Kids today are using the immense power of digital media to explore, connect, create,
and learn in ways never before imagined. These activities offer both awesome opportunities
and potential pitfalls. Also, kids' digital lives do not stop at the school gates, either. The spillover
can result in cyberbullying, digital cheating, and safety and security concerns. That is why
digital literacy is a uniquely important part of media literacy.
Here are some key digital-literacy skills kids can learn at home and school:
Searching effectively. From researching a school report to watching the latest music
video, kids need to learn how to evaluate the quality, credibility, and validity of media and to
give proper credit to the source.
Protecting their and others' private information online. With so many ways to share
information, kids need to learn internet safety basics, such as creating strong passwords, using
privacy settings, and respecting their friends' privacy.
Giving proper credit when using other people's work. In a world where anything can be
copied, pasted, and even claimed as one's own, kids must learn to correctly cite sources.
Understanding digital footprints. What makes digital media so cool -- the ability to
interact -- also creates tiny tracks across the web. Kids need to know that whenever they create
a profile, post something, or comment on something, they're creating a composite profile
potentially viewable by others.
Respecting each other's ideas and opinions. To be digitally literate, kids must
understand that what makes the web an amazing place is that for this vast virtual world to
function properly, we must all be good digital citizens.

The Importance of Digital Literacy in K-12

Beginning digital literacy programs in grades K-12 is essential. This introduction to

digital media prepares young children and teenagers for the skills they need to engage in
technology both safely and responsibly. What’s more, digital technology education empowers
and educates children by providing them with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing
digital world.
 What Is Digital Literacy?

The incredible advances in technology have changed the way people communicate,
interact and work, but that’s not all. Technology has also altered the way children learn. Digital
literacy, also known as virtual learning and e-learning has the potential to improve lifelong
learning.
It involves learning through various technology platforms, such as computers, the
internet, remotely, or a combination of all three. Becoming digitally literate means that students
develop technological skills, learn authorship rules, such as copyright and plagiarism,
understand how to access online information, and learn social responsibility while interacting
on social networks.
As digital learning continues to expand, K-12 curriculums need to embrace new
technologies. A study conducted by Learning.com from 2012 to 2017 found that 75 percent of
fifth and eighth-grade students were not proficient in 21st-century technological skills. Above
all, digital literacy is a key factor in education today. The future success of students depends
on them becoming digitally literate.
This involves developing skills and knowledge that enable them to safely navigate and
discern all forms of digital technology. Knowing these IT skills allows students to learn traditional
subjects in innovative ways through educational courseware and online resources.
Teaching digital literacy in primary and secondary schools is all about understanding
that today’s children need different types of skills and technological knowledge to think critically,
evaluate their work and engage with a global community.

Differences between Traditional Literacy and Digital Literacy

When you think of traditional literacy, reading and writing come to mind. Learning
phonics, sight words, and eventually, reading literature. Today, students need more than the
written word to succeed in elementary school, high school, and continued education. Digital
literacy expands the scope of traditional literacy. It encompasses e-learning skills that
incorporate audio and video for strengthening thinking and learning in students.
When combining digital and traditional literacies, not only do students learn how to read
and write, but they also learn how to expand their communication, language, and media skills.
They grow and engage the world through images, diagrams, audio, and video media, taking
their reading and writing skills to a higher level of learning. They also develop dynamic creativity
that helps them think, communicate, design, and engage in the world around them.
When reinforcing literacy skills, conventional teaching methods involve:
Textbooks
Workbooks
Written tests
Recitation
 Digital literacy teaching methods expand on print literacy with the following tools:
Cloud computing
Courseware
Multimedia slides
Game-based learning
Educational video
Audio learning
Digital production
Interacting on digital devices
Combining virtual and physical worlds
Conventional and digital literacy go hand-in-hand in the classroom, enriching your
students’ creative thinking and integrating them into today’s digital world.

Building Communication and Literacy Skills with Digital Media

Educators must expand their ideas about literacy. Children in grades K-12 adapt to
technology naturally, making it the best time to teach Internet technology skills. It’s the time for
them to create relationships between the written and visual word for better communication with
others.
Communicating through pen and ink is a lot different from communicating in the
technological, visual world where children need to be aware of appearance, gestures, and the
tone in which they speak. These qualities don’t matter in printed material, but they’re essential
skills that students need to learn for effective communication today.
Traditional literacy is all about learning nouns, verbs, sentences, grammar, and reading
and writing text. By taking a broader look at digital literacy, implementing technology in the
classroom greatly enhances the learning experience beyond conventional literacy. This
interactive visual media deepens understanding, thinking, and interpreting content, elevating
your students beyond the confines of structured literacy.

Introducing Digital Skills in Formative Years

Making information technology an integral part of children's lives from a young age,
enables them to access and become familiar with digitally interactive "smart" learning tools. In
today’s digital world, teaching children IT skills in their formative years helps them evolve along
with information technology. If learning platforms don't initiate digital literacy programs, students
will become overwhelmed as technology advances.
Age or social standing shouldn't limit an increased understanding of digital media. Not
all students have access to Broadband, electronic devices, and computers at home, so schools
play a large part in helping students who don’t have the same electronic devices, internet, and
computers as connected students. Introducing digital tools, apps, and internet platforms to your
students helps close the digital divide that hinders achievement.

Digital Literacy Goes Beyond Reading and Writing

 Advances in technology provide digital resources for education curriculums, which
significantly contribute to digital literacy learning. For example, when students have digital tools
available for writing assignments, they enjoy creating multimedia presentations that enhance
their writing skills. The following digital tools help bring your students’ writing to life:
Insert relevant videos
Insert images
Receive instant feedback with chat features
Ability to search and attain facts instantly
Edit spelling and grammar themselves
Access to more experts and data
Revise work without having to rewrite the whole paper
Familiarizing children with computers, software and mobile devices encourages them
to use this outside of the classroom. That makes it second nature for them to learn on their
own.

5 Ways Digital Literacy Makes Learning More Effective

Traditional classroom settings restrict the time and space of students’ learning
capabilities. When you offer them technology tools, it opens the door to the whole universe.
They can learn anywhere, anytime, and about anything. It’s a way to extend learning beyond
the walls of the classroom to help encourage a lifetime of learning and sharing knowledge.
1. Take learning everywhere
When your students learn how to use digital media, they can utilize this skill everywhere.
Technology is all around them. For example, at home, they probably have smart devices like
mobile phones, tablets, computers, and other smart devices. Your students can take their
knowledge with them, using their digital literacy skills for profound learning outside the
classroom. The restrictions of time and space fall away, opening their minds to independent
learning. They can continue their research and writing wherever they go, increasing their
independent learning and inquisitive nature.
2. Interact with peers
Another benefit of harnessing new technology in the classroom, especially in older
children is the interpersonal computing they can do. When students work on their assignments
using cloud environments, they can interact with each other, reviewing, offering
encouragement, and making suggestions. This not only helps motivate students to perform
better, but it builds collaboration and negotiation skills that they can use throughout their entire
lives.
3. Constant connection with teachers
On top of staying connected with their peers during assignments, teachers become
even more important in web-based learning environments. They can access everything their
students are doing, which helps evaluate their students’ learning potential, peer reviews, and
exactly what they’re are working on. Gathering this analytical data helps assess each student’s
performance and ability. Cloud computing gives teachers more visibility over their students’
progress.
 4. Work at their own pace
Every student has different needs, whether in elementary or secondary school. E-
learning allows students to work at a pace that’s comfortable for them. This helps relieve the
pressure of keeping up with others in the classroom. You can track and intervene to adjust the
material so that the student can complete the assignment. As educators, by expanding
instruction using digital media, you offer support for the needs of individual students. When they
connect with their peers, it puts your students at ease, keeping learning fun and interesting for all
ages.
Traditional thinking is that it’s easier to talk to the whole class, and have the students
work on the same assignments. It’s difficult to provide personalized learning in a large
classroom with specific time limits. Today’s digital literacy tools allow for personalized learning
for all students. This means that students can work on different projects at the same time,
completing them at their own pace.
5. Decreases behavior issues
When your students leave the classroom at the end of the day, they go home and text
their friends, share photos, and become instantly connected to the digital world. Since they’re
accustomed to these constant personal connections, being in a confined classroom
environment can cause frustration and boredom. Many students, find release by acting out.

Integrating Web-based Technology in the Classroom

According to Dr. Mary Kalantzis, Dean of Education at Illinois University, educators

today need to “harness the different modes of the digital revolution to be effective representers
of knowledge.” She goes on to say that today’s learners and future learners need to engage in
all areas of digital media, making it the “core of teaching and learning.”
Here are a few basic technology requirements for starting a digital literacy program in
the grades K-12:
Technology devices, such as tablets, desktop computers, or laptop computers for every
student
Broadband connection
Classroom website where students, teachers, and parents can view updates and
classroom events and assignments
Digital calendars that are updated with daily assignments, due dates, and other
classroom events
Email addresses for all the students. This is for higher grades that can interact on their
own mobile devices.
Develop e-safety procedures that protect children from inappropriate content,
cyberbullying, and predatory behaviors.
Teachers face the challenge of preparing children to be technologically fluent and
enhance their aptitude for digital resources. Integrating innovative, web-based technologies into
daily lesson plans, such as interactive read-aloud sessions with audio and video, digital
whiteboards, STEM activities, creativity-enhancing digital art production, and video recording
tools advances children's literacy and thinking skills throughout grades K-12.

DIGITAL LITERACY in the Philippines

Twenty-first-century Philippine society is replete with myriad rapidly changing

information and communication technologies (ICTs). The ways people plan, develop,
implement, and communicate ideas and knowledge have been transformed as computers, the
internet, social media, and mobile devices have become increasingly pervasive. To adapt to
these changes, Filipinos need to develop a whole new range of ICT-related skills to be effective
citizens in an increasingly digital world. This Learning Strand addresses the needs of ALS
learners to develop basic skills in ICT use and digital literacy. Accordingly, a new Learning
Strand has been added to the ALS Curriculum focused on “Digital Literacy” for 21st-century
Filipino citizens. This Learning Strand seeks to help equip ALS learners with critical knowledge,
skills, and values to be able to live and work effectively as part of the digital universe.

Below is the schematic diagram for this new Learning Strand:

The schematic diagram shows that the overall goal of this Learning Strand is to produce
21st-century digital citizens who are confident in using ICT and digital tools responsibly and
ethically. Digital literacy is needed to achieve this goal. Digital literacy is the capacity of every
ALS learner to safely and responsibly generate, apply, and share digital information in multiple
formats from a wide range of sources using computers or mobile devices.
 To achieve digital literacy, ALS learners need both ICT-related knowledge and skills
and the ability to integrate such skills and knowledge across the competencies listed in the
other four Learning Strands of the ALS curriculum. This is the application part where the
learners utilize their digital knowledge and skills as tools to communicate with others and solve
problems in daily life. Each of the other four Learning Strands will thus go hand in hand with
Learning Strand 5.
This Learning Strand covers the following digital literacy competencies:

Content Standard Performance Standard

Explain basic concepts related to the use of

Digital Concepts information communication technologies (ICTs) in an
increasingly digital world

Digital Operations Demonstrate knowledge of basic hardware

and operations, software operations, and file management in
using a computer.
Management

Use common office application software packages

(word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software) to
Digital Applications
produce documents and manage information as tools to
solve problems in daily life.

Navigate the digital global system to search for

Digital System
information and resources and communicate with others in
Network
everyday life.

Make use of mobile devices as tools to access

Digital Devices
information and communicate with others.

Demonstrate ethical practices and values in using

Digital Ethics
technology in the 21st century.

The learning competencies and skills in this Learning Strand are sequenced from the
simplest to the most complex and based on the content standards. Leveling of the learning
competencies will start at Lower Elementary up to Advanced Secondary.
Here is a sample of digital literacy Integration across the competencies of other
Learning Strands
Example 1: LS 1 (Speaking): PSB 32. Make and prepare for an oral presentation.
LS 5: PSA 2. Compare the experiences of people using technology in the
21st century to those who lived in the 20 h century.
Example 2: LS 4: PSA 4.1.2. Cite examples of situations or occasions in which self-
discipline could or should be practiced.
LS 5: PSF 3. Practice respectful conduct when using the internet.
 Sensitivity to national and local cultures
Avoiding identity misrepresentation and fraud
Internet etiquette while chatting, emailing, blogging, and using social media
Example 3: LS 2 (Scientific Thinking): PSB 8.6.1 Make a simple project proposal to
address one prevalent problem.
LS 5: PSC 3.2. (Word Processing) Make use of formatting in paragraphs.
Create and/or merge paragraph(s)
Practice in aligning text: use align, indent as tools
Alignment of text: left, center, right, justified
Indent paragraphs: left, right, the first line
Apply spacing: between paragraphs, above, below, single, 1.5 lines, double line
Note: ICT integration goes beyond merely using computer hardware and software as
communication and information management tools. It also includes empowering ALS learners
to explore the potentials offered by mobile devices, social media, and other digital media to
navigate the digital world. This journey as 21st-century digital citizens requires such learners
to be practicing sound digital ethics and values so that ICT and other digital tools are used
responsibly and safely amid rapid technological changes. This includes guarding against
potential risks and threats found in the digital world, and maximizing the opportunities and
potentials of ICT and other digital technologies as tools for personal and professional
development, and improving one’s quality of life as a 21st-century digital citizen.
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
To complete SHS and meet the competencies for the middle-skills development,
entrepreneurship, and employment exits of the basic education curriculum, ALS learners must
complete the competencies that are specified Empowerment Technologies (which is an applied
subject). They should also complete the specialization subjects of any of the following Senior
High School tracks: Sports, Arts and Design, or Technical-Vocational-Livelihood.
College-bound ALS learners in SHS must also complete the core subject Media and
Information Literacy (or its equivalent). They must also complete all the specialization subjects
in any of the Academic Strands (Accountancy, Business, and Management [ABM], Humanities
and Social Sciences [HUMSS], Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics [STEM],
or General Academic).

If an ALS learner who has completed the K to 12 curriculum wishes to proceed to higher
education, this learner may return to the ALS program and take the core curriculum at any time.
 Questions:
1. What is the importance of Digital Literacy in K-12
2. What Is Digital Literacy?
3. Differences between Traditional Literacy and Digital Literacy
4. Ways Digital Literacy Makes Learning More Effective
Evaluate:

Prepare a detailed lesson plan that incorporates some of the new literacies.
References:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-digital-literacy
https://www.educationcorner.com/importance-digital-literacy-k-12.html
https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/LS-6-Digital-Literacy.pdf
Lesson 6: Ecological Literacy
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students would be able to:

Define ecological literacy
Describe Eco literate person
To explain what Eco literacy is, why it is important and how it works

The role of ecological literacy in the shift to a more sustainable future

The role of Eco literacy in the shift to a more sustainable future. Eco literacy must
become a critical skill for politicians, business leaders, and professionals, and should be the
most important part of education at all levels
Why is Eco literacy important?
Alienation from nature is contributing to environmental problems. We now are at a
critical point with many issues, such as climate change, biodiversity, deforestation. Eco literacy
is imperative for political and business leaders, as well as in all levels of the education system
The development of ecological understanding is not simply another subject to be
learned but a fundamental change in the way we see the world.
Eco literacy is difficult to teach – many teachers do not have this level of expertise Key
lessons: Simple themes of ecology can be woven into a general curriculum Transformative
education
Shifts in three related areas:
 Perception (seeing)
 Conception (knowing)
 Action (doing)
We need to recognize that the earth is an intricate system of relationships that we are
part of, and to live accordingly
Cultivating an Eco literate worldview can help put us on a more sustainable path
Suggestions for the future: Eco literacy is the most important part of education at all levels

Environmental Literacy

Environmental literacy is the knowledge, skills, and ability to cope with the environment
and promote environmental sustainability. Students must assess current environmental
practices, or the absence of them, and use their critical thinking skills to help them problem
solve and create a solution to become more sustainable. Environmental literacy is important for
students to understand. Students need to understand the balance between their personal lives
and environmental sustainability.
How do we as teachers do this?
 In the younger grades, you can start small. Take kids on a nature walk just like grade
4 teacher @MrsJeynes did! Younger students can take a walk around the school community,
or even go to a local Provincial Park and explore all that nature has to offer! On the walk, there
can be a discussion about the types of things students are seeing vs what they see in their
community at home. Here we would expect students to mention that the park has more
trees/nature, wherein in their neighborhood, there are more buildings and non-natural things.
You can even extend this and incorporate some Critical Literacy, where you can ask students
why the two habitats (park and home neighborhood) are different.
The notion of 21st-century learning seems to need analysis. For many, it speaks to
digital literacy and reliance that presumably is paving the way for a future of technological
marvel. Or perhaps 21st-century learning is the dumbing-down of what we have valued in
terms of formal education, creating fodder for our disdain of contemporary generations. For
others, however, 21st-century learning speaks to transformation; both in terms of the individual
and society. Given the current ecological crisis and impending planetary emergency, education
and the practice of learning need to be situated in a curriculum that speaks to our understanding
of systems, critical thinking, and our connection to each other and the biosphere.
On the weekend of October 13, 2012, two interesting editorials surfaced out of the
Canadian mainstream. One of which was an essay written and delivered by the host of CBC
Radio’s The Sunday Edition, Michael Enright (2012). In his essay, Enright savagely
deconstructed the use of technology in the classroom, suggesting that wi-fi, social media, and
technological gadgets have made our society dumber. The day previous in the Globe and
Mail (Kingwell, 2012), a professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto bemoaned the
current state of the post-secondary learners and issued his seven steps for academic
redemption and 21st-century curriculum. Both essays pointed to an almost intangible notion
that contemporary pedagogy and curricula are so heavily focused on gadgetry and attention-
grabbing, that they fail to address our ability to engage in dialogue, to think critically, and to
further knowledge through our individual and collective experiences. Presumably, these skills
are essential to creating the culture shift needed to perpetuate all species on the Earth and to
solve some serious problems challenging humans throughout the world. Out of Eight and
Kingwell’s reactions comes a new conceptualization of 21st-century learning; at least within the
realm of curriculum development. 21st-century learning might situate the learner in a context
of crisis by which they are asked to generate solutions that transcend technology, disciplines,
and instrumentalism.
Perhaps 21st-century learning can offer two facets. The first is the idea of critical
thinking via experience that connects students with the Earth. Our neoliberal
and traditional curriculum has made us consumers and we have lost a genuine connection with
“the other.” By “the other” I refer to humans, other species, and all systems. I contend that if we
allow students space and experiences which situate them in the environment and allow them
to think critically about how we have structured our world, they will create important links
between contemporary structures and the present crisis.
To express themselves, which brings us to my second point, perhaps students can use
a variety of means to express themselves to solve systemic problems. This will most certainly
involve technology, but technology is not only iPads – it’s pencils, paint, books, rulers,
Photoshop, Twitter, and other tools which help us to take action. But these tools are used as
 In the younger grades, you can start small. Take kids on a nature walk just like grade
a means for social reconstruction, not as an end to themselves.
I guess I have become frustrated, like Michael Enright, when we focus too much on
technology. Often I find we feel pressured to use a variety of technologies in our classroom
because our administration tells us to, or because stakeholders in the public see it as essential
to keep up with something. What I might suggest, however, is that technology becomes an
expression of our critical thinking and a catalyst for expressing our ecological literacy.

The Role of Artistic Literacy in Teaching and Learning

The quest for students to acquire literacy, or educational knowledge and competency,
is a ubiquitous goal across all curricular disciplines. The fundamental skills and knowledge
needed for basic literacy provide the foundation for more complex learning to occur. Acquisition
of literacy in the arts is similarly developed when students can demonstrate and communicate
their understanding of the basic concepts and principles of the art form. Artistic literacy is
defined in the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards: A Conceptual Framework for Arts
Learning (2014) as follows:
…artistic literacy is the knowledge and understanding required to participate
authentically in the arts. While individuals can learn about dance, media, music, theatre, and
visual arts through reading print texts, artistic literacy requires that they engage in artistic
creation processes directly through the use of materials (such as charcoal or paint or clay,
musical instruments, or scores...) and in specific spaces
The writers of the NCCAS Conceptual Framework propose that students must
experience the arts from diverse perspectives called Artistic Processes including creating,
performing/presenting or producing, responding, and connecting. In the 2017 Program Guide
for the Arts, each of the five arts disciplines’ chapters includes a description of how the Artistic
Processes are manifested in their art form: dance, media arts, music, theatre, or visual art. One
purpose of this chapter is to explain effective teaching approaches that promote “authentic” arts
participation. In other words, what does it mean to be artistic through the lens of an artist?
Further questions to be explored include:

Thinking Like an Artist

Artistic thinking involves complex and sometimes contradictory interactions between

internal curiosity or perspective and external environmental influence; symbolic or metaphoric
interpretation and verbal or written explanation; creative problem solving and literal
interpretation; and, self-regulatory discipline and external expectations. Indeed, the artist must
often balance the internal processes of creativity with conflicting forces of the world around
them. Teaching students to think like an artist is challenging, indeed.
Arts educators were tasked in the 1994 National Standards for the Arts to foster
students’ acquisition of art skills and knowledge. The nine content standards were the result of
decades of discussions by art educators who came to a consensus regarding what was
important to know and be able to do in the arts. This significant step in identifying the core
knowledge and skills needed to understand and make art provided a framework for curriculum
 itself clarifies this:
Standards for arts education are important for two fundamental reasons. First, they
help define what a good education in the arts should provide: a thorough grounding in a basic
body of knowledge and the skills required both to make sense and to make use of each of the
arts disciplines… Education in the arts means that students should know what is spelled out
here, reach specified levels of attainment, and do both at defined points in their education.
Put differently, arts standards provide a vision of both competence and educational
effectiveness, but without creating a mold into which all arts programs must fit.2
The 1994 standards articulated the knowledge and skills that arts education should
provide. In contrast, the 2014 National Core Arts Standards (adopted by Connecticut as the
Connecticut Arts Standards) embed specific artistic knowledge and skills. The standards focus
on the learning inherent in the Artistic Processes, then refined and defined by the Process
Components from each of the five arts disciplines. The chart below lists many of the process
components found in the art standards.

Process Components in the Arts Standards

DANCE MEDIA ARTS MUSIC THEATER VISUAL ART

Explore Imagine Imagine Envision Perceive

Plan Plan Plan and Make Conceptualize Relate
Revise Organize Evaluate Develop Investigate
Express Produce Refine Rehearse Plan & Make
Embody Construct Present Select Classify
Present Refine Select Prepare Create
Analyze Create Analyze Share-Present Explore
Interpret Innovate Interpret Interpret Design
Critique Contextualize Rehearse Evaluate Refine
Synthesize Relate Refine Empathize Reflect
Relate Convey Present Interrelate Analyze
Critique Connect Research Interpret
Elaborate
Compare

Core arts knowledge and skills are implied in the 2014 National Core Arts Standards
requiring teachers to now aim their learning goals toward the artistic processes that promote
artistic thinking and ultimately artistic literacy. In reviewing the process components in the
chart, it is clear that these verbs represent higher-order thinking and are meant to
development and assessment practices for 20 years. Language from the standards document
develop 21st-century dispositions and workplace skills. The challenge for arts educators, often
faced with restrictions of time and resources, is to provide the necessary support and guidance
to help students achieve these goals. What are instructional practices that may help accomplish
this?

Best Practices for Active/Student-Centered Instruction

Arts classes by their nature are places where students are involved in active
learning. Students perform music, create art, present a play, dance to music, or invent new
media. Teachers often model or use direct instruction so that students receive explicit guidance
in executing their art. Any arts educator will agree that their exemplar is critical to the students’
learning processes. However, this segment of the instruction represents just part of the
instructional puzzle. Students may mimic what the teacher models, but true artistic literacy also
involves artistic thinking on the part of the student. Looking back at the process components,
we see that student self-regulation and independence are critical to addressing the artistic
processes. As arts educators, it is necessary to teach the core knowledge and skills but also to
develop students’ dispositions. This student-centered instruction “encompasses a wide array
of practices that bring students into the process of assessing their growth and learning. They
gain a deeper sense of their progress and ultimately become more independent learners.”3
This idea of a three-pronged approach to teaching in an active or student-centered classroom
may be represented by the following graphic:
Teaching for Artistic Literacy4

Inactive learning- or student-centered arts classrooms students not only engage in

making the art, but they are also given time to make connections with their cultural background,
assess their technique and understanding, interact with peers, and participate in evaluating
their progress. The process is cyclical as learning progresses. Teacher-led instruction is
sometimes as necessary for advanced learners as it is for novice learners. Collaborative and
independent learning opportunities often occur fluidly within a single lesson. The chart below
provides some examples of active, student-centered learning in art classrooms.
 In a Student-Centered Arts Classroom, Students….

Set personal goals

Plan and create their work Self and peer evaluate
Conduct student-led rehearsals
Write art or performance critiques
Lead student-researched program or production notes
Collaborate in developing artistic products, programs, plots,
movement
Collaborate in design/problem solving/analysis
Actively engage in error detection & revising
Assist in determining presentations, concerts, or shows, And
more….

The Role of Inquiry and Feedback

To accomplish these types of learner-centered activities in the art classroom the

teacher’s role moves to that of a facilitator of the learning rather than the distributor of
knowledge. “When placed on a continuum of active student involvement, one end of the
continuum represents little or some student involvement versus the opposing end that
represents mostly student-driven learning. In other words, if the beliefs, theories, or
perspectives of the instructor or governing bodies perceive that the student is at the center of
the learning experience then those factors will serve as the center of how the curriculum is
developed.”5
If students have had little or no experience in guiding their learning, they must be
given direction for learning to do so. Even young children may be asked to rate their work
indicated by marking symbols on a colorful checklist or rubric or raising hands. The ability to
tactfully and respectfully peer evaluate or work in collaboration is a critical life skill that should
begin early in their school lives and remain a standard throughout the school years. A few ideas
for establishing meaningful collaboration and communication in arts classrooms include:
Establishing classroom guidelines (developed with student input) and posted for
reference;
Creating keywords or symbols as non-verbal reminders for students to maintain
respectful behavior;
Scaffolding and blending direct instruction, modeling, and student-led work; and
Providing teacher-led and ultimately student-led questions that inspire students to think
about, reflect, and articulate their perspectives on artistic work.
Productive and scaffolded questioning skills are keys to an active learning classroom.
Well formulated questions, cues, or prompts promote active learning, encourage diverse types
of thinking including problem-solving and reasoning, foster collaboration and social skills, and
help students think and reflect for themselves. The goal is for students to become self-
regulated learners both at school and in life. Many types of questioning techniques exist in
education:
Bloom’s Taxonomy, the original published in 1956, and its revision in 2001, have
traditionally provided a basis for evaluating levels of cognition. In the revision, the taxonomy
ordered cognition levels and added different types of thinking.

The Depths of Knowledge (DOK) model categorizes four levels of activities and question
starters: Recall, Skills/Concepts, Strategic Thinking, and Extended Thinking.
Socratic Questions challenge students in six areas: Conceptual clarification questions
to help students probe their thinking for deeper levels; Probing assumptions helps students
think about their presuppositions and unquestioned beliefs; Probing rationale, reasons, and
evidence challenges students to provide rationales and reasoning for their beliefs; Questioning
viewpoints and perspectives asks students to consider other equally valid viewpoints than their
own; Probing implication and consequences challenge students to consider the outcomes of
their thinking or decisions; and, Questioning the questions requires students to consider what
about their questions were important in the first place.
Question-Answer-Response questions begin with Right There questions-fundamental,
easy to identify through seeing or hearing (e.g. colors, lines, positions, tempos, symbols). Think
and Search questions ask students to look through the music, script, artwork, or movement to
find and describe arts elements and principles; Author and Me questions require some
prerequisite knowledge. The questions deal with perceived emotional responses,
interpretations, ideas that arise from the work itself; and, On My questions ask students to “think
outside of the box” by predicting, providing rationales, challenging reasons, and evidence.
For arts educators, all of these techniques are usable in art classrooms and studios,
rehearsals, and productions. However, most of these techniques place more significance on
cognitive rather than creative and effective thinking. David Krathwohl, co-author of Taxonomy
of Educational Objectives, The Affective Domain described the affective taxonomy as
“…objectives which emphasize a feeling tone, an emotion, or a degree of acceptance or
rejection. Affective objectives vary from simple attention to selected phenomena to complex
but internally consistent qualities of character and conscience.”6 A statement in the 1994
National Standards for the Arts best summarizes what this means for arts education.
Standards identify what our children must know and be able to do. Thus, the vision
embedded in these Standards insists that a mere nodding acquaintance with the arts is not
enough to sustain our children’s interest or involvement in them. The Standards must usher
each new generation onto the pathway of engagement, which opens in turn onto a lifetime of
learning and growth through the arts. It is along this pathway that our children will find their
directions and make their singular contributions. It is along this pathway, as well, that they will
discover who they are, and even more, whom they can become.
“In this single statement, the writers of the 1994 National Standards for the Arts traveled
the entire Affective Domain continuum from simple awareness and response to valuing,
organizing, and crafting our children’s characters. As arts educators, our goal is to provide
direction for the cognitive and physical skills that students need to make the arts integral to
students’ character, philosophical outlook, and personal beliefs, thereby illustrating the highest
level of the Affective Domain.”8
While the arts necessarily foster rational and linear thought, they also primarily
raise emotional responses that are important to explore. Offered below is a model that
encourages the use of verbs from lower (Emergent Thinking) and higher (Critical Thinking)
cognition levels and as well as Creative Thinking and Affective Thinking. The verbs in each
category may be used as question starters, prompts, or cues for instruction.

Emergent Thinking

Memorize Recite Identify Imitate Point

Select Recognize Describe to Label List
Explore Restate Recall Name
Choose Report Copy State
Match Define Experience
Share Repeat Say

-Wh at instrument plays the melody?

- Who is the Main Character?

-I n what position is the dancer?

-W hat color is most predominant?

Critical Thinking

Categorize Clarify Clarify Appraise

Analyze
Compare Critique Balance
Deconstruct
Contrast Differentiate Classify
Decide
Explain Distinguish Critique
Demonstrate
Reflect Evaluate Discriminate
Infer
Probe Investigate Document
Organize
Translate Observe Judge
Predict
Verify Practice
 -Predict what will happen.
-Explain what you mean.
-Compare and contrast this piece to another.
-Discuss with your group where the phrase
starts and ends. Justify your response.
What genre and style does this piece
represent-why?

Creative Thinking

Apply Develop Compose Conceptualize

Create Explore Experiment Choreograph
Construct Improvise Generate Curate
Design Integrate Integrate Envision
Expand Perform Practice Form Plan
Imagine Predict Produce Redesign
Invent Problem- Present Repurpose
Investigate Solve Sculpt Symbolize
Synthesize Refine Use

-How would you change or improve this?

Experiment with this and create a new piece.
What do you think would happen if…?
Using these materials and what you have learned make a new piece.

Affective Thinking

Accept Convey Believe Adapt

Empathize Desire Connect Imply
Reject Express Defend Internalize
Prefer Initiate Engage Perceive
Receive Reflect Feel Refine
Respond to Seek Generate Relate
Self-Initiate Value Persist Sense
 Describe how this work makes you feel.
Why do you prefer the first one?
How does this piece relate to your life?
What do you perceive is the meaning of this work?
How could you make more of an impact?

Posing questions prompts, and cues to students is how teachers instigate active
learning. Rather than relying primarily on reciting information or imitating procedures, using
these interactive verbs can help students personalize meaning and connect to prior or
predictive knowledge. Used in a scaffolded manner, they may extend or deepen students'
thinking and understanding of concepts and other points of view. Most importantly, allowing
students to express personal creative and affective thoughts enables them opportunities to
reflect on their own beliefs yet disagree civilly. Some excellent resources for questioning,
cueing, and prompting are listed in the resources at the end of this chapter.
Using Formative and Summative Assessments in the Arts Classroom
Properly created questions prompt, and cues are also significant elements for
developing assessments. Arts educators have become increasingly adept at creating a
summative assessment, in particular, rubrics and checklists. Summative assessment is
important for determining how well a student has mastered targeted skills and knowledge goals
as well as helping teachers determine student growth.
Formative assessment in the arts is most often the predominant measurement of
student learning, however. The term “formative assessment” originated in the late 1960s and
was later clarified by Benjamin Bloom and associates in 1971.9 Popham defined formative
assessment as “a planned process in which assessment-elicited evidence of students’ status
is used by teachers to adjust their ongoing instructional procedures or by students to adjust
their current learning tactics.”10 Cizek summarized numerous definitions of formative
assessments through these characteristics:
Students will:
Be responsible for their learning.
Use frequent peer and student self-assessments
Self-monitor progress toward agreed-upon learning goals.
Revise and improve work related to their learning goals
Teachers will:
Identify and relay stated learning goals to students.
Design learning goals that focus on specific classroom goals as well as goals beyond
the classroom.
Identify and recognize in lessons students’ current and prior knowledge.
Assist students in planning, self-monitoring, and self-assessing learning goals.
Provide frequent, non-evaluative, and timely feedback.
Embed assessments with instruction.
 These definitions and descriptions embody the spirit of a student-centered classroom.
And, in relationship to arts education, they provide the framework for fostering artistic literacy.
A truly masterful teacher using strong formative assessment approaches moves effortlessly
from direct instruction and modeling to grow independent, self-regulated learners.
In the model lesson units that are posted on the CSDE website, formative assessment
and student-centered learning techniques are embedded in the instructional strategies. Several
sources for these techniques, which transcend curricular disciplines in many cases, are listed
in the resources at the end of this chapter. Some techniques, found in Making Thinking
Visible12 represent innovative ideas for checking student cognitive, creative, and effective
understanding and include:
Plickers: A free app for phones that quickly assesses T-F or Multi-Choice questions
Think-Pair-Share: Generate and share criteria for quality or ponder a question
Exit Tickets: Quick survey of students’ understanding: This can be done with an app.
One Minute Writes: Quick reflections; written on note cards or electronic devices
Think Out Loud Modeling: The teacher talks through and models the same procedures
and thinking as the students will do
Chalk Talk: The teacher generates a prompt with a statement or question about artistic
processes or products and writes it in the center of a piece of chart paper. The class reads the
prompt and responds in writing with pen or marker on the chart without talking. After writing
their comments, students can comment on other student’s remarks but only the “chalk” talks.
This procedure can be done on a SmartBoard or other electronic device; and,
Glass, Bugs, Mud: Students use these metaphors to relay their understanding of a skill,
concept, or technique. Mud indicates confusion, Bugs indicates that they are unclear, and
Glass indicates they understand.
Motivational aspects of teaching and learning
As art educators we want our students to enjoy being creatively involved in the arts.
It is motivating for us to observe student pride in their work and we hope the sense of
accomplishment motivates students to pursue further artistic endeavors. But, as psychologist
Csikszentmihalyi wrote, “A person who has not learned how to mix pigments cannot enjoy
painting for long; he or she will not be able to match goals with actions.”13 Researchers who
have investigated human motivation have long agreed that people are more motivated to
persist with a task if they can incrementally master the knowledge and skills related to the task.
We also know that as humans we are more interested in learning if they actively participate in
the learning process. “Shared learning goals presented from the viewpoint of the student help
students see, recognize, and understand the task at hand and promote self-determination and
self-regulation.”14 Accomplishing artistic literacy in schools today then requires teachers to
serve as both the “sage” and the “guide” in structuring lessons, instructional strategies, and
assessments.

Dispositions and 21st Century Skills

The goal of the National Core Standards for the Arts, as adopted by Connecticut,
is for students to participate authentically in the arts. When arts educators are asked what their
processes are for creating, performing, or responding to their art, their descriptions inevitably
capture the process components found in the national standards. Every student will not
ultimately be a professional musician or artist, but we desire for them to be supporters,
participants, and consumers of the arts. Additionally, students should learn positive and
productive workplace skills from art study. When we compare the process components to a
shortlist of 21st-century skills the relationship between the lists is palpable. An excellent source
to extend this information is on the NAfME website.

Artistic Process and 21st Century Skills

Process Components 21st Century Skills

Analyze Creativity
Express Critical Thinking
Embody Collaboration
Evaluate Communication
Interpret Flexibility
Interrelate Accountability
Investigate Emotional Control
Plan and Make Initiative
Demonstrate Innovation
Present Productivity
Rehearse Problem-Solve
Refine Responsibility
Reflect Self- Direction
Research

Time Tested Procedures

Creating curriculum and assuring alignment of the school district and community
expectations with state and national standards
Schools and school districts all over the country are pursuing the writing or revision
of their curricular standards. This process is dynamic and never finished as educational
institutes adjust and modify their learning goals, educational environments, and instructional
practices to meet the needs of the future. Much has been written about the process of curricular
design and many of those resources are listed at the end of this chapter. While each state,
locality, and school district maintains its own curricular identity, several time-tested procedures
remain constant in the planning process.
Determine the most important and developmentally appropriate knowledge and skills,
and related workforce skills that your students should know and be able to do for CREATING,
 PERFORMING, RESPONDING, CONNECTING. These may need to be prioritized or
“powered.”
Identify WHY these things are important through your Philosophy, Mission, and/or
Purpose statements.
Philosophy: What do we believe about arts education? What is the reason for arts
education in our schools? Why do we exist?
Mission: What is our core purpose and how will we accomplish it? See an example from
Darien in the resources at the end of this chapter.
Purpose: Why is this document important? Whom will it serve? Why is it needed? How
will it be used?
Identify WHAT students will be able to know and do and HOW students will demonstrate
that they have learned and can think about or evaluate their learning. This may be
communicated through a Curriculum Map, Scope and Sequence, and/or aligned through
Enduring Understandings and/or Essential Questions.
IDENTIFY which 2014 Performance Standards or Artistic Processes represent your
learning outcomes and the sequence. This process may also be part of Step One.
Using your existing standards, BLEND your district curriculum into your new curriculum
or establish a new format and approach to your standards.
Throughout the process, consider instructional time, resources, professional
development, and teacher evaluation.
Advocating for Arts Programs
Strong arts programs characteristically are led by strong teachers, communities,
and administrators that support the arts, excellent communication, resources, and a well-
designed sequential curriculum. The arts are a profoundly human means of expression dating
back to the beginnings of our existence and are a significant way in which we demonstrate our
humanness. The arts as a curricular subject area are recognized as a core subject and are
required in most states across the country. Still, advocacy for arts programs remains as
relevant now as ever before.

WHAT IS CRITICAL LITERACY?

Critical literacy is a perspective and way of thinking about curriculum, literacies, and the
lived experiences of our students.
Critical literacy is the ability to read texts in an active, reflective manner to better
understand power, inequality, and injustice in human relationships.
Critical literacy views readers as active participants in the reading process and invites
them to move beyond passively accepting the text’s message to question, examine, or dispute
the power relations that exist between readers and authors. It focuses on issues of power and
promotes reflection, transformation, and action.
 WHY IS CRITICAL LITERACY IMPORTANT?

We need critical literacy because it helps us: to establish equal status in the reader-
author relationship; to understand the motivation the author had for writing the text and how
the author uses the text to make us understand in a particular way; to understand that the
author's perspective is not the only perspective; and to become active users of the information
in texts to develop independent perspectives, as opposed to being passive reproducers of the
ideas in texts.
Critical literacy helps us to read texts in deeper, more meaningful ways, by encouraging
readers of all ages to become more actively engaged and use their power to construct
understanding and not be used by the text to fulfill the intentions of the author.
Critical literacy helps us to move beyond passive acceptance to take an active role in
the reader-author relationship by questioning issues such as who wrote the text, what the
author wanted us to believe, and what information the author chose to include or exclude in the
text.
The development of critical literacy skills enables students to look at the world through
a critical lens and challenge the power relations within the messages being communicated.
Critical teaching allows students to actively work out their learning and problem solving,
by providing an outlet, a source of action, or social justice.
Critical teaching allows students to better connect classroom practice with the social
realms they engage in outside of school, providing a connection between the home, school,
and social realms.
Critical literacies practice engages students and allowing them to use their previous
experiences, providing classroom literacies more similar to literacies used outside of the
classroom.
Using critical literacy as a frame through which the teacher and students design
curricula and use literacies in the classroom, helps students view literacy as connected to their
personal experiences and as a tool to use effectively to explore and effect change in their lives.
CRITICAL LITERACY IN THE CLASSROOM
Some of the most commonly used practices that support critical literacy included:
reading supplementary texts; reading multiple texts; reading from a resistant perspective;
producing counter-texts; having students research topics of personal interest, and challenging
students to take social action.
Reading from a critical perspective requires thinking beyond the text to understand
issues such as why the author wrote about a particular topic, wrote from a particular
perspective, or chose to include some ideas about the topic and exclude others.
Teachers who facilitate the development of critical literacy encourage students to
interrogate societal issues and institutions like family, poverty, education, equity, and equality
to critique the structures that serve as norms and to demonstrate how these norms are not
experienced by all members of society.
 By matching our teaching with the specific talents and needs of our students, and by
considering our students' points of view in early childhood literary teaching, we can speak to
children's identities and empower them.
We must use texts in our classrooms with which students will identify, that reflect the
lives and experiences of our students, as well validate them. The books we read with our
students should address issues that affect the lives of our in important ways.
We must also engage students in meaningful class discussions and conversations
about these books, crossing lines of culture, gender, race, and class, as well as providing
students with opportunities to critically examine the world around them.
Critical literacy does not end in the discussion, rather it leads to action.
Questions:
1. How should arts learning be structured so that students can begin to think like
an artist? o What are some best practices in teaching that create an active or
student-centered learning environment?
2. How do we know that students have learned?
3. What factors promote self-regulation and intrinsic motivation in learning?
4. Why are 21st-century skills or personal dispositions important goals for
students in arts education?
5. What are some procedures for creating curriculum and assuring alignment
between what happens in the classroom, school district and community
expectations, and state and national standards?
6. WHAT IS CRITICAL LITERACY?
7. Why is Eco literacy important?
8. How is ecological understanding created?
9. What should students know, do and value?
10. What needs do we as humans have that are catered to by the structure of our
communities?
11. Why do we build houses?
12. Why can't we live free in nature like other animals?
13. Is 21st Century Learning in Need of Ecological Literacy?
References
https://hendersonhallway.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/is-21st-century-learning-in-need-of-an-
ecological-literacy/
https://sites.google.com/site/teaching21stcenturyliteracies/environmental-literacy
https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/unfccc_the_role_of_ecological_literacy_in_the_shift_to_a_
more_sustainable_future.pdf
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Arts/Guide-to-K12-Program-Development-in-the-
Arts/Achieving-Artistic-Literacy.pdf?la=en
https://literacyleader.weebly.com/critical-literacy.html