Technology Scholarship Report Writing Lesley Pearce National Facilitator for Technology Team Solutions, The Auckland University July 2012

Reflective written report Based on student experiences in developing their technological outcome It is an organised collection of evidence of a candidates development of a technological outcome in technological practice To be no longer than 3000 words Approximately 5-6 A4 pages size 12 font)

Reports Unlike essays, reports can be written in sections with headings and sub-headings

What to put in the report Demonstrate how you synthesised and critically anaylsed your technological experiences Show how you explored the complexities of the situation that you identified in the development of your technological outcome Justify the technological practices you used to develop your technological outcome as well as evidence of the technological outcome itself Show how you reflected on information, understandings of yours and others practice

Writing reports is a challenge for students at every level. Differentiation requires that we break down the difficult task of writing extended pieces of work, giving students a ‘ladder’ up to this high-order skill.

Guidance for report writing Breaking the writing task down into a series of tasks Help sheets Planning clocks Writing frames Showing students exemplar work and asking them to grade this and learn from it Making your assessment criteria and grade descriptors explicit and clear Assessment proformas

Planning clock

Activity Write a planning clock for the scholarship report writing.

What strategies could help students’ writing in technology? Writing frames Classify by: Using an ordered set of headings or mindmaps to sort information into groups. E.g: – topics and sub-topics, – strengths and weaknesses; – arguments for, and arguments against etc, The categories you use will depend on the report criteria, so re-read it before you start classifying.

Draw conclusions and get evidence – What do you want your report to say? For example, what are the challenges, complexities you identified in developing your outcome? How did you overcome them? Summarise your main points Show evidence for each of your points/conclusions (Refer to portfolio page for example)

Planning the report Make a mind-map or series of headings based on your classification stage. Make notes of what you want to say. Make sure you do all the tasks or questions. Write the report, then leave it for day or so Proof-read the report making changes where necessary Present report

Writing Frames

Activity Examine the examples of writing frames Discard those that you are not interested in What are the strengths and weaknesses of those you have kept for students and teachers Choose one in groups create a writing guide for an external AS

Writing frame 1

Essay type proforma Now find examples/evidence to back up each of your arguments

Essay-planning proforma

Writing frame for an ICT unit

continued

Art-Writing frame for a critical study

Activity Using the Scholarship Assessment Schedule and the NZ Scholarship Assessment Specifications create the sub headings for your chosen writing frame This is best co-constructed with teachers and students

Benefits of writing frames Curing the ‘I don’t know how to start’ syndrome that often results when students are confronted with a blank sheet of paper. Providing students with a sense of what they are writing. Writing frames offer a structure and overview for the piece of writing along with the appropriate pronouns (I, you, he, it ect.) and joining words and phrases (connectives) that form the links within the text. Reducing the ‘and then’ style of writing by giving students a range of appropriate sentence beginnings and related connectives. Raising motivation and esteem by helping students write successfully. Helping students understand the appropriate structure and style of a range of different types of non-fiction writing. Discouraging copying by providing a structure that helps students to understand, select and structure information appropriately.

Beware of the following dangers Limiting creativity. Students do not have to stick to the frame. Students becoming too dependent on frames Setting the frames in stone (by printing off hundreds or laminating them for all time). Allow scope for adaptation and development. Death by a thousand writing frames.

I wish you all success with which ever door you go through