TO: John Smith
FROM: Alexis Smullen
DATE: 14 September 2015
RE: Elementary and Special Education related genre memo
Thank you for showing interest in the Integrated Elementary and Special Education program at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Although there are many different writing styles educators use on a daily basis, the three most prevalent include lesson plans, direction handouts for assignments, and class syllabi. I hope this gives you a little insight on the responsibilities of an educator.
LESSON PLAN
A lesson plan is the educator’s step-by-step instructions of what the students need to learn and how he or she plans to use …show more content…
The purpose of the handout is to break components down step-by-step for students so they know where to begin and how to finish the assignment. AUDIENCE: These handouts are intended for students who are expected to complete the assignment or activity. The directions are guidelines for the students to follow as they are completing the assignment.
FORMAT: Direction handouts should be a typed word document and include as much detail needed to complete the assignment. Incorporate a header, bullets, bolded and underlined text to indicate the most important elements of the assignment. Be sure to choose a font size and style that is easy to read for the students.
VISUAL: For those students who learn better through visuals, it’s a good idea to have a student example or an example of your own. This way you can show them what you expect while you are explaining the directions. ORGANIZATION: Direction handouts should be clear and neat so the students can easily see what they need to do. It should go in the order you are expecting the students to follow. Begin with an overview of the assignment and then provide the steps you want the children to complete. Conclude the handout by stating what it should look like when it’s finished.
CLASS …show more content…
Since a class syllabus is an overview of the year, they can be pretty lengthy. Keeping this in mind, it’s important to use spaces in between different topics so each section is clear to the student. Include the use of topic headers, bullets, bolded and underlined text to emphasize areas of importance.
ORGANIZATION: A class syllabus can vary from teacher to teacher, but they generally follow a similar format. Usually a syllabus will start out with a course description followed by the rules and expectations of the students. Then come the course objectives, topics, units, and dates. After outlining the assignments and deadlines typically the teacher will discuss his or her grading policy. This document should be well organized and contain enough detail in order for the students to fully understand what is required.
On the behalf of the University of Minnesota Duluth department of Integrated Elementary and Special Education, I hope you have found these three of the many genres used in an educator’s day-to-day life to be interesting and