ICT and essay writing
Kate Eliza O’Connor · Metaphor · 2012
Essays and extended responses, in their various forms, provide a seemingly logical but often rather challenging structure for junior students to explore. Basic models such as PEEL (Point, Explanation, Example and Link) and Sexy (Statement, Explanation, example and why?) are often a starting point for teachers, yet the increasing use of information and communication technologies in the classroom provides opportunities to envision new ways of teaching analytical writing. Teaching essay writing involves assisting students to develop two sets of skills simultaneously: the ability to explore analytical points within a paragraph, and the ability to structure a sustained argument in response to a question. The essay itself develops a central thesis or argument, and each paragraph exists to support and examine an aspect of that argument.