Deciding how to deliver your ideas is an important part in planning your project. First, you’ll need to think about your audience and purpose: Whom are you composing for—and why? When you’re mulling over how to deliver your ideas, you’ll also have to think about the support you plan to include in your composition.
When Alyson D’Amato began to plan her Web site project, she thought about the ways in which people would want to learn about her topic. She felt that a slide show presentation about brewing tea wouldn’t be too interesting and wouldn’t really fit her purpose, especially since most slide show presentations are designed to be delivered by a speaker. She knew she wanted people to be able to easily access and use her information, and she knew they’d probably need to go through the information on their own.
She considered creating a video and was excited about the idea of actually recording herself talking about tea and making tea, but she wasn’t sure how to include the recipes she wanted to share with her audience. To help organize herself as she considered different ways to convey the information, D’Amato created a table listing the pros and cons of different delivery methods.
D’Amato decided that a Web site would be the best way to share her ideas. With a Web site, she knew she could include written words and images, maybe embed video, and create an overall organization that would allow viewers to experience her site at their own pace.
Considering different formats, as D’Amato did, is an important part of your planning.
Sample student notes: deciding on a delivery method
Activity 12: Your understanding of collaboration
Activity 13: Your understanding of narrowing a subject
Activity 14: Planning support for your main idea
Related topics:
Understanding your own composing process
Collaborating effectively with others
Deciding on a main idea
Planning support for your main idea
Considering how to present or publish your project