Revised Outline

Detailed Focus & Organization Plan

Audience: Educators Example: The coronavirus forced millions of students and teachers to switch to remote learning in the second half of 2020 and continuing into this year. Because students needed to work from home, teachers completely reoriented their lesson plans and ways of teaching for remote learning. Teachers found it more difficult to teach and students struggled to learn. Develop an introduction. Why would your audience be interested in this topic? How can you use your ethos to draw them in? Why is this topic relevant now? As a student who has experienced the struggle with online learning (ethos), I have experienced how college students have become frustrated with their educators’ lack of understanding about how to teach online. Millions of students continue to struggle to learn right now because they are stuck at home, not getting the help they need with their school work. As time passes, students might give up on school. What are you going to argue about this issue? Students (topic) are struggling to learn with online schooling (point of significance); more needs to be done to make sure students are getting the help they need to be successful (argument—stance). Ordering your points/claims/appeals:

1. Claim: Many teachers do not have the experience, help, and knowledge they need to successfully teach their students remotely.

Appeals being used: Ideal, premise, or principle: A school should do everything possible to help their students succeed in academics and help students learn. More training should be offered to help educators understand how online learning is different from classroom learning. Cause and effect: Because of COVID, schools throughout the U.S. and worldwide have switched to online learning. It has proved difficult for teachers to quickly change their lesson plans to accommodate an online classroom, so students are struggling to learn.

• Research (shared authority): Interview with teacher Berk Smith, who stated that he was not prepared to teach online, although has received more training and is becoming more comfortable with the new processes.

2. Students feel that school is more difficult and they’re doing worse since the switch to

online schooling.

Works Cited Kelly, Rhea. “Survey Reveals Students Struggling with Academics During Pandemic.” Campus Technology. 9 Feb. 2021. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2021/02/09/survey-reveals-students- struggling-with-academics-during-pandemic.aspx

Appeals being used: Establishing a connection between persons and actions or the lack of connection (pathos): Teachers should be empathetic that students who traditionally do well in school are struggling with online learning. (Research used: logos): “As students adjust to the realities of college life during a pandemic, the majority (71 percent) are having trouble staying focused on their coursework, according to a fall 2020 survey. More than half of students (52 percent) said they are struggling to complete coursework, and 40 percent found it challenging to attend their classes. The survey, conducted by Hobsons and Hanover Research, polled more than 1,000 two- and four-year college students across the United States, representing a variety of background and ages. Fifty-three percent are attending school fully online; 44 percent in a hybrid environment; and 3 percent in person.” (Kelly) Describe consequences: When students feel they are unsuccessful in school, they might drop out because of the discouragement.

3. Claim: Students struggling to learn online is affecting them emotionally as well. Appeals being used: Use a story, example, or narrative (interview: pathos): My sister is struggling to understand the concepts her teachers are trying to teach her. She is usually academically successful and considered “gifted” and is depressed because she’s not doing well with online lessons.

• Research (logos): In an article written by Dana Goldstein, a New York Times bestselling author and journalist, he wrote about how the rate of absenteeism is much higher now than when classes were held in-person.

• Refutation: Some students might like the freedom of online schooling and could be

performing better. However, online schooling is not for everyone and teachers must prepare for the changes if online school is mandated.

Conclusion: Call to action: Ask your educational institution for training to understand the differences between online and classroom teaching. Reach out to students through different methods to make sure they are understanding the materials.