Writing Pictorial Instructions For The Technology Center

Goal: I would like to teach my students how to develop pictorial training instructions. Our high school and technology center are housed under one roof. After testing, my Exit Prep students will work with the Technology Center to develop pictorial work instructions that can be used as a training tool in the technology classrooms since several of their courses require training. Not only would the technology center teachers gain a valuable teaching tool, but my students would learn an important job skill and have fun while doing so! An outline of how this activity would evolve as listed below. First, students will be given a simple task of writing steps needed to do simple things, such as tying your shoes, making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or, putting a book cover on a book. They will be asked to write down the step by step process for their task. Once the steps are written, they will direct student to accomplish the task by using their instructions. If the students can not complete the task with the instructions, the students will help each other determine what steps need to be added or deleted to make the instructions complete. Once the concept of writing detailed instructions is realized, they will take pictures of the step-by-step process. Once the photography is complete, students will learn how to edit the photographs. They will then learn how to merge the photographs and instructions into Microsoft Excel. The instructions will be formatted with two columns labeled INSTRUCTIONS and PICTORIAL PRESENTATION. This training activity will help guide the technology students through new technical material. The Technology Director will allow my students to work with technology teachers (automotive, building construction, agriculture, computer service, and health occupations) to examine areas where the technology teachers and their students would benefit from using this method of training. Once the tasks have been identified, my students will work in groups of two or three, depending on the difficulty of the task. They will write the step-by-step process, take a photograph of each step, and create a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for the task. Students will edit the photographs to be placed in the work instructions and develop a power point presentation of the task for the teacher. The Technology teachers will use the work instructions to help teach new procedures to technology students. School/Subject/Materials Our school is a Comprehensive High School. We have the high school and technology center under one roof. I teach Exit Exam Prep. This course is designed to help students that have not met standard on one or more parts of the state exit exam. It is an individualized student environment. The materials needed for this activity include: a digital camera, a scanner, a color printer, extra color cartridges, protective sleeves (81/2 by 11) and heavyweight paper. The instructions will be copied and placed in a protective sleeve. Some of my students have not taken any courses in the technology center. This will be a way for them to familiarize themselves with the courses taught in the technology center. It will teach them to slow down and pay attention to the details. This skill will help them with critical reasoning skills which, in turn, will help them when taking the exit exam.