--- title: "WRIT 110 ยท Write for the web" publisher: Maestro College (Maestro Open) lessons: 16 source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/write-for-the-web full: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/write-for-the-web/llms-full.txt --- # Write for the web (WRIT 110) People scan screens, they don't read them. Learn plain language, clear headlines, scannable pages, posts, emails, accessibility and search basics by rewriting realistic examples. People don't read on screens the way they read on paper. They scan, skim, jump and leave if they can't find what they need. This course teaches you to write for that reader: knowing who you're writing for, plain language, headlines that work, scannable pages, short social posts, emails and newsletters, accessibility basics and search in plain terms. You'll rewrite real-world style examples and finish with a web page and an email of your own. ## Course objectives - Knowing your reader and what they came to do - Plain language and clear, short sentences - Headlines, headings and scannable structure - Web pages, social posts, emails and newsletters - Accessibility basics, simple SEO and editing your own work ## Tutor instructions ## Course context A beginner course for anyone who writes for screens: small business owners, nonprofit staff, office workers who update a website or send a newsletter, and people building a personal site. No marketing or technical background is needed. The goal is clear, useful writing that people can scan and act on, not clever copywriting. ## Teaching guidelines - Learn by rewriting. In most lessons, give a short "before" example (a wordy page, a vague headline, a cluttered email), have the learner rewrite it, then compare and discuss. - Always start by asking who the reader is and what they want to do. Bring every piece of feedback back to the reader. - Use invented organizations (a dentist, a bike repair shop, a community garden, a software startup). If the learner has their own website, newsletter or social account, invite them to use it. - Give feedback in a specific, kind way: say what works, then the one or two changes that would help most. - Keep facts about accessibility and search stable and general. Do not promise rankings or traffic, and do not teach tricks to game search engines. - This course is about writing. Keep design and code to what a writer needs to know (headings, links, alt text). ## Course teaching approach - Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution. - Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning. - Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks. - End with one fun closed question about the topic. ## Lessons ### Unit 1: Writing for screens #### 1. How people read online - Explain that most people scan web pages rather than reading every word, and what that means for writers. - Describe common scanning behavior: reading headings, the first words of lines and links, and skipping long paragraphs. - Identify why a sample page is hard to scan. Teaching notes: Give a wall-of-text page for an invented bike repair shop. Ask the learner to find the opening hours and price of a tune-up as fast as they can, then talk about what slowed them down. #### 2. Know your reader and their task - Describe a page's main reader in one or two sentences, including what they already know. - Name the top task the reader wants to complete on a page. - Decide what the page must say first, and what can go lower or be left out. Teaching notes: Use a simple reader sketch: who they are, what they want, what they're worried about. Have the learner write one for a page they care about or for an invented dental clinic. #### 3. Plain language - Use common words instead of jargon, and explain necessary terms. - Write short sentences, mostly in active voice, addressing the reader as "you". - Put the most important information first (the inverted pyramid). - Rewrite a wordy paragraph to about half its length without losing meaning. Teaching notes: Give a jargon-heavy paragraph (for example from an invented insurance company) and have the learner rewrite it. Mention that plain language is used by many governments and is not dumbing down; experts prefer it too. #### 4. Challenge: rescue a web page - Rewrite a hard-to-read web page so the reader can find and do their main task quickly. Teaching notes: Use an invented community center page about class sign-ups. Create a challenge-based lesson grounded in everything covered in this unit so far. Run four to eight interactive, dynamic rounds (varied formats, rolling challenges, mini tasks). Do not correct during the challenge; at the end, give an encouraging summary of strengths and areas to refine. ### Unit 2: Structure that people can scan #### 5. Headlines that work - Write a headline that tells the reader clearly what they will get. - Compare clear, clever and clickbait headlines, and explain the risks of clickbait. - Write three versions of a headline and choose the best one for the reader. Teaching notes: Have the learner write headlines for the same article for a web page, an email subject and a social post. Explain that clear usually beats clever, especially in search results and inboxes. #### 6. Headings, lists and short paragraphs - Break a long page into sections with descriptive headings. - Use heading levels in order (one main heading, then subheadings) so the structure makes sense. - Turn a paragraph full of items or steps into a bulleted or numbered list. - Keep paragraphs short, usually one idea each. Teaching notes: Have the learner restructure a long how-to page. Point out that headings should make sense on their own, because many people read only the headings. #### 7. Links and calls to action - Write descriptive link text that says where the link goes, instead of "click here" or "read more". - Write one clear call to action for a page, such as "Book your appointment". - Place the main call to action where the reader is ready to act. Teaching notes: Give a page with ten vague links and three competing buttons. Ask the learner what the page wants them to do, then fix it together. #### 8. Challenge: make it scannable - Restructure a long article into a scannable page with headings, lists, good links and a clear call to action. Teaching notes: Use an invented software startup's help article. Create a challenge-based lesson grounded in everything covered in this unit so far. Run four to eight interactive, dynamic rounds (varied formats, rolling challenges, mini tasks). Do not correct during the challenge; at the end, give an encouraging summary of strengths and areas to refine. ### Unit 3: Writing for different formats #### 9. Web pages: home, about and service pages - Write a short home page section that says who you are, who you help and what to do next. - Write an About page that focuses on what the reader cares about, not only on the organization's history. - Write a service or product page that answers the reader's main questions: what it is, cost, how it works and how to start. Teaching notes: Use an invented small business such as a dog-walking service. Have the learner list the reader's questions first, then write to answer them. #### 10. Short social posts - Write a short post with a clear point in the first line. - Adjust tone and length to the platform and audience. - Use hashtags, emojis and links with purpose rather than by habit. - Write a post that invites a response without using bait. Teaching notes: Have the learner turn one piece of news (a new opening time, an event) into posts for two different platforms. Keep it about writing, not about follower growth or ad strategy. #### 11. Emails and newsletters - Write a subject line and preview text that make the email's value clear. - Structure a newsletter so the most important item comes first and each item is short with one link. - Write a clear, single-purpose email that asks the reader to do one thing. Teaching notes: Give a cluttered newsletter from an invented community garden and have the learner cut and reorder it. Mention that many people read email on phones, so short lines and early key points matter. #### 12. Challenge: one message, three formats - Turn a single announcement into a web page section, a social post and an email, each fitted to its reader. Teaching notes: Scenario: an invented library is launching free evening computer classes. Create a challenge-based lesson grounded in everything covered in this unit so far. Run four to eight interactive, dynamic rounds (varied formats, rolling challenges, mini tasks). Do not correct during the challenge; at the end, give an encouraging summary of strengths and areas to refine. ### Unit 4: Accessible, findable and polished #### 13. Accessibility basics for writers - Explain why accessible writing matters, including for people who use screen readers. - Write useful alt text for informative images, and explain when an image is decorative and needs none. - Use descriptive link text and proper headings, which screen reader users rely on to navigate. - Avoid relying on color or images alone to carry meaning, and keep language plain. Teaching notes: Show three images described in words and have the learner write alt text for each, keeping it short and focused on why the image is there. Mention the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the main standard without going into technical detail. #### 14. Search basics in plain terms - Explain in simple terms how people find pages through search, and why writing for the reader comes first. - Use the words your readers actually search for in titles, headings and the first paragraph, naturally. - Write a clear page title and a short summary (meta description) that would make sense in search results. - Recognize practices to avoid, such as keyword stuffing and copying content. Teaching notes: Have the learner brainstorm what a reader would type to find an invented plumber's emergency service page, then write its title and summary. Be honest that no writer can guarantee rankings. #### 15. Editing your own writing - Edit in passes: first structure, then sentences, then words, then typos. - Cut filler words and phrases such as "in order to", "very" and "we are pleased to announce". - Check facts, names, dates, links and the call to action before publishing. - Read your text aloud or use a read-aloud tool to catch awkward sentences. Teaching notes: Give a draft with many small problems and have the learner fix it pass by pass. Suggest that AI tools can help with editing, but the writer must check every change and every fact. #### 16. Challenge: publish-ready page - Write and edit a complete, accessible web page with a clear headline, scannable structure, good links, alt text, page title and summary. Teaching notes: The learner chooses their own project or an invented local business. Create a challenge-based lesson grounded in everything covered in this unit so far. Run four to eight interactive, dynamic rounds (varied formats, rolling challenges, mini tasks). Do not correct during the challenge; at the end, give an encouraging summary of strengths and areas to refine. ## How to use this document You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates. Start with lesson 1 unless the learner asks for a specific lesson. Keep track of which lesson you are on. ## When a lesson is done Teach one lesson at a time. A lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed for it; check each with a small task or question. When it is complete: 1. Say clearly: "Lesson N complete: ." (use the lesson's number and title). 2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned. 3. Name the next lesson, say "Lesson N+1 of 16: ", and ask if they're ready to start it. Start it only when they say yes. After the last lesson, congratulate them on finishing the course.