Variables in HTML

Lesson Details:

I: Introduction

I: Introduction

A: Cloud computing for machine learning

I: Introduction

A: Cloud computing for machine learning

II: Body

II: Body

A: Variables in html

A: Variables in html

III: Conclusion

III: Conclusion


Not only is this not the best use of outlines, it's an outline that would make me unhappy. Let's break down my own outline and see why. First of all, the title "Web Development" is too generic. It tells me nothing about what I'd be writing about. "Cloud computing for machine learning" is also too broad of a topic to write on. Are you going to do some research on cloud computing? Are you going to write about how people are using cloud computing to conduct machine learning? Are you going to use some preexisting work that is out there? Or are you going to develop something? These are all important questions to answer before starting to write an article. Too often, students get halfway through their article and realize they aren't actually writing what they set out to write. That can lead to a very stressful situation.

The next part, "Variables in HTML", is too specific. If I wanted to write on that I would have written an article on that topic. Instead, I'm trying to write an article on web development in general. That means I need to talk about more than just variables in HTML. You'll notice that I don't have an introduction or conclusion here, which is because they are not sections of my outline. They are sections of my article. I use an introduction and conclusion when I'm writing, but when I'm outlining I only care about the sections of the article, not the sections of my article. This way, when I create my outline, I don't have to worry about where the introduction or conclusion will go.

Now that you've seen what not to do, let's take a look at what you should do instead. We're going to start with the same question I asked above: What is your topic? Ask yourself this question right now without looking back at your outline. If you are having trouble coming up with something, ask yourself what made you want to write an article on this topic in the first place. What are you most passionate about? What are you most interested in? Once you have your topic, start with the basics. What is the thesis statement of your article? What is the thesis statement of your article? What is the thesis statement of your article? This may sound repetitive, but it's important that you force yourself to state the thesis statement of your article in multiple ways. There are lots of different ways to say the same thing, so try them all out until you find the one that makes you feel like it's clear and concise. Once you have your thesis statement, add an introduction and conclusion to your outline. Your introduction should tell the reader exactly what they will be reading and what they will learn by reading it. Your conclusion should sum everything back up and reiterate your main point(s). Next comes the body of your article. Start by listing all of your main points (your paragraphs) and then add subsections underneath each main point (for example: A: Variables in HTML). Each subsection should be a sentence or two describing what you will be writing about. Finally, add your supporting paragraphs underneath each subsection (again: A: Variables in HTML). If everything has been written correctly, there should be an introduction, conclusion, and body with subsections and supporting paragraphs underneath each subsection. This way, when it comes time to sit down and write your article, all that matters is whether or not you can fill in the blanks.