Design & writing by Ben Judson
[ technical writing portfolio ]
Below you will find a sampling of technical writing I have produced over the last few years. I have included two press releases, one for a visual art event and one for a music event; an exerpt from a teacher’s guide published by a large educational publisher; and an excerpt from a federal grant evaluation. In addition I have written many other press releases, product development proposals, evaluations, language proficiency assessments, and other pieces of technical writing.
Sarah Higgins’ installation at Salon Mijangos explores the imagery that accompanies rites of passage within American subcultures. Higgins draws parallels between the image of an adolescent hunter posing with his first kill and the staged prom photos that traditionally signal the loss of virginity. By connecting the first love with the first kill, Higgins raises questions about the formation of gender identity at pivotal moments in the transition to adulthood, as well as the conscious arrival of the adolescent within the cultural milieu that will form the basis of adult relationships. Read more »
Publication: This press release was sent to newspapers and art publications in the area. (2007)
Tetuzi Akiyama, whose musical influences range from Henry Flynt to the Pink Fairies, from Canned Heat to La Monte Young, defies straight-forward classification. Although he had been playing American folk- and blues-inspired guitar for years, Akiyama began to make a name for himself after eschewing American traditions in favor of ground-breaking minimalist guitar experiments conducted in Tokyo’s Off-Site gallery space. Read more »
Publication: This press release was sent to newspapers and art publications in the area, resulting in coverage by the San Antonio Express-News. (2006)
[This is a brief excerpt from a teacher’s guide written under contract for Santillana, USA. This section describes the capabilities of the assessment system.]
SEBA provides a flexible, complete system for assessing student progress in English proficiency, so that teachers and administrators can tailor their instructional plans to address the evolving needs of English language learners. The system is firmly based in nationally recognized standards developed by both Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and the State of California. This system is designed to help educators maximize their students’ potential for learning English before having to conduct a high stakes assessment which could affect eligibility for services and funding. Read more »
Publication: The Santillana English Benchmark Assessments were published by Santillana, USA. (2004)
[This is a brief excerpt from a grant evaluation written under contract for the Region I Education Service Center in Texas. This section is an analysis of results from a language proficiency test.]
It is clear from the graphs above that a large majority of kindergarten students were at the Beginning level of English language proficiency during both school years evaluated. According to the TELPAS Rater Administration Manual, this level denotes students who struggle to understand simple English conversations covering familiar topics, generally speak using isolated words or short phrases, are just beginning to understand environmental print in English, and cannot express themselves meaningfully with written English. Read more »
Publication: This Title VII grant evaluation was distributed to administrators, teachers, and others in the school district, as well as fulfilling the evaluation requirements for the U.S. Department of Education. (2004)