Context & Description
Technology impacts most of our lives on a daily basis. From the smart phones we hold in our hands to the laptops and tablets we use for school, work or leisure, technology has changed, and continues to influences the ways in which we communicate, work, learn, and play.
While some developments in technology are well-received and widely used in effective ways that benefit society, other developments bring about controversy and disagreement over how specific technologies are used and to what extent. For instance, video games have become popular among people of all generations, but its uses and effects on people and society has created some very different views. Video games are sometimes blamed for promoting negative behavior among children and adolescents, such as criminal activities and physical violence (Barlett, et al., O’Toole). Some people also argue that habitual uses of video games lead to health issues such as addiction and obesity (Grüsser et al.). Video game addiction can also lead to sleep deprivation and lack of concentration, and in some cases affect people’s performance at work or school. While some people may be quick to dismiss all forms of gaming as the culprit, others argue that not all video games or all uses of video games are problematic. James Gee, a literacy specialist and advocate for the use of video games in teaching and learning, argues that “any learning, whether it's books, a movie, or a game, can lead to bad or good results depending on the environment in which it's [played], not the game itself” and that good video games can be extremely useful as a learning tool, facilitating the development of problem-solving abilities and language skills” (Sheffield 11).
Various forms of technology has also changed what it means to be literate. In 2008, The National Council of Teachers of English issued a statement defining twenty-first century literacies, recognizing the role of technology in shaping the meaning of literacy: “Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-first century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies.” Literacy in this sense includes many types of activities that are “multiple, dynamic, and malleable”--such as reading online newspaper articles to participating in virtual class discussion and even interacting on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Weibo. How has technology shaped your literacy practices? What are your reactions to them? What would happen if you lost access to those forms of technology? The goal of this project is to critically assess the impact that a specific type of technology has had on our language and literacy practices.
Your task:
Write a critical evaluation essay in which you identify a form of technology and assess its impact on language or literacy practices. For the purpose of this project, technology can be defined broadly to include har.
Context & DescriptionTechnology impacts most of our lives on a d.docx
1. Context & Description
Technology impacts most of our lives on a daily basis. From
the smart phones we hold in our hands to the laptops and tablets
we use for school, work or leisure, technology has changed, and
continues to influences the ways in which we communicate,
work, learn, and play.
While some developments in technology are well-received and
widely used in effective ways that benefit society, other
developments bring about controversy and disagreement over
how specific technologies are used and to what extent. For
instance, video games have become popular among people of all
generations, but its uses and effects on people and society has
created some very different views. Video games are sometimes
blamed for promoting negative behavior among children and
adolescents, such as criminal activities and physical violence
(Barlett, et al., O’Toole). Some people also argue that habitual
uses of video games lead to health issues such as addiction and
obesity (Grüsser et al.). Video game addiction can also lead to
sleep deprivation and lack of concentration, and in some cases
affect people’s performance at work or school. While some
people may be quick to dismiss all forms of gaming as the
culprit, others argue that not all video games or all uses of
video games are problematic. James Gee, a literacy specialist
and advocate for the use of video games in teaching and
learning, argues that “any learning, whether it's books, a movie,
or a game, can lead to bad or good results depending on the
environment in which it's [played], not the game itself” and
that good video games can be extremely useful as a learning
tool, facilitating the development of problem-solving abilities
and language skills” (Sheffield 11).
Various forms of technology has also changed what it means to
be literate. In 2008, The National Council of Teachers of
2. English issued a statement defining twenty-first century
literacies, recognizing the role of technology in shaping the
meaning of literacy: “Because technology has increased the
intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-
first century demands that a literate person possess a wide range
of abilities and competencies.” Literacy in this sense includes
many types of activities that are “multiple, dynamic, and
malleable”--such as reading online newspaper articles to
participating in virtual class discussion and even interacting on
social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Weibo.
How has technology shaped your literacy practices? What are
your reactions to them? What would happen if you lost access to
those forms of technology? The goal of this project is to
critically assess the impact that a specific type of technology
has had on our language and literacy practices.
Your task:
Write a critical evaluation essay in which you identify a form of
technology and assess its impact on language or literacy
practices. For the purpose of this project, technology can be
defined broadly to include hardware (e.g., cell phones, tablets,
computers, video projectors) and software (e.g., word
processors, Internet browsers) as well as online resources (e.g.,
websites, online apps and social networking sites).
Steps to take:
Identify a form of technology
Think about criteria you will use for evaluating the technology
(we will discuss criteria in class). These can reflect your values
and beliefs, but should also reflect the audience’s values and
beliefs.
Use the criteria you determined to evaluate your technology;
think carefully about how it does or does not meet each
criterion.
Based on your evaluation formulate a claim about your
technology, make an argument (claim) about the role of this
piece of technology in language and literacy practices and in
3. learning. Think about the following:
What are some forms of technology you have always had access
to and have come to take for granted?
How have the influenced the ways in which you read and write
as well as think, learn, and interact with others?
What are some of the benefits of the technology?
What are some of the problems introduced by the same
technology?
How are people reacting to the technology?
How can the technology be altered to facilitate literacy
practices and learning?
Learning Objectives
In this project, you will learn to:
Demonstrate your understanding of the multiple perspectives
and representations of your object
Identify a set of criteria by which you can evaluate your object
Identify the audience for your writing
Articulate the criteria for your evaluation and persuade the
audience if some of the criteria have not already been shared
with the audience
Formulate a claim based upon your evaluation of your object
Consider larger implication of the evaluation
Identify, develop and organize supporting evidence
Requirements:
7 - 10 pages, double spaced, MLA, does not include the Works
Cited Page
5 sources: at least 2 peer-reviewed database sources from the
library, all web sources must be C.R.A.P. tested.
Evaluation of a piece of technology and an argument about the
place of your technology in literacy and learning.
Genre
An evaluative piece of writing begins with an overview and
definition of the object being evaluated, making clear to the
4. audience why there is a need for the evaluation (if it is not
already apparent). It is important to provide the audience with
this type of information so they can understand what is being
evaluated and for what purpose. The introduction may also
present the major claim based on the analysis, although it may
be delayed until the end to maintain the appearance of fairness
or if the claim is likely to be controversial.
Once the context has been established, the next step is to judge
how well the subject meets each of the criteria that has been
established. Evaluative writing is usually organized according
to the criteria that is being used to evaluate the subject and
moves through each criterion, explaining how the object meets,
or does not meet, that criterion. In some cases, the criteria are
already shared by both the writer and the readers; in those
cases, they can simply serve as the organizational principle for
the text without explicit discussion. (The writer still needs to be
aware of it so all relevant criteria are addressed.) In other cases,
the writer may propose a new criterion or dismiss the
importance of existing ones, in which case the specific criterion
needs to be negotiated explicitly.
Based on the examination of each of the criteria, the evaluation
argument usually concludes with an overall assessment of the
quality of the object, as well as a discussion of possible
implications, including suggestions or recommendations
regarding the possible course of action.
Genre Example(s):
letter of recommendation
product endorsement
vacation/travel review
restaurant review
Intro documents/videos/misc.:
5. “Technology in Education Around the World.”
SirKenRobinson.com
. Sir Ken Robinson.com, November 2010. Web. 26 July 2012.
<
http://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/technology-in-education-around-
the-world
>.
Reading #1 - Twenty-first century literacies (& Evaluation post)
“21st Century Literacies.”
NCTE.org.
National Council of Teachers of English, 2012. Web. 26 July
2012. <
http://www.ncte.org/positions/21stcenturyliteracy
>.
http://video.pbs.org/video/1767377460/
IS GOOGLE MAKING US STUPID?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-
google-making-us-stupid/306868/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W86P_FX6PdI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnEN2Sm4IIQ
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/20349819/arti
cle-Technology-aids-literacy--Valley-View-students-benefit-
from-grant?instance=latest_articles
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/docview/21909
8119/abstract?accountid=4485
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2012/10/26/ed
ucating-players-are-games-the-future-of-education/
http://elonpendulum.com/2012/10/educators-debate-uses-and-
challenges-of-classroom-technology/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203400604578
075080640810820.html
![Context & Description
Technology impacts most of our lives on a daily basis. From
the smart phones we hold in our hands to the laptops and tablets
we use for school, work or leisure, technology has changed, and
continues to influences the ways in which we communicate,
work, learn, and play.
While some developments in technology are well-received and
widely used in effective ways that benefit society, other
developments bring about controversy and disagreement over
how specific technologies are used and to what extent. For
instance, video games have become popular among people of all
generations, but its uses and effects on people and society has
created some very different views. Video games are sometimes
blamed for promoting negative behavior among children and
adolescents, such as criminal activities and physical violence
(Barlett, et al., O’Toole). Some people also argue that habitual
uses of video games lead to health issues such as addiction and
obesity (Grüsser et al.). Video game addiction can also lead to
sleep deprivation and lack of concentration, and in some cases
affect people’s performance at work or school. While some
people may be quick to dismiss all forms of gaming as the
culprit, others argue that not all video games or all uses of
video games are problematic. James Gee, a literacy specialist
and advocate for the use of video games in teaching and
learning, argues that “any learning, whether it's books, a movie,
or a game, can lead to bad or good results depending on the
environment in which it's [played], not the game itself” and
that good video games can be extremely useful as a learning
tool, facilitating the development of problem-solving abilities
and language skills” (Sheffield 11).
Various forms of technology has also changed what it means to
be literate. In 2008, The National Council of Teachers of](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/contextdescriptiontechnologyimpactsmostofourlivesonad-221124181647-9c1b9f57/85/Context-DescriptionTechnology-impacts-most-of-our-lives-on-a-d-docx-1-320.jpg)
