Crowdsourcing Information for the Unit 4 Essay

In your writing groups, think about the article you are assigned and discuss 2 things:

1) What it this text’s main argument?

2)How does this text define literacy? Is this implicit or explicit?

If you are in the 10am class, post your answers here:

Defining Literacy in the 21st Century (10am Class)


If you are in the 11am class, post your answers here:
Defining Literacy in the 21st Century (11am class)

Selecting 2 Texts for Unit 4

As of today, you have read and responded to 5 different articles  and one TED talk on literacy. By Monday, you should select the 2 articles/video that you would like to work with and analyze for your Unit 4 essay. 

To do so, you should first think about how you are going to define literacy (as first and foremost, the ability to read and write? The ability to communicate? The ability to think beneath the surface of a text? The ability to navigate technology and written materials? The ability to not only consume culture, but to produce culture?? You have quite a bit of freedom to choose what direction you want to take your essay in!)

After you define literacy, you should look over all the articles/video we have worked with and select 2 texts to work with. In your essay, you will be working to break down and analyze each article's argument about literacy AND, as a result of the analysis, you will be writing to define what literacy is in the 21st century. The 2 texts you choose may have similar arguments about literacy or they may have 2 completely different arguments, but your essay must analyze and discuss BOTH articles and their arguments about literacy.

After you choose your 2 texts, fill out the "Ethos, Pathos, and Logos: Thinking Critically about Someone Else's Work" worksheet (posted as a file on Canvas) for EACH ARTICLE you have chosen. You will upload both to Canvas before class on Monday, November 11th. 

Mandatory Unit 4 Conferences

Happy Friday, yall!

From Tuesday, November 12th-Thursday, November 14th, we will meet for mandatory one-on-one Unit 4 essay conferences in my office. Please sign up for a time slot on the Google doc: 

Unit 4 Essay Conferences

In addition to time slots, the Google doc has instructions for attending your conference. Class is cancelled for Wednesday, November 13 to accommodate the conferences, but don't forget there is a 2 page rough draft due on Canvas by class time on Wednesday! 

Link to Transition Statements

In case you are still having issues with transition statements, here is a link to the UNC handout on how and why to use transitions in essay writing. 

Transition Statements: Examples and Explanations 

"From Pencils to Pixels"

We're finally on the last article for the unit! You have read and thought about many different ideas on literacy over the past few weeks, so hopefully you've started to gather some ideas of what you define as literacy in the 21st century. 

For homework before class on Friday, you should closely read and annotate Dennis Baron's article "From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technology" (click title for link) and answer the following questions:

1) According to the article, what is said to be the gateway to literacy? Do you agree or disagree?

2) How is writing a technology?

3) Is a pencil technology? Why or why not?

4) Why did Plato dislike writing/the written word?

5) According to the article, what are some of the pros of the written word vs. spoken word? Some cons?

6)How does Thoreau connect to pencil technology?

7) How did the telephone shape communications technology? Is this similar to how writing shaped communications technology?

8)How has technology impacted fraudulent writings and activities?

9)What is Baron's conclusion trying to get across?

10) How does this article implicitly define literacy?

Yancey's Writing in the 21st Century

Before class on Wednesday, you should read Kathleen Yancey's "Writing in the 21st Century" (located on Canvas as a PDF file) and respond to the following questions in a blog post: 

1) What are the 3 challenges/opportunities of writing in the 21st century?

2) Why does Yancey explain writing as a technology that exists "in spite of?" What kinds of challenges has writing faced across history?

3) What is Yancey's main argument?

4) Why hasn't writing gotten as much cultural respect as reading? What kinds of feelings does reading produce? What about writing? Do you have any similar experiences?

5)What are some negative associations people make with writing?

6) What is process writing?

7)What is self-sponsored writing? Do you do any self-sponsored writing?

8) How is the 21st century the Age of Composition? The age of literacy?

9) What is the "so what?"/"why does this matter?" of this article?

10) How does this article implicitly define literacy? Does this definition align with any of the previous articles we have read/watched? Why or why not?

"Laws that Choke Creativity" and "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy"

Below, you will find the link to Lawrence Lessig's TEDtalk we watched in class today: 

Lessig- "Laws that Choke Creativity"

Over the weekend, you should closely read, highlight, and make notes on Clive Thompson's "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy" (PDF on Canvas) and the do the following:

1) What is Thompson's main argument or claim? Use the Paraphrase x3 heuristic to rewrite  and reword the main argument in 3 different ways. Try to find new ways to present the information to help you better and more completely understand the article's argument.

2) Why did Zuckerburg introduce the News Feed? What does this say about our ability to find information and our attention span to locate all of it? In your opinion, is the News Feed a good thing or a bad thing in terms of "literacy?" 

3) How does the article define "ambient awareness?" Do you experience ambient awareness?

4)What is the paradox of ambient awareness and how does it impact our relationships with Facebook friends? Is there a downfall of being aware of our friends' lives without actually having to talk to them? A benefit?

5)What is an ambient update? Give an example. 

6) Thompson talks about social media updates as "skimmable"-- how does this connect to our ongoing class conversations about literacy?

7)What does Thompson have to say about our "weak ties" or our "friends" on social media that are really more acquaintances? Do they help or hurt us?

8)According to Thompson, why do 20 somethings feel pressured to stay connected on Facebook?

9) How does this article define literacy in the 21st century? Does the article change or add to your own understanding of literacy?