Reading Responses & Homework

Homework for Monday, October 30

Carr's "Is Google Making Us Stupid" brings us back to some issues we examined at the start of the semester, namely the relationship
between literacy and memory and writing and knowledge. 

• Provide a brief summary of Carr's argument, discuss one strategy he uses to persuade his audience, and evaluate some
  strengths and weaknesses you identified in his text.
• One paragraph mini reading response (informal writing - not polished). Steinem and Einstein discuss the influence of
  old media and new media advertising. What did you find most interesting about the two texts, and did you notice any
  connections between these texts?

(If you find wish you can use these handouts on evaluating texts, and identifying strategies to help with your homework.)

Reading Response for Monday, October 23

Read these short texts: Rose-Stockwell, “This is How Your Fear and Outrage are being Sold,” Wineburg and McGrew, “Why Students Can’t Google Their Way to Truth”
and Soll, “The Long and Brutal History of Fake News.” 

Address the following questions in your blog post:

1. What are the two (or more) most interesting claims in these texts?
2. Based on these texts, as well as your own understanding and experience, what are the main causes of fake news, the main reasons we should care,
   and what (if any) solutions  do you think there there?

Homework for October 09

Homework assignment 2: Roberts Miller claims that demagogic rhetoric has particular characteristics. For example, it establishes an "us versus" 
them framework, suggests that matters of policy or debate can be settled by questions of identity rather than reasoning, and it often uses "motivism" 
(opponents' arguments need not be addressed - instead their underlying can be identified, and because these are bad, their 
reasoning can be dismissed.) She also suggests demagoguery often draws on fallacies. Many scholars claim that we have seen a 
dramatic upsurge in demagogic, authoritarian and extremist rhetoric in the last decade, and the internet may amplify this rhetoric.

For your homework do the following:

1. Discuss one of Roberts Miller's claims that seemed most interesting, relevant or useful.
2. Use two or three of Roberts Miller's concepts as a lens to generate a short, 2-3 page discussion of a site or text of your choosing.
   You can choose any text you like, online or print. You could choose YouTube comments on any recent controversy. If you are brave you could venture
   into reddit or 4chan discussion groups, or select an alt-right web site/speech by an alt-right figure. 

Reading Response for October 2 

1. Boyd presents a strong critique of an influential definition of digital literacy, namely the "digital native." She also suggests 
   young people need "critical digital literacy." But what does this consist of? What skills, capacities and literacies does she seem to think
   young people need to be taught? Are there any other digital literacy skills she doesn't mention that you think young people need?
2. Read Miller, “A Smoker's Plea,” and Shieh, "Smoking ban diminishes on-campus diversity" and a handout on assumptions. The texts 
   on smoking are short student op eds. What strengths and weaknesses can you identify in the arguments? What rhetorical strategies do you notice? 
3.  Miller uses a number of sources to support his argument. Look up these sources using whatever search engine you wish. Use your critical
   thinking skills to ask questions about these sources - how reliable do they seem?  

Reading Response for September 25

• What parts of Boyd's text did you find most interesting or provocative? 
• What do you think are Boyd's most important claims? 
• Boyd claims the “rhetoric of digital natives” has been damaging. List some problems Boyd associates with the concept. What do you think of her solutions? 
• Do Boyd's suggestions for equipping young people with critical digital literacy skills seem useful? How relevant do they seem you?
• Are there things she leaves out that you think need to be added?
• Read this short, 3 page paper by Gillespie. http://www.niemanlab.org/2017/08/is-platform-the-right-metaphor-for-the-technology-companies-that-dominate-digital-media/ 
  Use hypothesis to highlight and annotate passages that are A) most interesting, and B) connect to Boyd. Try to use the  411F2017 hypothesis group.
  (see https://hypothes.is/groups/MpP1EGoN/411f2017)

Homework for September 18

1. Homework assignment: Read Ong's text and use it as a lens to discuss the “Sundiata” text. Ong claims that texts that are composed 
   "orally," i.e. without writing, have some distinctive qualities. Use Ong's list to analyze the “Sundiata” text. What are the main elements of the “Sundiata” 
   text that conform to Ong's list of characteristics? 
2. Read Young & Sullivan's "Why Write."  Note one claim you found interesting. (Not part of graded homework - just a quick response to aid discussion) 

Note: Ong argues that in an oral culture (one without writing) the “texts” that are composed orally and passed from one generation to the next have 
some distinctive features. For example, they tend to be somewhat repetitious, there is often redundancy and "formulas" (sayings, proverbs, stock characters).  
They often take the form of songs or poems, since these are easier to memorize, and tell a story that is dramatic.   

The Sundiata text is a short example of an orally composed story/song. The text contains two versions of the story. The first has been turned into 
a traditional "literate" text, and the second is a transcription of an oral performance. Read version 1 for background, but analyze version 2. Discuss
features of the text that seem to fit Ong's list. The text has been translated, so any analysis will involve some guess work. 

Don't worry about producing a polished analysis. I just want you to read Ong and try to find some connections between his concepts
and the Sundiata text. I expect this to be exploratory.  Your response should be 2-3 double spaced pages. 

Reading Responses for Monday September 11

1. Join the class wiki. To do this, go to https://rws511.pbworks.com/ Look at the top right corner of the web page for the words “To join this workspace, request access.” Click on the link, then enter your email address, and follow instructions to join the wiki.
2. Create a Wordpress blog page. You will use this to post much of the writing done in this class. Setting up a blog on Wordpress is fast and fairly simple. See this step-by-step guide. For your first post introduce yourself to the class. You could post a brief description of yourself (your major, some interests or distinguishing experiences). What writing activities do you engage in outside of school (blogging, tweeting, journaling, etc.)?  How do you use social media, and what do you hope to get out of this class? 
3. Add the hypothesis extension to your web browser. (It's best if you use the Chrome web browser. Firefox can be made to work, Safari does not). Here is a guide to installing and using Hypothesis.
4.  When you have set up the blog, go to the wiki page that hosts blog addresses. Click the "edit" link (top left) so you can edit the page.  Enter your name and the blog address. If you aren't able to do this, email me (cwerry@mail.sdsu.edu) your blog address.
5. Read the text by Thompson  (“Public Thinking”). 
   A) Summarize Thompson’s main claims. Which claims seem most persuasive, relevant, or interesting? Which seem least persuasive, and why?
   B) Where do you see Thompson addressing people who might disagree with him? How persuasive are Thompson's rebuttals?
   C) Note elements of the text you think might be interesting to research further, or that you have questions about. 
   D) Which part of Herrick's text most interested you? Which aspects of Rhetoric are most interesting? List any questions you had about the text.