Homework for Monday September 12

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. When you have set up the blog, go 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.
4. Read the text by Thompson  (“Public Thinking”). After reading Thompson’s piece, how would you paraphrase his main argument in your own words? 
   Identify what you see as the most important claims, and discuss an example of the evidence and a strategy he uses to support these claims. 
   Consider how Thompson’s ideas from “Public Thinking” connect to your everyday life, or

to other texts you have read. Which examples were more relatable or more convincing to you?

5. Read Hafner & Jones’ “Mediated Me.” Identify a claim you thought was noteworthy or interesting, explaining why. 

THOMPSON

1)      Summarize Thompson’s main argument in your own words. Diving deeper into the text, identify the key claims, and discuss the main types of evidence he presents.

2)      What were the most useful/interesting elements of the text? Were there any parts you disagreed with or had questions about? Use the hypothes.is annotation tool to note these elements on the text. If you wish your contribution may be to reply to a comment one of your classmates has made.

3)      Consider how Thompson’s ideas connect to your life. Which examples were more relatable or more convincing to you? Be specific. Feel free to use personal anecdotes and quotes from the text to support your response.

JONES AND HAFNER
Jones and Hafner describe 5 ways technology enable and constrain us. They suggest we think of digital media in terms of what it lets us “do, mean, relate to others, think, and be.” They present some examples of what mean by this. Try to come up with some more examples that illustrate one or more of these ideas.