The Purpose: This reflective analysis will get you to look closer at technology

The Purpose:
This reflective analysis will get you to look closer at technology and it’s impact on your life- how you use it, how it uses you, how you spend your time, your technology habits, etc… as explained in Media Ecology Theory by Marshall McLuhan.
To Begin:
Read the assigned Chapter titled “Solitude” from the book Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle attached via pdf below these assignment guidelines in this module. Underline/highlight quotes that stand out to you, that you can relate to, etc… as you will be tying them into your essay.
ALSO
Review Chapter 25 and the lecture notes on Media Ecology Theory underline, highlighting concepts, quotes, etc… that connect to the Turkle reading as your paper should reflect BOTH the theory and the Turkle piece.
The Task:
Write a thoughtful response to these readings as Turkle’s arguments relate to Media Ecology Theory, you, and your own relationship to technology. Given we all own smart phones, are engaged with various media/social media, these impact our lives, relationships, and communication. What quotes, stories, examples, points, etc… stood out to you from these readings? Note: you can agree or disagree, just be thoughtful in your analysis/response. Avoid summarizing as I’ve already read Turkle and Chapter 25. Focus instead on your response to some of the points she makes tying in the terms, concepts, examples, stories told and theory.
To Get Full Credit:
Follow appropriate essay format- your paper should have an intro (with thesis), body, conclusion paragraphs. Paragraphs should be indented, double spaced, and typed using an appropriate font sizes (10-11) with 1″ margins all around. Acceptable file formats to upload are .pdf, .doc, .docx
Integrate quotes/ideas from this piece and Chapter 25 into your response. While you do not need to provide a bibliography, you do need to use in-text source citation appropriately with quote marks for direct quotes used and source info (last name, p.#) after all quotes/paraphrases taken from this reading- this is how you distinguish between what you wrote and what the author wrote so you don’t plagiarize.
Provide thoughtful and critical analysis. Avoid summarizing this reading. I’ve already read it and I know what it’s about. I’m much more interested in what you think about it, how you’ve experienced this, how this reading reflects Media Ecology Theory, insights you have now that you’ve considered it further, etc…
Draft your paper so it’s your best work – this is a 3-step process:
Write a first draft where you get a bunch of thoughts and ideas down. The first draft is usually full of errors, not well organized, and looks like a “word vomit” of sorts with all the ideas you had coming out on the screen.
Go back through your first draft and look at it again asking yourself if it’s clear, if it makes sense, if it answers the questions asked and if it includes quotes, concepts from the reading? You revise this second draft until it feels like a solid 5-6 paragraph essay.
The third draft means you go back one more time and edit it for things like spelling, grammar, punctuation. By drafting you’re not submitting a first draft written at the last minute but instead you’ve put more time into it so it represents your best work.
Lastly- this essay should be 3-3.5 full pages in length (no more, no less).
Approx Time to Complete: 2.5-4 hours
Note- Turnitin software is used on formal essays to discourage plagiarism. Please always cite your sources using quote marks, appropriate citation info, and a works cited page at the end so there’s no confusion about who wrote what- trust yourself and your ability to say things that matter in your own voice.. See syllabus regarding plagiarism for further info.
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