Informative Report project

As we begin the Informative Report project, it is important to choose a form of technology. As you think about potential technologies to research, remember that it can be 1.) hardware (e.g., cellphones, tablets, computers, video projectors) 2.) software (e.g., word processors, Internet browsers) or  3.) online resources (e.g., websites, online apps and social networking sites). Your research should focus on the impact this form of technology has had on learning, communication, and literacy practices.

The goals of your research project are to find the best and most relevant research about the technology you feel driven to explore and to equip you with the skills necessary for successful research.

For this short proposal, you will find two current news articles or Op-Eds related to a topic that you want to explore for your next major project (an Op-Ed is an opinion article published in a newspaper). These two articles should be discussing the technologies you are interested in conducting research on (If you are undecided and interested in both the iPhone and Facebook, you can choose an article on each to help you narrow it down to one technology).

Importantly, the articles you choose to use for this assignment should represent either some aspect of the topic you are most interested in or provide background information. In other words, don’t just pick two random articles about a topic that you like–the articles should demonstrate something about the topic and why it interests you.

Part I.

Respond to some general questions about the technologies you are interested in conducting research on:

1. What technologies interest you for this second writing project?

2. Why are you interested in conducting research on these technologies?

Part II.

Read the first article or Op-Eds and respond to the following:

4. What is the name of the article or Op-Ed that you found, who is the author of the piece, and what are the main topics/ideas explored in this text?

5. From reading the source, what did you learn about the impact this technology has had on learning, communication, and literacy practices?

6. Identify a 1-2 sentence passage of the source that seems especially significant. Quote the sentence(s) in MLA format and then explain why you have selected this passage. (Refer back to the MLA Citation PowerPoint from the Week 2 Quiz if you need help remembering how to do this.)

Part III.

Read the second article or Op-Eds and respond to the following:

7. What is the name of the article or Op-Ed that you found, who is the author of the piece, and what are the main topics/ideas explored in this text?

8.From reading the source, what did you learn about the impact this technology has had on learning, communication, and literacy practices?

9. Identify a 1-2 sentence passage of the source that seems especially significant. Quote the sentence(s) in MLA format and then explain why you have selected this passage. (Refer back to the MLA Citation PowerPoint from the Week 2 Quiz if you need help remembering how to do this.)

Part IV.

8. What questions do you have after completing this reading that you might want to explore in your research?