102 COM Shermak
Digital Futures Essay/Project
There is a reason why you are here taking classes at MVCC. Chances are it is to move on to another school to major in something that will lead to a career or you are looking to complete a two-year program to move into a career more quickly or you might already have a career and are looking to improve. The common thread there is the word "career" and that will be part of our focus for the Digital Futures Essay/Project. The other portion of our focus is the idea, whether we like it or not, that our futures will be affected by technology. For instance, if you are going into the medical profession, all medical records are going digital how will that change the industry? If you are going into marketing, how will companies use social media to reach consumers? If you are planning to open your own business, what technologies can give you a "leg up" on your competitors? Everything that you are interested in has some sort of tie to technology. We want to explore this in the Digital Futures Project in an effort to not only meet our writing requirements, but learn more about where we are headed and be ready for our futures. This is an assignment with purpose. Where do I begin? We really want to focus on starting with a question. This will help us produce content. The answers to the question are the building blocks of our essay. For instance, to relate to our previous examples, you might ask, "What are the pros and cons of making all medical records digital?" This could easily be the basis for an entire essay. The question is a very critical part of the entire process because it will drive the content of your essay. You need this first in order to proceed and we will work on this together. What do I need to write? There are some key elements that should exist in your essay. In no particular order, you should include the following: Detailed description of the industry/career/future you are focusing on. Specific statement (thesis) that clearly identifies exactly what you are going to analyze. Overview of the past or history of your topic. For instance, with medical records, how were these originally kept? When did they start being kept? Overview of the present. Perhaps the topic you are focusing on is changing right now or needs to be changed. There could be a problem to recognize. Back to the medical records example, paper-based medical records are taking up too much space, too using much paper, are inefficient, and open patients to identity theft. This can be proven with data, anecdotes, examples, etc. What is next? This is the future. What is going to change? What advances are being made in your career field that will alter its course? Using digital medical records, you could discuss what it means, examples of its implementation, benefits, risks, etc.
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NOTE: You cannot use digital medical records as your topic. Multimedia Component To keep this in sync with our digital literacy objectives, you will be creating this essay and posting it to your blog just as you did for the Your Soundtrack essay. To give the essay some "digital depth", you will add the following to the essay on your blog: At least one embedded video, one picture, and two hyperlinks. A major key here is that these digital elements must be mentioned and discussed within the essay, not just dropped in to meet requirements. Requirements For your final paper, you should meet the following criteria:
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Length: minimum of 5 MS Word pages, double-spaced or 1250 words. I'm giving you a word count because this will be posted on your blog, but I would STRONGLY recommend that you write it in MS Word to take advantage of the many features available. Remember: the goal is quality, not length. Use of at least five reliable sources. This is a very low minimum. If you want to get more content and meet the page requirements, you will most likely have to use more sources. Reliable means NO Wikipedia or other user-based information sources (i.e. eHow, About.com, etc.) Complete use of MLA in-text citation and Works Page. This should be very thorough. Remember: any paper without in-text citations will receive no higher than a `C' grade. Note: Because you will be submitting your final draft through your blog, no MLA header is required. Cannot use the word I or any variation that refers to yourself. Use of the WordPress blog. The essay will not be accepted in any other format.
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Important Dates Topic Conferences: Rough Draft Due: Tuesday, April 3 and Thursday April 5 Thursday, April 26 Bring PRINTED copy to class on these days (Note: Paper does not have to be complete) Tuesday, May 2 Wednesday, May 3 by 11:59 p.m. CST Prior to Final Event Day
In-Class Workday/Q&A: Final Draft Due: Papers Returned:
Beginning Week 15 and running through Week 16, we will be doing Digital Futures Presentations on our essays in class. More details to follow.