Persuasive Essay

As a class we will discuss the assigned readings (listed below), and specifically focus the on the argument each author is making, how it is situated within a larger discussion, and how these arguments relate to each other. After considering these varying perspectives, you will construct your own argument by utilizing three of the assigned articles. Your purpose is not to agree or disagree with the authors, but consider their texts in a new light, context, situation, or perspective. In other words, what do you think about the ideas that the authors are presenting? How does it connect to concepts in contemporary culture? How do their ideas connect to how you or others use technologies? You will support your argument and ideas by using the assigned readings. Clay Shirky's "Does the Internet Make you Smarter" http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704025304575284973472694334 Nicholas Carr "Is Google Making Us Stupid" http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/ Dennis Baron's "From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technology" http://www.english.illinois.edu/-people-/faculty/debaron/essays/pencils.htm Ken Robison's TedTalk "Changing Education Paradigms" https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms James Gee "Learning with Video Games" http://www.edutopia.org/james-gee-video-games-learning-video (Nothing to do with environmental sciences)