July 18th: MIDTERM

Midterm Plan

• Do the Midterm
• Turn in journal entry responses 1, 2, & 3
• Do a Critical Analysis on a Technology
• I, Robot Preview

Midterm Fun

Your midterm shouldn't take you too long. I did it in 15 minutes and got 100%! You may leave when you're finished, but please leave quitely, so you don't disturb your other classmates. Don't forget to do the Critical Technology Analysis. It's part of your webpage grade, so you don't have to do it today.

Don't forget to review the Résumé and Cover Letter revision suggestion page. Remember, you'll revise (or re-envision...) these for your Final Portfolio.

Your Turn on Technology

After you've finished your Midterm, decide on a technology to contemplate and consider the rhetoric of that technology*.

(*Please avoid discussing mobile phones as your technology since we've talked about them already--branch out.)

Incorporate the following into your analysis:

• What are the social values that appear embedded in the technology? In other words, if technology is mediated (comes to be) because of prevailing cultural values, from what cultural values does the technology come?

• What are the social implications of its design or use? Is it gendered?

• What does your technology say about the culture that created it?

Make a webpage that you then link to from your index.html page. Of course, try to find a link to the technology, and cite--give credit--to all sources you use. Again, you don't have to finish this in class today.

Next Week

We'll cover Ch. 6 on Monday and have our I, Robot discussion on Tuesday. I have some topics suggestions and essay requirements on the I, Robot page, so be sure to check that out. The next two weeks have the bulk of your assignments due, so you'll earn that 'W' requirement. Check the syllabus to see what's coming up.

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