John Gibison
Moody
ENC 1102-0112
13 April 2010
Definition or Fact?
Is your topic an argument of definition, fact, a mixture or neither, why?
The topic that I have been researching is whether socio-economic status affects how digitally literate children are. From the book, my topic can be broken down in one of two ways: of being an argument of fact or being a mixture of both fact and definition.
For the first, the assumption is that everyone knows what is meant by socio-economic status and digital literacy. In addition to knowing what both of the previous are, there has to be a norm for measuring both. For example there has to be established universal categories to evaluate socio-economic status and digital literacy. With this assumptions being made then the argument is whether or not socio-economic status affects digital literacy. It becomes a true and false question, which is what a fact is, either true or false. If this is the case then the research that has to be made must come from a great deal of sources (190).
For the latter which is more likely to be reality, this is a mixture of both fact and definition. I have noticed throughout my research that each of my sources had a slightly different “definition” for digital literacy. Even to the name, they were all different. Computer literacy, computer profile and technology skills were some of the names. Consequently, the paper can be used to come up with a definition of digital literacy. The book describes this “dictionary definition” as a formal definition (224). Once that is established, then it becomes an argument fact. This is where the first scenario comes back into play. Once the definitions and measurements are clearly defined and understood, then it becomes an argument of fact, specifically if there is a relationship between socio-economic status and the digital literacy of children.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Reflection on Research
John Gibison
Moody
ENC 1102-0112
6 April 2010
Reflection
Reflect on your research done to date. Do you have any concerns with it? What do you think about the conversation so far, how do you see yourself entering it?
I have found many scholarly articles that deal with my topic of does socio-economic status affect digital literacy of children. There have been a variety of different methods used in order to attain the data pertaining to this topic. I have found articles with surveys and questionnaires, experiments and even a project. In addition to all the various methods of obtaining results, the research came from all over the world – Australia, North America and Europe. To me those two characteristics of the research really increase the validity of the results. There are some minor problems I have found with the research. Some of the research does not isolate the socio-economic status as its only variable that it measures. Also some of the research states that the study either was not long enough or did not have as many people participate as planned. This doesn’t concern me as much because I am using a number of sources, which diminishes that problem.
One thing I would like to do a little more of is link the research I have used to the readings that have been done in class over the semester. When the final paper is finished, I feel that those links will set my paper to the level I want because the readings given in class are so well known and impacting.
The conversation now seems to be simmering because the Digital Divide is becoming so apparent. People are concerned and the roots of this problem and the roots are being dug up. I am entering the conversation to solidify the relationship between socio-economic status and children’s digital literacy. My input to the conversation would be on what actions can be taken to minimize the gap from this aspect.
Moody
ENC 1102-0112
6 April 2010
Reflection
Reflect on your research done to date. Do you have any concerns with it? What do you think about the conversation so far, how do you see yourself entering it?
I have found many scholarly articles that deal with my topic of does socio-economic status affect digital literacy of children. There have been a variety of different methods used in order to attain the data pertaining to this topic. I have found articles with surveys and questionnaires, experiments and even a project. In addition to all the various methods of obtaining results, the research came from all over the world – Australia, North America and Europe. To me those two characteristics of the research really increase the validity of the results. There are some minor problems I have found with the research. Some of the research does not isolate the socio-economic status as its only variable that it measures. Also some of the research states that the study either was not long enough or did not have as many people participate as planned. This doesn’t concern me as much because I am using a number of sources, which diminishes that problem.
One thing I would like to do a little more of is link the research I have used to the readings that have been done in class over the semester. When the final paper is finished, I feel that those links will set my paper to the level I want because the readings given in class are so well known and impacting.
The conversation now seems to be simmering because the Digital Divide is becoming so apparent. People are concerned and the roots of this problem and the roots are being dug up. I am entering the conversation to solidify the relationship between socio-economic status and children’s digital literacy. My input to the conversation would be on what actions can be taken to minimize the gap from this aspect.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Cars' Model (still working on it)
John Gibison
Moody
ENC 1102.0112
13 April 2010
Cars’ Model
Move 1: Knowledge about the Digital Divide is growing with the increasing integration of technology into society. The primary form of these technologies is the computer. Recently, there has been an interest in the socio-economic status and its effect on the Digital Divide because the roots of this are unknown. The reason for this interest is because technology and socio-economic status are a common ground among all people. The research that has been done so far found similar results, which has been that socio-economic status does correlate to digital literacy. Among the experiment procedures, questionnaires and surveys have been used most widely providing easily quantified data.
Move 2: 1a) There is no distinguishable relationship between socio-economic status and digital literacy.
There are more variables affecting digital literacy.
1b) There is not enough support or experiments done to prove there is a relationship.
Is the research done legitimate?
1c) Is this really a worthwhile topic to be concerned about.
Move 3: Notable research has been done by many qualified scientists and continues to be done towards this question. With all the research to date, there has been a trend and high correlation in the results. It has been seen that socio-economic status does affect digital literacy in children, in conjunction with other variables. This research is extremely pertinent in today’s advanced society because society is becoming more technologically dependant as time moves on.
Moody
ENC 1102.0112
13 April 2010
Cars’ Model
Move 1: Knowledge about the Digital Divide is growing with the increasing integration of technology into society. The primary form of these technologies is the computer. Recently, there has been an interest in the socio-economic status and its effect on the Digital Divide because the roots of this are unknown. The reason for this interest is because technology and socio-economic status are a common ground among all people. The research that has been done so far found similar results, which has been that socio-economic status does correlate to digital literacy. Among the experiment procedures, questionnaires and surveys have been used most widely providing easily quantified data.
Move 2: 1a) There is no distinguishable relationship between socio-economic status and digital literacy.
There are more variables affecting digital literacy.
1b) There is not enough support or experiments done to prove there is a relationship.
Is the research done legitimate?
1c) Is this really a worthwhile topic to be concerned about.
Move 3: Notable research has been done by many qualified scientists and continues to be done towards this question. With all the research to date, there has been a trend and high correlation in the results. It has been seen that socio-economic status does affect digital literacy in children, in conjunction with other variables. This research is extremely pertinent in today’s advanced society because society is becoming more technologically dependant as time moves on.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Core 1
Can one function without a computer or a cell phone? What would life be like if advanced technologies were to have never been invented? Technology, specifically the computer, has created a multitude of positives and negatives in society. Attributed to some of the most profound breakthroughs and yet some of the biggest problems, technology has truly been imbedded into our everyday life. In approximately 40 or so years, society has gone from using an abacus to using a punch machine to now using computers as a luxury. As for me, the computer has completely transformed my life in many aspects. According to Selber , “colleges and universities are beginning to embrace requirements for computer literacy, as employers and academic accredited agencies strongly urge upper level administrators to do so” (14). In order to thrive and be successful one must be digitally literate and need to know how to use computers. Although I am well educated in the current technologies of the day, there is a vast amount of information that I need in order to be literate for my future career.
Before the computer was a commonplace item in the household, a lot was different in terms of entertainment and education. During the “pre-computer” time, entertainment was sought through extremely different means. Most of my time was spent outdoors doing physical activities or reading such books as Harry Potter. In terms of education, there was not an introduction to computers until middle school. The only use for computers before that was for gaming purposes with games like “Oregon Trail”. Not until middle school was there a larger array of computers use. There was a computer class dedicated to teach students the basics of the computer and its components. I took this course and the others similar to it and excelled at them. When the computer was brought to my home, it completely changed my life.
The home computer originally started out as my father’s work computer, but as time passed I asked him to show me how to use it. He started out by showing me how to access the games, for example Solitaire. As I became more advanced, I created an email account and started to use the internet. With my access to the internet a whole new world was given to me at the click of a button. I started to do more than just check my email; in fact, I research for school and for my own enjoyment. Instead of reading paperback books, I was reading articles on the internet. . When high school rolled around, I was amazed at again the large increase in size of computer courses. I started with Visual Basic for both semesters of my freshman year. And then for the next two years I took java. All throughout my high school career I had to use the computer inside and outside the class room. I had to write papers, do power points, and create tables in excel.
Technology in college is mandatory. Most students have their own laptops and this means being digitally literate. Teachers assume that one knows how to use the computer so they do not teach how to do menial tasks. I use technology everyday whether it is the research databases in the library, the computer lab for testing, or my own computer for school assignment and computer programs. Being that I am interested in IT (Information Technology) and Computer Programming, the computer will be used tremendously.
For the IT route, I have to be able to handle large amounts of data and keep track of what is lost or in the wrong place. The primary tool of the IT field is the computer, with various other less important tools that need to be used at specific times. Now within the computer, this is where all of the labor takes place. A stronghold of how the computer functions is necessary, in addition to a mastery of certain programs. A few programs are – Visual Studio, Putty (to connect to UNIX servers), Beyond Compare (compare files in production and development) and QWS3270, which is used to connect to main frames. The languages most often used are Sequel Server and Oracle.
The Computer Programming route, a different but similar list of skills and technologies is required. For the computer programmer an array of business technology is being used. The structure technology includes data bases, web based applications and client- server applications. Some of the most basic technologies that I need I already use, for instance Microsoft Excel (client – server). For networking security purposes, one needs to be familiar with creating and handling firewalls and routers. There is an abundance of languages for their respective purposes, but the main three are PL Sequel, Java Server Faces and Flex.
Outside the computer, other technologies I have used have impacted my life. The usage of gaming consoles have taught me valuable lessons that I still apply to my life today. . I started out with the Super Nintendo. This was basic technology, but taught me some important lessons, such lessons were processing strategies and critical thinking. Now I play the Xbox 360, a much more advanced system that allows me to play versus other people around the world. By playing and communicating with all different people, I quickly learned social lessons that included proper etiquette when addressing other people, how to think on my feet and communicate my idea and teamwork. Just as in Charles Jackson from DeVoss’ case studies, “You have to be courteous. I learned to be considerate of other people” (201).
As the computer furthers itself into society, it will be ever more increasingly important to be digitally literate. Jobs will become more dependent on the knowledge of the usage of technologies. Every single industry has jobs relating to either a computer of some other form of advanced technology, a few being business, construction, and the gaming industry. The relationship between human and computer will intertwine itself tightly; eventually being inseparable. Just as in DeVoss’ case study about Danielle DeVoss, I am directly learning about a computer; specifically, Danielle and I both learned how to use the computer and learned about the computer itself. Danielle learned many HTML editors such as DreamWeaver (186) as I have learned C and Java. As I grow and become more advanced in my knowledge I will take classes correlating to increase my skills in all aspects of the computer. In addition I will gain experience by continuing my own research outside of school and participating in all internships and work that I can. This all will hopefully culminate into a degree and a successful career.
Before the computer was a commonplace item in the household, a lot was different in terms of entertainment and education. During the “pre-computer” time, entertainment was sought through extremely different means. Most of my time was spent outdoors doing physical activities or reading such books as Harry Potter. In terms of education, there was not an introduction to computers until middle school. The only use for computers before that was for gaming purposes with games like “Oregon Trail”. Not until middle school was there a larger array of computers use. There was a computer class dedicated to teach students the basics of the computer and its components. I took this course and the others similar to it and excelled at them. When the computer was brought to my home, it completely changed my life.
The home computer originally started out as my father’s work computer, but as time passed I asked him to show me how to use it. He started out by showing me how to access the games, for example Solitaire. As I became more advanced, I created an email account and started to use the internet. With my access to the internet a whole new world was given to me at the click of a button. I started to do more than just check my email; in fact, I research for school and for my own enjoyment. Instead of reading paperback books, I was reading articles on the internet. . When high school rolled around, I was amazed at again the large increase in size of computer courses. I started with Visual Basic for both semesters of my freshman year. And then for the next two years I took java. All throughout my high school career I had to use the computer inside and outside the class room. I had to write papers, do power points, and create tables in excel.
Technology in college is mandatory. Most students have their own laptops and this means being digitally literate. Teachers assume that one knows how to use the computer so they do not teach how to do menial tasks. I use technology everyday whether it is the research databases in the library, the computer lab for testing, or my own computer for school assignment and computer programs. Being that I am interested in IT (Information Technology) and Computer Programming, the computer will be used tremendously.
For the IT route, I have to be able to handle large amounts of data and keep track of what is lost or in the wrong place. The primary tool of the IT field is the computer, with various other less important tools that need to be used at specific times. Now within the computer, this is where all of the labor takes place. A stronghold of how the computer functions is necessary, in addition to a mastery of certain programs. A few programs are – Visual Studio, Putty (to connect to UNIX servers), Beyond Compare (compare files in production and development) and QWS3270, which is used to connect to main frames. The languages most often used are Sequel Server and Oracle.
The Computer Programming route, a different but similar list of skills and technologies is required. For the computer programmer an array of business technology is being used. The structure technology includes data bases, web based applications and client- server applications. Some of the most basic technologies that I need I already use, for instance Microsoft Excel (client – server). For networking security purposes, one needs to be familiar with creating and handling firewalls and routers. There is an abundance of languages for their respective purposes, but the main three are PL Sequel, Java Server Faces and Flex.
Outside the computer, other technologies I have used have impacted my life. The usage of gaming consoles have taught me valuable lessons that I still apply to my life today. . I started out with the Super Nintendo. This was basic technology, but taught me some important lessons, such lessons were processing strategies and critical thinking. Now I play the Xbox 360, a much more advanced system that allows me to play versus other people around the world. By playing and communicating with all different people, I quickly learned social lessons that included proper etiquette when addressing other people, how to think on my feet and communicate my idea and teamwork. Just as in Charles Jackson from DeVoss’ case studies, “You have to be courteous. I learned to be considerate of other people” (201).
As the computer furthers itself into society, it will be ever more increasingly important to be digitally literate. Jobs will become more dependent on the knowledge of the usage of technologies. Every single industry has jobs relating to either a computer of some other form of advanced technology, a few being business, construction, and the gaming industry. The relationship between human and computer will intertwine itself tightly; eventually being inseparable. Just as in DeVoss’ case study about Danielle DeVoss, I am directly learning about a computer; specifically, Danielle and I both learned how to use the computer and learned about the computer itself. Danielle learned many HTML editors such as DreamWeaver (186) as I have learned C and Java. As I grow and become more advanced in my knowledge I will take classes correlating to increase my skills in all aspects of the computer. In addition I will gain experience by continuing my own research outside of school and participating in all internships and work that I can. This all will hopefully culminate into a degree and a successful career.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Article Summary
The writer-reader (audience) relationship has been a debated topic since rhetoric was created. This specific relationship is quite intricate and hard to pin point and define. There have been many attempts to define what it is and how it should be dealt with. Maxine Hairston writes in A Contemporary Rhetoric states that a sure sense of one’s audience and the assumptions that can be made are critical. One should constantly keep in mind the audience so as to no write for oneself. One exercise that is given to students to practice audience awareness is to specifically assign a stereotypical audience and make the students write to them. This, according to Long, has two major flaws- the first being that this stereotyping would not be tolerated anywhere else and second is that there would be a lack of validity to the writing. What Long is purposing is that a definition of audience be made before. This focuses the reader before he actually becomes the audience. The next step is creating a new set of questions for the writer to use in the pre-write. Rather than beginning with the usual questions we have always asked ourselves, such as “who is my audience” we should ask questions like “who do I want my audience to be”, “what attitudes and actions are to be encouraged” and “what do I want to treat in detail”. By asking these questions and applying them to the writing, Long suggests that the role of writer shifts from detective to creator which is what a writer should be.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Core 1 Part 2
In the realm on Computer Science there exists an enormous amount of technologies and skills (namely because this is where technology comes from). The two major fields that I am interested in is IT (Information Technology) and Computer Programming. These fields are different in their own respects, but also have some similarities. Upon doing research, I have found what I will be mastering in order to be successful in either one of these fields.
For the IT route, I have to be able to handle large amounts of data and keep track of what is lost or in the wrong place. The primary tool of the IT field is the computer, with various other less important tools that need to be used at specific times. Now within the computer, this is where all of the labor takes place. A stronghold of how the computer functions is necessary, in addition to a mastery of certain programs. A few programs are – Visual Studio, Putty (to connect to Unix servers), Beyond Compare (compare files in production and development) and QWS3270, which is used to connect to main frames. The languages most often used are Sequel Server and Oracle.
For the Computer Programming route, a different but similar list of skills and technologies is required. For the computer programmer an array of business technology is being used. The structure technology includes data bases, web based applications and client- server applications. Some of the most basic technologies that I need I already use, for instance Microsoft Excel (client – server). For networking security purposes, one needs to be familiar with creating and handling firewalls and routers. There is an abundance of languages for their respective purposes, but the main three are PL Sequel, Java Server Faces and Flex.
As I grow and become more advanced in my knowledge I will take classes correlating to a portion of these skills. But what I am doing now, as said by the professionals I interviewed, is an excellent cornerstone that demonstrates the basics of both fields. This is what I will take on to the more advanced courses. In addition I will gain experience by continuing my own research outside of school and participating in all that I can(both my father and uncle are in this field). This all will(hopefully) culminate into a degree and a successful career.
For the IT route, I have to be able to handle large amounts of data and keep track of what is lost or in the wrong place. The primary tool of the IT field is the computer, with various other less important tools that need to be used at specific times. Now within the computer, this is where all of the labor takes place. A stronghold of how the computer functions is necessary, in addition to a mastery of certain programs. A few programs are – Visual Studio, Putty (to connect to Unix servers), Beyond Compare (compare files in production and development) and QWS3270, which is used to connect to main frames. The languages most often used are Sequel Server and Oracle.
For the Computer Programming route, a different but similar list of skills and technologies is required. For the computer programmer an array of business technology is being used. The structure technology includes data bases, web based applications and client- server applications. Some of the most basic technologies that I need I already use, for instance Microsoft Excel (client – server). For networking security purposes, one needs to be familiar with creating and handling firewalls and routers. There is an abundance of languages for their respective purposes, but the main three are PL Sequel, Java Server Faces and Flex.
As I grow and become more advanced in my knowledge I will take classes correlating to a portion of these skills. But what I am doing now, as said by the professionals I interviewed, is an excellent cornerstone that demonstrates the basics of both fields. This is what I will take on to the more advanced courses. In addition I will gain experience by continuing my own research outside of school and participating in all that I can(both my father and uncle are in this field). This all will(hopefully) culminate into a degree and a successful career.
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