Double Journal Entry #1
Quote- Ms. Davidson questioned the whole form of the research paper. “What if bad writing is a product of the form of writing required in school — the term paper — and not necessarily intrinsic to a student’s natural writing style or thought process?” She adds: “What if ‘research paper’ is a category that invites, even requires, linguistic and syntactic gobbledygook?” What if, indeed. After studying the matter, Ms. Davidson concluded, “Online blogs directed at peers exhibit fewer typographical and factual errors, less plagiarism, and generally better, more elegant and persuasive prose than classroom assignments by the same writers.”
Quote- Ms. Davidson questioned the whole form of the research paper. “What if bad writing is a product of the form of writing required in school — the term paper — and not necessarily intrinsic to a student’s natural writing style or thought process?” She adds: “What if ‘research paper’ is a category that invites, even requires, linguistic and syntactic gobbledygook?” What if, indeed. After studying the matter, Ms. Davidson concluded, “Online blogs directed at peers exhibit fewer typographical and factual errors, less plagiarism, and generally better, more elegant and persuasive prose than classroom assignments by the same writers.”
Response- I have actually had this same thought many times already during my college experience. I have come to the conclusion that the words "essay" and "term paper" have so much negative connotation for students, that just giving that assignment brings back bad memories for students of late nights, caffeine overloads, spell check, and bad grades. I feel that some students psyche themselves out from the beginning, and never actually have a chance to write a paper acceptable at the college level. On the other hand, a blog assignment appears much less daunting and informal than a term paper, and with that comes a much lower stress level, allowing the student to submit much better work.
Heffernan, Virginia. "Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade - NYTimes.com." Opinion - Opinionator - NYTimes.com. The New York Times, 7 Aug. 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/education-needs-a-digital-age-upgrade/?hp>.
Supplemental Article
Heffernan, Virginia. "Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade - NYTimes.com." Opinion - Opinionator - NYTimes.com. The New York Times, 7 Aug. 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/education-needs-a-digital-age-upgrade/?hp>.
Supplemental Article
In this article, Ben McNeely explains how he has grown up during the introduction and integration of technology. He also shares his ideas on how new technological advances will impact what he calls the "Net Generation". He discusses both pros and cons, and ways for people to adapt to the changes around them.
LINK- http://www.educause.edu/Resources/EducatingtheNetGeneration/UsingTechnologyasaLearningTool/6060
McNeely, Ben. "Using Technology as a Learning Tool, Not Just the Cool New Thing | EDUCAUSE." What is EDUCAUSE? | EDUCAUSE. North Carolina State University, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <http://www.educause.edu/Resources/EducatingtheNetGeneration/UsingTechnologyasaLearningTool/6060>.
LINK- http://www.educause.edu/Resources/EducatingtheNetGeneration/UsingTechnologyasaLearningTool/6060
McNeely, Ben. "Using Technology as a Learning Tool, Not Just the Cool New Thing | EDUCAUSE." What is EDUCAUSE? | EDUCAUSE. North Carolina State University, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <http://www.educause.edu/Resources/EducatingtheNetGeneration/UsingTechnologyasaLearningTool/6060>.
