Unit 1 Portfolio

Source 1: From Pencils to Pixels by Dennis Baron

Dennis Baron’s project was the evolution of using pencils to using keyboards and it showed the evolution of technology. The genre of this source was an article and the project influence the genre in that it supports the notion where people are no longer handwriting things as frequently as they had in the past due to all the advances in technology and new innovations as time has passed. They now have the option to write or type. I feel that the project was successful to an extent as Baron was ultimately trying in elude that while technology has improved and evolved over the years, there are still some flaws. Baron said, “Digitized text is even easier to corrupt accidentally, or to fiddle with on purpose. Errors can be inadvertently introduced when print documents are scanned. The source of an article fits in with the larger conversation about technology in that it shows how people these days type up articles instead of writing. Additionally, it also speeds things up.

Source 2: 5 Ways Technology Transforms Writing Instruction: From Instant Gratification to Iteration by Amanda Zeligs Hand

“When writing and posting are seen as a single act, instead of a process, it can feel instantly gratifying.”

5 Ways Technology Transforms Writing Instruction: From Instant Gratification to Iteration consisted of how teachers/professors can utilize the popular social media apps that students like to use daily and incorporate aspects that they enjoy about it into making writing seem less tedious and forced. The genre of this source is a blog and I think that the project of making writing seem less like a chore and more of a hobby has contributed to making blogs seem appealing. Blogs have less of a restriction than papers or articles and it gives writers more freedom to write as they please as they aren’t required to write formally, with countless amounts of sources to back up their writing. Additionally, blogs can either be something people write in their free time about things they enjoy or things they have to write for their job or class.

I thought the author’s project was successful as someone who doesn’t enjoy writing but enjoys using social media in posting content. I liked her ideas of how professors/teachers can make writing seem less boring and how to encourage students to revise their drafts. I particularly liked the first idea of assigning low-stakes writing assignments where students aren’t assigned grades based off their writing and are given feedback. I think this lifts a burden off students who aren’t gifted with the ability to write well and feel pressured. Assigning grades based off writing can “demotivate” students as the writer mentioned in the blog. This source fits in with the larger “conversation” about writing and technology because it shows how technology can influence the way people write and make it more enjoyable

Source 3: The Technology of Writing: From Stone Tablets to Tablet Devices by World Science Festival

The author's project was through a panel discussion, to have one of the panelists discuss the evolution of books from being written on paper in the traditional format to having it available online. One of the panelists said, "(We've) seen the these kind of inflection points where a new technology emerges and it sort of destabilizes the balance of power." It destabilizes the balance of power as people struggle to come to terms with the change and start adapting the change into their lives. This was a video and it has influence the project in showing how stories can be told through videos rather than the traditional format, although he didn't tell a story. I personally thought it didn't succeed, I think it would've been more impactful if they had more data/statistics to back up what was being said or if it was more interesting. Also, he could've talked more about tablets today as that is what this specific segment was regarding. This source fits in with the larger conversation about the topic of writing and technology in that it shows one of the many ways people can now inform the general public is through videos, more specifically, on Youtube.

Source 4: How Do Tech Tools Affect The Way Students Write? by Katrina Schwartz.

“In my experience the extended audience provided by online writing encourages students to be

more deliberate and thoughtful.”

The author’s project covered how technology has both positively and negatively affected the way students write. She utilizes statistics throughout the post to back up what she is talking about. She mentioned that 96% of teachers agreed that using digital technology has it possible to share things with the students outside of class. “In my experience the extended audience provided by online writing encourages students to be more deliberate and thoughtful but we got the sense that teachers felt able address the negatives and take advantage of the positives.” said Kristen Purcell in the article. The teachers usually go through how not to plagiarize, citing sources and how to write professionally, as in not using shortcuts like "brb" or "bc". The genre of the source was an informational article and the project influenced the genre in that without the technology we have today, we would not be having the articles we have today as things become digitized. Additionally, the project influence the genre in that without technology tools, it is harder to post and edit everything. The genre influenced the project by giving readers a sense of reassurance that she knows what she is writing about by backing it up with data.

I thought the author succeeded in showing how tech tools influence the way people write today and by referring to the Pew Research data for the source, it fits in with the larger conversations about writing and technology and how the evolution of technology has positively impacted the generation.