Hello Everyone,
For your first Writing Journal assignment, please read the following article: “Truth: Can You Handle It?" by Monica Hesse, washingtonpost.com April 27, 2008. p. M01
- Go to the website for washingtonpost.com
- Then choose " Web: Results by Google" (next to the SEARCH: data field).
- Next, Type the article’s title in the SEARCH: data field, and perform your search.
You’re welcome to respond to the article however you wish. I do encourage you, though, to consider the following:
Consider Monica Hesse’s points. How does your own experience confirm or disprove what she says about conducting research in the current information age?
Considering the author’s explanation of “wikiality,” what (if anything) can students do to avoid that trap? What are some possible consequences of this phenomenon?
The author mentions the notion of discerning fact from opinion. How do you yourself tell the difference (in your sources for news, for instance)?
What do you think about the amount of time the one student, Hillary Swain, is willing to spend “to track down an answer before giving up”? How much time do you think is reasonable?
What can be done to encourage students to use research as an opportunity to educate themselves and deepen their knowledge rather than a chance to reinforce their own beliefs?
Please include the following information as a heading on your work:
Your name
Eng1050 – 20
Writing Journal Assignment #1
Please post your Writing Journal response to this article (200 - 250 words) by Thursday, September 17, 2009.
Have a good day.
Mr. Dierkes
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Jen Thomson
ReplyDeleteEnglish 1050
Writing Journal Assignment #1
The internet is a prominent research technique for today’s students. I believe that it is more because of time constraints than anything else. The time it takes to type in the information you are searching for, scroll through the possible sites, and read the information is much easier than trying to locate the same information in your local library. Not to mention the time it takes to get to the library. However, I do believe that it is important to have resources other than the internet due to the problem with credibility. Wikipedia may not be the most reliable so it is important to have two or three sources on the same information. This helps prevent students from just taking the information on Wikipedia for granted, and therefore using false information.
In terms of discerning fact from opinion I think it depends upon the topic. Historical events are less opinionated than say political speeches or even topics concerning science. Collecting multiple sources on a topic can also help determine opinion from fact. This also could tie into the idea of “wikiality.” While it’s easy to search in Wikipedia and believe the first thing that pops up, one should question the information they receive and compare it to previous knowledge.
Tim Wolfgram
ReplyDeleteEnglish 1050-20
Writing Journal Assignment #1
I can honestly say that the Wikiality of this world is rapidly increasing, and there is no doubt about that. I, for example, do usually start on Wikipedia as a starting point but nothing more. It is more for background information about a topic if I am completely unfamiliar with it, but I never take information from Wikipedia and immediately think of it as the truth. Here is the problem: Why do people always think of sites like these as being the World Encyclopedia of Everything That Is True? I know many people who use Wikipedia as their best source, the one that they base their entire research off of. I think we all know people like this. I could not fully agree more with the author on every point made. My AP Government teacher did the same thing; he actually suggested that we use Wikipedia as a starting line but never more than that. I feel that this does have a lot to do with the laziness of the culture today. If it is fast and easy, that means it’s good enough for me. I do not understand why people want to take such drastic shortcuts that never lead them anywhere except to a D or an F. Then they have to work hard to get back to higher grade when they could have just spent the time and done the research, like they were told to do in the first place.
Christina White
ReplyDeleteEnglish 1050-20
Writing Journal Assignment #1
I really enjoyed this article because it pointed out some of the drawbacks that technology has had on our lives. I personally cannot remember the last time that I went to the library and checked out a book to use in a paper. The internet is so much more convenient when looking for information. I think one of the biggest attractions that technology has is its speed. We are part of a generation that expects instantaneous information. We do not always take the time to stop and wonder if the information we are using is accurate or not. I personally am guilty of using wikipedia on several occasions even though I knew that the information I was getting has the possibility of being inaccurate. I think the article brought up a valid point in saying that our generation does not pay enough attention to the sources from which we get our information. Whether it is a lack of caring or just laziness is unknown, but it is definitely not a good habit.