Instructions
In the first week of the course, you will write a two-to-three page paper considering the role of technology in one’s own life. For the assignment, you will consider and identify the numerous different technologies that you use over the course of the day. You will also consider what technologies back the technologies you regularly use in order to gain a sense of the technological complexity behind modern life. The paper will lay out your observations in complete sentences, in well-developed paragraphs. Any sources used must be fully and properly cited (using either APA, MLA, or Chicago), though outside sources are not necessary for this assignment.
The paper needs to be at least two full pages of text, not including title page (which is not necessary), reference list/bibliography (which is only necessary if outside sources are used), illustrations, section breaks, or anything else other than the body paragraphs. The paper must be double spaced, with 12-pt Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins on all sides. Submit the paper in .doc, .docx, .rtf, or some equivalent format; do not submit the paper in .pdf or .pages format.
The paper will be graded according to the following rubric:
A: The paper provides a detailed overview of various quotidian technologies and shows some insight into what less visible technologies make them possible. The paper is at least two full pages in length, properly formatted. If the paper draws from outside sources, they are properly cited in the body of the text and in a reference list at the end. The writing is clear and correct.
B: The paper provides a good overview of various quotidian technologies and shows some awareness of less visible technologies which make them possible. The paper is two full pages in length or nearly so, and meets most of the formatting requirements. If the paper draws from outside sources, they are cited fully in the body of the text and in a reference list at the end, but the citations may not correctly meet the standards of any major citation style. The writing is clear, though perhaps with a few typos.
C: The paper provides a cursory glance at various quotidian technologies and may or may not demonstrate awareness of less visible technologies which make them possible. The paper is at least a page and a half of text in length, and meets most of the formatting requirements. If the paper draws from outside sources, they are cited in the body of the text or in a reference list at the end, but not necessarily both, and the citations may not correctly meet the standards of any major citation style. The writing is mostly clear, and the paper may contain several typos.
D: The paper provides a limited glance at various quotidian technologies and may or may not demonstrate awareness of less visible technologies which make them possible. The paper is less than 1.5 pages of text in length, and may demonstrate numerous formatting errors. The paper may draw ideas or information from sources without properly citing them. The writing is not always clear, and there may be frequent and distracting typos.
