Due Dates
First Draft: September 5
Finished TLN: September 12
Goals of this Project
Our first project in ENC3416 is designed to explore and reflect on ways technology has shaped your writing and literacy experiences so far. By writing a narrative, you will tell your own story about your life as a student and writer and choose how you want your classmates and instructors to see who you are. Because this is a reflective narrative, you will learn more about yourself as a writer and critically reflect on your past writing experiences by using the concepts that we discussed in class.
This focused approach to a literacy narrative asks writers to tell the story of how you developed the current literacy you have with the technology you use. This project allows writers to take control of how your audience of instructor and classmates perceives you, and lets me know where you’re coming from, what you have already learned, and what technological literacy you hope to develop further.
Another goal of this project is to experiment with writing in mediums that are “new to you.” This narrative may take any medium that you choose, as long as it includes some media that you haven’t used for academic writing before. We’ll look at examples of technology literacy narratives created as short films, animated videos, and web-written texts.
What you’ll need to do
We will begin planning this project by exploring the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives. The DALN is an archive of personal literacy narratives that serves as an excellent record of the stories of literacy from people of all backgrounds, ages, and experience. By searching the DALN for literacy narratives on technology, you will explore some of the discourse about technology literacy and the ways that other writers have told their story.
By the time you start planning this project, you’ve already begun reflecting on the writing and rhetoric in your life. In many of our Canvas assignments, you’ve talked about your early experiences with computers, with online writing, use of smartphones for communication and expression. You’ve also discussed your present relationship with technology. Any of these might turn into the story you tell in your TLN.
Make sure you don’t just tell your readers about technology. Instead, make it a narrative that has details that create a concrete vision for your readers. What specific moments in time illustrate the development of your technological literacy? How can you use these moments to illustrate a meaningful point about technology for you?
To conclude your narrative, look to the future and significance of technology on your life moving forward. You might conclude by addressing these questions.
- What role do you see technology playing in your life and future? How do you feel about computers and the role they have and will play in your future?
- Do you think your writing will change based on new technologies? If so, how?
Requirements and Scoring Criteria
In order to successfully complete this assignment your project will need to meet these requirements. Here’s how they will break down in the final score.
For each requirement:
A = Extraordinary work, more than fulfills the guidelines
B = Clearly above average work, more than meets the guidelines
C = Average work, solidly meets the guidelines
D = Below average work, serious attempt to fulfill requirements but does not fully meet the guidelines
F = Substantially below average work
Here is what is required for the final draft:
| Requirement | Points |
| Critical reflection on your past technology literacy experiences | 20 |
| Use of a medium that is new to you | 20 |
| A clear purpose that indicates to readers why your story matters | 15 |
| An easy to follow organizational approach | 15 |
| Specific, vivid, engaging use of language that makes the story come alive, demonstrating attention to word choice | 15 |
| Work that demonstrates an effective writing process, including discovering of ideas, drafting, revision and proof-reading | 15 |
| Total | 100 |