General Guidelines for Essays
What is the intended purpose of the technology?
How does the technology fit into your own life? (You can address this question to the general purpose of the Dyson Air Purifier) LINK to Dyson Purifier:
https://www.dyson.com/air-treatment/air-purifiers/purifier-cool-tp07/white-silver
How does the technology fit into each of the 5 ideas discussed by Neil Postman? (Link to Neil Postman’S Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change:
https://web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~rogaway/classes/188/materials/postman.pdf
How to carry out this assignment:
Establish an introduction that introduces the topic and provides a complete thesis statement. The thesis should clearly answer all of the guiding questions. I should know exactly what you are arguing from the introduction. Accomplish this task and do not be distracted by nonexistent rules stating a thesis statement must be one sentence. I am asking for seven distinct assertions here.
The first paragraph of the body of the essay will provide an overview of the technology itself. This is where you can dive into the history of this technology and its intended purpose.
The second paragraph of the body is more reflective in nature. This is where you will discuss your specific connection to this technology. For example, do you use it in the way that it was intended to be used?
Give the five ideas from Postman their own paragraphs. In these paragraphs briefly explain the relevant “idea” and illustrate this idea with examples that go beyond the Postman article and your own specific technology.
Finally, explain how your specific technology reflects Postman’s ideas.
End the essay with a one-paragraph conclusion (offering no new information) and a Works Cited.
To facilitate the successful completing of this assignment, it is broken into four parts:
Topic Selection (5% of course grade)
Technology Paragraph (2.5% of course grade)
Postman Paragraph (2.5% of course grade)
Final Essay (20% of course grade)
Format:
Essays will need to be at least two full pages. This is just a minimum. A two-page essay is an equivalent of surviving on nothing but bread and water. You can do it, but you probably will not be happy with the results. Failure to meet the two page minimum will result in a 10 point penalty. (The heading and initial spaces will not count towards the two page length of your essay. I want to see at least two pages of actual essay)
Each essay should be a Word document, double-spaced, and in a 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Use 1” margins for the essay. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in a 10 point penalty.
Use correct spelling and grammar and write in complete sentences. This is an essay, so, you will also need an introduction (with an appropriate thesis that provides all of your assertions), a conclusion and supporting paragraphs (meaning each paragraph should support the thesis made in your introduction).
Submission:
Essays must be submitted through the appropriate assignment link as a Word (.doc or .docx) attachment. I encourage you to also copy and paste your essay into the text box as a back-up.
No late essays, even one second after the deadline, will be accepted. You may submit your essay at any point from the beginning of the course until the due date. That means that there is no excuse for not getting your essay in on time. Plan for the unexpected and submit your essays early. Review the FAQ for more information on this.
Citation:
This is not a typical research assignment, but resources are needed to complete the task. You may use the course resources or others that you find helpful to accomplish this assignment. The resources used need to be reputable though. Consider the CRAAP tool I have made available. It goes with out saying that sources like Wikipedia are a no go.
Since this is an interdisciplinary course, use MLA citation rules. Some information on this citation method can be found at the Purdue Online Writing Lab:
Improper citation methods may result in up to a 10 point deduction. Straight plagiarism may result in a 0 for the assignment. Use quotation marks for exact words from resources and make sure the source is clear. Use parenthetical citations (In-text citations: Author-page style) for direct quotes or paraphrased ideas.
Make sure a works cited is included.
Breakdown of Essay Grade:
20% Grammar and Structure
Have you proofread and avoided typos?
Are you consistent in your tense usage?
Are there run-on or incomplete sentences?
Have you eliminated awkward or unclear sentences and created transitions between paragraphs?
Are you following the essay organization guidelines?
20% Introduction:
Is the topic introduced?
Is a complete thesis statement included? (Follow the guidelines found in “Constructing a Thesis.”)
Does your thesis answer a question(s)?
Is your thesis specific?
Is your thesis debatable?
50% Body (Analysis):
How well did you support your thesis?
Are all of your assertions backed up by facts and/or logical arguments?
Are alternative perspectives evaluated?
Have you followed proper citation rules?
Have you gone beyond simply summarizing?
Have you stayed on topic?
Do all of your paragraphs related to your thesis?
10% Conclusion:
Is the conclusion clear, effective, analytical and specific?
Does the conclusion avoid new support for assertions?