Assignment #1: Literacy Narrative
Topic and Purpose: In this paper you will tell a story describing a significant experience you have had with writing and/or with technology in the past. The purpose is to reflect upon your own history and to consider your immediate goals for growth as a writer or technology user.
As a student enrolled in a hybrid writing class, you’re likely someone who does a lot of reading and writing on digital devices, like a laptop, phone, or tablet. We often think of digital devices primarily as tools to help us complete a task. However, the tools we use can have an enormous impact on not only how we write, but the way that we think about our writing. Though it’s easy to take the tools we use for granted, it is worth becoming an astute observer on how the tools we use impact the way we write and what we choose to write about.
For this option, describe how a particular form of new media/technology has impacted the way that youcommunicate in a digital age, both formally and informally (optionally, as in the first option, you can discuss a person who influences how you communicate with this particular form of technology).
Audience: Write this paper in a way that would be interesting to your peers (college students around your age) and/or students a year or two younger than yourself. Do not feel that you have to provide advice—this is your story—but try to make your reflections lively, engaging, and meaningful.
Genre: You will write this piece as a linear, text-based personal narrative. The tone of this narrative is informal. You may use the word, “I” and speak directly to the audience (your instructor and classmates).
Length: Your final draft should be 1000-1200 words long.
Literacy Narrative
Reflective Cover Letter
Task:
Now that you have finished your Digital Literacy Narrative, reflect on the process you went through to produce it. You will want to consider the following:
- How did you decide how to respond to the assignment prompt?
- What steps did you take in approaching your response to the prompt?
- Why did you decide to take these particular steps?
- How did you organize your essay and why did you decide to organize it in that way?
- What do you want your reader to learn from reading your essay?
- As you look at your paper, what do you think are the best parts of it? Why do you like these parts?
- Which parts are you unsure or less happy about? Why are you less happy with these parts?
- What did you learn from the process that you could transfer to future assignments in this class or other classes?
You do not need to answer all of the questions—just the ones that are most interesting and relevant to you.
Format/Specifications:
Write this as a cover letter with several well developed paragraphs. I will read your cover letter before I read your essay, so consider what you think I should know about your essay before I read it.
The cover letter should be 250-300 words (longer is OK), double-spaced. It should also be spell-checked, proofread, and edited.