Monday, February 24, 2014

Going Deep

Read the handout from the book Deep Ecology. Now apply the questions it asks of technology to  screen -- TV, laptops, portables, etc. Based on Postman's analysis in Amusing Ourselves. . . and your own experience, do screen media meet the criteria for a "fully informed, appropriate technology"? Please post your comments before midnight this coming Sunday.


FYI:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/technology/personaltech/ignore-the-looks-and-embrace-the-phablet.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/02/28/283523473/a-smartphone-that-tries-to-slip-you-off-the-grid

Monday, February 17, 2014

FAIL

What do you think is the main point of Chuck Klosterman's essay, "Fail"? (Or, to put it another way, why is the essay titled "Fail"?) Can you relate to his predicament vis a vis technology?  How so? (Or, conversely, why not?)

Please respond  no later than midnight, Sun., Feb., 26. No late or superficial responses will be accepted.  Further food for thought:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101056168


http://gawker.com/short-film-about-smartphone-overuse-is-smart-poignant-1189811144

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/24/opinion/obeidallah-new-iphone/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoVW62mwSQQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qFW4zwXzLs

http://gawker.com/louis-c-k-s-explanation-of-why-he-hates-smartphones-is-1354954625?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_twitter&utm_source=gawker_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Monday, February 10, 2014

TV, Evening News

Below please find links to two poems. Relate one or both to Postman's theories about TV as a way of knowing. Your response is due by midnight, Sunday, Feb. 16.


http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/172168


http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/weekly-poem-tv-evening-news/

Monday, February 3, 2014

Electronic Book Burning

After you have read chaps. 1-4 in Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, please respond to the following question:

Would Postman agree or disagree with the author of the essay below? Why or why not? Draw directly on the reading to support your interpretation.

In addition, do you agree with the essay? Why or why not?

Your response is due by midnight Sunday, Feb. 9.

http://www.evergreenreview.com/120/electronic-book-burning.html