Summary–Analysis–Response Essay Turkle, “How Computers Change the Way We Think”

Order Description
Summary–Analysis–Response Essay [ESSAY #2]
You will summarize and respond to an essay from the WTR textbook. This paper will require a close reading and understanding of the chosen text, a supported position on text, and an analysis of and response to a text.
For this paper, you will use 1-2 outside sources, not including the text from the WTR. The required page length is 3 pages, excluding the works cited page.
A maximum of TEN students will be allowed to write about each essay. You must sign up for one of the following essays:
? P. 287, Turkle, “How Computers Change the Way We Think”
How to Proceed
1. Read and annotate your selected essay. Highlight important passages.
2. Summarize the essay in the first paragraph of your essay.
a. In other words, your summary of the essay will serve as your introduction for this essay. Begin the summary paragraph with a sentence that states the name of the author, title of article, and the main idea of the text.
b. Next, after you have written the opening sentence of the summary, provide supporting ideas from the essay. Do not insert your own personal feelings about the topic. Be sure to present the author’s main ideas in a clear and concise manner. An accurate summary is vital.
c. The summary paragraph, including thesis, should be roughly 6-8 sentences long. Do not use first person or include quotes in the summary.
*Review the summary guidelines on pages 89-91 before writing your summary.
3. End the summary/intro paragraph with your thesis. Your thesis statement should make a specific point about the overall quality of the essay. You must choose a side in the sense that you will discuss the positives or negatives of the essay, not both.
3. In the body paragraphs, you will support your thesis and respond critically to the essay. The body must address the following three broad questions/categories:
1. What has the writer done well (or not)? You might address some (not all) of the following. It’s also fine to discuss other criteria, but you will need my approval.
a. Quality of descriptions? Vivid? Vague? Explain.
b. Compelling voice? Sense of humor? Harsh tone? Explain.
c. Is the evidence strong? Sufficient? Persuasive? Weak? Biased? Why?
2. Do you agree (or disagree) with the writer’s position on the issue?
a. What specific ideas do you find agreeable or disagreeable? Why?
3. What research supports or refutes the writer’s ideas/essay?
a. Discuss 1-2 articles and explain how it/they support or refute the WTR essay.
5. Conclude without summarizing everything you have already said. One possibility is to discuss whether or not it should be required reading for college students.
SOURCES—Acceptable sources include any print sources that have some sort of review process (i.e. an editorial board), websites that are likewise monitored. Blogs and most dot.com websites, unless they are websites for print journals or magazines, should be avoided unless they provide credible documentation for their material. Children’s books and books that are not written at a college level are not acceptable.
I would prefer that you obtain online sources from NCLive, as they have been peer reviewed and fact checked. If you have a question about the reliability of a source, check with a librarian.
NOTE: Wikipedia is not a suitable source for a scholarly project. Also, sources such as classnotes.com, sparknotes, enotes, Cliff’s Notes, About.com, and the like are unacceptable, as are world books and encyclopedias.
Other Requirements:
Length: 3 double-spaced pages [I will not accept anything less than 3 pages or more than 3.5 pages.
• You will receive a failing grade for not satisfying the length requirement.

Point of View: 3rd person [avoid 1st and 2nd]
Font: Times New Roman [size 11 or 12]
Required sources: 1-2
• Sources must be documented throughout the essay by using MLA “in-text/parenthetical” citations and a “Works Cited” page at the end. [See LB p. 420 & 429]
• MLA: Header, margins, page numbers and spacing should follow MLA guidelines, as well as any borrowed material. Use MLA format for header, margins, and page numbering. See the sample essay in MLA format on p. 64 of your LB Brief.
o Keep in mind that using sources, including the dictionary, without citing, is plagiarism. Papers that contain even one instance of plagiarism may result in a grade of “0” and notification of academic integrity violation recorded with the Dean’s office.
DUE DATE: SEE YOUR SYLLABUS FOR DUE DATES
Submitting Essays
? SAFE ASSIGN: You may upload your paper to Safe Assign via Blackboard at least three days before the assignment is due to check it for plagiarism. Directions: Go to the Safe Assign folder (in the essay folder); submit draft; wait at least one day; return and view your report. If plagiarism is detected and indicated in your report, be sure to fix any actual problems before submitting the final paper.
? Rough Drafts: I do not grade essay drafts, but you must upload a copy of draft a week before the final paper is due. See your syllabus for due dates. [Length 1.5 – 3 pages]
? Final Essays:
o Final essays must be submitted via Blackboard by the due date listed in the syllabus.
? Late essays will not be accepted.
o Also, there are penalties (a failing grade) associated with not abiding by length guidelines, so please refer to this assignment sheet to be certain that you have met all requirements.
o Be sure to save your file as .doc, .docx, or .rtf. Any work not submitted in one of these formats will not be accepted and will be assigned a “0.” If I can’t open your file, you will receive a zero.
? If you do not fully understand how to upload a paper in the appropriate format, you should see me during my office hours and/or contact the Help Desk BEFORE the essay deadline.
? Be sure to name your files—name and assignment type (i.e. Smith Sam Essay1).
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Essay Due Date
• Please refer to the course syllabus to determine the Essay 2 due date.
• Should you use an outside source, please include in-text citations and a Work Cited page as the last page of the document.
• Please review the Essay Grade Rubric (in Blackboard) before submitting your final paper to determine how your writing will be evaluated.
Critical Thinking Principles
For each paper that you write, you will be evaluated based on certain critical thinking principles derived from Bloom’s pyramid. According to Bloom, there are specific “levels of intellectual behavior” that explain how individuals learn These principles are “to remember” (the ability to recognize & recall information, “to understand” (the ability express, restate, recognize information), “to apply” (the ability to demonstrate knowledge), “to analyze” (the ability to differentiate between things, categorize, examine, and organize, “to evaluate” (to check/critique, to detect inconsistencies), and “to create” (generate info, invent, produce).
Goals & Evaluation Criteria
• Student is able to evaluate and analyze an essay.
• Student will demonstrate an understanding of how to summarize an essay, evaluate it, and respond with his or her own ideas.
• Student must understand and apply basic essay composition guidelines including writing a clever intro, assertive thesis that responds to prompt, appropriate topic sentences, persuasive body paragraphs, and an effective conclusion.
• To understand and apply the requirements of the assignment, which may include some basic knowledge of the MLA in-text citations and the Works Cited page format. See your LB Handbook for information on integrating quotes.
• To apply rules of Standard English