User:Vtaylor/Computers and the internet in society/1. Introductions

= 1. Introductions =

so-ci-e-ty n. pl. so ci e ties


 * 1) The totality of social relationships among humans.
 * 2) A group of humans broadly distinguished from other groups by mutual interests, participation in characteristic relationships, shared institutions, and a common culture.

These are the key concepts of Computers and the Internet in Society. What impact have computers had on society in general? Is this good or bad? Who has been affected? Where are computers now?

Learning outcomes


 * introduce yourself and "meet" your classmates
 * explore the course structure and presentation
 * use the online forums for discussions
 * learn about learning literacies and lifelong learning
 * practice online research

Keywords


 * computers in society - past, present, future, benefits, shortcomings, themes, issues

Study questions

Here are some questions to get you thinking about the important concepts and information as you review the selected media - articles, diagrams, videos, podcasts for this module.


 * Have you used a computer today?
 * Are there general computer-related issues that concern you? Do you have strong feelings about any of the topics that we will be covering? See course outline listed on the main CIS2 course page.
 * What are some of the benefits of computers to society? Are there some aspects that are not beneficial?
 * Are books and libraries going to change? If yes, when might that happen?
 * Are crimes "worse" because of computers? How so?
 * Have you or your family been affected by computers and health care?
 * How are computers helping people with disabilities?
 * Where will we see the biggest impact of computers on society? How will this happen? How long before this happens?

All course materials are open on the first day of class for the quarter. Start work immediately. Please read the assignments carefully. There are many assignment activities for each module in this course. ALL activities for the module must be completed by the published due date.

Assignments
Your responses to assignment activities will be graded for college-level writing. Spelling and grammar errors will result in deductions. Late submissions may accepted. An extension will be considered if requested prior to the due date. Complete and thoughtful replies that demonstrate original thinking and personal experience contribute to the overall success of the course.

Discussion participation
 * Review - Just read what others have posted - No comments or reply required. There are good resources here if you are interested in learning more about the topic.
 * Reply / Respond / Comment - Discussion participation - Post to this discussion with additional questions or comments.


 * 1) Read the Syllabus - Computers and the Internet in Society. There is a lot of important information in the syllabus. Submit I have read the Syllabus. Important: This counts as having attended the first day of class.


 * 1) Review the Online Education Center resources on the Online Education pages and complete the Online Education Center Orientation.

Valerie Taylor - always learning something new, sharing important and interesting ideas There is more to the story than what you can say in 140 characters. Use the "Reply" link to ask questions about other introductions.
 * 1) In the Discussions, introduce yourself to your classmates. Write an 'introduction in 140 characters or less' about yourself. Post your introduction in discussion topic Introductions and expectations. Please use the Reply function to post your information. This will add your introduction to the topic discussion thread. For example, here is my introduction.
 * 1) Add a picture to your Canvas profile. Go to My profile setting, select Edit profile, and add a picture. This will show up as the little picture next to your discussion posts.


 * 1) To your Introduction, add 2-3 sentences about your outside interests. Are you interested in art, music, computer games, travel, cooking? Do you have any pets? This is an opportunity to meet classmates with similar interests. Why are you taking this course and what you hope to learn in the class? Is this "for fun" or do you need to take this class for work or school? Are you enrolled in other DeAnza classes this quarter? Have you taken other online classes? Could you physically get to DeAnza campus in Cupertino? If not, why not - travel, physical limitations, transportation, child care, scheduling? Are you planning to travel during the quarter and keep up with the class remotely? Where will you be? Post as a Reply or edit to add to your post.

Comment on the posts of 2 others. What can you add to the discussion?
 * 1) Technology - Review this document  What do we mean by technology. Although you are not eligible to enter the competition, this background information has a really good overview of "technology" that is applicable to this course. Review the document and select 2 technologies that you think will have an impact on society. Post a brief explanation for your selection to Observations and Predictions discussion topic.


 * 1) Read the 20 Basic Rules For Digital Citizenship. This is a good summary of appropriate online behavior in general, and for online courses, specifically.

''There are more than 400,000 references to Valerie Taylor. There is a romance novelist, a professor of Electrical Engineering, a shark researcher, a woman who works to build hospitals in Bangladesh, and me, just to name a few. There are more than 600 people - mostly female, with my name in the U.S. I haven't met any, but another Valerie Taylor - similar but different date of birth, goes to the same dentist.''
 * 1) Digital literacies - With technology becoming ever more prevalent in today's world and Apps being designed to meet specific needs, it is becoming increasingly important to identify these technologies and recognize how they may be of benefit to you now and in the future. Complete this short quiz to reveal a personalized profile spanning six different genres, which suggests ways you can improve how you use technology for school, business and living. Digital Literacies Quiz
 * 2) How do you approach tasks? Review the article Are you a thinker, a planner or a doer? This will be useful in the discussions and online collaborations in the coming weeks. Indicate your type - Thinker, Planner or Doer and post a short note about  your 'type" to your introduction in the discussion topic Introductions and expectations.
 * 3) Look up your name in 2-3 search sites - Google, DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia, LinkedIn. Are there any references to YOU? Did you know that you are mentioned on the internet? Are there other people with the same name listed? Is there a problem for you if people mistake the other person for you?  How many links were found that contained references to people with the same name as you? Look at a few of these sites. Are there some interesting people who share your name? Search for your name in How Many of Me?  List 3-4 people in discussion Interesting People with My Name.


 * 1) Learning Literacies - Find it - Research and Information Fluency - browsers, search. The internet provides millions of resources. Being able to locate specific credible information is more than a simple Google search.  Review 2-3 articles in the Find it media selections (listed below). Find an interesting article about searching and authenticating sources on the internet. Post a link and a brief summary of the article you select to the Learning Literacies - Find it discussion.

http://web.archive.org/web/20050401033400/http://www.wbglinks.net/pages/history/
 * 1) Read A Computer Geek's History of the Internet - Not the complete history but just the cool stuff. The Internet history from the perspective of a computer geek. Pick one event that was interesting to you and post a brief note about the event you selected in the Computer Geek's History discussion. Why was this particular event interesting to you?


 * 1) Review the Keywords and Study questions at the top of this page. These will help you look for important ideas in the rest of assignments for this module.

What questions do you have about the general topic - Computers and the Internet in Society? Include 2-3 of your questions in your post. Review and think about the questions in other posts. We will be exploring these in more detail throughout the course
 * 1) Read, view, listen to several selections in the Society selected media list for this module. You don't have to review them all. Browse through several and find 2-3 that are interesting to you personally. What interests you about this selection? What keywords or study questions are addressed? Post a brief summary of ONE item from the Society media list to the Selected media - Society discussion.


 * 1) Search the web for resources  that discuss computers and society. Select 2. Rate the effectiveness of each site on a scale of 1-5. Then provide pros and cons (total of 5) to explain your rating. For example, if you rate one of the sites as a 4, then provide 4 reasons why the site works that well and 1 reason why it didn't get 5 out of 5. Do this for both sites you select. Find one effective resource (4-5) and one that isn't very good (2 or less). Provide your rating and reasons for both sites along with the web addresses, and post your evaluations to the  discussion Computers and Society Websites. Then throughout the week,  review a minimum of three (3) other discussions on this topic.


 * 1) Some old web pages are ok and the information is still valid. Some are so outdated that they are funny, so long as you know the difference.  There are millions of websites. Some are maintained, update and report the latest and greatest information. Others - not so much. Find 2 old web pages - 1 out of date web page with information that is no longer correct AND 1 page that is dated more than 5 years ago that is still correct. Post links to your selections and a brief explanation of your selections to the So yesterday ... discussion. Review the post of 3 others. (Just review - no comments required. You can comment if you want to add to the discussion.)


 * 1) Community Service Learning online - There are many opportunities to do community service online via the internet. Many organizations have remote online volunteer work that can be done by people from their computers. SciStarter projects ask volunteers to look for unusual formations in pictures taken by space telescopes, or report birds in your backyard or a park near your school or office. Volunteer Match is a great resource for finding interesting projects. Find an example of an online volunteer or community service. What do volunteers do? Who benefits from the services provided? Post a link to the site and a brief description of the community service opportunity to the Online Community Service discussion.


 * 1) More Canvas exploration - Try different Canvas features and settings. Look at your Profile and make any changes that you would like. Check your Grades. Change the discussion display format - Unread, search by topic, or author. Turn the tracking on and off. Edit your posting. Also check the Canvas resource pages for information about the discussion features. Look for the Help links throughout Canvas. Learn to use the features NOW. Post any questions or suggestions in the Canvas exploration discussion.

For this assignment - What is ONE unanswered question? Submit your question to the I wonder... 1 assignment. Include a sentence of explanation or clarification for your question if necessary.
 * 1) Reflection - I wonder.. - Get into the habit of asking related questions that interest YOU. This leads to "self-directed learning". What questions do you have about technology and society? Why are you interested in the topic?

Advice from students in the previous class: Throughout the semester, keep track of the resources that you think are particularly important in your research and in the class discussions. Your final project is a curated collection of resources for each module - see Module 11 for details.

Media
Readings, videos, pictures, diagrams, podcasts, animations,..

There is no textbook for this course. There are selected Media - articles, videos, pictures, diagrams, podcasts,... listed as resources for each module. You don't need to study them all. Browse through SEVERAL and find 2-3 to review in detail. Or find your own...

SOCIETY

FIND IT