Writing Assignment #1 will be a comparison-contrast essay on the perspectives of Neil Postman and Thomas Friedman on technology in education.
The following links feature the following:
• a chapter from Neil Postman called “Some New Gods that Fail.”
• a video interview with Friedman on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
• an article by Friedman on MOOCs.
Friedman discusses MOOCs. Postman does not discuss MOOCs in particular, but he discusses the concept of open educational resources and the prospect of professors helping students through computers, students watching lectures in their free time through technology, etc. Overall, the concepts Postman discusses intersect with the claims Friedman is making. However, the two men disagree on pivotal points.
• Neil Postman, “Some New Gods that Fail”
• Thomas Friedman
o “A Conversation with Thomas Friedman, Part 2: Missing the Point on MOOCs, Cost vs. Value in Higher Ed and the ‘401(k) World’” http://vimeo.com/66575133
o “Revolution Hits the Universities,” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/opinion/sunday/friedman-revolution-hits-the-universities.html?_r=1&
Your essay should have the following:
• an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement.
• at least three body paragraphs that illustrate at least three major points and defend these points by referring to the Postman chapter, the Friedman interview, and the Friedman article.
You will want to paraphrase or quote from the texts as appropriate. Don’t worry about citation style for this paper. If you quote from or paraphrase either author, simply put that author’s name in parentheses after the sentence that contains the quotation or paraphrase.
Your body paragraphs should follow either the block pattern of organization or the alternating pattern of organization.
Please emphasize the differences between the two authors in this essay. You may want to point out the similarity or similarities. However, the main focus of your essay will be on their differences.
