Blog Writing Assignments

These are your blog writing assignments.

• Each assignment is due by the BEGINNING of class every week on Thursday. (The first assignment may be delayed until September 25, as I will be away for my wedding the week of the 18th.)
• Each entry must be at least 120 words every week.
• Do NOT copy and paste any text from anywhere else. Always use your own words.
  

You might want to write the entry in MS Word so you can do easy spell-checking and word counts. Please stay on the topic given.

Three of the assignments will be called "Computer Terms." Each time, you must define the term given and explain example(s) (with links, if possible).

After you see the topic here, please go to your blog address and log in. If you cannot understand how to log in from your main blog page, then go to http://www.wordpress.com, log in there, and then go to your Dashboard to find your blog.

		Topic
Week 1	9/18/08*	Your History with Computers (e.g., what was your first experience withy computers? What is your first memory of computers? What is a story from your past that had to do with computers?)
Week 2	9/25/08	Find and explain a Computer news story, or stories (go to a computer news web site, for example; find a recent news styory with something interesting for you, then explain the story in your blog and comment on it.)
Week 3	10/2/08	Computer Terms:  What is a "viral video"? Find one, introduce it, and discuss it.
Week 4	10/9/08	Do a search for new computer technology that people will use (for example. I introduced the new multi-touch GUI in the blog; find another example). How will computers change your life in the future? Give specific examples.
Week 5	10/16/08	Introduce 3 good web sites. The sites must be in English; make links to the sites. (NOTE: do not "introduce" sites that most people already know about, like MySpace, WikiPedia, or YouTube. Find sites that other people probably don't know.)
Week 6	10/23/08	Computer Terms:  What is "bit torrent"? How does it work? What do people use it for? What do you think about it?
Week 7	10/30/08	What kind of Internet connection do you have? What is your connection speed (in Mbps), and what type (e.g., ADSL)? What other choices do you (or your family/building) have? What is the fastest connection possible, and how much does it cost? Do some research and find out! (You can write about how you did your research, too.)
Week 8	11/6/08	Computer Terms:  What is "Solid State" technology? In particular, what is a "Solid State Drive," and how will it change your computer?
Week 9	11/13/08	What about computers frightens you?
Week 10	11/20/08	What more would you like to learn about computers?