Argument of Fact

According to Lunsford, factual arguments attempt to establish whether something is or is not so - whether claims made about something are true. This is the main purpose of my research paper; to provide factual evidence in order to prove that increasing the technology levels in Africa will correspond to higher rates of literacy. Throughout my paper I will discuss factual evidence that shows first, the poverty levels in Africa are associated to low literacy rates, and second, that by increasing digital technology we can help to increase literacy rates and improve the quality of life for many Africans. My goal in writing this paper is not to establish the definition of poverty or the definition of digital literacy, so therefore I do not believe it is an argument of definition. I am trying to argue for the increase of technology in Africa.

CARS Research Model

Move 1: Establish a territory

The importance of increasing literacy rates in Africa is one of life or death for thousands, and potentially millions of people. If the literacy rates can be increased poverty may be eradicated in most of the African nations. Technology helps to improve literacy rates, an example of this is the fact that all the wealthiest nations on Earth have high literacy rates and high technology levels. Previous research has shown that technology and access to the internet helps to improve literacy rates.

Move 2: Establishing a Niche

Research has proven that high technology levels corresponds to higher rates of literacy. It has also proven that high literacy rates help to eradicate poverty. Therefore this paper will be continuing a tradition that has already been established in other parts of the world, increasing technology levels to increase literacy rates, in certain African nations.

Move 3: Occupying a Niche

The purpose of this essay will be to convince the reader that the best way to reduce poverty in Africa is to increase the literacy rates by means of increasing the digital technology. By the time the reader finishes the essay they can expect to be convinced that the evidence suggests we should help increase digital availability in Africa. I will first discuss literacy rates in African nations then the connection between low literacy rates and poverty levels. Next I will discuss how technology can be used to increase the literacy rates.

Core 1: An Analysis Of My Digital Literacy

A profound digital literacy is quickly becoming an essential part of everyday life here in America and in many nations around the world. Using technology we stay in near constant communication with our friends, do school and work related projects, buy and sell goods through online marketplaces, and receive a good amount of entertainment. There is a forever increasing supply of digital media products and ideas being produced and to use these new tools effectively we need to expound our digital literacy. Once we boost our knowledge of digital tools then we can become more successful in the workplace and make our life easier. In this memoir I will attempt to critically analyze where I stand in my digital media prowess, where I would like to progress to, and discuss possible roadmaps to lead me to my end desired digital literacy.

In terms of my own digital literacy I believe that I have gained knowledge, through multiple experiences, that allows me to use many different types of digital media, but currently I would not be able to create new technology. According the Selber’s table, The Conceptual Landscape of a Computer Multiliteracies Program, I am only functionally literate, meaning I see computers merely as tools and myself as a user of technology. Looking back to my middle school years I think that is when I became aware of the many different facets of digital media. AOL Instant Messenger, AIM, was very popular in the early 2000’s and was used by many of my friends to communicate with each other when they weren’t face to face. Seeing all these people around me use this technology encouraged me to try it out for myself. I would say that using AIM in the sixth grade was the first time I realized how amazing and important technology was. After that time I continued to grow in my knowledge of technology and learned how to use new devices that were being created.

Now, having discussed my discovery of digital tools, I will go into further detail about where I currently stand in my digital media proficiency. First, communication is a very important aspect of digital media and we have many tools available to us that can make the task of communicating much simpler. Through emails and tools such as Facebook and Twitter, we are able to keep in constant contact with family, friends, and co-workers. I feel like I am very capable of using these technologies the way they were intended to be used and it makes staying in touch with people much easier. The use of digital media in the educational system may be the most important in my life currently. Selber states in his essay, Reimagining Computer Literacy, that, “The internet and other computer applications have succeeded in becoming an undeniable part of the instructional landscape across the entire curriculum.” This shows how important it is for students to understand technology so they can excel in school. In high school a basic knowledge of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint was needed to write essays and give presentations, but as the years progressed so did the expected digital knowledge. Now in college all the students must be able to know how use online homework programs, post comments on blogs, have certain e-mail accounts, watch video streaming lectures and take tests online. In addition to that certain majors require more in-depth knowledge of programs such as Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. For Business Administration majors, which is my major, we must be able to use Excel to create amortization tables, determine the time value of money, and create graphs displaying important business data. In my past work experiences I learned tools to help me file taxes, audit stores to make sure they are reporting income correctly, use software that deals with paying employees, and learned how to work certain machines such as a postal machine, high-speed scanners, and a networking system that allows for instant communication with multiple co-workers. I can use online marketplace tools, such as Craigslist and eBay, to buy and sell goods and I know how to use my computer to play complex games for my personal entertainment. Overall, I know how to use many different types of digital media, but I am not completely satisfied with my digital literacy.

In the future I would like to develop my digital literacy skills and discover new technologies that could help me in my career. Right now the plan is for me to become some type of doctor and if that plan becomes reality then I will be required to enhance my digital literacy skills in a few new areas. There are so many different technological tools that doctors use today to diagnose and treat diseases and illnesses and I don’t know how to use any of them now. I will need to learn the basic tools doctors use and hopefully come to a place in my knowledge where I can develop tools of my own. That is where I would really like to go with my digital literacy, design tools that doctors could use to improve the accuracy and efficiency of treating patients around the world. I would also like to learn more about creating and designing websites so that I could advertise my private practice online to attract new patients.

To eventually reach my goal of digital literacy I need to continue getting into new environments that require higher digital literacy standards. I think that the more jobs I have, the more I will learn new technologies and thus improve my digital literacy. Also, if any new technologies become available and my friends use it, I’m sure they will convince me to use it also. Once I am in the medical field I will be able to learn from firsthand experience how to use all the technologies associated with that field. For me the best way to increase my digital literacy will be through actual use of the technology. Reading about how to use some digital devices doesn’t teach me as much as physically working with something.

Through describing where I stand with my digital literacy ability, discussing where I would like to be, and how I plan on getting to the digital literacy level I desire, I critically analyzed my personal digital knowledge. Although I do consider myself informed with many digital literacy devices, there is always something new that I can learn. I need to put myself into environments that encourage me to use different technologies to further my digital literacy and by doing that I will be more successful in this high-tech age we live in.

Audience Awareness Article Summary

In the beginning of the article Carol talks about an assignment she gives to certain expert writers. The basis of the assignment she gives is to evaluate whether expert writers take into consideration their audience awareness more than the average writer. This paper tries to present and discuss research that describes the intellectual process called audience awareness. Carol makes a claim that professional writers automatically internalize their audiences; as they write, they ask themselves the questions that their readers might be expected to ask. By stating this claim Carol is making the argument that we need to start teaching our students the thought process that these professional writers have when thinking about their perceived audience.

Berkenkotter, Carol. "Understanding a Writer's Awareness of Audience." Understanding a Writer's Awareness of Audience 32.4 (1981): 388-99. College Composition and Communication. Web. 04 Feb. 2010. .

Core 1: part II

Currently I am a business administration major with a minor in biology. My plan is to get my degree in business, while at the same time meet the prerequisites for medical school. Both in business and medicine a strong digital literacy is required. Regarding business, I will need to know how to work with time value of money using excel formulas and spreadsheets and ways to format balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. Also, in my marketing class we are learning that the most important skill you can learn is how to sell your skills. To do this we need to learn how to make creative websites or resumes or power points to highlight our skills. In the medical field I will need to learn how to work new software that can prescribe medicines to patients and software that helps diagnose certain illnesses. I think the main way to reach my goal of improving my digital literacy will be to work with the software first hand when I get into my professional field.

Core 1: part I

In terms of my multiliteracy I believe that I’m at a place where I can effectively use many technologies, but I am not knowledgeable enough to know what to question or improve in regards to the technology. Since I am a Business Administration major we were required to take a computer fundamentals for business class, which taught me how to use many of the available technologies that are used in today’s business environment. Some of the technologies included: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and the basics of HTML formatting. I feel confident in my ability to use Word, PowerPoint and Excel, but not as much when it comes to designing a website. Also, this summer I worked at a bankruptcy law firm and while I was there I learned to use tools such as: Microsoft Outlook and Timeslips. Seeing these tools used in the actual working world made me appreciate the technology more and made me more knowledgeable in using the tool. I am much stronger in the area of business related technologies rather than tools used to create entertainment for other people.

I would love to improve my knowledge in the area of creating websites using html because that could be a wonderful way to start a business and create money making opportunities for myself. If learning how to design websites was made easier than I think I would spend more time trying to learn. Obviously until I get to the point where I could design my own spreadsheet tools or word processing tools then there is always room for improvement. I need to constant refreshing of my memory of how to use certain tools, but knowing that it will be used in my future career motivates me to continue to learn new technologies.

Analysis of Digital Communications and the Conduct of Science: The New Literacy

The article, "Digital Communications and the Conduct fo Science: The New Literacy," was written by a man named Joshue Lederberg, a senior member of the IEEE. The author is an enthusiastic user of packet-switched communications, which is a new form of communicating and is called the 'EUGRAM'. The main purpose of this article is to encourage the reader to support EUGRAM systems because it helps ease the utlility of all new scientific knowledge. He also talks about how in due course, the two-way conversation may disappear, to be replaced by messages stored on tape recorders. In another place in the article Lederberg discusses the emergence of the new digital literacy and goes so far to say that, "The author who does not interface directly with his own words with a text-display and editor is missing a powerful and precise organ of expression." This was a well thought out argument and the author does a great job imprinting his views about new digital literage into the article.