Identity in a Virtual World?
Can you imagine a world where you wake up in the morning, and you go to your doctor’s office without ever leaving your house? Instead, you plug your blood pressure cuff into your computer and you insert your saliva sample into an analytical drive. The analysis is sent to a virtual physician who lives a thousand miles away. He diagnoses an illness that requires surgery. Lucky for you, the surgeon drone is not terribly busy that morning, and you are able to have your gallbladder removed early in the afternoon. The drone arrives, gives you anesthesia, and by employing ultrasound technology, your doctor can operate by remote control. Without interacting with a human at any point in the process, you have an organ removed in your own home.
For many people, the idea that a university could appear in your living room was equally hard to imagine. Yet, Walden can provide you with a world class education without physically sharing a space with fellow students and teachers. Today online learning is a more common experience, and you are bravely doing what was only a dream 20 years ago.
What wonderful uses of technology! Yet there can be a dark side to technology and the virtual world. Texting while driving isn’t the only thing that can cause an injury. Many people get news of an end to a relationship via text message, cry about an ex’s post on Facebook, or find out about an affair by cyber sleuthing. We must learn to navigate the positive aspects of technology (1 in 3 marriage licenses in New York City were to couples who met online) while dealing with the perversion rampant online.
In this week’s Discussion you will use the Week 1 Notes and Readings to explore what it means to be human in a virtual world. Reference the resources in your post and response. You do not have to formally cite a source, but if you are relating an idea or building upon the readings, poems, or videos, please identify the source.
To prepare for the Discussion:
The “To prepare” component of the Discussion identifies the Learning Resources you will need to read or view to inform your post for the Discussion. Additionally, it may ask you to think about a specific topic, consider an alternate perspective, or recall life experiences which may inform your Discussion post.
Read and reflect upon theWeek 1 Notes and Readings.
Think about interactions you have had in a virtual space such as a help line/call center, Skype, Amazon shopping cart, or your communications with Walden University.
Review the Discussion Rubric and Sample Discussion Board Responses documents.
By Day 3,post a short paragraph response (about 200–300 words in length) to the following:
Do you behave differently online than you do in person? How so? Have you ever had an emotional reaction to material that you’ve encountered online? What does it mean to be fully human in a virtual space?
Read two or more of your classmate’s postings.
Respond by Day 5 to two or more of your classmate’s postings by sharing how you would change what you wrote based upon what you read in other posts.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your classmates made.
Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.
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October 7, 2014 5:19:37 PM EDT1 day ago
Access the profile card for user: Cynthia Luna Cynthia Luna
Walden Instructor Manager
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PROMPT #1–CLASS PLEASE READ AND RESPOND
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Author: Access the profile card for user: Cynthia Luna Cynthia Luna
Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2014 11:48:25 AM EDT
Subject: Discussion – Week 1
Identity in a Virtual World?
Can you imagine a world where you wake up in the morning, and you go to your doctor’s office without ever leaving your house? Instead, you plug your blood pressure cuff into your computer and you insert your saliva sample into an analytical drive. The analysis is sent to a virtual physician who lives a thousand miles away. He diagnoses an illness that requires surgery. Lucky for you, the surgeon drone is not terribly busy that morning, and you are able to have your gallbladder removed early in the afternoon. The drone arrives, gives you anesthesia, and by employing ultrasound technology, your doctor can operate by remote control. Without interacting with a human at any point in the process, you have an organ removed in your own home.
For many people, the idea that a university could appear in your living room was equally hard to imagine. Yet, Walden can provide you with a world class education without physically sharing a space with fellow students and teachers. Today online learning is a more common experience, and you are bravely doing what was only a dream 20 years ago.
What wonderful uses of technology! Yet there can be a dark side to technology and the virtual world. Texting while driving isn’t the only thing that can cause an injury. Many people get news of an end to a relationship via text message, cry about an ex’s post on Facebook, or find out about an affair by cyber sleuthing. We must learn to navigate the positive aspects of technology (1 in 3 marriage licenses in New York City were to couples who met online) while dealing with the perversion rampant online.
In this week’s Discussion you will use the Week 1 Notes and Readings to explore what it means to be human in a virtual world. Reference the resources in your post and response. You do not have to formally cite a source, but if you are relating an idea or building upon the readings, poems, or videos, please identify the source.
To prepare for the Discussion:
The “To prepare” component of the Discussion identifies the Learning Resources you will need to read or view to inform your post for the Discussion. Additionally, it may ask you to think about a specific topic, consider an alternate perspective, or recall life experiences which may inform your Discussion post.
Read and reflect upon theWeek 1 Notes and Readings.
Think about interactions you have had in a virtual space such as a help line/call center, Skype, Amazon shopping cart, or your communications with Walden University.
Review the Discussion Rubric and Sample Discussion Board Responses documents.
By Day 3,post a short paragraph response (about 200–300 words in length) to the following:
Do you behave differently online than you do in person? How so? Have you ever had an emotional reaction to material that you’ve encountered online? What does it mean to be fully human in a virtual space?
Read two or more of your classmate’s postings.
Respond by Day 5 to two or more of your classmate’s postings by sharing how you would change what you wrote based upon what you read in other posts.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your classmates made.
Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.
PROMPT #1–CLASS PLEASE READ AND RESPOND>>
As we gear up, I want to teach you write well engaged responses and help you with your writing skills. I would like to talk to you about writing strong paragraphs. This will aide you in writing your discussion posts and your papers in our course.
Please read the components of a strong paragraph and use them in your work this week and the weeks to come.
A strong body paragraph should directly support the thesis and/or
topic sentence, have 1 central point, have evidence to support that
point, and explain how the evidence supports the point (topic sentence),
and in turn, how it supports the thesis statement.
Components of a body paragraph: PIE
P – Point – Communicate your purpose to the reader by writing a topic sentence that addresses the issue with an opinion based on facts.
-A point is an opinion based on facts, not merely a fact.
-A point is a topic sentence for a body paragraph.
-A topic sentence has two functions:
-It states the point of the individual paragraph.
-It states how the point develops the thesis statement (for an essay).
Example – When faced with adversity, people can find strength in others to make it through a difficult period of time.
This is an opinion that is based on the fact that many people find
help and comfort in others when dealing with difficulty. This topic
sentence has an opinion, yet it is based on a fact.
I – Information – Provide outside information to support your topic sentence.
– Information is used to support the point (topic sentence).
– Information is used to make the topic sentence creditable and verifiable.
– Information is data, facts, surveys, observations, individual
experience, and published material (please include passages from our
texts).
Example – Joyce Butler from Listening Is an Act of
Love used the driving force of her children to help her endure long and
hard work hours (Isay 2008).
This information about Joyce Butler
supports the point because she used her children as a motivation to deal
with this difficult time in her life.
E – Explanation – Explain to your reader why the information is relevant to your topic sentence.
– The explanation illustrates to the reader why the information is relevant to the topic sentence.
– The explanation analyzes why the information supports the point.
Example – Joyce’s undying love for her children became her motivation
to make it through a difficult time in her life. Looking to others for
support and motivation can help people deal with hard times in their
lives.
This explanation paraphrases the information and
reiterates the point. In addition, it further explains how the
information validates the point.
Example of P. I. E. Formed Paragraph
When faced with adversity, people can find strength in others to
make it through a difficult period of time. Joyce Butler from Listening
Is an Act of Love used the driving force of her children to help her
endure long and hard work hours (Isay 2008). Joyce’s undying love for her children
became her motivation to make it through a difficult time in her life.
Looking to others for support and motivation can help people deal with
hard times in their lives.
Use PIE to write your body
paragraphs and discussion board responses, and you will have a well
supported point and/or thesis statement.
Please download the PIE doc from Doc Sharing and review it.
After reading through it, please post a response of how you plan to
utilize PIE in your written work this week.
And answer these questions:
1. What types of evidence can we include in our body paragraphs to build our creditability? What is information, and what types can you utilize in your written arguments?
2. Why is it imperative to explain why and how our information supports
the topic sentence and thesis in each body paragraph?
Happy Writing,