Digital Literacy Narrative Assignment

Digital Literacy Narrative Assignment

An individual’s digital literacy develops out of their particular historical, cultural, socio-economic, educational, or familial contexts and must be understood in light of the material conditions experienced within those various, interconnected environments and influences.  In other words, our (in)abilities to work in and through technology to create writing and communicate in the world are a product of our own histories of use, learning, and opportunity.  For this assignment, you will write your own digital literacy narrative, focusing on the process of acquiring your present level of digital literacy, the challenges and successes you’ve encountered with technology, and the individuals, institutions, organizations, or communities (both real and virtual) that helped and hindered you along your journey.

The narrative you compose shouldn’t be a chronological list of “literacy events” but instead should be focused on specific aspects of your own literacy and its development and should center on specific themes and key events.  Avoid attempting to be exhaustive; instead, make choices to construct a specific narrative that is concrete, detailed, episodic, and interesting.

Remember, you’re crafting a narrative, and also remember that narratives are stories.  In this sense, your narrative won’t be like a traditional academic research paper; however, you might make some of the same persuasive moves that you would in an argumentative essay or proposal.  You’ll likely need to do some prewriting to reflect and understand your own historical relationship to digital technology as well as your current immersion or distance from it.

Product:  A 5-7 minutes long audio/video that investigates your personal history of digital technology, your present interactions with digital technology, and your digital identity vis-à-vis technology. You might first want to write down the narrative, and then video or audio record it. The camera on your computer or your phone should be fine. If you don’t have access to a camera, talk to me. Upload the recorded narrative to Canvas on or before due date.

 

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