Name ______Period _____Score ______

BETTER OFF

Journal #2 due ______

Read Section 2 Growing, pages 73-168

Journal

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” –William Morris

Watch the news report about individuals choosing to experience a self-imposed digital “detox.” After watching the video, conduct your own digital detox.You must go without technology as much as possible for 24 hours. When completed, write a response (up to 1 page long) about your experience and what you found most rewarding, most challenging. Add your observations (which piece of technology did you miss most, for example). Include details from the video clip and from your own reading, observations, and experiences.

Discussion

Read your assigned section of“Growing up Digital and Wired for Distraction” and prepare three talking points for an in-class discussion. Participate in the classroom discussion of the article (graded assignment).

Talking Points:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Questions/comments as you read / Growing: Record one key event or brief meaningful quotation from each of the first seven chapters:
8. Quickening
9. A Church Meeting
10. A Barn Raising
11. The Dating Game
12. Meet the Neighbors
13. Secrets and Politics
14. Heat Stroke
15. Weighing the Work
Poignant passage: Find one meaningful passage (2-3 sentences) from this week’s reading. Record the quotation verbatim. Be sure to include the page number. On the right hand side of your paper, please record a thoughtful reflection, comment, or reaction to the quotation.
Some ideas include the following:
Write an emotional response. How does the quote make you feel? Why?
Write questions directly to the author. What is he trying to say here? Why does he use the words chosen?
Make comments about the language chosen. Do particular words evoke an emotional response?
What images are most striking? Which passages are most poetic employing the most effective figurate language? What impact do the author’s language choices have on the reader?
Draw comparisons from the piece to contemporary life. What themes or issues presented in the passage are universal and timeless? Be specific in your discussion and use examples from your reading, experiences, or observations.