Current Event Discussion

Current Event Project- How it works..

The class is divided into teams. This is not a group assignment; teams are assigned for scheduling purposes. Each member of the team will be completing their own current event. To see what team you have been assigned to check the table in this assignment. Each member of a particular team will find a current event article, create a mind map, and write a summary of the article that includes at least 3 discussion questions for the class and a link to the original current event. The team member will submit their current event summary and mind map as an electronic assignment in BlackBoard They will also post their summary, link and mind map to the discussion board for the class to read and discuss the next week. This way every week there will be 4 or 5 current events summaries for the class to read and discuss.

Choose a current event article of your choice pertaining to ethics in information technology. Examples of current topics in the news: 

Copyright 

Two Factor Authentication  Licensing 

Deep Packet Inspection Skimming

Identity theft NSA

Censorship and the internet  Certification

Cyber bullying  Phishing

Violent computer games   Spamming

Privacy issues?  Spyware

Surveillance  Spam 

Workplace monitoring  Cookies 

Recognition software  Blogs

National Ids  Whistle Blowers

Consumer Profiling  E-waste 

Global positioning (GPS)  Face book / My Space

Radio Frequency Id tags  Encryption 

USA Patriot Act of 2001  Encryption 

Computer Viruses  Worms, Trojan horses

Create a mind map. A mind map or concept map is just a colorful, visual, graphical representation of the main ideas of your article. If another student was to look at your mind map they would be able to quickly see what your article was about. There is an example of a well done current event and article in the Current Event folder. Your mind map does not have to be as elaborate as the example. One PowerPoint slide with photos, graphics and text is fine. Please note it is not a flow chart. Make sure your topic is original (no one else has presented this current event article, so check with the members of your team so you are not choosing the same article). Your task is to make connections between concepts presented in class and a “real-life” example found in the news. This assignment requires close reading of the news items you choose and summarizing your analysis in a coherent way to the rest of the class. Include a mind map and several follow-up questions. 

Tips 

Be selective in your choice of articles. Find one that is substantive but not excessively long or complicated. Avoid tabloids, theme or genre publications, and web sources that are not credible. Use articles from current technical and business publications (preferably online). Ask me if you are unsure of your choice. (NO WIKIPEDIA!)  

Think contemporary, not ancient. While your article doesnt have to have been written in the week of your current event, try to pick something that was written in the past year. Make connections between the issue/event you have chosen and a concept or concepts from one or more of our readings for the week.
Ideally, your current event will lead us into a discussion of our topic on the discussion board. You must create a mind map; write a summary of your article which includes some discussion questions and a link to the current event article. POST THIS TO THE CURRENT EVENT DISCUSSION BOARD. ALSO SUBMIT IT IN THE ASSIGNMENT FILES SECTION ON BB. It is due at the end of the week your team was assigned the current event project. 

Remember to:

1. create a mind map

2. summarize and analyze your current event

3. pose critical questions to the class

4. include a link to the article and reference where and when the article was written

5. post to the current event discussion board If you need help posting to the discussion board see the tutorial videos in Start Here on the main menu of this course.