Current Events Project1

ENGL 212 – Winter 2019

Due date: We will split this into two sessions, but you only need to sign-up for one: Monday, February
18 (Phase 2) or Monday, March 25 (Phase 3). Sign-up is first come, first serve on Canvas (Pages 
Current Events Sign-Up).

For Monday, February 18:

Presenters: Your Video Presentation is due on Canvas by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 18. Your
Summary Report is due Sunday, March 3.
Non-Presenters: Your responses to all questions are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 24.

For Monday, March 25:

Presenters: Your Video Presentation is due on Canvas by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 25. Your
Summary Report is due Sunday, April 7.
Non-Presenters: Your responses to all questions are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 31.

Length:
Presenters: Video presentation: 3-4 minutes; Summary report: 500 words
Non-presenters: Discussion participation: 25-word response to each question from each presenter
Percentage of final grade: Video presentation: 4%; Summary report: 5%; Participation on the week
you’re not presenting: 3%
Number of sources: At least one outside source (this will be your “current event”) properly documented
both in-text and in a works cited page. Your source must be no older than 2017. You cannot use a source
I have assigned in class.
Citation Style: APA
Document design: 12-point Times New Roman or Calibri, 1” margins
Acceptable file types: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf

Assignment Details:
You will focus on a current event related to the “Phase” during which you sign-up and explore its
implications with our class. There are two sessions, so make sure you select a date that aligns with your
interests. Once you sign-up, you cannot switch.

Your goal is to find a current event related to the phase in which your session take place. You might find
examples in the news, trending hashtags, popular culture, etc. The purpose of assignment is to
understand the background of the current event, why it is important for a class on techno-futures to
take notice and interest in it, and to teach the class about it.

On the week you’re “presenting,” there are three aspects of this assignment for which you are
responsible: the video presentation, the discussion facilitation, and the summary report.

On the week you’re not “presenting,” there is one aspect of this assignment for which you are
responsible: answering each question posed in the videos.

Your video presentation will include the following sections:

1
Adapted from Lake Sumter Community College
 Summary of the event: Briefly and in your own words, summarize the content of the event.

Reaction: Take a position on the issue contained in the article. How do you feel about this
event? How does this event affect you? If there is controversy surrounding the event, explain it.

Educational impact: How does this event impact what we’re learning in class? How does what
we’re learning in class help you understand this issue? What more do we need to learn about
this issue to further understand it?

Question for discussion: Create one question designed to generate meaningful conversation
amongst your classmates.

Please note: This is not a critique of whether the event you select is good or bad. This assignment is a
reasoned opinion of the issue presented and to get you to explore your attitudes/thoughts/beliefs on
the various topics in the current world of techno-futures. Your opinion should be thought out using the
present information and your personal views.

Video Presentation details:

Each student will be responsible for sharing an informal, yet practiced, 3-4 minute presentation. You
shouldn’t read verbatim, but you can use notes. Consider this part of the assignment a conversation
about your topic. Imagine we were sitting in a face-to-face class and you had to informally share your
current event—that’s the vibe your video should capture. You should practice your presentation so that
you can have a conversation that covers the summary, reaction, educational impact. At the end of your
video, you should also ask one question to the class to continue the conversation. This question cannot
be something like, “what do you think about this topic” or “do you agree with this topic.” Instead, think
about a question that will generate a conversation, get people thinking about your topic from a different
perspective, or spark debate. Those who are not “presenting” this week will respond to your question.

The format for your video presentation should be the following:

00:00-00:15: Introduction (who you are and the name of the event you’re discussing)
00:15-1:15: Summary of the event/topic
1:15-2:15: Reaction
2:15-3:15: Educational impact
3:15-3:30: Question for the class

You will post both your Video Presentation and a link to the current event you’re discussing in the
discussion board with your name (I’ll have these posted at least a week before it’s due).

Discussion Facilitation details:

Summary Report details:

This portion of the assignment will be due one week after the close of your “presentation.” If you
present on Monday, February 18, your Summary Report is due Sunday, March 3. If you present on
Monday, March 25, your Summary Report is due Sunday, April 7. Your goal in this part of the assignment
is to summarize the responses to the question you posed to the class. You might want to think about
how the class will response beforehand, jot these ideas down, and compare them to how the class
actually answered. This will provide good commentary for your summary report. In this report, do not
merely copy/paste responses from your classmates. Instead, read through how they answered, The
summary report should be about 500 words in length. In your summary, you should discuss how you
thought the class would respond to the questions you asked and whether the class’ responses matched
up with or differed from your expectation.

Grading
Your write-up and video will be assessed on your ability to clearly communicate the various sections
noted above. I will use the ENGL 212 rubric to assess your writing. Your discussion facilitation grade will
be based on the quality and thoughtfulness of responses.