Me 35 points!

technology: we're better off without it!

bahh! who needs technology to write? did shakespeare need a word processor? did fitzgerald have a spell check? did mary shelley need a degree in robotics to create frankenstein's monster? throughout history, great writers have relied on little else than their fertile imaginations, and the effort of putting pen to paper in order to produce great literature. in today's world, many experts believe, in fact, that technology works against that impulse of imagination. rather than reading "old-fashioned" books, youngsters are spending hours in front of the internet. rather than playing street games with neighborhood friends, youngsters are entertaining themselves with video games. rather than playing cards, checkers or chess, youngsters are gluing themselves to the television set. a computer may be able to indicate a misspelling, but it can't differentiate between good ideas and weak ones. a computer may be able to spot an incomplete sentence, but it can't make a judgment about which sentences flow more fluidly than others. a computer can't organize our thoughts, place us in the minds of another character, or create images and language which tug at our heartstrings. only the human mind and heart can write, so let's get back to basics, and pick up those pens once again!

think carefully about the opinion evident in the above paragraph. write a well-organized, persuasive paragraph in which you either support or reject the ideas presented here. be particularly watchful of sentence fluency as you write, practicing a variety of sentence lengths, structures and purposes!

Welcome to the vocabulary assessment. by connecting with words in a more interactive way, through a graphic organizer that includes your own ideas, we hope you will learn new vocabulary strategies to integrate into your course work and your everyday life. objectives: use a variety of techniques to acquire a range of words determine, clarify, and illustrate the meaning of unfamiliar words to ensure that you properly and successfully complete the vocabulary assessment, do the following: complete the assessment using the passage provided. select a word from the passage, and identify/create each of the following for that word: denotation connotations synonyms antonyms affixes the sentence from the passage where the word appears an original sentence using the word a memory trick type your responses in the appropriate boxes. after you have typed your responses, print your graphic organizer and submit it to your teacher. be careful not to refresh the page before printing, as some browsers will not save your work. passage from "the pit and the pendulum" by edgar allan poe very suddenly there came back to my soul motion and sound—the tumultuous motion of the heart, and in my ears the sound of its beating. then a pause in which all is blank. then again sound, and motion, and touch, a tingling sensation pervading my frame. then the mere consciousness of existence, without thought, a condition which lasted long. then, very suddenly, thought, and shuddering terror, and earnest endeavor to comprehend my true state. then a strong desire to lapse into insensibility. then a rushing revival of soul and a successful effort to move. and now a full memory of the trial, of the judges, of the sable draperies, of the sentence, of the sickness, of the swoon. then entire forgetfulness of all that followed; of all that a later day and much earnestness of endeavor have enabled me vaguely to recall.