For each of the following dates, you should write a brief (1–2 page) essay that collects your thoughts on the assigned
subject (which will be revealed as the term progresses). The writing can be informal, but should be organized and
thought through. You may cite any of the readings from the class list; give enough information to identify any other
sources on which you draw.
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Essay 1
- due Feb. 9
How has your study of computing influenced or otherwise affected your faith? Note that some effects may be
indirect: has your study of computing affected the way you think or the way you look at the
world?
(Please pay attention to the assigned topic: you are not being asked here to write about how your faith has
influenced your study of computing.)
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Essay 2
- due Feb. 23
Does Christian teaching have anything to say about how we handle power, wealth, or knowledge? Is there
anything relevant for those of us who might work in computing?
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Essay 3
- due Mar. 2
Select any one group that has little power and/or privilege, such as the non-elite of the third-world, the
disabled (especially the blind), the U.S. urban poor, or the U.S. rural poor. How might computing technologies
develop in ways that aid members of this group? How might it develop in ways that further
marginalize or harm them? Are there particular ways in which we might influence which happens?
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Essay N
- due at final meeting
Revisit your first essay, and enter into conversation with it. Have your perceptions changed at all?
Have any prior observations been confirmed? Are you aware now of anything you overlooked
before?