Research Sources

National Research Council. Report of a Workshop on The Scope and Nature of Computational Thinking . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010.


     This particular book is simply a report or paraphrase of a workshop that was held discussing Computational Thinking which seems to equate, for their purposes, programming as a form of language or conceptualization that allows one to think about the universe and everything in it from a different perspective than previously considered through forms like art, music, language, mathematics, and science. Since I'm specifically interested in researching the growing trend in the public to penetrate the internet and software in a deeper way through programming (i.e. jailbreaking phones, cracking and uploading/downloading software, and personally tweeking computerized hardware and software) this seems like it could be a helpful resource in terms of understanding the changes that language of programming and the public who are learning it are going through.


Carter-Sykes, Cornelia. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Pew Research Center. 2000. Web. Accessed on February 17, 2012.


     This definitely seems like a good resource for statistics about average online usage by the public which I think will be helpful in understanding the way that the internet is used. The site covers many topics but primarily focuses on academic research into the way the internet is being used.

Researching Research

To start with I've never been a big fan of research. I understand its inherent values and the reason why its important in academia, but research, beyond its ability to stimulate my own interest and thought, has never been something I've enjoyed doing. However, it would seem that research, at least for this paper and possibly for others in my college career, is a required and potentially helpful element of writing. Luckily, I happen to be writing my paper on the growth of information through technology and the way that our lives are changing because of it. Ideally then, the best way to research topic that I've chosen would be through the same medium that I will be discussing. i.e. internet research with the possible edition of digitally available print content. Yes, there are inherent risks when  it comes to internet research such as the reliability of a source or the natural bias of a source, however, I've had a great deal of experience researching information online both out of curiosity as well as for project related information. Having experience with internet research has enabled me to notice key factors about websites that lead me to an understanding about whether the source should be trusted or not. I plan on only using internet based research as a means to exemplify the same point that I'll be making in my paper.