How did Victor’s actions influence the trials he faced? What did the initial disposition of the monster seem to be, according to his own story? Was he inherently good or evil?

Synthesis & TED Radio Clips
How did Victor’s actions influence the trials he faced? What did the initial disposition of the monster seem to be, according to his own story? Was he inherently good or evil?

Another theme this story explores is the moral and ethical implications of knowledge. What effect have technological advances had on us as human beings?

The following TED Radio Hour series from NPR explores these questions, specifically as they relate to the human relationship with screens and how that relationship is affecting us.

As you listen to the excerpts, I want you to synthesize the information from the four clips. When we take information from or come to general conclusions based on multiple sources, this is called synthesis. As you listen to the four different clips from the TED Radio Hour, think about what they have in common. Are there common themes being explored in each excerpt? If you had to summarize the four clips for a friend, what general ideas would you focus on that all of them explored?

Listen to and take notes on these TED Radio Hour clips1 and think about what the implications of increased interaction with, dependency on, and ability of technology might be in our lives. In what ways might technology be useful? In what ways might it be harmful or abused? These are exciting and scary times! Please listen to the following podcasts:

How Are Our Screens Changing Us Now? (6:22)
Transcript: How Are Our Screens Changing Us Now?
Amber Case: Are Our Devices Turning Us into a New Kind of Human? (9:27)
Transcript: Are Our Devices Turning Us into a New Kind of Human?
Rana El Kaliouby: Will Our Screen Soon Be Able to Read Our Emotions? (7:51)
Transcript: Will Our Screen Soon Be Able to Read Our Emotions?
P. W. Singer: How Are Screens Changing the Face of War? (8:01)
Transcript: How Are Screens Changing the Face of War?
1 https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/438902974/screen-time-part-i

Journal Response: Synthesis of Theme
Write a short, objective summary of each clip, and then write a 400-word response to one of the general themes of the clips and that considers the questions raised earlier:

What are the implications of increased interaction with, dependency on, and ability of technology in our lives?
In what ways might technology be useful?
In what ways might technology be harmful or abused?
The rubric that will be used to grade your assignment is below.