Writing, she says, is “a plastic art. Writing always changes given the context. It molds itself to the changes.”-Andrea Abernethy Lunsford (Karp)
I could not agree more with this quote. I feel like it really applies to me. In my life time, I have seen the changes in writing firsthand. I wrote before there were text messages, then I adjusted and learned how to text (something I fought at first), and now I am picking up on and using the new ways of writing and communication via texting. As our society has changed over the years, so has writing. And just like the quote says, it has kept up with our progression and molded itself to fit our needs.
From Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?
“It’s not on call at the touch of the finger. Learning is acquired mainly from books, and most readily from great books.”-David McCullough (Rich)
I disagree with this particular view on learning. I believe that it is possible to learn from other sources, digital sources including, instead of just a text book. I know that I've looked up a lot of stuff on line that I wanted to know, and now I know it. I taught myself how to change the oil in my vehicle and play harmonica by researching it online. I didn't have a book. And now those skills will be with me forever. Another example is this Master's Degree we are all seeking. Yes, we have books to read from, but a lot of the information seems to be (so far) online articles, videos, and interacting with our colleagues via discussion board.
I see points and ideas that I agree and disagree with from both sides of the digital medial continuum. But, if I absolutely had to choose, I would say that I relate more closely to the Web Evangelist in the ways that I view digital media. I really do believe that our society is heading in the direction of being more and more technologically driven and it’s important that our students are able to keep up.
“There never was a golden age where everybody could write well,” says Lunsford. “Writing is hard.” (Karp)This quote helps my stance in showing that this new age of digital media isn't destroying our ability to read and write. The writing problem isn't something that just happened recently in the wake of all this new digital media; that problem has been around a long time.
From the second article, I pull this statistic and quote to back up my stance.
The simplest argument for why children should read in their leisure time is that it makes them better readers. According to federal statistics, students who say they read for fun once a day score significantly higher on reading tests than those who say they never do.
“Reading opens up doors to places that you probably will never get to visit in your lifetime, to cultures, to worlds, to people,”-Debroah Konyk (Rich)
Both of these sayings are about reading. Neither of them refer strictly to a book in hand. Reading certainty does open doors to people, places, and things that a student might never actually see, so why limit that learning to just what is contained in one book at a time? Why not give them almost endless information about anything they could possible want to know? Digital media can take them to more places and they can see more people/things in a shorter amount of time.
I think that a nice balance between digital media and traditional books in education is a good thing for our students today.
The Continuous Progression of Writing
This picture represents where I think that writing and reading are headed. This is a picture of an ipad screen where Handwriting is an app. I think that we will continue to shy away from the traditional paper/pencil/paper book for 100% of learning.
I don't think that digital media will negativity effect young people's abilities to read and write. I think that young people will change the way that we read and write by their use digital media.
Resources:
Karp, J. (2010, January 26). Does Digital Media Make Us Bad Writers? | Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning. Retrieved June 6, 2015, from http://spotlight.macfound.org/featured-stories/entry/does-digital-media-make-us-bad-writers
Rich, M. (2008, July 26). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? Retrieved June 6, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
"I taught myself how to change the oil in my vehicle and play harmonica by researching it online. I didn't have a book."
ReplyDeleteThis is what I love about the internet and digital learning! Everything is at the tips of our fingers! I can't tell you how many things I learned how to do, or learned more about, by watching a YouTube video or checking out a website. I don't think I would even consider going out and trying to find a book in a bookstore or library to help me out anymore. This is the same thing teens do, and I think it's an awesome skill. My son, for example, loves science, and I can't tell you how many (probably hundreds) videos he's watched related to different topics in science. I really feel like watching them has also helped him develop a terrific vocabulary. So, I agree with you in many ways.
Thank you for you thoughts! I agree, I can't see myself actually seeking out a book to find how to do something that I could simple Google!
DeleteI couldn't agree with you both, I have not taught myself how to change the oil in my car that would make life to easy for my husband. I will say that Amanda you have some really great points of view that I did not even think of. One being our courses online this semester has been crazy with research and building voice threads and so on. All online projects I cant remember the last time I turned in a hand written paper for class.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of collaborating both the book and the online reading they both communicate to us. I like the fast accessibility of getting books online faster then going to the book store. I think its a matter of preference for our avid readers.
With work other than having to sign something it is all online work emails, grants writing, and research work. Ultimately we are still writing in one fashion or another I suppose.
The first quote I don't feel uses the right words because when I think of plastic I think of the hard plastic. Obviously this doesn't have to do anything with the point the writer is making, but I would have liked a different comparison. I do agree with the point is it trying to make and think that in this new age it is adapting to what it needs to be.
ReplyDeleteYour second quote I also disagree with because, while books are great and full of wonderful content, it doesn't make it the best for learning. The internet has introduced a lot of create learning tools and reading materials that students can use to learn.
I completely agree with your first quote. I also wrote before there was text messaging, and when I was first introduced to texting, I texted like I wrote. I have now learned some “text language” and try to use it when I text. I, like you, disagree with your second quote. I also have taught myself a lot of things using YouTube and different online articles. Our stances are similar as well. I am neither one extreme (web evangelist) nor the other (traditionalist). I think a mixture of both forms of reading is the best. As long as students continue to read, it doesn’t matter to me if their noses are in a book, or inches from a screen.
ReplyDeleteI really like the image you used. Nowadays, there is an app for pretty much anything, and it wouldn't be surprising to one day see one for handwriting as well. Something like that would probably even be really beneficial, especially since we live in a digital age. Like you said, kids adapt.
ReplyDeleteThe point that you made about your disagreement with the majority of learning coming from great books is one of my favorite parts about your blog post, especially because you use our Master's Courses to disprove that statement. When we read a book, however great it is, it us up to our individual skill to understand and comprehend the ideas in order to truly learn from them. Through this course, we discuss, interpret and learn from each other in order to do that. There are so many different ways to learn!
ReplyDeleteThe image of your take on the 'Progression of Reading and Writing' was fascinating to think about. I think there's serious validity to the assumption you're making about handwriting's future. It's so crazy to think that one day handwriting might be regarded as an old art--kind of like calligraphy.
ReplyDeleteI used the same quote from "Online, R U Really Reading." I notice that you disagreed with the statement, which made me curious to read further.
I agree that learning nowadays can take place on informational websites, how-to blogs, etc. However, I agreed with his statement and I think that's because we were looking at it from two different angles. Whereas you were thinking in terms of information and acquiring it, I was thinking of learning in terms of a broader scope. When reading classic novels and other great works, we are exposed to different cultures, emotions, and ultimately great lessons that can only come from reading books.
All in all, I don't think either of us are wrong, there are simply different ways of looking at it. Your posts are engaging and well-written! I look forward to reading more of your thoughts! :)