Quotes:
“Yet, the quality of what someone puts down on
paper, posts online or types into a Blackberry cannot necessarily be held to a
single standard of good versus bad writing. Instead, it depends on an old
concept: audience. (Karp, 2010) ”
I
do not agree with this quote. It doesn’t matter who the audience is for the writing.
If the grammar is bad, then no one will understand the text and it will be
pointless. Writing is meant to occur for a purpose; we make lists, write
directions, and create a letter. Good writing will motivate someone to action,
such as in the Gettysburg Address, or produce something, like a play. However,
bad writing will be thrown to the side and forgotten. There has to be a
standard of writing or else no one would be able to understand the other, which
is where language comes from in history. People had to make rules, or
standards, by which they could communicate with one another. Thus, I don’t
believe the author of this quote is correct in his/her statement.
I
do believe that students should be tested for their skills on the Internet, as
they would be in any subject. Internet skills is very important for a
successful student in this technological age. Students need to be taught how to
be cyber-safe, as well as a sifter of information. Information Literacy is key
to a student’s success in the digital world.
Karp, J. (2010, January 26). Does Digital Media Make
Us Bad Learners? Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning. Retrieved
May 20, 2013, from http://spotlight.macfound.org/featured-stories/entry/does-digital-media-make-us-bad-writershttp://spotlight.macfound.org/featured-stories/entry/does-digital-media-make-us-bad-writers
Rich, M. (2008, July 27). Literacy Debate: Online, R
U Really Reading? The New York Times, A1. Berea, Ohio. Retrieved May
20, 2013, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=all
I
understand both sides in the controversy between Web Evangelists and
Traditionalists. Students have become more dependent on technology which have
made them essentially lazy in their thinking. They are no longer enthused or
excited by the challenge a problem may present. They look for the easy way out.
However, students are now able to converse with people across the world using
technology. They are able to collaborate and learn all from the comfort of
their own home. Learning is no longer limited to a stack of books in a school’s
classroom, but it is everywhere. It is at the fingertips of most students by
the means of a smart phone or computer. I cannot say that I take either side,
but I do believe that there should be a common ground. Students should be able
to do the basics without the technology and then expand their knowledge by
using it as supplemental resources. Technology is important, but we cannot
fully rely on it. This is why it is imperative that parents regulate their
child’s technological interests.
The source I found is a video that leans towards the side of the Web Evangelists. However, I chose it because it simply states that technology is now, and it's not going anywhere. Teachers need to stop trying to undo technology, but rather they need to embrace it. This video also has some opinions of a researcher in the technology field.
speakwrite41. (2011, March 22). A New Literacy: Making
Connections in Electronic Environments. Youtube. Retrieved May 20, 2013,
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15K8F7PHoSo
I tend to agree with your statement: "Students should be able to do the basics without the technology and then expand their knowledge by using it as supplemental resources. Technology is important, but we cannot fully rely on it. This is why it is imperative that parents regulate their child’s technological interests." While I did choose a side, a mix of old school and new school seems to be necessary when technologies are introduced and curriculum needs to evolve.
ReplyDeleteHeather,
ReplyDeleteI want you to reconsider your statement:
"Good writing will motivate someone to action, such as in the Gettysburg Address, or produce something, like a play. However, bad writing will be thrown to the side and forgotten."
First, there are now books on the best seller list that are writtent entirely in text message lingo. See "TTYL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ttyl_(novel)
Second, technologies such as Twitter, Facebook and played pivotal roles in shaping Grassroots movements like the Arab Spring and the election of president Barrack Obama. An analysis of the writing in these environments will show that people are not using grammars and spellings associated with academic school-based yet this kind of writing appears to have effectively motivate people to take action.
I took the following texts from an article called Twitter Revolution.
In countries like Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen, rising action plans such as protests made up of thousands, have been organized through social media such Facebook and Twitter. “We use Facebook to schedule the protests” an Arab Spring activist from Egypt announced “and [we use] Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world.” The role that technology has taken in allowing the distribution of public information such as the kinds stated by the aforementioned activist, had been essential in establishing the democratic movement that has helped guide abused civilians to overthrow their oppressor.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/10642/twitter-revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-media
You made a good point when you stated “If the grammar is bad, then no one will understand the text and it will be pointless.” I know if I come across a source that is misspelled or grammatically incorrect, it lessens credibility and I find a new source. However, I think the quote you cited from Karp reflected more on audience expectations of quality rather than academic means. While I am turned off by grammatical errors during research or formal writing, these errors are not given the same weight when reading a family update on Facebook. I will not see my niece as less credible when she writes about her daily adventures with her two-year-old son (if I see too many errors, I attribute it to sleep deprivation, lol). However, if she was trying to convince me why I should invest money into a new company and I viewed the same errors, I would not be as likely to take her seriously.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kasondra.... I feel the same pains when I see grammatical errors - it really does make a difference in certain settings, but in other settings (with other audience expectations, such as Twitter, it doesn't). What I love about Language is that it is alive! Which, to me, means that it is always evolving and changing. Grammatical rules are changing too. This is evident when I read Shakespeare or the King James Bible, which I think of as overly formal. What's interesting to me is that both of these texts were written for the common man, in the "commoner" language of the day. One could argue that Twitter and Text Messaging are written for the "common man" today. I'm so curious about what language will be like in 200 years!
ReplyDeleteSo - to me, this is why audience is so important. It's important for students to understand that in the 21st Century, one must write and speak formally in academic and workplace settings but there are also audiences that less formal writing will be deemed more reliable. Which is why advertisements for youth-marketed goods are written in street slang!
I did take a side on my blog - however, I do understand about the laziness of the students. They do what to take the easy way out with most things. They also hate when I use inguiry in an answer. When they ask questions, I always answer in another question to get them to figure out the answer themselves. However, they are able to find as much as they want at their fingertips. It is a sticky situation - but I think sooner or later there may be a common ground.
ReplyDeleteI did take a side on my blog as well, but it was nice to see your mutual stance. It is good that you see both sides. I can see how students may seem "lazy" for their lack of enthusiasm, but that just challenges us to restore the enthusiasm with 21st century instruction.
ReplyDeleteI fall somewhere in between because I think how you write depends on who you're writing to. If you're writing a paper for a professor or sending and email to your boss, the writing will be more professional. If you're writing to a friend, you can use shorthand, abbreviations, or even slang, because, usually, they're not judging what you are writing. They understand what you are trying to say. I don't think using a casual style with a friend is wrong or lazy, it's just how we communicate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kasondra and Vanessa about the grammatical errors I find anywhere. What I have noticed about the "audience" in my classes is a trend towards idiotic things and poor writing. Granted, I teach middle school, but kids acting dumb was not as cool when I was a kid. These days, role models on T.V. are dumb, so what is there to look up to?
ReplyDelete