Andrea reading response 1

In his recent work, Clive Thompson informs readers in the article, "Clive Thompson on the New Literacy" that the amount of writing kids did in the past is nothing compared to today. He says, "It's almost hard to remember how big a paradigm shift this is. Before the internet came along, most Americans never wrote anything, ever, that wasn't a school assignment. Unless they got a job that required producing text (like in law, advertising, or media), they'd leave school and virtually never construct a paragraph again." Thompson says that the fact that kids are more exposed to forms of online conversations more than ever before is good for students. In the article, "Clive on the New Literacy" Thompson agrees with Andrea Lunsford's findings that the everyday writing kids do online (blogs and Twitter) do help them write. He agrees with Lunsford on the fact that these sites give the students an opportunity to practice understanding how to clearly write an idea to a certain audience.

My own view is that technology has improved kids writing abilities, not stunted it. I concede that discussion forums, facebook and texting helps kids practice writing for an audience. Though I concede that short comments on facebook may not look like the most formal way of writing, I still maintain that these facebook comments help kids really grow in their own writing. For example, say a kid would like to respond to a friend's comment on Facebook. This kid would have to understand what the comment was about, a be able to know the correct format of responding to the question of comment. He or she would also have to understand what this friend may expect as a response to the question. He or she would also have to understand what to write and how to write it in order for his or her friend to comprehend. Although some might object that comments on Facebook are silly and a waste of time, I reply that the time kids spend practicing these conversational skills is worthwhile. The issue is important because these situations help kids practice the important skills of writing as knowing how to respond to a specific audience.