Ellie's Reading Response #1

In the article “Clive Thompson on the New Literacy”, Mr. Thompson explains that there are controversial issues that technology is creating for the educational system. John Sutherland is an English professor at The University College of London. He argues and complains that students today can not write, and he blames technology for this issue. He claims that Facebook only encourages students to have informal conversations. While video and PowerPoint have taken away student’s ability to write formal essays. He also says that these methods of technology also change our vocabulary and in a sense this robs us of the beauty of the English language. Andrea Lunsford, a professor of writing at Stanford University stands at the other end of this argument. She organized quite the eclectic project known as the Stanford Study of Writing in which she invested five years. She collected the writing of over 14,000 students. These writings ranged from essays to emails, blogs to even chat sessions. Through her analysis she attained some interesting discoveries. According to Professor Lunsford we may be in the midst of a literacy revolution. She believes that technology is not killing our writing, but rather it is breathing new life into it. In fact to her the shift is so grand that she uses the term “paradigm” to describe the change. Each of these professors has their own reasoning’s and viewpoints as to how technology changes the writing of today’s culture.
Something that I found quite interesting in Thompson’s article is that students are quite capable of writing in certain situations. She found that students would write exceedingly when their writing was geared towards an audience. The students felt that they could write in ways that best fit their tone, therefore they feel as though their point is reaching someone. Students at Stanford were not enthusiastic about writing in class because there was no other audience excluding the teacher. Students found no purpose in writing because the only reason to do so was for a grade. I understand this concept and reasoning entirely. I feel as though you should be able to learn from your writing, and also be explanatory through it. Students want to know that they can take a stand, have an opinion, and write for someone who will not always criticize or give critique. Perhaps that is why students do choose to communicate with technology. When they communicate through texts and emails they generally write to their friends. These are friends that they feel comfortable with, who they can laugh with and tell most anything to. I believe that this is one of the reasons why we are geared to technological communication.
Many people would argue that technology is ruining the future of students, and many would argue the polar opposite. Many would say that it is killing the culture that is writing and English, and others would stand firm and say that this can only give us the opportunity to grow. I would not agree that all formal writing should be taken out of school for I feel that these kinds of writings are still vitally important. However, I would also say that we should not fear technology, or think that it may over rule all that we have ever known about formality. At the end of Clive Thompson’s article he says that we think of writing as either good or bad, but how do you judge what is truly good from that which is bad? Finally, at the end of a long day filled with English classes and words, with computers and instant electronic communication, we will ultimately, each of us, choose what works best for us.