Bob Alstatt Thompson new Literacy

Bob Alsatt

The New Literacy
A recent article posted in Wired magazine by Clive Thompson on the new literacy purpose a exciting new swing on technology and the effect on our literacy. Thompson survey two Professor John Sutherland and Andrea Lunsford. Sutherland perspective was that “kids today can’t write- and technology is to blame” (1). Lunsford 180 degree difference on the effect of technology on kid’s literacy was substantiated by Lunsford project “Study of Writing”. Lunsford over 6 years beginning in 2001 collected a variety of writing samples from 14,672 students ranging from essays to chats sessions. Lunsford conclusion is today’s kids are in the midst of a literacy revolution and technology isn’t killing our ability to write it is reviving literacy. Thompson in agreeing with Lunsford, see technology as knowing the audience young kids write for. In other words if the students were writing academically there paper were polished, serious and didn’t show text speak in any form. Lunsford confirm this with examining first year students paper which showed no text speak in any academic paper submitted. Thompson in closing writes “What today’s young people know is that knowing who you’re writing for and you’re writing might be the most crucial factor of all”(7).