Reading Response 1

Sheila McElroy

English 100F

4-8-10

Reading Response 1

Clive Thompson states in his article, “Clive Thompson on the New Literacy,” that writing has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. Thompson refers to John Sutherland, a professor of English at the University of London, who blames technology for the downfall of the writing skills that kids need to succeed. However, Thompson also refers to Andrea Lunsford, a professor of Writing and Rhetoric at Stanford University, who studied thousands of students’ writings and concluded just the opposite. She believes that technology has actually enhanced students writing skills by giving them more insight and awareness into who they are writing for. This knowledge is constantly being imbedded into the students of today through all the writing that is done outside of the classroom. Writing an e-mail or a text to a friend, and even posting a blog on the web, is giving these students practice for writing to an audience. This practice will carry over into what is expected of them in the classroom.

Clive Thompson writes that Andrea Lunsford has found the students of today are more adept to their writing abilities based on the technological advances. I find this to be true in my own life, as well as, it seems, in Thompson’s. Until I read this article, I never thought about how technology was affecting my writing. My school experience from 1960 to 1972, was that writing was done generally done as a student in the classroom. The technology then was limited to the typewriter, and then, not until the later years. Now that I have come into the 21^st century, I find that I am writing so much more with e-mail, texting and on-line writing. What’s more, if my last job is any indication, writing is becoming even more important. Companies are turning “green” with a paperless environment, which means that the majority of the communication is done through e-mail. You really have to understand who your “audience” is to be able to reply in a way that is clear and concise.

Thompson also touches on the idea that because of the writing that is done out of the classroom, the younger generations have made greater and unique advances in their writing abilities. For instance, some texting has become a “haiku-like concision”, as well as the posts on electronic communities like FaceBook. This is not only applicable to the younger generation, but also to those of the generation before me. I now text my mother and she has learned that it is an effective way of communicating with me when an answer is not immediately needed. I agree that, even though society uses technology to communicate more now than ever, it is a tool that can be applied to all styles of writing. I believe that by combining the knowledge that I have with the techniques I will be learning in this English class, I will become a more successful and comfortable writer.

…but we shall see.