Thoughts for Feb. 26

These three readings for this week were very interesting.

Haas' "The Technology Question" brought up some very good questions about literacy and technology. It is true that they are connected and that the use of technology can shape human culture and consciousness. I liked how the chapter was broken up into three different areas to focus the questions on. I found Plato's critique of writing to be most interesting. Certainly not a view I had ever thought to look at before. I was slightly confused by Haas' comparison of Plato's and Derrida's critiques. Hopefully that will be something we can discuss in class.

"Writing has been closely associated with death, as in the notion of a lifeless written text, but this lifeless object can also be perpetually 'resurrected into limitless living contexts'" (p. 9). Wow! Certainly not a thought I have had before. What an interesting perspective. I think that's a great image. It's true that writing can be lifeless and like death, but that a reader can resurrect it into life. I just love that! What power that gives me as a reader!

I found the three myths about technology also interesting. I realized that I held some of these myths as well. I think I've assumed that technology is transparent and that it's still writing. I've never stopped to think that maybe this use of technology has more impact that I first thought. I see now how that belief can cause complications.

Eisentein's article about the printing press was fascinating. I loved her perspective and outlook on the effect of the printers even before the printing press came to be. I liked her statement that the advent of printing moved Europeans from an image culture to a work culture, but at the same time from a word culture to an image culture. Again, I had never truly thought how the advent of printing allowed mathematicians and scientists to create images to convey meaning. Now obscure definitions and explanations were no longer the only option in explaining. Images were being used to explain as well.

Again, I was intrigued by the information about how printing changed the Christian world. It amazes me how much of an influence this had on the history of Protestantism and Luther's break from the Catholic church.

I felt Bomer's article help make me more aware of things as a teacher. It is true that these tools, including pillows, can have an effect on literacy.

"What I do with this tape dispenser right now says something about the social world I think I am in, and who I am in it" (p. 243). By observing how my students use different tools in the classroom I can learn so much about them and their identity. Yet, I have never even thought of this possibility. I do recall times when kids amazed me at other uses they could find for certain objects, but never really thought much of it.

Everything we have read so far is slowly starting to come together and sink in for me. I must say I'm relieved about that! I'm seeing how this all connects to what I know about teaching and how it can help me continue to grow professionally.