Our Education Systems Needs The Digital Age

 

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“In two studies, hypertext seemed to improve comprehension” ( La Farge “The Deep Space of Digital Reading). I’ve always believed that digital reading is more comprehensive, and it improves our minds. Digital reading has had its drawback and benefits for the past decade, and Paul La Farge and Susanne Murphy prove the benefits of digital reading. Although most people argue that digital reading has no mental benefit, I have to disagree with the counter-argument and say digital reading is beneficial for the mind.

Digital reading has many benefits and can help with comprehension, memory, and grades. Susanne Murphy acknowledges that, “Authors with nothing to say beyond what has already been said are quickly unmasked” (“Plagarism is Dead; Long Live the Retweet”). I believe Susanne Murphy is saying that with reading articles or texts online a person can find out if an author copied someone else and did not give credit. This goes into why digital reading benefits the readers. If people read online, then people can find out who is supposed to be credited. Digital texts have many benefits, including advancing and becoming more interactive for the reader. Paul La Farge claims that, “A new generation of digital writers is building on video games, incorporating their interactive features—and cognitive sparks—into novelistic narratives that embrace the capabilities of our screens and tablets” (The Deep Space of Digital Reading). Digital reading is becoming more interactive, which can make a reader’s cognition spark. This can be positive for readers because they become more involved and feel more confident that they are focusing on a text. If readers are more focused and involved with a text, then they start to have better memory of what they just read and could do better on testing.

 

Even though digital reading has many benefits and can be cognitively better for a person, some people claim digital reading has drawbacks. Ferris Jabr argues, “Compared with paper, screens may also drain more of our mental resources while we are reading and make it a little harder to remember what we read when we are done” (The Reading Brain in the Digital Age). This proves the drawback of digital reading. This argument claims that screens make us drain our mental resources, and makes memory difficult to comprehend. Although I see Jabr’s point, I have to disagree with his overall argument. My disagreement is that our memories do not fade, but if not comprehend better what is being said, which can improve our memories. Nicholas Carr has a similar argument as Ferris Jabr, but with more information. Nicholas Carr claims, “ If we lose those quiet spaces, or fill them up with “content”, we will sacrifice something important not only in ourselves but in our culture” (Is Google Making Us Stupid?). This argument shows that Internet slows down a reader’s quiet space compared to reading a book. Focus will be lost because unlike reading a book, the reader has pop-ups, advertisements, and random sharing.  I have to disagree with this claim. My belief is that we do not lose any of ourselves, and we definitely do not lose that quiet space. If anything, we become more knowledgeable of a subject and can comprehend what is going on in the text. Once this knowledge is stored in our minds our own intelligence is better, and we become superior to the artificial intelligence.

For instance, I have personal experience with digital technology that has benefitted me. My first experience with digital technology would be in English 151. In class I have interacted more with articles, and I have remembered all of the articles and what they are about. I used this for the first time, and basically what I do is annotate a text online. I get to interact with other people and get their opinion on a text. This has helped my memory and cognition. Paul La Farge emphasizes in his article, “ It uses the affordances of your phone or tablet to do what literature is always trying to do: give you new things to think about, to expand the world behind your eyes”( “The Deep Space of Digital Reading”). This means that technology has been resourceful with interacting with digital text, and it is beyond our eyes and mind of wat we read. I know, personally, digital text has made the world expand beyond my eyes, and gave me a greater understanding of what I am reading. Digital text has been very beneficial for me. Another experience I have had with digital reading is studying, and source citing. The Internet has been resourceful with providing me with some topics I have had to study, and if I need a resource then I can go online. My experiences have influenced my opinion greatly. The Internet has proven to being beneficial to me as well as resourceful. The Internet is substantial for memory, comprehension and grades.

As a result of digital texts, I believe in the future education systems should use it more. Education systems can incorporate it more often with websites, such as Hyperlink and other websites that can be used to interact. Interacting with it can help a student become more interested in it. If it can be used more often than students can annotate and can be invested in what they are reading. If the education system would do this, then students can become more intelligent and feel more confident and invested in what they’re doing.

The Ramification of Digital Reading: Is It Beneficial Or Detrimental?

Background concept wordcloud illustration of electronic digital media

According to a new and recent study, 92 percent of college students preferred to read the obsolete way , in print, with less distractions. On the other hand, 67 percent preferred digital reading; however, more distractions were encountered. Ultimately what is at stake here is whether digital reading will impact or impair our minds in the near future. Many people assume that, since book sales are rapidly decreasing, we think on how digital reading is increasing and how it has affected us so far. The web is considered a blessing and a curse. The Internet has changed the way we read, analyze, and comprehend.

Digital reading has a negative effect on anyone who uses it. Whether or not you want to admit it is up to you. Unfortunately, digital reading is harmful to the human mind in many ways. According to Bruce Friedman, a daily and formal blogger, blogs of the use of computers in medicine; however, he also elaborates on how the Internet has transformed his intellectual habits. Friedman states, “I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print” (qtd. in Carr). In other words, Friedman suggests online reading prohibits the brain to fully understand what one is reading at the time, due to the fact of the many distractions. I personally agree with this statement because the Internet has had a way of manipulating my mind. I attempt to bypass reading long articles as well, especially online. When I am online, I tend to focus on other things rather than what I am reading and it causes me to forget what the story is about. As a result, I have to reestablish what I read by starting over. As stated in, Is Google Making Us Stupid, a media theorist, Marshall McLuhan points out in the 1960’s, “Media are not just passive channels of information. They supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought. And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski” (qtd. in Carr). McLuhan’s point is that, the more we use the Internet, the more we have to combat the urge to stay awake and focus on a specific piece of writing. I agree with this statement because the Internet is consistently a supplier of the things we need; however, the downside to it is that our mind looks at the Internet differently. Since the Internet is prompt in providing us with the information we need, our minds tend to think the exact same thing. As a result, skimming what we are supposed to be reading occurs. Regarding these two examples, the two compare with each other. Both articles illustrate how digital reading has effected the way we read today. Simultaneously, both examples from the article, Is Google Making Us Stupid, tell how digital reading is harmful to an individual.

On the other hand, digital reading can be helpful in some ways; however, I disagree. A 2015 study by the German educator, Johannes Naumann, questions if on-screen reading was as slow as paper reading, would comprehension improve? Naumann gave a group of high-school students the job of tracking down certain pieces of information on websites; he found that the students who regularly did research online, in other words, the ones who expected Web pages to yield up useful facts, were better at this task than students who used the Internet mostly to send email, chat, and blog (qtd. in La Farge). I disagree with this statement and study. Normally, research is done online, because it requires one to dig deeper, such as, into databases. People who use computers tend to learn more than others; however, this is misleading. Just as computers, there are historical books, encyclopedias that help with research, not just the Internet. A person who uses books more than computers obviously has a more different knowledge than  a person who uses the Internet. In the article, “Plagiarism is Dead”, Susanne Murphy suggests, “Online reading is constructive and dynamic: while reading for information, clicking across and through a variety of embedded and suggested links, each reader creates a unique (and transient) new text whose reality is physical only in a ‘follow the clicks’ sense” (Murphy). I notably disagree with this statement. Online reading is however, not constructive and dynamic. Dynamic also means productive or active. In my opinion, online reading is not beneficial. Online reading makes me lethargic, because I am consistently looking at the screen, attempting to stay focused.

As an illustration of how digital reading is harmful, during my senior year in high school, the administration allowed the use of iPads, Kindles, and other forms of tablets to only the upperclassmen. In order to decrease the buying of new books every year, we were allowed to download books off of an application. The idea of using tablets eventually failed. As for me, if I became disinterested with the class, I began to play games. In my AP English class, we normally acted out the plays and had a class discussion. During this time, we were assigned to different parts. Usually, I became distracted because I did not have a part to play at the time, and I invested in playing games. Digital reading is very harmful. When we are supposed to be learning, something else attracts our attention. That is why, I prefer to read from paper. I would rather annotate and highlight on paper than to do so on a computer.

Consequently, technology is advancing slowly whether we like it or not. Therefore, as we move forward, learning and technology should link together and become one. The administrators of the education system needs to come to the realization that it is impossible to do both online reading and paper reading. It is extremely unsettling. In order for teachers of colleges and schools to adapt to the future of digital reading, we first cannot read elongated articles online. We will never get it done or do it the way teachers would require us to. We will not comprehend how we are supposed to. Technology has developed into a bigger spectrum, in other words, it has become fast-moving and swift. The administrators of the education system must adapt to these changes or in the future, the reading attention of children will eventually begin to deteriorate. Bill Gates once said, “Technology is a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.”

Digital Discrepancies

Modern advances in technology such as e-readers and tablets have been used as alternatives to the traditional paper type. Books, magazines, and the daily news are all digital now. Because of digital methods, reading and doing research are indeed more convenient. Being someone who reads with a Kindle and paperbacks, I know firsthand that reading in a dark room with a lit screen may be convenient. However, it can be a struggle to focus and grasp everything you’re reading. Scientists have noticed that reading and doing research digitally could be harmful to the way we think, receive, and process information. Although the internet is a central source of knowledge and information, it is hindering our ability to critically read and do effective research.

Some digital methods of doing things are completely beneficial, such as writing or drawing because you already have a “focus” or “idea.” On the other hand, with reading and doing academic research it can be distracting. Even though the internet gives easy access to a wealth of information, the overload can divert your attention. In an article, The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens, written by journalist Ferris Jabr, research shows that not only can reading on a screen cause you to be distracted, but also how it can be more arduous on your eyes and brain. Prolonged digital use (computers, phones,etc) puts strain on the eyes and in my case, causes my eyes to want to wander. Use of E-readers and technologies with even LCD screens can lead to problems, ranging from blurry vision to computer vision syndrome. (Reading paper screens. Jabr.) Additionally, articles read on the Internet may not be fully comprehensible due to ads, pop ups, difficult texts, and other distractions. Online reading may drastically affect a readers ability to think. Journalist Nicholas Carr acknowledges this, “And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.”(Is Google Making us Stupid? Carr). Carr is saying that although we are reading, we are not completely absorbing the information in the way we should. We unintentionally skim and read words without completely comprehending them since we are used to having the ease and practicality of the Internet.
Even though there are evident challenges with digital reading, people believe living in this digital age means that the what is viewed as plagiarism should be updated. In an article written by Susanne Murphy, she states that schools are losing their ability to have an influence in the outside world because there are many sources online and that plagiarism is an ideology that does not matter in modern day society. (Plagiarism Is Dead..Murphy). Though she is correct about the internet being a powerhouse for information, I disagree with her claim that schools are losing their ability to matter. In my opinion, schools should offer students a choice to do things either traditionally or digitally. This way they have a balance and can eventually decide which is more personally intelligible as a learning technique. In Paula La Farge’s article, she explores the challenges of digital technology and its effect on the reading brain, while giving insight on how to effectively change the way you read digitally in order to have more success. “The Internet’s flood of information, together with the distractions of social media, threaten to overwhelm the interior space of reading, stranding us in what the journalist Nicholas Carr has called “the shallows,” a frenzied flitting from one fact to the next.” (Qtd. by Paula La Farge). The Internet is indeed a flood of information that can easily overwhelm, but perhaps if used properly it can be an academically valid resource.
Personally, I have been introduced to new methods when it comes to doing academic work digitally. I have found that annotating and writing your understanding of each paragraph will gradually help form your perspective. I used to read hardcover and paperback books as most kids did growing up and because my father was a teacher he encouraged reading. This had an immense impact on me and reading became my favorite pastime. One year, I received a Kindle for Christmas and I instantly got hooked, not only did it have books, but it had the Internet. This was around the age when Facebook was something I used all the time. Not only were there many distractions, but also the simple fact that it didn’t feel nor look like a book. “People expect books to look, feel and even smell a certain way; when they do not, reading sometimes becomes less enjoyable or even unpleasant.” (Reading Paper Screens Jabr.) This was mostly likely the case for me. For example, the artistic cover was now just a digital image that would be swiped and forgotten. The cover, to me, is a part of the experience; a portal that gives a visual peek of the books world.

The traditional way of using paper and pencil will have is faults, but it is more useful and reliable especially when it comes to academic assimilation. Schools should let students choose which way they prefer and work better with on a personal level. Requiring students to use a specific style adds more limitations. Schools should offer programs which teach how to use the internet properly for academic research. The Internet is still young and until we learn to use it to its full potential, we must stick to what we know best, paper and pencil.

Enough Technology to Go Around

As times have changed, there is no doubt that technology has become a huge part of how we live today. The real question is how is that technology being utilized in the classroom setting? As a biology major, I know that I have had to use tactics such as reading online in order to complete my tasks in labs and for major assignments. Although technology is being used to its full potential in the college setting, is it being utilized in all school systems? I believe that technology is a very key component in students’ education for the fact that it will keep them constantly updated and have access to all knowledge possible.

Students in all school systems on each level of education should be presented with all the technology possible. Susanne Murphy believes that the way schools are run today is somewhat ancient. For example, a lot of institutions still expect students to cite their papers the same way they have been doing for the past 20 plus years. However, that isn’t very realistic anymore. Murphy states, “For providers of professional credentials? Who is welcome to contribute to a scholarly field and how should the contribution be evaluated as worthy of consideration by others — and credited when re-used? In what sense are collections of knowledge and archived thoughts relevant to have and to share? Are these collections properly physical, or virtual, or both? Is there any sense in trying to assign “credit” to the shapers of our thoughts, and (as I am interpreting the quotation from Pope in the opening) can/should we separate the source of the idea from the format in which one talented author has chosen to frame it?” ( Murphy). Here she is saying how instead of giving every piece of information a citation, we quote them just as we do on Twitter and Facebook. I agree with this statement because if one is assigned a 10-page paper and utilize a lot of information, one cannot trace and track everything they used to cite their sources. However, they don’t want to be accused of plagiarizing. In addition to Murphy’s research, Paul Lafarge also believed that ancient teachings should be left in the past. In Lafarge’s article “In the Digital Space of Reading” his main topics consist of how reading online is beneficial than reading from the text. In Lafarge’s beliefs, reading online enhances us; he states, “The Internet may cause our minds to wander off, and yet a quick look at the history of books suggests that we have been wandering off all along. When we read, the eye does not progress steadily along the line of text” (Lafarge). I agree with this thinking because if we as humans let our mind wander just dreaming about what we could do with the information, then when reading online we can wander to different links and access different article and vocabulary words that would help us better comprehend what we are learning about.

Regardless of the presented evidence on why technology is fundamental and should be heavily utilized in the classroom, In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr, he mentions how reading online is in a way transforming his brain to the point where he cannot read an actual book. He also makes note that when reading online he tends to jump around in the text and begins to feel anxious when having to actually read for comprehension online. Carr states, “I can feel it, too. Over the past few years I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory” (Carr). In a way I can definitely understand the new transitions that Carr is experiencing because when developing a new skill, it takes time to evolve. However, if adjustment issues are the reason for not expanding technology in institutions then that’s where I’ll have to disagree. Nothing is easy the first time you try it. Taking time to master a skill will take time and dedication. In addition to Carr’s article, “The Reading Brain In The Digital Age “by Farris Jabr has very similar opinions about how technology is taking over. Specifically related to institutions Jarbr states, ““When taking [a] quiz, volunteers who had read study material on a monitor relied much more on remembering than on knowing, whereas students who read on paper depended equally on remembering and knowing. Garland and her colleagues think that students who read on paper learned the study material more thoroughly” (Jabr). I my opinion and past experiences in high school I do know the feeling of being taught how to take a test instead of being taught the material. However, if enhancing technology in school systems, there will be a lot of hands on and interactive tactics that can help students comprehend and retain information easier.

Understanding that there are both sides to any argument leaves room for any type of adjustments for change. Being closed minded and one sided will not get your point across. As a student reading online has helped me connect a lot of dots that at one time were not filled when reading a hard copied book. Like stated before, I can connect with Jabr when he felt as if students weren’t reading for comprehension, they were just reading for the answers because in high school you are taught how to take a standardized test instead of how to tackle the problems. On the contrary, I agree more with Murphy on her belief of needing to change some of the rules when it comes to technology. I have been in a situation where I had to write a five-page essay and I was not able to remember every citation that I used. So in my defense if we could change the rules the earlier the education, the easier it can be moving up in school level.

Any act of trying to change a system that has been intact for a long period of time can be difficult. However, I believe the rate that we as a society are progressing, it is only going to be a matter of time that ideas such as Murphy’s and Lafarge’s will be a part of every school system K-12 and higher. The unity of technology and the education system can only better students so they can receive every opportunity that is presented to them.

 

 

 

 

Distractions of Online Reading

Technology has become an overwhelming factor in the world that we live in today and is overtaking normal books, magazines, etc. Some now say that technology is making the human race not as smart and is making things more difficult and complicated. Reading on a computer screen is effecting the way our brains process things and how it can be distracting. Nicholas Carr, Susanne Murphy, Paul La Farge, and Ferris Jabr all have arguments considering both methods explaining how it can either be harmful or beneficial to you. On my own experience it is a I prefer reading the text in paper which makes me have a better understanding of what I am looking at.

Nicholas Carr and Ferris Jabr are both strong believers of keeping print around and not trying to focus everything on the Internet. They both focus on how reading on the Internet has made drastic changes for them when normally reading in a book. In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” Carr has many personal examples of how he is not as smart as he used to be and can feel his brain changing due to the use of technology. He says, “Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do,” (Carr) and how it has been putting a continuing effect on his mind the more he keeps using the Internet. I agree with what Carr is saying; when I read books I sometimes get lost in wandering within my mind, and used to looking around on the Internet page or something else instead of continuing my reading. My focus level goes way off, and my mind wanders. Ferris Jabrs article “The Reading Brain in The Digital Age: The Science of Paper Vs Screens,” has many examples and studies of how the reading paper benefits for you than reading online. A study done of seventy-two tenth grades students were split up where half were reading in text and half were on a computer. In the end results it said, “Students who read the texts on computers performed a little worse than students who read on paper,” (Jabr) which I can understand because people are focusing more on the readings in text rather than on that screen. Many people I know prefer to read text over paper. When it comes to me taking tests, quizzes, or doing homework online I tend to rush myself more and not really learn the objectives of what I needed to know. Information comes easier to me when it is taught to me, instead of me having to read it on my own. The two examples strongly relate because it shows how reading in text can help you focus better, and have a better understanding of what you are learning. You can have a better understanding of what you are reading.

On the other hand, some people prefer the new advancements of technology and enjoy reading on a screen or new E-readers. It does not affect the way they read, and they are able to process everything that is going into their brain. Paul La Farges article “The Deep Space of Digital Reading” has the sight of how technology is something new and advancing that we have to get used too. He says that “done well, it has the potential to expand and augment the very contemplative space that we have prized in ourselves ever since we learned to read without moving our lips,” (La Farge) which says that it can become easier for us. I disagree with his statement because even though that technology is having its advancements, reading a loud has always been a teaching tool. It was the number one way how I was taught to read, and it going to be the I teach my children. “Plagiarism is dead; Long Live the Retweet: Unpacking an Identity Crisis in Digital Content” shows that a lot of peoples work now are based so much off others research and most of the papers quotes and citations are all over it. Susanne Murphy states “More significantly, I believe, schools are losing an ability to matter,” (Murphy) and schools are losing control. Murphy claims that students take so much of other people’s work instead of using their own. I disagree with this statement because I use others peoples work to looks and learn what they write, then come up with my own unique things. I feel like people enjoy your work way more too when you put your own twists on things. Although when growing up in school it is taught for kids to use to cite anything they write about others work. Teachers have always stressed about making sure that you cite the things you write even when writing your own work. Although the uniqueness of one’s own work shows the kind of creative writer that you are, and where your head is at when stating the material.

It has taken deep thought about which one I would rather prefer, and I think it has come clear. Using both reading in text and reading online, I strongly prefer to read in text. The way my own experience really connects is with Jabr’s study about how students did better on the exam than the students on the computer. I always do well when I study right text and physically the paper in hand. Growing up technology was not really a big factor in my life, and reading was strongly enforced. I would always read a USA hockey kids magazine to learn about more things about hockey or any of the professional players. I was always using a book any time I would either read and know if I put my head down and grinded away in it, that I would successful learn what I needed. In the modern era that we live in today, a lot of readings that I have to do end up being online, but there are times that I find myself printing them out. Which in return helps me with my academics and helps me maintain a strong learning advantage for myself.

With the way technology is advancing as much as it does every day, that every time you go to bed and wake up some new form of technology has been created. All of this happening will change the way the new generations grow up and it will affect the way they learn to read and write. Colleges will keep updating their technology every year because they think students coming in will want to use nothing but everyday new. They always want everything to look good and have the best possible things for their students. There will never be a time that they take away from the traditional reading on text or a book, but I feel as if a lot of things will focus on digital reading. The best things for schools to focus in on the future is knowing that kids are going to get more and more used to using the computers and digital media so they need to stay on top of it.

The Harmful Effects of Digital Media.

Wikimedia Commons. News Media Standards. Wikipedia. April 2016

Have you ever gotten distracted while reading online? You are not alone, a 2013 study showed that twenty-six percent of students said they were likely to multitask while reading in print, compared with eighty-five of percent of students reading on-screen (Niccoli “Paper or Tablet? Reading Recall and Comprehension”). Over the past few year’s digital reading has had a harmful effect on our society, from causing distractions, to a decline in reading comprehension, and the negative effect it has caused on our mind and brain.

Digital technology has had a harmful effect on reading because it causes many distractions. Modern technology has so many different features. It has become a fight just to stay focused for a long period of time when surfing the web, reading online books, listening to music, and etc. Paul La Farge agrees when he writes “the Internet may cause our minds to wander off” (“The Deep Space of Digital Reading”). La Farge is basically saying that the Internet could be a cause of why people get distracted so easily. It is hard not to get distracted while reading online when it comes to social media, pop up ads, breaking media news, and websites like Youtube and WorldStar. It is so easy to take a “break” from homework just to check a tweet and end up watching Youtube videos three hours later. Despite the distractions the Internet may cause, the Internet does have some good effects. For example, when it comes to research. Nicolas Carr states “the web has been a godsend to me as a writer. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes” (Is Google Making Us Stupid?”). The Internet is like having a dictionary, encyclopedia, thesaurus, and every book in the world at your fingertips.

Although digital technology has created a better way to do research there are many other negative effects. Not only does the Internet cause distractions but it can be the cause of the decline in our reading comprehension. According to Paul La Farge “it’s true that studies have found that readers given text on a screen do worse on recall and comprehension tests than readers given that same text on paper” (“The Deep Space of Digital Reading”). Many studies have shown that the Internet has made it harder for people to understand what they are reading, because now a days the Internet does all the work for you. Your device is willing to read, interpret, and analyze anything you want it to in a click of a few buttons and now with Siri, a matter of a few words. Although it has caused a decline in reading comprehension because we are not forced to understand what we are reading anymore. Nicolas Carr states “Thanks to the ubiquity of text on the Internet, not to mention the popularity of text-messaging on cell phones, we may well be reading more today than we did in the 1970s or 1980s, when television was our medium of choice” (Is Google Making Us Stupid?”). Even though all people may not understand everything they may read, it is shown that people are reading more in general, which is good. It is good that people are reading more than before, but what is the point of reading more if you do not understanding what you are reading? It is like not reading in the first place because you are not retaining any information, so you are basically coming out with the same information you went out with.

 For instance, when I was in high school my twelfth grade English teacher Ms. Bailey thought it was cool to try to create her first online test. She treated it like she had done it before. She prepped us as she would for any other test by making up study guides and review questions. When it came to testing day, we met her in the classroom and then as a class we went to the computer lab. We has ninety minutes to complete the test. I knew I had the test under my belt. I understood everything we learned and got an A on all the quizzes that were in the midst of the lessons. I got to my computer and pressed start on my test, before I realized eighty minutes went by and all I heard was my teacher saying you have ten minutes till the end of class. I hurried up and answered all one hundred-fifty questions. Two days later, my teacher came to me and told me I failed, but she could not understand how. She expressed how I was the best student in her class and how I am always the first one done. I told her I did not know what happened, time got the best of me and I felt rushed. She had a soft spot for me so she let me take it again. This time I was ready. I was alone so there were no distractions, well that is what I thought. I pressed start and began to read question one, before I could finish the sentence something started blinking. My eyes followed the blinking lights to the ad on the right hand side of the screen. It was an ad for tide that would flip through pictures every few seconds. I would look away but my eyes would always find their way back. Before I knew it my teacher gave me my ten minute reminder. I finished in just enough time, knowing I had flunked again. This time she sat me down and asked me what the problem was. I expressed to her that I could not concentrate, because she put the test on a public website; the screen had ads flowing the whole time. Flipping from ad to ad, non-stop. Every time I tried to concentrate a new ad came on, and every one of them got my attention. The next day she came to me and told me to plan to stay after. After school I went to her classroom and on the desk was a printed copy of the test. I sat there for the whole ninety minutes, focused. Results came back and I aced it. The only perfect score in the class.

Ferris Jabr states “most screens, e-readers, smartphones, and tablets interfere with intuitive navigation of a text and inhibit people from mapping the journey in their mind” (“The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper Versus Screens”). Jabr’s statement explains why I could not concentrate, the features that modern technology has gets in the way of our path to concentration and causes many distractions. Moral of the story is reading online is very distracting to some, due to ads and other online features. As a result of my personal experience, and the arguments by Ferris Jabr and Paul La Farge against digital reading I have come to the conclusion that digital media has a harmful effect on our reading. Although digital reading has many benefits in today’s world like: the easy access to information and the motivation to read more, to me the negative effects like: the decline in reading comprehension and the creation of pure laziness over rules the positives. The disadvantages outweigh the advantages when it comes to how it has affected us a society, and our reading as a whole. In order for schools more so colleges, to be more equipped to deal with today’s time they have two options. To either provide students the option between print and digital media when it comes to their assignments or take the time to teach students how to properly use the new and improved thing we call modern technology. Even if you give them the option sooner or later they will still have to learn how to use technology properly because the way the world is headed, everything will be paperless sooner than later.

 

Online Reading is Hurting More Than Helping

Do you ever have trouble staying focus while reading online? Do you ever not remember what you have read after reading online? If yes, do not worry you are not the only one. This happens to the majority of users that read online.  I am a college student attending Stevenson University studying business administration. I have put in intensive research on the benefits and issues with reading and learning using technology, such as the Internet. The research that I have been looking into has been highly referred articles written by important authors. The Internet is changing the way we read and research and is causing more harm than it is helping us. This is due to being distracted while reading, and also not fully comprehending what we read while online.

The Internet is a very complexed and confusing network to understand. Trying to read and research online has its downfalls and issues. For so long we have been using books as devices to help us learn, research, and read. Deviating away from this is going to have its disadvantages, one being the ability to comprehend what we have read. According to Jabr “Researchers have suggested that people comprehend less when they read on a screen because screen-based reading is more physically and mentally taxing than reading on paper” (“Reading Brain in The Digital Age”). Jabr explains how physically and mentally taxing reading online really is. The reason it is so mentally taxing is because the bright light the computer screens generating causes the brain to only be focused for a certain amount of time. Comprehension is one of the most important aspects of reading. Taking that away from the reader infers with his/her ability to understand the article. The purpose of reading is to absorbed and reflect on the opinion and information of the author, without being able to comprehend you are at an enormous disadvantage. Another reason why digital reading is not beneficial is the way it interferes with the navigation of text and key word search. According to Jabr “In contrast, most screens, e-readers, smartphones and tablets interfere with intuitive navigation of a text and inhibit people from mapping the journey in their minds. A reader of digital text might scroll through a seamless stream of words, tap forward one page at a time or use the search function to immediately locate a particular phrase—but it is difficult to see any one passage in the context of the entire text” (“Reading Brain in Digital Age”). Digital reading vs reading on paper takes away from the navigation of text. The navigation of text allows you to map out the journey while you read and remember certain parts of the text. Digital text is a long continuous stream of words with no points to distinguish where you are in the passage. This is taking away from your ability to understand and comprehend part by part of a passage. Also, people on the Internet will be using key search to find the important parts of the story. Doing this makes you lose all context of the information your pulling out making you not fully understanding it. These two examples just show how much the Internet interferes with our potential of learning. Like taking short cuts to pull out information and when actually trying to read not being able to fully understand what the author is saying.

While I believe that digital text is harmful to users on the other hand people believe that there are benefits to using it. One argument people use is that digital text is interactive while normal text is not. For instance, while reading text online there are the use of hyperlinks to future research information. Susanne Murphy states “That respectful links to work done by other authors will better help the audiences understand the message she is trying to get across. (“Plagiarism Is Dead, Murphy”). I disagree with this statement for a few reasons. Yes, hyperlinks can be helpful at times to help you better understand what the author says, but most times following these hyperlinks are going to get you distracted and off topic. You can start at one link follow that to another then link, then all the sudden you are reading digital text that has nothing in common to the original article you were reading. This therefor wasting your time, distracting you from your reading, and taking away knowledge that could have been gained by just reading what the author wrote.  Also, hyperlink can cause confusion to the reader. The author of an article may put a hyperlink in intended for a specific purpose. If comprehended wrong by the reader, their purpose of the whole article is going to waste and clouding up the information that was trying to be presented. Another reason why people say digital text is helpful is due to online media. They think that videos and different sort of media will help you learn. According to Carr “Media and other technologies are playing important roles in shaping how we learn online.” (“Is Google Making Us Stupid”).  Media is actually hurting us way more than it is benefiting us. One second we will be reading than all the sudden an email announces its arrival, we glance over stop reading and lose the place we were at. While reading, you want to be as concentrated as possible, having these pop-ups occur is taking your concentration off your work and making you lose your place.

For instance, I have had trouble with compressions and navigations using digital text throughout my life. As a middle schooler, I relied heavy on taped books to help me better understand the material I was reading. I would have a hard copy of the book and a tape player that would read aloud to me. This strategy work very well and had tremendous benefits. As I transitioned to high school instead of using hard copies of the books and tape player they used Online text that read aloud. Immediately I noticed the decline in my comprehension. I was only able to remember certain part of information. I would find myself having to read the article over and over just to try and understand a little bit more of the material. Just like I explained earlier about navigation of text this site we used was just a long continuous stream of word. Being very difficult to make connections and place where you are in the story. After my experiences, I think that digital text makes it more difficult and there are many other beneficial ways to read.

In conclusion, I believe that digital text and using the Internet as a prime source is going to be detrimental to our future. As an education system, we should stop relying on technology and go back to the learning styles that we have already adapted to and that are most efficient. Learning styles such as annotating books and papers and actively reading. Our future generations need to go through a school system that going to allow them to reach their full potential, not hold them back because of comprehension skills and distractions. In the end we need to realize what is important and what we can rely on.

Online Reading: Helping or Hurting

George Lowe

English 151

Licastro

Online Reading: Helping or Hurting

As we grow up in a time of constant innovation, it is necessary to reflect on the changes that have occurred. With computers and phones being a part of everyday lives, we have adapted to reading information off of a screen. Although the internet is easily accessible, it can have hindering effects. The benefits of reading online, such as convenience and variety come at the price of your focus. Students in the digital era have a tougher time focusing on online articles than on hard back books. I understand that online reading is here to stay, but paper text should not vanish.

To begin, the real problem with online reading is the setting itself. Mass media clogs the internet and ultimately is hard to stay focused on one specific passage when you have several to choose from. Nicolas Carr, author of “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, describes how his “mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles” (Carr 4). When going about reading on the internet I find myself skimming and analyzing rather than thinking critically. On the other hand, reading from a hard copy of text allows me to hone in on each word knowing that another source is not just a click away. Carr brings light to the issue when he portrays himself as once being “a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” Today it seems that readers have developed a habit of reading one to two paragraphs then hopping to the next site at their convenience. This causes a huge disconnect from literature as a whole as deep reading through novels becomes obsolete.  In addition to the Internet’s vast sources, other distractors are just one click away. Carr also illustrates how “hyperlinks, blinking ads, and other digital gewgaws…surrounds the content with the content of all the other media it has absorbed.” These side bars diffuse focus and create the change we see unfolding. A constant need for the next new topic drives us to continue to use the internet but distracts us from a true connection to the text. Overall, the Internet has shifted the way we learn due to constant flow of information and aimless side distractions. As we lean toward a different outlet for literature it is important to limit the skimming and scanning that we do, to further our deep minds.

Additionally, we need to consider the changes that arise from reading on a screen rather than paper. More importantly, Ferris Jabar, author of “The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens” asks “How do our brains respond differently to onscreen text than to words on paper?” (Jabar). The answer is that E-reading does not have the same appeal as paper text leading to lack of comprehension. Jabar recalls a studies from polls and consumer reports show that “navigational difficulties may subtly inhibit reading comprehension.” (Jabar) In retrospect, paper books are tangible and clearly defined with borders, as you know where the book begins and ends. Also, the turning of pages leaves a satisfaction of progress as you witness the book getting closer to the end. Jabar raises another good point when he states how “most screens, e-readers, smartphone, and tablets interfere with intuitive navigation of text and inhibit people from mapping the journey in their minds” (Jabar). Digital reading outlets can online provide one virtual page of content, intangible and lifeless. A study at the University of Stavanger in Norway tested students see if reading and navigating on a screen really impacts your comprehension. The results showed that students who read from a pdf file struggled with finding important information as they alluded to the text. Ultimately, navigating a book comes easier to the consumers of the text and continues to harness a particular appeal when it comes to learning.

Nicolas Carr stressed upon the constant lack of focus that comes with online reading and that is true for so many millennials. When I reflect on my own experiences with online reading, I have found that I can never retain the information because I am constantly distracted. If I am reading on my laptop I find that the notifications, such as email, Facebook or even software updates, draw my attention away from the content. In addition, when I use my phone to read up on sports or politics, I am easily grabbed in by a text message or an Instagram like. Additionally, the eye fatigue that comes with a screen is tough to bare after reading for a while. Although I have become accustomed to reading online, I feel it is easiest for me to learn through paper text.  When I discover an interesting subject in a textbook or novel I can maintain my focus and its deration, allowing me to thoroughly understand what I am reading. Due to my experiences, I feel that online reading is not good enough. If you want to genuinely comprehend a topic, a real book would be your best bet.

From hieroglyphics to paperbacks and now computers, the way we read has been evolving for years. Learning from history we can duct that change will follow suit when something new arrives. It is important to continue to read deep and think deeper as we face a time of disconnection. Who knows if a textbook will even be found in grade schools’ years from now. Overall, the importance of paper text from a learning perspective is tremendous and rapid advancement in technology should only draw us closer to our tangible, enlightening paper back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Schools Should Adapt to the Digital Age

Schools Adapting to the Digital Age

http://futurehumanevolution.com/introduction-to-todays-technology, Kenneth Cukie’s book, Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think

As being a full-time student at a university, I interact with technology every day, so I know exactly what it’s like when it comes to learning in the environment with technology. Reading and learning online has changed the way students can interact with the teacher or professor.

In the world of electronics and online reading, the devices used today are being used more and more. Some ask if this is right or if today’s technology is differing our way of reading. According to Ferris Jabr he states, “In the U.S., e-books currently make up between 15 and 20 percent of all trade book sales”, with this statement, he concludes that reading on a screen is almost as big as reading a paper version book (“The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens”). I agree with this statement by Jabr, because I consistently find myself reading an online article versus picking up a magazine or a book. Within the article,

(“The Deep Space of Digital Reading”), the quote, “The quality of digital media poses one kind of problem for the reading brain; the quantity of information available to the wired reader poses a different and more serious problem” (Paul La Farge), states that reading an article online messes with the brain versus reading an article through a paper copy. Although I read more articles online, I agree with La Farge on the facts that it messes with the brain. I find that if you read a paperback version it is often easier to follow along and properly annotate if needed. These two articles are similar because it proves that Americans are reading more online which ties in the quote about the problem with the brain.

Although I agreed with the articles about how reading online can affect your brain, I disagree with some of the articles talking about the digital age we live in today. I believe that more schools need to head towards the digital age but maintain a strong foundation with hard-copy books. A big problem with the digital age today is the fact of plagiarism. In the article,

(“PLAGIARISM IS DEAD; LONG LIVE THE RETWEET: UNPACKING AN IDENTITY CRISIS IN DIGITAL CONTENT”), a quote, “The concept of plagiarism as currently managed belongs more easily in the old world, and that its fit into the new and emerging reality is an awkward and uncomfortable one”, states that plagiarism is growing and was harder to find back in the day (Susanne Murphy). I disagree with quote because with today’s technology we rely on sites like; turnitin.com to find plagiarism but who knows if it was copied and pasted. The following article by Nicholas Carr, states, “we may be reading more today than we did in the 1970’s or 1980’s”, he explains that with today’s digital technology we are reading more than ever before (“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”). With today’s technology, I disagree with Carr because back in the day people read all the time, which is why the older generation is more intellectually sound than today’s generation. Our grandparents did not have internet to rely on, which influenced them to pick up a book and read.

Following the above, I agree that and think that technology is leading us to new digital world. With being a college student and having to read articles online and in text, I think that it is much easier to read on paper. When I find, myself reading online I always come across a hyperlink which indirectly takes my mind off of reading the actual passage or documentation. I end up clicking the link which brings me to another page, and on that page there is another hyperlink, and by the time I want to go back and the read the initial article I am five hyperlinks in. It is good to have hyperlinks on pages but when you are trying to read an article and comprehend what they are trying to say the hyperlinks can seem annoying and bring out of focus. I also think that when you read online it is challenging to highlight and annotate what you are reading. I think technology overall is good to have in the classroom and at universities but I think we should lean more towards paper copy textbooks. I say this because in some of my classes I have an e-book as the text book but it is hard to access sometimes and if the internet were to ever go out, I cannot read the material.

I believe that the education system should keep up to date with the Digital age. From the articles and quotes listed above they provide detail on how technology affects people and students. I believe that in the future technology should play a huge role in the educational society. With school being more and more popular technology plays a major role in that and will affect how students learn.