Welcome to English 1010! This blog is the place to find links to
articles, post discussion questions about the articles, and respond to
others' discussion questions.
Here is a link to the first reading, due Wednesday, Aug. 28. Remember
to bring a hard copy or electronic copy to class, be prepared to discuss
it and answer questions about it in class, and then post a question or
comment about it on the blog. Email me at emilywhitby1@weber.edu if you
have any trouble accessing the article.
Caleb Crain, "Twilight of the Books"
Why was the question about reading loosed as time progressed? (Travis Harper)
ReplyDeleteIs comprehension also declining in today's readers? Do you think with all the E-Text and E-books that generally people are reading more or reading less? -Alex Winter
ReplyDeleteIt says in the article that adults skill in reading only fell "one point on a five-hundred-point scale." It also says that people who were able to compare peoples thoughts on 2 different articles fell 2 percent. Although these comprehension ratings have fallen, - based on this article I don't think it has fallen enough to be a significant amount.
DeleteIm thinking that probably even with all the emailing and texting we are not getting a "Brain workout" Just because texting and emailing might not have the same content that a piece of literary art might contain. Its like eating potato chips vs. eating a rounded meal with nutrition. Your brain just might not be getting the needed brain "nutrients."
ReplyDeleteI think that with the invention of C.D. players and other devices we have other ways to give our brain a workout.
DeleteStatistics can be used to prove anything. That being said, even with the best statistics for his theme he could not find sufficient evidence to support a dramatic decline in the intelligence of the entire population. The poor statistics in the above comments reflect this. One example: "One point on a five-hundred-point scale" is statistically irrelevant but is worded in an attempt to disguise the absurdity of even mentioning this statistic. We are lead to believe that disaster is looming over a change of less than 1%.
ReplyDeleteThere were some good observations about the benefits of reading. I do believe that more reading would produce a smarter population, however, as a comparison to the history they covered it seems as though they are looking for any indicator that would prove that we are significantly worse off than in the early 1900's. Any honest observation of the daily lives of modern americans to those in the early 20th century would display an obvious growth in our ability to critically approach the world around us.
Do you think that this decline in reading i a result of the rise in cable TV and the bigger variety of TV shows on at all times of the day? Or is it just because watching a show on television makes the brain work less than reading?
ReplyDeleteWhen you are reading a paper book I feel you have less distractions. When you are using a e reader you can easly be distracted to look at a website and focus less on the book you are reading.
ReplyDelete