Friday, December 6, 2019

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble: Digital vs. Print



Technology has become an integral part of our society. We use different forms of technology all day long such as: social media apps, laptops for work, paying bills online, streaming shows and movies to our electronic devices, etc. Influenced by digital mediums, our access to information is available at any time and is only as far away as our keyboard or phone, but is the digital influence a positive change? Are we letting technology take over our learning processes? Are we using the technology available to us in the best ways?

Digital text has made itself irreplaceable in mainstream society, as well as academia. Digital writing is accessible to anyone who has the technology to utilize it (phone, tablets, and computers). It is easier and less costly to read online text, whether it’s a college textbook or a recreational read. However, there are several downfalls to reading text online. Let’s check the pros and cons of digital reading.

 
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Our society has a history with the traditional printed word. The bonding experience with printed texts begins in childhood. Early reading experiences with parents providing the basis for identifying the activity of reading with printed materials. The security and the safety children feel when bonding with their parents is transferred to the printed books during this special time spent together. Printed text has been proven to have several benefits over the online version of the same material.


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Printed materials activate several different parts of your brain at the same time: touch, sight, smell and hearing (if you read the text out loud). This activity leads to more paths the information takes through your brain, which results in better recall when it’s time to take a test.

Most experts believe that the application of digital text has advantages, if it used correctly. For example, instead of having every textbook for a class be an online version, select which texts are more crucial to the outcome of the class, and require those be print versions. If there are articles for journals or magazines that will tie into a lesson, then assign those digitally. This would be a great way to integrate digital media into the classroom while still having the advantages of the print medium.

 

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Another possible solution to digital not being a great fit for a classroom setting is to the train the students to slow down and read the article. Students in our society have been trained to think they have to complete an assignment in a block of time. The standardization of student testing starting in elementary school has led to students who rush through their reading in order to make sure they have enough time to complete the questions. If we can train the students to slow down and really absorb in what is being said in the digital article or textbook, this could lead to students taking their time and not skimming the digital text, thus giving them a better sense of the material.


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In day to day life, digital media is a wonderfully easy way to gain information quickly. Looking for a quick report on the political candidates or the status of your local sports team, digital is the way to go. The abbreviated style of most online media is great for those who want just a cursory knowledge of a topic. However, if a person needs a full understanding of a topic, research shows that print is the way to go. Working knowledge has been shown to be better attained by print writing.

Me personally, I love printed books. I love everything about them. Their texture, the smell of the ink, the weight as I try to balance it in one hand so I can drink my coffee and the excitement I feel waiting to turn the page. I don’t get the same feeling about reading digital texts. Scrolling is not the same as turning the page and hearing the pages scrape against each other. This where I believe that most of our preference comes from: emotional attachment. I may be biased because of my B.S. in Psychology (yes, you read that correctly and yes, it’s ok to laugh), but I enjoy reading when it is printed. I feel like I’m part of the story if I am reading fiction or part of the discussion if I am reading a text book. It is easier to remember something when you like doing it.

Digital books are not going away. They will continue to be part of the conversation regarding education and general reading. Everyone has their preferences, but evolution is part of life, and the writing/reading world is ever evolving. While the debate continues, I’ll be over in the corner, reading a book.


goodreads.com



Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Critical Condition



When I hear people talk about hating to write or complaining about having to write something, I am always struck with surprise. For me, writing is a way for me to think through an issue. Whether it is personal or professional, I can always think clearer when I am writing it. Thank you to all my English teachers over the years. It was their guidance and educational assignments coupled with helpful criticisms that led me to be able to write my way through life.



The best life lesson I learned from English class and writing is critical thinking. The definition of critical thinking is: the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment. Thanks to dedicated teachers who didn't give up on a stubborn teenager/young adult, I not only learned how to think about academic topics for school, but how to apply these processes to my life outside of academia.


Critical thinking can be used not just to dissect a complex philosophical question for your classes, but can also help you dissect the regular moments in your life. Especially in time of high emotion, we can become stuck on how to deal with a problem.




Thinking critically about a situation can help pull you out of the emotional part and help you handle the situation. For example: You have a project at work and your boss comes in and says the deadline has been moved up to tomorrow. The first thing most people will feel is panic because they don't have time to complete it. Thinking critically about a project or situation allows you to focus on the facts of a situation and not the emotional reaction to the situation. Focusing on the facts gives you the chance to plan your project faster than anticipated while not panicking about not completing it. Instead of processing your feelings, you're processing how to get the project completed.