Comments on: Books are good too

By: Caitlin Colins

Caitlin Colins — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 02:17:15 +0000

Hi Jeff,

I found your post very interesting seeing as I hope to teach English in the future. When I was first introduced to the idea of technology in the classroom, I was totally against it, especially for a literature class. I felt as though using technology would take away from the overall experience and connection with a piece of literature. However, as I began to think about it more, I realized that students could actually benefit from the use of technology in a literature class through possible live internet conversations with various writers or theorists. By using the internet, teachers can open new possibilities in literary analysis and discussion. I agree with you that attempting to curl up with a laptop to read an e-book does not have the same effect as reading an actual book. I also realize the numerous advantages technology in the classroom possesses as a possible resource for students who may not particularly excel in reading but still would like to experience literature and participate in class activities. Some of the most important things are for a student to be able to think critically, contribute, and ultimately come away from a class knowing that he or she has excelled. If it takes technology to accomplish this goal, then I should definitely be more open to using it in my future classroom.

-Caitlin Colins

By: Pam

Pam — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:44:49 +0000

Jeff, I think it is great that you read the books with your wife. Reading is reading wherever you read it, and whatever text format you chose, a book, a blog, an article, it is all good. I believe the more we read the more we want. That has always been one of my goals for my students, finding that one book or article that catches their interest. Once you have that they find themselves wanting more. It doesn’t always happen when you want it to. Some of us become hooked on reading at an early age and others get hooked later in their years. Whenever it happens it’s OK so long as it happens.

By: Karen Janowski

Karen Janowski — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:43:42 +0000

My son can relate to your preference for digital media. This summer he has to read two books from a list of twelve selected by the English department from his HS. How did he choose which books? He went straight to the end of each book to see how long it was and how much text was on each page. Topic was secondary.
He HATES books and reading (because of his reading difficulties) but spends hours on the computer, watching youtube, listening to podcasts, playing. He is born in the right century, the digital century, which taps into his strengths and helps him to feel more successful as a learner.
(I myself am ambimedia – print or digital – I devour them both!)

By: Tina Steele

Tina Steele — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:26:10 +0000

Jeff – I loved to read growing up. I’ve never been much of a tv or movie person. I just started reading “The World is Flat.” I’ve found that I read more for information than entertainment these days. More excitingly, I’ve discovered that reading my rss blogs is like reading the newspaper every day! Saturday morning I get up, fix my breakfast and break out my laptop to catch up on everything I haven’t read! I love it! Digital is great too!

By: Cathy Nelson

Cathy Nelson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:45:19 +0000

Jeff, as a teacher-librarian, I too should be a book lover. But oddly enough, I prefer digital everything! This year at school I am going to suggest a test of sorts with a teacher who has some really weak readers. I want this class to create an account with an RSS reader, and then get the kids to subscribe to feed of their interest (that are not bocked…hopefuly). I want to pre-assess and then post-assess their skills in reading to see how much they improve. I really believe reading skills skyrocket when we read things we are interested in.
Another confession–I hated the library as a student, yet I grew up and became a librarian. Go figure.

By: University Update - Harry Potter - Books are good too

University Update - Harry Potter - Books are good too — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:15:28 +0000

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By: Karyn Romeis

Karyn Romeis — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:45:40 +0000

It’s possible to be both – I have been a bookworm all my life. For my English final, I submitted a reading list of 300 books (read over 2 years) and was very proud of myself… until I discovered that my mother’s final reading list for her English final had been closer to 600. My Afrikaans reading list was a less impressive 30 books over the same 2 years.

In my summer holidays before my second last year of school, I read 30 books in 6 weeks. Read? Devoured!

However, I was reading in much the same way as I watch movies…for pure entertainment and escapism. I wasn’t trying to study, to learn anything, to do anything, to achieve anything (although of course, I learnt a miscellany of things of varying degrees of importance and usefulness in the process).

I haven’t yet encountered a 2.0 technology that does that. Not that I want it to, I hasten to add – the two things just serve such completely different purposes in my life.