Friday, September 7, 2012

the persistence of writing

ASSIGNMENT:
Next week we will have a Socratic seminar that focuses on how we use and experience information through different media.  Please read the following article and answer the questions below in comments to this post.  Feel free to engage each other with questions and responses; I will chime in as well.

1. What is Burkdall's thesis?
2. Given that students in our classes seem to be divided about e-readers (see comments here), why do you think the media so eagerly concludes that reading books is dead and young people all want new tech (with chips) instead of old tech (with pages)?
3. Explain the allusion to Ulysses.
4. What reasons does the article provide for the importance of reading? Do you agree? Why/why not?
5. How do you think this moment in history will be remembered? Will technological advances continue to support intellectual development, as it did with writing and the transition from scroll to codex, or is our reliance on tools encouraging us to relax our brains to the point of atrophy? Explain your answer.
6. [BONUS: What is the purpose of the allusion in the title?]




[NOTE: You can read the article in its original online format--in which the footnotes are properly formatted and easier to follow-- here.]

The Persistence of Writing

© 2009 Thomas Burkdall.

EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 44, no. 3 (May/June 2009): 58–59

THOMAS BURKDALL

Thomas Burkdall (tlburk@oxy.edu) is an Associate Professor in English Writing and the Director of the Center for Academic Excellence at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

An intellectual apocalypse may be looming: Caleb Crain informs us that the "Twilight of the Books" is upon us, whereas Steve Jobs tells us that the concept of Amazon's Kindle is "flawed at the top because people don't read anymore."1 At the Conference on College Composition and Communication in March 2009, workshops focused on how to assess multimodal assignments, rather than the traditional essay. And the Modern Language Association annual convention in December 2008 opened with a panel on multimedia. Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing? It appears that we might as well "stop the sea" (as Leopold Bloom muses in Ulysses) as take up arms against the onslaught of multimedia.

But instead of relying on the predictive power of the Magic 8-Ball to respond "Outlook not so good" for writing, perhaps we should choose "Ask again later" as a better response. Nancy Bunge has noted: "Students realize that if they do not grapple with difficult, abstract texts, they will miss an important dimension of human learning and thinking."2 Does this comment represent the last gasp of a moribund print culture? Is it the desperate hope of one whose livelihood may be going the way of the farrier? Nay, let me borrow from Mark Twain: the reports of the death of writing are greatly exaggerated.

Let me also be clear: I am not against teaching with multimedia, and on many occasions I require my students to create a number of such artifacts. But let us not discard print completely in favor of audio, visual, and/or audiovisual creations. As Jonathan Swift suggested centuries ago in his novel Gulliver's Travels (1726), a concrete language is not enough. At the Academy of Lagado, Gulliver observes scholars carrying bags of objects to avoid the ambiguity of words, yet for abstract thought and expression, humans need the suppleness of meaning that only words afford. And we need certain conditions to appreciate or create such subtleties. As Crain suggests, some learning requires solitary reading. He quotes Marcel Proust that to read is "to receive a communication with another way of thinking, all the while remaining alone, that is, while continuing to enjoy the intellectual power that one has in solitude and that conversation dissipates immediately."3 Writing, I would argue, further enhances learning, since written communication demands a set of conditions and intellectual skills different from those needed for speech or multimedia texts.

Even if multimedia expression will eventually dominate our intellectual discourse—as it, arguably, has now come to dominate our popular communication—the written word and its systems will continue to have an influence on us. For although writing arose millennia ago, and movable type has been around since at least the fifteenth century, and inexpensive books have been common for most of the last 150 years, we still rely on rhetorical elements that have roots in the Classical world. Even if we reduce the longevity—in something analogous to Moore's law—writing will not vanish for decades. It will have direct and ancillary benefits, albeit in a multimodal universe.

Why does reading still matter? In the twenty-first century, the contemplative and distinctly unimodal Proust has assumed a leading role in defenses of reading and in laments about its possible demise. Both Crain and Bunge cite his introduction to a 1906 translation of John Ruskin's Sesame and Lilies; they were led to it, in all likelihood, by Maryanne Wolf's Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain.4 They extract pithy remarks from Proust's remembrance of books read, later published as On Reading, such as: "I believe that reading, in its original essence, . . . [is] that fertile miracle of a communication effected in solitude."5 Reading allows both contemplation and discourse, offering isolation and community. More important, reading and writing have altered us and continue so to do. Walter Ong maintains: "Without writing, the literate mind would not and could not think as it does. . . . More than any other single invention, writing has transformed human consciousness."6 Or, like Jack Goody, one may regard writing to be "a technology of the intellect."7 The human race would be in a very different state of development without the invention and techniques of the written word. And a very precise tool writing can be. Ong argues: "Written words sharpen analysis, for the individual words are called on to do more. To make yourself clear without gesture, without facial expression, without intonation, without a real hearer, you have to foresee circumspectly all possible meanings a statement may have for any possible reader in any possible situation, and you have to make your language work so as to come clear all by itself."8 Are we ready to abandon entirely this extraordinary tool that encourages such attempts at accuracy?

Certainly, reading can be the conversation across time envisioned by many, including René Descartes, John Ruskin, and Kenneth Burke, but John Sturrock, in his preface to On Reading, points out that Proust is a particular type of reader: a writer—in many ways, the type of writer we want students to become, for "reading should be an 'incitement,' a unique means of prompting the reader to, in the strongest sense of the phrase, 'think for himself.' The Proustian reader is made more, not less alert to the activity of his own mind by reading."9 Ideally, we hope students will join these conversations and engage in the critical thinking that both reading and writing nurture. Neither reading nor writing should be practiced only by the elite—with the former becoming "an increasingly arcane hobby" as some sociologists predict, according to Crain10—unless we wish to cede our responsibilities in a democratic society. Furthermore, having students write substantive prose requires them to live with the writing of others for a while (granted, often not as long as we might fervently hope). Thus, writing should continue to be taught in colleges and universities for both intellectual and political reasons.

But what if this battle is lost, and no one is asked to read and write anymore? Should we then padlock all the English departments in all the colleges and universities in all the world? Perhaps, but don't put the rhetoricians behind bars, for they have much to offer the multimodal students, since the five canons or precepts of rhetoric—invention, arrangement, style, delivery, and memory—still apply. Just as writers (and writing teachers) have adapted these principles from oral to written expression, so might we consider how they function in a multimodal world. Invention, arrangement, and style easily make the transition to multimedia. Discovering what to say, how to put the pieces together, and how to present them transfers readily to multimedia work. With delivery, the means to persuade moves from tone of voice to choosing audio or audiovisual presentation and effects. How one may best convince an audience expands dramatically as our capabilities to make audible and visible arguments are enhanced by technology. Memory, on the other hand, may no longer have the importance it once did, since extended oration more often than not necessitates a teleprompter. Certainly memory preoccupies us in terms of kilobytes on a computer disk drive. Perhaps, more significantly, memory may be regarded in terms of what it evokes. In our post-modern, mashup, remix culture, few produced texts—in any form—avoid becoming a bricolage of memories and meanings. Mikhail Bakhtin's heteroglossia, the polyphonous text, can exist on many levels in an audio essay or in a multimedia narrative. Adding a song, using a particular tone of voice, or applying a special effect may all communicate a message simultaneously.

Of course, even without resurrecting the spirits of Aristotle and Cicero, writing has a place in teaching forms of new media. Few of us can make a compelling point in an audio essay or create a voice-over for a short film without first generating a script. Having students create both written and multimedia texts allows them to contrast the effects of their words in a variety of situations. They begin to understand register, diction, and transitions in a new way when they deploy these techniques in different types of media. Multimodal expression should encourage the use of a variety of abilities.

Rather than banishing writing or lamenting the development of multimedia, as Socrates famously deplored the introduction of writing, let us teach both writing and multimedia. Each has distinct purposes and effects that students will discover as they explore their expressive and analytic potential. In her conclusion to Proust and the Squid, Wolf argues for such a "both/and" approach: "The analytical, inferential, perspective-taking, reading brain with all its capacity for human consciousness, and the nimble, multifunctional, multimodal, information-integrative capacities of a digital mind-set do not need to inhabit exclusive realms. Many of our children learn to code-switch between two or more oral languages, and we can teach them also to switch between different presentations of written language and different modes of analysis."11 Let us lead—an etymological root of educate—students to such richness of expression.

Notes
Caleb Crain, "Twilight of the Books: What Will Life Be Like If People Stop Reading?" New Yorker, December 24, 2007, ; Jobs quoted in John Markoff, "The Passion of Steve Jobs," New York Times, January 15, 2008, .
Nancy Bunge, "Assign Books, and Students Will Read," Chronicle of Higher Education, October 17, 2008, p. 24.
Crain, "Twilight of the Books."
Maryanne Wolf, Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (New York: HarperCollins, 2007).
Marcel Proust, On Reading, preface and translation by John Sturrock (London: Penguin, 1994), p. 27.
Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word (London: Methuen, 1982), p. 78.
Jack Goody, The Power of the Written Tradition (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000), p. 133.
Ong, Orality and Literacy, p. 104.
Sturrock, preface to Proust, On Reading, p. vii.
Crain, "Twilight of the Books."
Wolf, Proust and the Squid, pp. 228–29.

34 comments:

  1. 1)Burkdall's thesis states a question. He questions the issue of reading and writing versus the era of technology. And if the rumors of the written word, are to be real. In that that they will no longer be apart of our lives when future comes. For he states " Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?"
    2)After reading all of the comments. You can tell that books are still a major part of our society. Yet you also notice people beginning to agree with the e-readers as well. And with that comes opportunity. It's as if I was a Kindle producer. I would notice this sort of response and realize that you have now got them hooked. Thus, to further the sell of an e-reader product, I would make it more attractive, more commercials, and a lot more rumors about how the book world is dying. Because right now we are at a sensitive stage. On deciding which is better. We may still love books, but that is because we grew up with them. Now that we are beginning to allow technology to have such a huge impact. It may just be that by the next generation, our kids will no longer have books. Because big companies like Kindle and e-reader know that once you take the bate, your death (or your books) is soon to follow.
    3)I don't really understand the question but here is what Burkdall stated " It appears that we might as well "stop the sea" (as Leopold Bloom muses in Ulysses) as take up arms against the onslaught of multimedia."
    4)I love the fact that the article not only shows the raw image of how books are fading out of todays life. Yet it also shows how books still play a huge role. How with out books and writing we would not know language as we do, we would not communicate as idealistically, and we definitely would not understand the readings original essence.
    5) Honestly I am so annoyed yet interested in technology. Not only does it make life more difficult. Yet it also makes it obnoxiously easy. I hate that you can create a whole entire essay with copy and paste. Yet love how you can find more information online about the topic. I dislike how you can be lazy and do nothing or get easily distracted. Yet I love how (if you try) you can find a whole other world. You can help solve problems, you can gain experience, you can communicate at a much faster rate. But this again is why I said that humanity is at a fragile state. We are in a love hate relationship with the evolving era. We know not yet what the future may hold. I just hope we always remember where we originated from.

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  2. This link just goes to show the impact of technology on our youth.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMkSxnd7D24

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    1. Wow, that ad is packed with cultural stories, symbols and archetypes. Interesting how it starts by emphasizing tech and ends by emphasizing a degree. Did anyone else watch it? What were the messages you took away? Do you think it describes real life or asks us to imagine something new?

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  3. 1.Burkdall's thesis relates to what we've been discussing,"Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?..."
    2. From reading majority of our class comments, it's quite obvious that books are still essential in today's society. But, with the rise of knowledge in technology, it is no wonder the media is pushing for devises such as e-readers. A hard cover book isn't as appealing as a Kindle. Nor can it add "a song, using a particular tone of voice, or applying a special effect may all communicate a message simultaneously." The media is eagerly oppressing "old tech" to brighten the readers experience with the "new tech," which generates a new way of learning.
    3. The allusion "stop the sea" in Ulysses describes an impossible task. You cannot stop whats always been there/done but simply know at hand were the idea is coming from and how the effects may or may or may not apply society.
    4. The author feels reading an writing are necessities in society. Communication would not/ will not be available to us in the same manner if books were to be diminished. I conquer because everything we've learned has come from reading. I began to read in kindergarten and it is said we've learned all we need to learn in kindergarten.
    5. This moment in history will soon fade away as technology advances take off. With the click of a button nowadays you can be in a whole new era or time or even continent. That's just nowadays, the tech future is expanding more and more everyday. I strongly believe technology enhances one's way of learning and expands the mind,however; I will always be a fan of the old fashioned reading and writing for I am technologically disabled.

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  4. 1. Burkdall's thesis questions if it is true that reading and writting is no longer part of our society because the advancement in our technology.
    2.Given that students in our classes seem to be divided about e-readers, the media so eagerly concludes that reading is dead and young people all want new technology instead of old technology because for example Kindle's are more attractive in the way they look. The media concludes that everyone would like the Kindle over the book because it has more opportunites to it since it is a more advanced technology.
    3.I didn't know how it was an allusion to Ulysses, but thank you katelyn your answer was very helpful.
    4. The article provides that reading and books are still an important part in our society and I agree because reading helps us learn the language that we learn and it also provides lots of information and knowledge.
    5.I think this moment in history will be remembered as the era with advance technology. Technology advancement can either be a positive thing or negative, it all depends on how we decide to use it. For example, technology can provide us with many information yet it can also be a distraction.I belive that if we all learn to use the technology wisely, it will support our intellectual development.

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  5. 1. The thesis in this article is that the written word is still inportant as ever, even though it has transitioned into a different medium. "Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?..."
    2. I think the media is so into promoting e-readers and other technological ways to read because the big businesses are influencing the media with outlandish monetary reward. With the media saying "books are out, Kindles are in", people will tend to switch their preferences and buy the Kindle or iPad etc. It is just a big marketing conspiracy to get more consumers buying products.
    3. "Stop the sea" just means that the approach of a multimedia revolution can be stopped about as easily as stopping the sea from functioning.Impossible.
    4. The article suggests that reading makes a person examine his or her own thinking and develops the mind in ways that oral language cannot provide. I agree because reading writing from different authors that has been edited and perfected exposes a reader to the epitome of literacy. One can learn to think and how to present thoughts as words through the exposure of different writing styles. Also, one cannot reiterate words exactly as they had been intended unlimited times without it being written down, as in the example of the teleprompter.
    5. I think we will be remembered as reliant on the internet for every answer to every question and every source of information we seek to obtain.This consequently leads us to rely on the internet instead of our own memory to be knowledgeable. For question two, I looked up the meaning of "stop the sea" because I didn't know anything about the allusion. I easily found it on Google and promptly exited out of that window. I know that if I ever need to know anything else about Ulysses or other allusions regarding it, I can Google the relevant exerpt and get my answer. If I had to read the whole novel to find the answer, I would have all the information stored in my brain if another question arose about it. It lets us be lazy.

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  6. 1. Burkdall’s thesis forms a question. “Is reading dead because it has been surpassed by technological developments?”
    2. Many of the students in our class feel books still have value in our society because during our childhoods and growing up we didn’t have ebooks. If you ask high school kids in 5-10 years I believe the majority of those kids will prefer ebooks because it will be more convenient for them and they will feel it is custom or a tradition for them instead of smelly books that can give you papercuts.
    3. The allusion of Ulysses refers to the supporters of books and more traditional techniques of learning and writing. These people have to be tenacious as they try to survive the critics of our modern-day society.
    4. “Reading allows both contemplation and discourse, offering isolation and community. More important, reading and writing have altered us and continue so to do.” I agree with this statement because I have always loved reading, it is one of my favorite past times. It is hard to read for enjoyment nowadays due to all my responsibilities and tasks I need to do but, when I used to read more often reading was my learning material. Books provided me with learning and information I never knew but, my favorite books were the ones that provided me with an escape, an alternate reality.
    5. I believe that supporters of technological advancement have always supported intellectual development but, our generation doesn’t use it for the right purposes. Our generation is obsessed with social networking which doesn’t usually distribute intellectual information. Instead, it provides the whereabouts of your friends and some of their daily routines and problems. I wish that our generation used the internet and other types of technology to further their intellect but, it just doesn’t happen as much as the supporters of intellectual development through technology would want.

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  7. 1. Burkdall’s Thesis is questioning if reading and writing is still predominate in this say in age. "Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?..."
    2. The Media is so eager to push that fact that books are dead and E-readers are in is all a ploy to get people to buy Kindles. Of course they will tell you anything you need to hear so the consumers will buy your product. For why the class is so split goes to show how people are different and can learn different. Some people do better learning from a piece of technology and other take in more by writing things down and flipping back thorough pages.
    3 The allusion is “ ‘stop at the sea’ (as Leopold Bloom muses in Ulysses) as take up arms against the onslaught of multimedia.” What the author is trying to convey is people who still want to learn from reading and writing and don’t support the media have to stand up for themselves and against everyone who thinks advancing this way is correct.
    4.This article provides the importance of reading because he explains examples for different situations that you will have to endure through out your life. “Writing, I would argue, further enhances learning, since written communication demands a set of conditions and intellectual skills different from those needed for speech or multimedia texts” Which makes complete sense so why would we want to stop this? “Reading allows both contemplation and discourse, offering isolation and community. More important, reading and writing have altered us and continue so to do.” To survive and further better a learning community we need both reading and writing. Which I agree with completely
    5.I believe we are just taking off to what this society will turn into. In History the early 21st Century will be known for starting this revolution of what we may call “Lazy” Kathryn put it in a really good way. If you can rather Google something to get the same answer as reading a whole book why not? Some may call if efficient, others may call it laziness. What you should be worried about is who is getting more knowledge. The person who actually read the book came out with more experience and knowledge of something then the person who just Googled it. We rely way too much on technology.

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  8. `1. Burkdall's thesis asks, "Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?"

    `2. Given that students in our classes seem to be divided about e-readers, why do you think the media so eagerly concludes that reading books is dead and young people all want new tech (with chips) instead of old tech (with pages)?
    -The media see's how amazed we are with all the new technology being thrown at us, and I feel that they are taking advantage because they see how easier an e-book could be compared to a regular book. I personally would choose a book over an e-book because the glare of the e-book messes up my vision. I feel it's easier to abuse an e-book than an actual book because you have a wide variety of resources on that tiny screen. Our generation see's technology as a much have and the media see's that also. Almost everything that you could physically hold has been discarded and replaced with some form of technology and that to me that is a great loss in our generation.

    `3. The allusion to Ulysses states, "stop the sea," and I see it as saying we might as well stop reading and writing if it's not going to have the same significant meaning as it should. If we are going to let this part of Literature die, then why are we still using it. We can't stop its meaning in our everyday lifestyle, but why are we taking it for granted and letting it fade away when we know it will never disappear.


    `4. What reasons does the article provide for the importance of reading? Do you agree? Why/why not?
    - It seems that we won't learn the same if we attack our task the easy way. Our knowledge grows by how our brains interprets it and if were giving it garbage what good is that if it won't grasp the material correctly. Reading helps by feeding us new information and allowing our brain to challenge itself. I agree with this way of learning because it's what I'm accustomed to. As I've said before, I don't like chance so sticking with the proper way of reading seems like the only correct way to handle the subject.

    `5. How do you think this moment in history will be remembered? Will technological advances continue to support intellectual development, as it did with writing and the transition from scroll to codex, or is our reliance on tools encouraging us to relax our brains to the point of atrophy? Explain your answer.
    -I feel it will be remembered as the lazy era because most of what we're asked to do in a classroom can be found online. Technology is abused more often now than it was when it was first discovered since with the click of a button EVERYTHING can be "Googled".

    `6. [BONUS: What is the purpose of the allusion in the title?]
    The title mentions the persistence of writing when throughout the article it's mentioning that reading/writing is dying out. Could it be that the purpose is to acknowledge the fact that things eventually fade away. As we advance in technology, we are losing roots to Literature but our generation is letting it die out. Instead of being persistent with something, they see it easier to find an accessible resource that could do all the work for them.

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  9. 1. Burkdall's thesis is that the writing still has great value in a world dominated by multimedia.
    2. Well, the media is benifiting from new tech and the people who are using new tech, so they are just trying to help themselves with the statement that young people only like new tech and that old tech and books are obselete to them.
    3. "Stop at the sea" is an allusion for the people who still believe in the written work to hold strong and continue supporting their belief.
    4. One of the main reasons for readings importance in this article is the ability of a book getting a reader to think for themselves. This is very true. Just about everything I read causes me think on many levels; do I agree, why did they write that, what are they trying to say, etc.
    5. Its tough to predict wether tecnological advances will either helpor hinder learning in general. It really comes down to the user of the technology, because technology is easily capable of both helping and hindering, it just depends on how it it used. I know, for myself at least, I will try to continue to use it in a benfecial manner.

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  10. 1. Burkdall’s thesis consists of the idea that reading and writing through the “normal” process of pen and paper has become simply obsolete in the world we live in today.
    2. Media so eagerly concludes that reading books is dead and young people all want new tech because they have a hand in the profits being made by this new technology. Media has become such a powerful influence on modern society that it seems flawed that they would not receive any benefit from new technology. Most decisions made today are based on what is popular, and who decides what is popular? The media!!
    3. The allusion to Ulysses creates a sense that we as a community should completely give up conventional ways of reading and writing if we are to continue to slide down this slippery slope we are now on. New technology has consumed us, but if we were to somehow completely rid ourselves of reading and writing, there might be a slim chance that technology will fall through the cracks we have created.
    4. “Reading allows both contemplation and discourse, offering isolation and community.” This quote speaks of great truth that is often overlooked. Our mind works in very mysterious ways, there is no doubt about that. However there are very few things in this world that can enable our brains to both think and communicate with others about a distinct topic. For some reason our conscience thoughts are stimulated by the words of another individual, especially when written on a piece of paper. When concluding the benefits of gaining information from technology, our brain simply cannot get over the fact that a possible source could have easily been copied by another. For this reason, pen and paper are dominant in the world of conscience behavior.
    5. Like in all aspects of life I believe there needs to be a balance. Yes, technology does provide a resource which has never provided such amounts of information. However most technology used in the modern world is being taken advantage by the entertainment aspect of it. Pen and paper on the other hand provides humans with a sense of comfort and imagination untouched by the world of technology. If we as humans are to reap the benefits of both, we must find a common balance between the two.

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  11. 1. Burkdall's thesis expressed in form of questions in the article: “Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?” Does reading still matter in the new generation that is full with technology & multimedia?

    2. I think the media expresses the thought that all people now prefer the new tech because for them it is a type of advertisement. I mean you can’t really put a full news program in a book every day for someone to read. I believe the people in the media industry don’t read books themselves and assume everyone else must be the same. I don’t believe they have ever done actual statistics to prove books are dead, even though it is obvious they have diminished. I believe most media like T.V., Radio, Internet, and so on would all prefer you pay attention to them or buy their products instead of having time to spend on a book. Also the people who sell e-books pay the media to say that so people will feel like they need a Kindle or something in order to be in the loop with the rest of the world.

    3. The allusion of “‘stop the sea’ (as Leopold Bloom muses in Ulysses) as take up arms against the onslaught of multimedia” refers to that it seems impossible for us who lives in the 21 century to fully resistant the impacts of multimedia and technology. For the other parts, the mixture of traditional reading/writing and new multimedia is the way to “touch the sea” not “stop the sea.” I also think that the original text “as easy stop the sea. Yes: all is lost” can also apply here.

    4. The article speaks about the importance of reading and writing for the new generation because it is something everyone should know how to do and not just elites. The most important reason I state this is because reading and writing is a main of communication that everyone should be able to do. Books and written material all help you look upon yourself and your way of thinking. This is why I agree with the point of this article.

    5. I think this moment in history will be remembered as developmental/beginning stage of new multimedia era. However, it is noticeable reform from traditional way of learning and gathering information to open source/online studies. The technological advances affect our intellectual development in two ways. Of course, there will be a continuing development of technology; for those who work for inventing new technology need to work even hard to fulfill the needs and desire of society of even more advance technology. But, the people like us seem to accept the facts that technology makes our life much easier. There is no need to think critical anymore, because you can Google the answer anytime you want. And there is no need to memorize information; usb can save everything up for you.

    6. I feel like the allusion in the title has to do with how long our written books and language will stick around. I feel like the title makes a reference to all the media that is taking over out world. How long writing will keep lasting, and how people have to put their heads in the game and know it is an important part of life.

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  12. 1. Burkdall's thesis expressed in form of questions in the article: “Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?” Does reading still matter in the new generation that is full with technology & multimedia?
    2. I think the media expresses the thought that all people now prefer the new tech because for them it is a type of advertisement. I mean you can’t really put a full news program in a book every day for someone to read. I believe the people in the media industry don’t read books themselves and assume everyone else must be the same. I don’t believe they have ever done actual statistics to prove books are dead, even though it is obvious they have diminished. I believe most media like T.V., Radio, Internet, and so on would all prefer you pay attention to them or buy their products instead of having time to spend on a book. Also the people who sell e-books pay the media to say that so people will feel like they need a Kindle or something in order to be in the loop with the rest of the world.
    3. The allusion of “‘stop the sea’ (as Leopold Bloom muses in Ulysses) as take up arms against the onslaught of multimedia” refers to that it seems impossible for us who lives in the 21 century to fully resistant the impacts of multimedia and technology. For the other parts, the mixture of traditional reading/writing and new multimedia is the way to “touch the sea” not “stop the sea.” I also think that the original text “as easy stop the sea. Yes: all is lost” can also apply here.
    4. The article speaks about the importance of reading and writing for the new generation because it is something everyone should know how to do and not just elites. The most important reason I state this is because reading and writing is a main of communication that everyone should be able to do. Books and written material all help you look upon yourself and your way of thinking. This is why I agree with the point of this article.
    5. I think this moment in history will be remembered as developmental/beginning stage of new multimedia era. However, it is noticeable reform from traditional way of learning and gathering information to open source/online studies. The technological advances affect our intellectual development in two ways. Of course, there will be a continuing development of technology; for those who work for inventing new technology need to work even hard to fulfill the needs and desire of society of even more advance technology. But, the people like us seem to accept the facts that technology makes our life much easier. There is no need to think critical anymore, because you can Google the answer anytime you want. And there is no need to memorize information; usb can save everything up for you.
    6. I feel like the allusion in the title has to do with how long our written books and language will stick around. I feel like the title makes a reference to all the media that is taking over out world. How long writing will keep lasting, and how people have to put their heads in the game and know it is an important part of life.

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  13. 1. Burkdall’s thesis simply questions the lack of reading and writing intellect in today’s era. He questions the ever growing argument between technology and the written hand and the impact it has on society nowadays. “Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?”
    2. The media, I believe, concludes that reading books are now pretty much nonexistent because of the increasing use of e-readers. Technology is very much important to the growth of society in America. It’s simply stated as something that everyone needs. You could even say it’s bigger than the slogan of Coca-Cola’s “It’s The Real Thing!” The media is manipulative and they know what the generation of today need. They’ll probably end up stringing e-readers on a stick with a New York boy waving them around yelling, “E-books! Get your E-books here! They have more than what a library book has! Internet! Angry Boids! Apps! Etc.” So, really, what with advertisements being thrown at us like bones to starving dogs, the media is highly influential to the public and most of their consumers won’t stop buying until they have the newest and greatest products.
    3. The allusion to Ulysses’ “stop the sea” reference states that the media is completely impossible to stop. The sea is forever flowing and unless there is a terrible drought that dries up all of the water from the sea, then the media is doomed by that aspect. However, the allusion still remains and Burkdall is making a point that the media will most likely never cease.
    4. Conversation is an important feature to reading and writing as stated in Burkdall’s article. I very much agree that without reading and writing, communication and individual thinking would not be as sharp. I love reading books because they capture the raw emotion of the story. The written word expresses so many separate ideas and styles of writing from the authors. Besides, I was grown up in an era where books were everywhere and used all the time. Using the kindle is something I find very awkward to use only because I’m used to fingering pages and clutching books without pressing a button that would switch the pages. Reading and writing enhances the way we think and how we use our minds intellectually.
    5. Oh, it’ll be remembered all right. It’ll be remembered as the era of ‘Excessive Protesting between Book Lovers and Tech Lovers.’ Okay, so I might have exaggerated a bit right there. However, the future seems to be promising that books will soon become obsolete and technology will rule with an ironclad fist. Now, I’m arguing that technology IS useful when it comes to intellectual development in some cases, but there are also signs that this generation of students is abusing their thinking with the use of technology. Atrophy is a deadly warning that we should look out for, but I think that there should also be a balance between using books and the internet to read. That way, students are exposed with the different uses of gathering information and resources.

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  14. 1.) Burkdall's thesis is that writing is not becoming extinct as many people are currently exaggerating. In addition, reading and writing provide one with information and thoughts unavailable elsewhere, even in technology.

    2.) I think that advertisement is partially why media insists so much on reading's demise. In addition, the media may simply be trying to convey an image of being "hip" to its viewers by portraying themselves as looking towards the future of e-readers, and shunning the physical codex. Young people enjoy new technology simply because it feels exciting to hold new power that's never been available before. The likes of newfangled creations such as e-readers, high end media entertainment, and etc. bring a new form of thrill and information source all at once with technology.

    3.) The allusion to Ulysses ("stop the sea") is a hyperbole that compares the daunting task of keeping reading and writing alive with the mission of stopping the torrential waves of the ocean.

    4.) The article states that reading, and language in general, give the reader a subtle depth that is inexpressible in any other manner. In addition, he states that we can often learn more about ourselves and our surrounding from reading because we become more perceptive towards them. I agree that language does hold a subtle message that is inexpressible in any other form. One form that these expressions come is in linguistic connotations, or rather social connections beneath words that most will be capable of understanding as long as they speak the same language. I also believe that one can find out more about themselves via reading, because they can learn more about how they function as both analyzers and as one who comprehends on a complex and basic level.

    5.) I believe that technology will become a vital companion of the codex. As mentioned in my answer for the article regarding e-readers, the codex is a simple yet efficient as a tool for reading. Unlike e-readers, the codex is without glitches and bugs, loading time in between page text, nor does it have problems when flipping back and forth constantly in between pages. Yet, at the same time, technology provides an additional resource that coincides with the codex that is very helpful for both analysis and simple comprehension. An example of this would be simplified reading of certain text (ahem, Beowulf, ahem...). However, I say that these become a companion to literature because technology will never replace actual literature. Just like the simplified version of Beowulf, technology may help or assist in reading or analyzing physical text, but it does not become (nor will it ever) become a substitute for reading and writing.

    6.) The purpose of the title is to compare the persistence of literature with that of Salvador Dali's postmodernist painting "The Persistence of Memory". Similar to the portrayal of memory, literature will prolong itself indefinitely even without assistance from humans. This is due to the fundamental nature of reading and writing to human society. In the painting "The Persistence of Memory", Dali represents memory as almost a representation of subconscious thinking that makes it way to the front of our minds. These memories begin to manifest themselves although were are incapable of pinpointing the exact reason why.

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  15. 1)Burkdall's thesis is questioning that havs reading and writting effected by the world.
    2)I think that is part of advertising. They make young people to think that they all need new technology to survive in this era. It is easier to fool young people with technology because young people are the one who use new techonology the most and they can be easily attach to new techonology.
    3)"Stop the sea".. I think this means that you can't stop the growth of new technology. It is impossible to stop the sea..I think... I am having a little difficulty here..
    4)This article provide the importance of reading by giving many examples of the positive side of reading. Like “Reading allows both contemplation and discourse, offering isolation and community. More important, reading and writing have altered us and continue so to do.” I agree with this statement because reading and writing does help our brain to develope and it helps us to survive in this competitive world.
    5)This will be nothing in the future. Technology will be developed more and more in the future and reading with books will be obsolete, sadly. Hopefully by then, technology will be lovely and helpful as reading with books and writting.

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  16. 1) Burkdall's thesis: "Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing? It appears that we might as well "stop the sea" (as Leopold Bloom muses in Ulysses) as take up arms against the onslaught of multimedia."

    2) I think that the media concludes "reading books is dead and that young people all want new tech" because they want us to spend more money on new technology so that consumers are consuming more, and eventually the costs of this "new technology" will go down. It's kind of like how sometimes people who work for newspapers write "what happened" before it actually happens without giving specific details.

    3) The allusion to Ulysses is that stopping the media is as impossible as stopping the sea. But I find it kind of funny that in the Bible, Moses parted the sea, which essentially is stopping the sea from running it's course. I don't think anything (to a certain degree) is impossible.

    4) "Reading allows both contemplation and discourse, offering isolation and community. More important, reading and writing have altered us and continue so to do. . . Ong argues: 'Written words sharpen analysis, for the individual words are called on to do more. To make yourself clear without gesture, without facial expression, without intonation, without a real hearer, you have to foresee circumspectly all possible meanings a statement may have for any possible reader in any possible situation, and you have to make your language work so as to come clear all by itself.' " I agree with this because with writing something, more thought goes into it, and you try to express your thoughts the first time around rather than the third time around. Even typing this right now is helpful, but if I was writing this I would probably be more selective of my words because I wouldn't want to mess up and have to redo everything or cross something out, whereas online I can just delete something and no one else will ever know that it existed.

    5) I think our "reliance on tools is encouraging us to relax our brains to the point of atrophy." We're getting so used to how awesome the technology around us is, that it seems "normal" and "not special," whereas years ago this stuff was all brand new. People used to have dial-up and couldn't use both their house phones and the computer at the same time, now we get annoyed if the computer takes longer than a minute to boot up. All of this technology is teaching us to be impatient, and I don't really want to think of a future where we have so much technology around us that we can't see the brilliance of it and we get so easily annoyed by anything that we consider to be slow.

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  17. 1) His thesis would be that the younger generations have to learn the importance of writing. They aren't learning how the written word affects their thought processes and is crucial to understanding new concepts about their own thoughts.
    2) I think the media just wants to sell us this overpriced technology. What only costs companies a few bucks or less can be sold here for thousands of dollars over here.
    3) In order to stop the sea, one would need to blow up the moon! Now I'm not 100% sure on this, but the Greeks did not have that knowledge. So hey could not stop the sea, not that they could even if they knew how. Stop the sea = something impossible.
    4) Reading and writing give you insight into your own thoughts and can help you think better.
    5) Hell if I know. This might be as advanced as we will ever get. We could lose everything we have in a matter of seconds. This moment in history may not be remembered at all. If our digital advances keep going. We may be seeing this moment in history as the transitional time from the physical world into a digital one.
    6) The allusion is to Dali's painting The Persistence of Memory. In this painting, he symbolizes everything decaying because of time.

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  18. 1. Burkdall's thesis is that both multimedia and writing play an important part in education. Multimedia may be the way the the future, more efficient in general, but writing and reading brings valuable perspective on learning which should not be overlooked even in today's modern world.
    2. The changes in statistics are why the media tends to believe and show this. In my experience with the media, it tends to focus on changes, which is what people tend to enjoy reading. The trend of increasing in multimedia use and decline in reading seem to support the fact that reading is dead. However, a decline does not signify a death. There are still a large number of book readers, and this will stay large, for the time being at the least.
    3. To try to "stop the sea" of the multimedia revolution would be impossible, such as stopping an actual sea.
    4. It says reading gives another way of learning for its audience. It communicates in a different way, and gives the audience a chance to reflect on the work. It is a different medium and presents its information in a different way which provokes thought. I agreed with this wholeheartedly, reading and writing does present a unique way to learn information, as I have learned in my school education as of now.
    5. In the context of history I believe this is an important point in technological advancement. Technology is a tool, whether to help promote education, or promote atrophy is up to the individual. As long as there as those who have the aspiration to learn, to educate, to help others, our brain power will be safe.

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  19. 1. Burkdall’s thesis states that writing is essential to understanding and structuring an argument. Even though people may be writing less it won’t go away because we need it in order to formulate accurate and well thought out topics. Writing is essential to multimedia learning.
    2. Obviously saying reading is dead is an exaggeration but it’s not entirely false. There are many different ways to occupy our time these days and most alternatives to reading involve a lot less thinking (work essentially). There are so many distractions for our generation these days and reading is just taking a drop for now but I believe it will spike again because people will realize its importance again. We want new tech because new tech is better at least after all the bugs have been fixed. But people stick to old tech because there is an emotional attachment to the tech that outweighs the new advantages.
    3. The allusion is saying we can’t stop multimedia from growing and becoming more popular. This form of learning works so well that trying to stop people from using is like trying to hold back the ocean. We shouldn’t try and stop but instead find the different ways we can make it work for us.
    4. The article talks about just the pure fact that our society could not function without being able to read words. It also talks about how our mind changes as people learn about different opinions and different ways of thinking. I think without reading humans could really never advance as a society because of the limitations of our own mind and the few other opinions we might get from our small community. Reading allows the human race to grow and become more advanced because we can learn from other people’s mistakes.
    5. Technology is a tool. It’s neither good or bad. It doesn’t make us lazy or less intellectually active, we do that. If we choose to watch entertaining You Tube Videos all day instead of looking up something we can actually learn from that’s our choice. I think technology puts more responsibly on our shoulders but I also think we also are able to learn more than any generation before us because of it.

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  20. 1. I find it interesting that Burkdall uses a question for his thesis. He describes that technology and multimedia are dominating the world and they are changing peoples ideas about old fashion books. But although he isn’t against the new technology advances he believes that it is taking away the learning process of written texts.
    2. I believe that the reason that e-readers are becoming more and more popular is that it is all about efficiency in the world today and e-readers are the future more efficient way of the literature arts. And the media backs this up because they are just appealing to the common interest of the people and the future.
    3. Burkdall introduces the allusion “stop the sea” from Ullyses because he believes that we should stop the “onslaught of multimedia” and not let them take over the literature.
    4. The article says that it is important to read because it helps with the learning experience and process and I agree because you can learn a lot through reading books about life and also for its education purposes too.
    5. I believe that the new technological advances in literature won’t make that big of a difference in the learning aspect but I do believe that it will take away that feeling you get when you break into a book and read it because you can’t get that feeling from a kindle or e-reader.

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  21. 1. What is Burkdall's thesis?
    "Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing? It appears that we might as well "stop the sea" (as Leopold Bloom muses in Ulysses) as take up arms against the onslaught of multimedia."
    2. Given that students in our classes seem to be divided about e-readers (see comments here), why do you think the media so eagerly concludes that reading books is dead?
    All media leads to more media which leads to ads on the side bars, which leads to even more advertising in our advertising. Farther and father down the rabbit hole we go as companies make us pay for what we want (plus shipping) and shove adverts in our faces whilst doing so. In the case of ebooks and the likes, the media tells us what they want us to act on. They say that more and more people are switching technology, hey it must be true! I want to do that to, it all just sounds so wonderful! When all we're doing is buying into the hype about something that isn't really hype-worthy at all.
    3. Explain the allusion to Ulysses.
    hahaaa that wasn't the only allusion I picked out of that sentence, "as [we] take up arms against the onslaught of multimedia," sounds a lot like the "to be or not to be" speech in Hamlet. Now then, since I know that Hamlet was contemplating Death at the time he was asking himself is it better to let these situations defeat him and just let them do what they want with him and give up or is it better to "take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?" Allons-y! I can now get to the Ulysses shindig. He is saying that it will be impossible to inhibit the multimedia tidal wave that lives and breathes off of 21st century ideas. Better to get rid of reading all together or fight to get rid of multimedia for good? The author says neither. Integrate them!
    4. What reasons does the article provide for the importance of reading? Do you agree? Why/why not?
    Reading will show you new ideas and give you insight on how to be a better thinker and write better.
    5. How do you think this moment in history will be remembered? Will technological advances continue to support intellectual development, as it did with writing and the transition from scroll to codex, or is our reliance on tools encouraging us to relax our brains to the point of atrophy? Explain your answer.
    "Yet we in it shall be remember'd," hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmedia. You know doctor after all the Doctor Who episodes I've watched this weekend I think that the human imagination is a wondrous tool it's also one of our greatest downfalls. If the creation of a digital world is something we are remembered for then I think I might just have to turn into a Silurian and live underground or better yet we could all just "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" and turn into Cybermen. If we are going to use media then I want us to use it to help create a world of Pure Imagination, not a world where people sit in front of their laptops all day calculating the next digit of pi.
    6. [BONUS: What is the purpose of the allusion in the title?]
    pffft. All I see are rhinoceroses. You see a film, the other guy sees a short story, but all I see are.... rhinoceroses. DALI's painting The Persistence of Memory where time is decaying, like reading will soon become the carrion by the side of the road that humanity ran over because it was too busy texting.

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  22. 1) The thesis for this article appears in the first paragraphs in the form of questions (“Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?”) While it may not be like a traditional thesis that you would find in a structured 5 paragraph essay, he spends the rest of the article trying to answer these questions (kind of like The Poisonwood Bible and how Orleanna Price asks “How do we live with it (the guilt)?” in the opening which sets the framework for the entire novel).
    2) I think the media readily concludes reading is dead in the form of books because many people prioritize their time around other technologies such as the use of the TV, computer, social networking sites, etc. They assume that since we submerge other aspects of our life in technology that we want all aspects of our lives to be in relation with it. I can see where they might think this when we are willing to stand in long lines for hours at end for the next Madden game as opposed to the release of a book…
    3) The allusion to Ulysses “stop the sea” is pointing out that we will never be able to stop the media from growing and evolving (or devolving depending on how you look at it); it is out of our hands. In a way it’s saying that we will have a better chance of stopping the sea than stopping the media.
    4) The author states that reading “allows both contemplation and discourse” and of course I agree. Philosophical texts are infamous for inducing that “huh, didn’t realize that until now” feeling. These realizations encourage us to contemplate further and we often find ourselves sharing these realizations. A bad example of this (because it’s not very philosophical) would be all those photos that have writing on them on Facebook that have quotes/ statements that we read and realize relate to us completely. That’s the “huh, didn’t realize that until now” feeling, and us liking/sharing the photo…that’s our version of sharing this “profound” information.
    5) Honestly, this moment in history is already getting a bad rep because of our decadence in morals and values, assumption that the younger society has no motivation and is ignorant and uncaring, and that we have continued our pursuance of new technologies; it will be pretty hard to break through the stereotype of a lazy and dependent society when it seems to be already set in stone.
    6) The title is an allusion to Dali’s painting The Persistence of Memory, its purpose is to convey the message that just like how everything seems to decay in time so will writing. It gives a strong perspective on the author’s stance in what he believes to happen in the near future.

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  23. 1)Burkdall’s thesis questions the decreasing literacy of the current and future generations. He speculates that media has had a huge effect on the preference to utilize technology over handwritten work. He thinks that the two forms of work can be used together and are detrimental apart.

    2)The easiest way isn’t always the best way. There are benefits to reading a book on paper and there are benefits to reading it on an eBook. More often than none, it’s just easier to pick up an eBook because technology is so wide spread.

    3)The allusion “stop the sea” is used as an analogy or how difficult it would be to impede the usage of media.

    4)By reading, one trains the brain to imagine and think. This builds a level of cognitive understanding which is reinforced by writing. Literacy has always had a positive effect.

    5)I think technology is causing the youth to use more of Google (search engines) than the confines of their brain. I think people have gotten lazy and it is just so easy to pick up a computer, a pad, and a cell phone and just look up a question. Obviously I think the best way to reinforce something is to rewrite it on paper, but so much of our modern lives is dominated by technology that using your own material has been scarce. Many people do rely on tools and that will effect the acumen of youth.

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  24. 1. Burkdall's thesis argues that writing and reading in a traditional format still has value, even in the face of emerging communication technology. He insists that predictions of the death of writing are blown out of proportion and that the situation is not nearly as dramatic as some claim it to be.

    2. Media thrives on innovation and newness. Making bold statements like, "Reading is dead!" makes for more exciting headlines than, "People reading slightly less five years ago". Ultimately, new technology backed by media hype sells better. Granted, "young people" have provided plenty of precedence for such assumptions. Technology is a prevalent part of nearly everybody's life, and efficiency seems to be the name of the game.

    3. "Stopping the sea" refers to a task that is so difficult that an attempt at it is nigh-impossible. By making this allusion, Burkdall explains the inevitability of the multimedia revolution (or, at least as some people see it). It suggests that multimedia's advance is a vast unstoppable entity; a force of nature.

    4. The article is mostly supported by the idea that reading involves a completely different thought process than any other form of communication. One example I found particularly compelling is the observation that even speeches need to be written out before hand. I agree with this notion. While speech may be faster and more intuitive, it lacks the finesse of writing. Few can form eloquent arguments on the fly, and even then, speech does not offer an opportunity for modification. When writing, one has the obligation to think things through both before hand and afterward. Ideas can be changed being written down to provide a more coherent structure.

    5. I think that technology will certainly advance intellectual development. The argument that it promotes laziness of the mind is faulty in that it assumes the individual will give up thinking altogether. Storing data electronically rather than committing it to memory simply frees up the mind for other things. I doubt humanity will ever reach a point where technology does absolutely everything. There will always be ways to occupy the mind, and advancing technology simply opens up more opportunities.

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  25. 1. Burdkall's thesis is "Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?" More on that, is reading and writing dead due to the technology in today's society.
    2.I believe that media is convinced that e-readers are the 'it' thing due to what the way that they are perceived in commercials. I feel like society thinks that all teenagers are addicted to the newest technology and that those who truly are, are those who are being seen by everyone. They're trying to push all of the technology on everyone so why would they show all of the people that like books when that's not going to bring in any source of income to them?
    3. The allusion to Ulysses “stop the sea” is referring to the fact that technology and media will forever grow and progress and there's nothing that we can really do to stop it from doing so.
    4. I think this article provides the importance of reading because of the way that your brain processes when you read. How it's a conversation in your mind, with you and yourself, but through other people. I do agree because when they put it that way I was able to relate to it.
    5. I think that technology will advance and hinder intellectual development. I believe it will occasionally make us use our brains in a way that we had never done so previously but it will also provide shortcuts for certain things we already do.

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  26. 1) Burdkall's thesis is about the deterioration of literacy due to the technological advances and asks the question "Is reading dead?"
    2) It makes more money for the companies selling the e-books as well as it's something new, cool, and exciting. Once one person has it, everyone has to have it. (An example in my own home)
    3) The allusion "stopping the sea" is referring to how it is impossible to stop what is coming. The total integration of technology into our culture is something that is inevitable
    according to Burdkall.
    4)Reading forces the brain to think, absorb information, imagine, etc.I do agree and literacy, reading, and all the things I just listed that are a by-product of reading are always positive things for developing minds.
    5)I think that it is a little bit of both. There are minds out there that will always seek new information, how to make new things, and improve the world through technology. But a large majority will succumb to the information age and the technology that it brings with it. With the introduction of new technology, let's the mind do less and makes things very easy on humans as compared to before. We will see what the future holds

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  27. An article about media thinking we live in a fully digital age.
    http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/10/tech/mobile/our-mobile-society-intro-oms/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

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  28. 1. Burkdall gives insight into two ways of thinking. One is the idea of there still being the absolute need to read and write in order for humans to continue their intellectual development. His second point is the views on a world in which reading and writing is taken over by the power of multimedia. At the end, he lets his audience know that he thinks the ideal thing to do would be to mix both reading/ writing and multimedia. He thinks humans should learn to use both of these interchangeably as well as together for this would give them a great amount of power when referring to the advancement of their own intellect.
    2. Traditional reading and writing has never been something popular among young readers but technology has. Technology started as a mean of entertainment to young people. There were those outdated video games and movies the size of bricks but this all changed. Video games became of higher quality and even a way to interact with other addicted gamers. Movies became discs and then were available through sites such as Netflix. It then escalated into what it is today. Technology isn't simply a way of entertainment but also a way to learn. It has made the learning experience one that young people can relate to for it is done through a mean they know from head to toe, technology.
    3. The allusion is showing us how the spread of media has become impossible to constrict. It is something that has left our hands and is now growing with a mind of its own.
    4. Reading is said to be important because it offers a way for the continuous development of our brains as it has so successfully done in the past. People in the past have learned through reading and people of the present might be throwing away the opportunity of learning all that there is to learn from reading. They would be limiting their minds to what technology has to offer when they have so much information at their fingertips.
    5. Everything depends on how a person chooses to take it in. Some see technology as an easy way out. They see it as a simple way to learn thanks to all it offers. They become lazy and think technology will resolve the burden of actually having to learn. Then there are the people who decide to view technology as an addition to their extensive list of resources. They don't rely on what technology has to offer because they know their is a massive amount of information in books which they have decided to take advantage of. They use technology as a tool and not as something to live by.

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  29. 1) Burdkall's thesis is about the deterioration of literacy due to the technological advances and asks the question "Is reading dead" or has it just changed.
    2)Technology is very much important to the growth of society in America. But, with the rise of knowledge in technology, it is no wonder the media is pushing for devises such as e-readers. A hard cover book isn't as appealing as a Kindle.
    3)The allusion to Ulysses creates a sense that we as a community should completely give up conventional ways of reading and writing if we are to continue to slide down this slippery slope we are now on.
    4)The article states that reading, and language in general, give the reader a subtle depth that is inexpressible in any other manner. In addition, he states that we can often learn more about ourselves and our surrounding from reading because we become more perceptive towards them. I agree that language does hold a subtle message that is inexpressible in any other form.
    5)In the context of history I believe this is an important point in technological advancement. Technology is a tool, whether to help promote education, or promote atrophy is up to the individual. As long as there as those who have the aspiration to learn, to educate, to help others, our brain power will be safe.

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  30. 1. Burkdall's thesis is one of questioning the perceived values of concepts such as reading and writing. That, in a digital age that embraces multimedia, it seems that reading and writing are taking a back seat, and he wonders whether this is a fad or a harbinger of things to come.
    2. Part of the reason that the media is so adamant on multimedia and the death of reading is because of the vast influence that Silicon Valley has on the world. And when you have people like Steve Jobs openly say "No one reads anymore." (a man who many consider a messiah) there will be many who take it face-value without any thought behind it. And when you couple it with declining sales of physical copies but increasing sales of digital copies, people are naturally going to overreact, believing that there can only be one product on the market and no overlap whatsoever. People love sensationalism, as do tech companies. People have become convinced that the only way forward is through technology, when that is not necessarily the case. (such as digital music vs physical copies. In today's age, there should be no reason why digital albums sell better than physical albums, due to physical albums offering superior sound quality and the ability to rip any CD onto iTunes or any other music center, thus you have two for the price of one.)Besides, a Kindle or an iPad certainly seem more exciting than a tried-and-true paper novel.
    3. The allusion demonstrates that marching against multimedia is impossible. That you're wasting as much time as you would trying to stop the sea, which we know is physically impossible for a human.
    4. The article claims that reading still allows us to nurture skills such as critical thinking, diction, and communication that multimedia otherwise fails to do. I would agree in a sense that, in today's world, with so many kids reading less of novels but more of texts, chats and/or blogs, there seems to be a sudden increase in spelling errors, lack of knowledge of grammar, the need to abbreviate every single syllable of every single word, and almost no range in word usage. (By that I mean, kids are constantly using "small" words and any attempt to use "big" words is just asking for a slap to the face.)
    5. I think this moment in history will be known as a "make-or-break point." Either we will come to accept that physical and digital media can coincide with each other, or we will phase out physical media entirely, and as such see a slow degradation in terms of diction, syntax and possibly critical thinking (due to the nature of technology simplifying things to the point where "less is more" and where any word more complex than "cat" is frowned upon). That our society might become one reminiscent of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

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  31. 1)Burkdall’s thesis is essentially pertaining to the status that reading has on our lives and if we, as a society, actually read anymore. He also analyzes the affects technology has on reading.

    2)Maybe Steve Jobs exaggerated and stereotyped our generation in order for his technology to sell. He does not sell books or Kindles so why would he talk positively about them? He sells advanced technology that barely has anything to do with books. The media may be influenced by rich corporations to say these things in order for young people to believe them. On the other hand this may be true and they are just reporting the facts to us in order for us to get a grip on what our society is like today.

    3)The allusion to Ulysses, “stop the sea,” describes the impossible. Just as stopping the surge of technological advancements is impossible so is stopping the all mighty sea.

    4)The importance of reading as stated in the article are that it allows us to learn, think and analyze the text much more effectively than if we were to take the easy route. I believe that technology’s purpose is and has always been to make human tasks easier and if we have found an easier way of absorbing information then we would much more likely prefer this to reading. This does not mean it is better it just means it is easier. Take food for example, just because McDonald’s is easier and is less time consuming then cooking food does not mean that McDonald’s is better for you compared to a home cooked meal.

    5) This era, in my opinion, will be remembered as the transition period. We are stuck in between the “old way” and the “new way” of doing things. People still read books but they are slowly being taken over by e-books. Our beloved pages are transforming into shiny black screens and we will evidently reach that point where books will be looked upon as ancient as scrolls are today. To comment on Michelle’s comment I think we will be known as the last hard working era that ever lived because after this, I believe, machines will do all our hard work.

    6)[BONUS] The title may be taken as a kind of advice to all writers out there to keep on writing! That maybe there is a chance for books if writers keep typing their thoughts onto paper.

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  32. 1. Burkdall’s thesis is stated in two questions. “Is reading dead? Is the teaching of writing becoming a more difficult exercise because of these mounting cultural pressures against reading and writing?”, He said. With these questions asked he continues on and talks about how reading and writing is looked at in today’s time.

    2. There can be multiple reasons why the media so eagerly concludes that books are dead and young people all want new tech instead of old tech. I don’t think that I am sure on why that is but my guess is because the media wants new stories to be told. They want topics to write about and having all these young people involved in using tech opens up discussion. Also, another possibility is that the media wants to make this tech stuff a new trend that will continue on through the years growing more and more over time. Whether the media puts out this message or not (that young people only interested in tech) larger amounts of people will begin to play around and learn how the tech world all works. There is no stopping the learning and usage of technology.

    3. The allusion to Ulysses “stop the sea” is used to say that technology is now such a huge thing and it continues to grow and do its own thing so how can you possibly stop something like that? I kind of mentioned it in the end of my answer in number two. Reading and writing the old way is over looked by all of the fuss that is being made with technology. The media can’t really help itself when they say tech is over ruling reading and writing the old tech way. Everyday something new and exciting happens which makes it hard to want to go back and use the old ways of doing things when there are new ways being made constantly.

    4. The reasons that the article provides for the importance of reading are because the author of the article wants it be known that writing and reading is where it all began. "Without writing, the literate mind would not and could not think as it does. . . . More than any other single invention, writing has transformed human consciousness." This quotes makes the perfect example as to why this article was written. It’s a very true statement and the message should never be forgotten. I completely agree because like I said it is true on what the author is saying. Just because this new, hip thing comes along doesn’t give us the right to forget about how it all really started. The written language was the beginning and now the future is here and its being embraced. Lets not loose the past lessons though.

    5. I think this moment I history will be remembered by being the times where textbooks where still being used. Technological advances will continue to support intellectual development but at the same time I can see it as setting back intellectual. A few days ago my mother I and were sitting her doctor’s office. She was filling out paper work. The whole time she was asking me how to spell words that she didn’t know how to spell. As I was helping her she grew more and more frustrated. “Gosh I wish I knew how to spell!”, she blurted out. Without taking time to think I said, “no one does.” We were silent for while when she asked, “what do you mean?” Then that when I really stopped to think about what I had just said. When I said, “no one does” I meant that there is now spelled check so people don’t even have to bother learning to spell because a computer can do that for them.

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  33. I know its a little late but better now then never!

    1. Burkdall's thesis explained to the audience that the written word has power that the electronic counterpart cannot replicate; however that does not necessarily mean that the technological advances in products like the ebooks are not helpful. Instead this means that students should be able to understand the value of a physical novel, but be able to use the newer technologies.
    2. The media is controlled by big business and they want to sell you as many electronics as possible whether the new technology is better or not. I also believe that the media is trying to make these ebooks a part of the latest fashion (ex. when we see the kindle fire with a model on the beach) even though the people who would want a 1,000 books at their fingertips wouldn't trade the electronic for the feel of the text in their hands.
    3. In Burkdall's allusion to Ulysses, he is trying to use the quote to support his thesis that reading is not dead (at least not yet). Here in order to "stop the sea", so stop such nonsense from being spread, the audience is being called to action against the media who would have us go buy products we might not otherwise need.
    4. Throughout the article there were many cited authors to support the idea that the thoughts even before the technological relvolution can provide students with an edge to read and think critically where an electronic book might not be able to make an impression on the reader. While making this point, he also noted the successes that have been made with the innovation of the ebook. Here I might add some strengths the ebooks have; for people learning English as a second language the ability to just tap on a word and the definition will appear is without question helpful, or a student can carry all their textbooks in a small tablet, and others still can highlight or make notes without the fear of repercussions because those notes can be easily deleted from the electronic texts. I have a Kindle though, so I might have a bias for the ebooks.
    5. Without the human mind these technological innovations could not have been achieved, so I believe some will lose a certain amount of brain capacity while others still will achieve so much more and build on the foundations created by these types of advances. History will remember this time as a place of great transition as the physical word is translated into numbers and codes on the computer.

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