Article Suggestions for Essay #1

Article Suggestions for Essay #1

"Why E-Reading With Your Kid Can Impede Learning"

"A Focus on Distraction"

"Does Great Literature Make Us Better?"

Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv (I have a copy of this text you could borrow; it is also available in the Stewart Library. You will want to focus on a single chapter, not the entire book).

The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains by Nicholas Carr

"The Rx for Technology"  (This is the podcast of a Radio West interview of David Strayer by Doug Fabrizio).

"The Risks of Parenting While Plugged In"

"What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains" (Youtube Video)

"Reading Study Shows Remarkable Decline in U.S." (This is the transcript of an interview conducted on NPR. You can either listen to or read the interview.)

"Fiction Reading Increases for Adults"

"Decline of American Reading Culture: Literature’s Struggle in Face of Pop Culture"

"Young Adult Lit Comes of Age"

"Adults Are Devouring Kids' Books For Good Reason"

"The Real Effects of Technology on Your Health"

"Despite Risks, Internet Creeps Onto Car Dashboards"

"How Green is My iPad?"

"Technology Changing How Students Learn, Teachers Say"

"Set Students Free With Technology in Schools"

"The Problem With Technology in Schools"

"Learning in the Digital Age" from Scientific American (I have a hard copy in my office)

"Can You Hear Me Now?" by Sherry Turkle

"Can You Hear Me Now?" by Sherry Turkle: Whether or not we agree with Turkle's assessment of the problems with technology, I think she raises some important issues and questions that we need to ask ourselves as we move ahead. What are some of the most significant questions that you think have been raised as we've discussed articles this semester? Have your ideas or habits changed as a result?

"What's the Matter With Kids Today?" and "Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction"

Here is the post for your comments on Amy Goldwasser's "What's the Matter With Kids Today?"

We tend to focus sometimes on the negative effects of technology on kids. What are some positive uses of technology that teens (or young adults) engage in?

And here is the second article of Matt Richtel's that we will be reading, "Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction." How does this article compare to or complement the other article by Richtel that we read for Friday?

Also, my nephew posted this on Facebook the other day.  I think it's a pretty good illustration of the distractions on the Internet--what do you think?

"Mind Over Mass Media" and "Outdoors and Out of Reach"

Here is Steven Pinker's op-ed article from The New York Times, "Mind Over Mass Media," and here is the link to Matt Richtel's "Outdoors and Out of Reach." These two articles seem to be written from opposing viewpoints. Which one, in your opinion, builds the strongest case in its discussion of technology and the brain?

You can post comments on both articles below.

"How do E-Books Change the Reading Experience?"

Here is the link to the New York Times article, "How Do E-Books Change the Reading Experience?" What does this article have to offer on the e-reader issue that is different from "The ABCs of E-Reading"? Also, if you have time, read some of the comments, because sometimes the comments on this site are as insightful as the article itself.  Are there any particularly interesting comments that stood out to you?

Also, I found an interesting statistic as I was browsing a student technology survey from 2013 here at Weber State, regarding dedicated e-readers. When asked if they owned a dedicated e-reader, 76.5% said no, and that they didn't plan to purchase one. Another 3.3% stated they planned to purchase one, and 20.2% said that they currently own one. What conclusions can we draw in considering this research?

"The ABCs of E-Reading"

Here is the link for "The ABCs of E-Reading" by Fowler and Baca.  How many of you own Kindles or read e-books on your iPod or tablet? How do you prefer to experience books, now that so many options are available?

Also, to supplement our discussion about e-readers, here is a New York Times article that compares the environmental impact of books vs. E-readers. It's not an assigned reading, but it's an interesting text to compare to the one by Fowler and Baca:
"How Green is My iPad?" by Daniel Coleman and Gregory Norris

And finally, this graphic sums up how I feel about real books! Is anyone else as nerdy as I am??

"

"The Power of Young Adult Fiction"

For Wednesday's assignment, we will be reading "The Power of Young Adult Fiction" from The New York Times' Room for Debate forum.  In this forum, you will find a short introduction to the issue and then links to different authors' commentary on the issue.  There are seven different authors, so make sure to click on each one and read each article, or click on the individual links here:

Patricia McCormick
Joel Stein
Emma Allison
Sharon G. Flake
Lev Grossman
Matt De la Pena
Beth Yoke

Each of these authors has a unique perspective on young adult fiction.  Which author did you find most interesting or compelling? Why?

And finally, just for fun, here is a little e-card for Joel Stein :)

"The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction"

Here is the link to "The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction" by Annie Murphy Paul. What did you find most interesting in this article? Did you learn anything new? Is there anything in this article that might change the way you think about fiction?

Also, here is an article that supplement's Paul's article, just for fun....if reading articles about the brain and fiction is your idea of fun: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201401/reading-fiction-improves-brain-connectivity-and-function

And here is a link to the original research from Emory University on brain connectivity:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3868356/

Welcome to English 1010!

Welcome to Spring Semester! This blog is the place for you to access online readings and post your discussion comments and questions.  Links to the readings are in the sidebar.

To post a comment, click on the link at the bottom of the post where it says "No Comments" or "1 Comment" and it will open a text box for you to type your comment or question. Then you will need to select a profile to "Comment As." You may select Google or other profile, but you can also simply select "Anonymous"--just make sure to type your first name and last initial at the end of your comment so I know who wrote it. Then click "Publish," and it should appear in the comments section.

If you are having trouble getting your comment to post, try using a different browser.  If it still doesn't work, talk to me in class and we will figure something out.

Okay....to start us off, here is the link to your first reading, "Twilight of the Books" by Caleb Crain. Please read it and come prepared to write about it and discuss in class! Enjoy!