11-19-14 summaries

Matthew Zipagan, Tatiana Lai Jelani, Pritchard

Professor Werry

RWS100, Section 24

November 17, 2014

Summary of “What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades?” By Maria Konnokova

            In the article, “What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades?”, Maria Konnokova discusses how writing effectively creates more brain activity than typing on a keyboard. As children learn how to write and continue to write, they gain the skills of reading faster, generating ideas, and also retaining information. Konnokova includes a study in her article that dealt with children and writing. Children who wrote free-handedly experiencedincreased activity in three parts of their brain andchildren who typed on a keyboard or connected the dots showed little activity within the brain. Konnokova also argues that the way we write, whether it’s print or cursive, can also have a great benefit on our brains. Konnokava’s article connects to Carr’s text because she favors writing instead of using the technology. Konnokova wants her audience to know that there are more benefits when writing rather than typing away on a keyboard.   

           

Summary of “Why Can’t Johnny Write? Don’t Blame Social Media”

In the article, "Why Can't Johnny Write? Don't Blame Social Media," Lance Ulanoff discusses how social media may actually have no negative effect on the writing skills of teens. Ulanoff uses an expert on prose, Ethna Dempsey Lay (Hofstra University Assistant Professor of Writing Studies and Composition) to help claim that social media can actually be a different way individuals are able to write. It is claimed that social media can be used to express one's self differently and can be used effectively. Ulanoff also uses examples from Lay's own teaching methods through Twitter, showing that social media can be used as a platform to write and communicate with others more. Ulanoff also conducts an experiment on Twitter to see how well others are able to write in 140 characters or less. This article connects with both Thompson and Carr on how technology/internet can affect the way we read or write. Through the Twitter experiment Ulanoff used and how Thompson used the Vanderbilt experiment in his text , they are both able to show the audience how technology may not indeed negatively affect an individual's skills. Although Carr's argument is how the internet may negatively effects us, Thompson and Ulanoff both write that the technological advancements does not necessarily do so.