Technology inside and outside the classroom is changing the way future generations of humans think. Despite what many people think, the use of technology for communication and education has negative effects on the way humans think. If children from a young age are overexposed to technology, they greatly affect the child’s ability to focus in a standard academic society. By looking at the overuse technology in young children, we can see a decrease in critical analysis and comprehension of literature, which most people do not see; this is important because it can be detrimental to the success of future humanity .
I sat in the chair as I chowed down on my dinner in the restaurant. Pineapple fried rice is pretty tasty, but there was something about my meal that was off. I could here the busty clanking of silverware on plates. I looked up and saw a small child at maybe the age of six performing a drum solo with his utensils on his food filled plate. The not-so-radical drum solo was interrupted by the child’s mother who told the child to stop. I was happy to see that child stopped the noise. The child took out a small portable video game device from his pocket and continued to play games on that, I went back to my meal but when I finished I looked up and noticed the child had still not touched his food.
Although there are some positive sides to learning with technology, our familiarity with technology and desire for quicker knowledge is reducing our ability to do critical thinking and analyzing, especially of literature. As we become more technologically literate, we become less literate with literature. The effects of being overly dependent on technology can especially be observed through younger generations who are often referred to as “digital natives.” These digital natives have also been referred to as people of the “app generation” a phrase coined by psychologists Howard Gardner and Katie Davis which describes the generation “which grew up with phones in hand and apps at the ready. It tends toward impatience, expecting the world to respond like an app, quickly and efficiently. The app way of thinking starts with the idea that actions in the world will work like algorithms: Certain actions will lead to predictable results.”
As the student assistant tech helper at my middle school, I had several duties. One of my main duties was to assist the children in lower school classes with any questions they had with the computers or tablets. During the silent reading portion of the class a young girl came up to me and asked for one of the school tablets. When I asked her why she needed the tablet, she said it was to look up the meaning of a word. Generally kids are not allowed to be on technology during silent reading time, so I suggested that young girl should use a dictionary to look up the meaning of the word. I was then surprised when the young girl claimed that she had know idea how to use a dictionary and that nobody uses them nowadays anyway. It didn’t make sense to me, a fifth grade student not knowing how to use a dictionary.
When reading literature, one must be able to comprehend and react to it, this is what literacy is all about. If some explanation to the meaning of a word is needed the reader will attempt to find the meaning of the word. Using a search bar on an online search engine gives almost immediate solution to any inquiries and chances to do independent thinking. Of course, if a person, especially a young person, has difficulty understanding or analyzing literature through traditional methods, it may be a result of the overuse of digital learning and literature. According to an article from Brockport College on Effects of Technology on Literacy Skills and Motivation to Read and Write “Results from Grimshaw, Dungworth and McKnight’s (2007) study provided data on the effects that digital texts have on comprehension and motivation compared to traditional texts. According to Grimshaw et al., participants came into the study with a strong background knowledge in technology navigation. According to Grimshaw et al., children who read using digital texts were not able to manually follow along while they were reading.”
The ability to be technologically literate is important for preserving literature and communication but traditional communication and education that is taught with people and traditional, unabridged texts opens up more chances to interpret different meanings to expand and provide greater variety for literacy. With a greater understanding and variety of literacy people can make connections with fellow human beings and have a greater ability to do independent analysis of literature and communication.Sources:
Fox, Leah C.C., "Effects of Technology on Literacy Skills and Motivation to Read and Write." Education and Human Development Master's Theses. Paper 522, 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2015
<http://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1535&context=ehd_theses>.
Turkle, Sherry. "Stop Googling. Let’s Talk." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Sept. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/opinion/sunday/stop-googling-lets-talk.html?_r=0>.
While I was writing this essay, one thing I tried to do was tell to my mom’s personal story and my personal story with code-switching in a way that engaged the reader and could allow them to relate. We all code-switch at one point or another. It is just if we notice when it happens or not. There is not just one part of this essay that I can say I am the most proud of. I am proud of all of the essay. As I continue to grow as a writer one thing I plan on working on is my storytelling skills.
The year was 1973. My mother was born in a small town in Ethiopia. Because my grandmother was not able to provide for my mother and uncle, she decided to give my mother up for adoption. She knew that if she kept her that she would end up dying of malnutrition. She lived in the hospital for the rest of the years and the nurses took care of her. Then two missionaries from the United States heard about her though one of the nurses and fell in love at first sight. The next year my mom was heading to the other side of the country with a whole another family. Because of this she learned two languages. Slang or “black” language she would use with friends and “white” language or talking proper. The transition from one way of talking to another is code-switching. Growing up she would get teased by her black friends at school for talking “white”. Her friends would say things like “Sara you talk so white.” or “Why are you talking like that?” She felt different. She once told me that, she felt like she was between two very different worlds. I also had to go through the same thing. When I talked to my family that was white I talked a certain way. More proper. When I am with my friends I talk another way.
Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s in both Philadelphia and the suburbs my mother still had to deal with the side affects of racism and the civil rights movement. When she lived in the suburbs, white families would ask why that white family had a black child. When her family lived in the city, black families would ask why that white family had a black child. Since she grew up in a white household she adopted parts of the white culture including the language. When she was at a school and social events with black people, the transition from one language to another was difficult. The kids would make fun for the way she talked. It wasn’t her fault because of the environment she was in on a daily basis.
Growing up I didn’t see that side of my family as white. I honestly did not see color. I knew my mom was adopted but I just saw them as family. They were people who loved me and people who I loved back. It wasn’t until a couple years ago I noticed that they didn’t look like me. I remember the moment when I realized this. We were in church and the pastor said “If you can please stand up for our final prayer.” As we stood up I noticed that my sister, mom and I were not just the only black people in our row but the only black people in the audience. All I saw was white faces. None of them looked like me, but it wasn’t until two years ago I realized that I spoke differently when around them. I was going to visit my aunt and her family in Arizona. I was going to a baseball camp at ASU. It was my first time going to see them by myself. When my uncle and cousin picked me up from the airport I noticed that I would talk differently. When I first noticed it I hated it. I was allowing my environment to choose how I talked. I realized that the reason I was doing this to make up for the fact I wasn’t like them. I didn’t look like them and I thought that the way we spoke our common language could make up for that.
Today our society in this country is divided in many different ways. Gender, race, sexual orientation are just one of the many ways people group themselves. Language is also one of the ways we group ourselves. Gene Demby of NPR said “When you're attuned to the phenomenon of code-switching, you start to see it everywhere, and you begin to see the way race, ethnicity and culture plays out all over the place.” We tend to stay with people who speak the same language as us. We can overcome these divisions though. We have to learn to accept that people are different. I am not just talking about language but all aspects of someone’s life. When we can accept people for who they are and not for what they aren’t we will see society come together.
Sometimes we as humans allow ourselves to get caught up into trying to fit in. My mother and I experienced this first hand. With her it was trying to fit into people to looked like her and with me it was trying to fit in with my family that had a lighter skin tone than me. Matt Thompson, writer for NPR wrote a piece on npr.com called Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch. He said “Very often, people code-switch — both consciously and unconsciously — to act or talk more like those around them. While this can be effective, it can also be perilous…” I agree with this. In some situations it is a necessary and useful skill. In others it is not. We should not allow pressure from society and our environment dictate how we speak. If we allow this, we change who we are and who we will become.
Sources
Demby, Gene. "How Code-Switching Explains The World." NPR. NPR, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/08/176064688/how-code-switching-explains-the-world>.
Thompson, Matt. "Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch." NPR. NPR, 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/13/177126294/five-reasons-why-people-code-switch>.
Yo soy una Gimnasta.
Soy fuerte, talentosa Y deportista.
Me llamo Kiah Johnson.
Mi cumpleaños es treiNta de abril.
Soy de FilAdefia.
Me encanta ir de compraS.
Tengo catorce años.
Soy boligrafo
Nunca, soy
Matar y feo
Siempre, me encanta predecir el futuro
Trabajar y poderoso
No soy ni aburrido
Ni perezoso
Yo soy
iYO!
Soy Kaitlyn
A menudo, soy
Chèvere y perezosa
Depende del dia, me encanta salir con amigos
Ir al cine y andar en patineta
No soy ni boba
Ni bruja
Yo soy...
¡Yo!Yo Soy Yo
Yo soy William.
Depende del día, soy
ambicioso y paranoico.
Cuando tengo tiempo, me encanta jugar videojuegos con amigos,
dormir los fines de semana y estar de vago.
No soy ni violento
ni deshonesto.
Yo soy...
¡Yo!
Soy Sean.
(Casi) Siempre, soy
cómico y amable.
de vez en cuando, me encanta jugar videojuegos,
dibujar y juegos de computadora.
No si ni serio
ni aburrido
Yo soy…
¡ YO!
Mi nombre es Celia
Celia Cruz
Soy audaz
Mi encantar cantar
Soy fuerte
Mi encantar ayuday
Mi encantar bailar
Soy de Cuba
Mi encantar la gente de la mundoSoy Lauren
depende del dia, soy
inteligente y trabajadora
Cuando tengo tiempo libre, me encanta estar de vago,
hablar por teléfono y dormir
No soy ni aburrida
ni perezosa
Yo soy…
!YO!
This unit we discussed the difference definitions worldwide on the topic of literacy. We discussed in groups the power literacy has to satisfy one's thoughts through writing, comprehending and reading. The essay below, had to incorporate a thesis on the topic of literacy due to what we took away from this unit. We had to incorporate outside sources and a scene of memory to help us justify our thoughts. I am very much proud of my essay and am effectively able to communicate my ideas on political literacy and the importance that it has on our lives.
The power of political literacy is that the smartest and most determined have the most courage to use it. One of the most genius political creatures in our world today is Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. He’s powerful, commanding, strong and forceful. Here in the US, we all have this necessity to say we hate him. Too many don’t understand the capabilities of this guy and what he hopes to accomplish. To fully accomplish a excellence in understanding political literacy, one must understand and follow the news, create their own educated opinions, and utilize information and evidence in a beneficial way.
At the 70th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, as one would expect hundreds of world leaders (both democratically elected and forcefully elected) took part of the occasion. In addition to leaders of the EU, poor countries and countries with small populations, the President of the Russian Federation, a political icon, and tiger hunting shirtless beast, arrived at the event, as well. This was a very important diplomatic mission for Putin. With his increasingly voice in the Syrian conflict and strained relationships with multiple world leaders, he had something to prove. What greater way than by having a one on one interview with Charlie Rose!
“A lot can be done, but not everyone immediately succeeds in everything. How long has it taken the democratic process to develop in the United States? Since it was founded. So, do you think that as regards democracy everything is settled now in America? If this were so, there would be no Ferguson issue, right? There would be no other issues of similar kind, there would be no police abuse. Our goal is to see all these issues and respond to them timely and properly. The same applies to Russia. We also have a lot of problems.” The quote is a answer Putin gave to Rose on the topic of political instability in Russia. Putin connected the US to Russia and talked about the ways where the two were so similar. He later went on to not fully criticize Obama and rather have it as a right of the American people to create their very own opinions on their leader. Through soft and hard questions, Putin responded with a exquisite sentence. He gave tremendous answers that had the ability for the world to see him as a equal and as a intelligent guy, which he wanted. He is truly a master of literacy.
The Chief of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, talks about the importance of reading with the approval of the Sustainable Development Goals, “Promoting literacy must stand at the heart of this new agenda,” she said. “By empowering individual women and men, literacy helps to advance sustainable development across the board – from better healthcare and food security to eradicating poverty and promoting decent work.” A campaign for all students of the world to have basic education has evolved across the world. Most notably, people that advocate for equality in education want all people to be literate.
It has been proven in multiple studies throughout the years, that when people are literate they have on average a greater intelligence level than that of one who can’t read, comprehend or write. Across our world are able to use their literate powers to undercover the truths and realities that hold our nations and beliefs.
To Gloria Steinem, a feminist idol and writer herself, states that in order to be a member of our world today, through being informed of the conflicts facing the world, “you have to be literate, which a lot of women in the world are not; and you still have to make change happen in real life, because empathy—the ability not just to know but to feel—only happens when we are together with all five senses”. According to Gloria Steinem, literacy in today’s way of life is not reading fiction, the false stories, rather it’s reading the truth. That’s how you change the world.
As it’s known, nearly a billion people have basic or below basic literacy of their native languages, worldwide. Most of them women or young girls. We can change that number. Nelson Mandela, a hero to the people that want to change the world, founded a foundation named after himself in 1999. This foundation fights for his morals for the world’s citizens. For a 12-month period, the foundation developed a campaign to increase literacy in areas where it was most needed. Through the influence of the book Long Walk to Freedom by Madiba, the people of South Africa had the motivation to create encouragement nationwide to learn how to read and encourage the understanding of others literacy levels through following current events and creating informative opinions. This has the potential to become a worldwide campaign, so that all could create their own opinions on Vladimir Putin.
Work Cited:
"Interview To American TV Channel CBS And PBS." President Of Russia. Kremlin, 29 Sept. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. <http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/50380>.
Kramer, Jane. "Gloria Steinem's Life on the Feminist Frontier." The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. <http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/10/19/road-warrior-profiles-jane-kramer)>.
"Literacy for All 'must Stand at the Heart' of New Sustainable Development Agenda – UNESCO Chief." UN News Center. UN, 8 Sept. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. <http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51818#.Vkk3X1UViko>.
"Nelson Mandela Leadership for Literacy Project." – Activities – Nelson Mandela Foundation. Nelson Mandela Foundation, 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. <https://www.nelsonmandela.org/activities/entry/nelson-mandela-leadership-for-literacy-project>.
Lunes.
Buenos diás...
Me llamo Alan.
Hace viento y calor pero sin embargo está lloviendo.
Bastante aburrido.
¡Bastante aburrido!
Buenas tardes...
Hace frío
No me gusta nada correr pero sin embargo está lloviendo.
¡Está lloviendo!
¿Por qué?
Odio correr tampoco comer.
No me gusta nada dormir.
Es la una de la mañana.
No...
Es por eso que odio practicar deportes.
Soy siempre timidio...
¡Buenas noches...!
Soy Majd
Depende del dia, soy
bastante fiel y muy inteligente
casi siempre, me encanta volar aviones,
predicir el futuro y ir a la escuela.
No soy ni mentiroso,
ni perezoso.
Yo soy…
YO!
Su nombre es Mikasa Ackerman
Ella es súper fuerte
Ella es de costumbre tranquilo
Tiene quince años
Ella es nunca perezosa
Es el diez de febrero
Ella es súper talentosa
Le encanta tú pasar tiempo con mi familia
Ella es honesta a su hermano, Eren
Ella es súper inteligente
Ella es bastante delgada
Ella es bastante seria
Ella es una mezcla de razas
For my slide, I decided not to use a normal template as my background. I feel as though the default templates are really boring and don't show any originality. I chose to stick with only a few pictures because I didn't want to over power the focus of my slide, but I still wanted it to be interesting. I used different colors for the words to make them stand out more. Color is always the first thing people notice.
When asked the question who am I, I usually think about the things that are more broad. I'm a girl, I'm 15, I'm a daughter, and a sister. I never really think about my traits or interests though. So for this project, I decided to focus on the things that make me who I am and my interests.
All the words are words that I would use to describe myself and how people have described me.I would say I'm caring because I’m always there for my family and friends. I support them whenever they need it. I'm a poet because I've been writing poetry for years, and it's one of my favorite hobbies. I'm smart because I tend to have bright ideas. I may not be the best in math, but when it comes to English and AfAm History, I tend to excel. For the picture of lush and forever 21, they are my favorite stores.
For the picture of my friends, I added it because they are really important people in my life and they help me when . For the picture of Lana Del Rey, I added her because she is a very influential artist to me. She's the reason I write poetry and her music always puts me in a better mood whenever I'm going through something difficult.
(Grabs controller) This game, that game, almost every game deals with hackers, lag switchers. Don’t get me started with these consoles (Looks at gaming consoles). These petty gaming consoles get hacked or shut down for a day due to their poor security system. Last year, Playstation and Xbox or known as Microsoft got shut down on christmas day. A hacking organization known as Lizard squad hack into the security system and shut the connection to play online for the day and they claimed to that this was their doing. If these companies gain so much money for their production why do they have such a poor security system? Furthermore these companies gain a portion of games created for their console.
(Faces the direction of the computer) Hacking organizations, I’m not sure if I should be fed up with them or not. Not every hacking organizations are bad. They have created code names such as Black, Gray, and White hats. Which stands for what they do, Black and White hats are the opposite of each other. Black hats are groups of hackers who hack for their personal gain, to get attention, for their personal amusement. While white hats are groups of hackers who hack for other gains, such as they may steal money but they donate it to a charity for people who need it more they're more like vigilantes. Gray hats are neutral.
Why the hacking? Aren’t games meant to be FUN!? (Exhales) Even though I may get mad because of the hackers but I can see why they hack in videogames. It’s like a hateful comment on a youtube video, and people arguing with the comment. They simply hack/cheat to get something they want. an awesome piece of gear in a game, most people do it because they lack skill the game others tend to hack because they just want to see what it’s like. Others just simply do it to piss people around the world off just like that hateful comment on youtube. But why hack? There’s other options, get carried, improve in the game, get friends to help, etc. Most people who play videogames normally get skilled at the game and enjoy the game, until they meet a group of hackers. They rage, hate the game and eventually rage quit.
(Grabs the keyboard) It’s not that difficult to hack is it? Just a number amount of codes to get into the system, and patience. Playstation and Microsoft make billions of dollars with their production, and yet they have this weak ass security system. To most hackers it’s like stealing candy from a baby. (Turns on monitor) Maybe I should try hacking, or see how it is for myself. I can’t I just can’t do it, as a rightful player as a player who gets things done the way it should I shall not fall into that path. (Turns off monitor, and pushes keyboard away) If I do this then I can’t complain so much about hackers because they’re in almost every game whether it’s console, pc, or portable console. The virtual world and reality are so different. Security system should be improved, I didn’t decide to pay this amount of money to buy this console, or game, just to experience hackers ruining the fun.My slide was designed on things that I enjoy doing and how I see myself. I put on my slide what I enjoy doing and the sports that I play. I also put two quotes that I like. I made some of my pictures bleed of the page for more space. I made the words big so they would be easier to see. I wanted to display the fact that I am athletic and enjoy sports. I included my horoscope sign in my slide as well. I want people to get to know me for who I really and and not just who I am perceived to be. I enjoy many other things but these are the ones I wanted to share.
