"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9).
Please discuss what you do with various texts, how you make sense of them and how you use them to further your own learning.
Even in completing the reading required for this post, I realized how “dated” and perhaps “old-fashioned” I am in how I manipulate and make sense of a text. While some are able to read, take notes and respond to text completely on a computer, I still find myself printing a text in order to make notes which is, in my own way, one of the ways to best handle a text. With this I am better able to define unknown vocabulary, refer to the text in the future with ease, and, when necessary, use terminology and ideas from a given text which is a valid gauge of my own learning. The use of visuals - charts, graphs and illustrations - are helpful in understanding some of the verbiage that is lofty and challenging to understand. I also don’t always read every written word in a text, as some seem to repeat concepts in just different, more confusing wording.
My reading practice is much like yours and Courtney’s. I need a lot of notes to assist with my comprehension. But I have updated note taking with the use of technology. E-books and their readers allow me to make notes and highlight texts. My notes are also indexed so it’s easy for me to find them when I want to refer back to them. And in terms of reading online articles, I copy and paste the text to a Word document and save it as a PDF so that I can transfer it to my Nook, where I can treat the text in the same manner. The built in dictionary also gives me definitions of words that I don’t know. When reading online I usually have a tab open for an online dictionary. I also appreciate the way online reading allows me to get more information about a topic using hyperlinks.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to stop printing texts in order to read them, make notes, etc., but once I started and saw how easy it was to keep everything organized and transport multiple documents simultaneously, I was sold. Now the main challenge is finding an outlet when I am out and my battery charge runs down.
I think that our practice is linked to our thinking process. I went through a similar 'transformation' to being more comfortable with a digital text and interface. But, there are still things that I love to read in the old fashioned paper and ink modality. The sensory part of the paper texture and the smell of ink etc are part of it. I think we need to find ways to use and explore the potential and keep moving forward. Being in education has kept me much more current than some of my contemporaries!
ReplyDeleteAlonda I also had to print the readings and underline key points. I live in New York City, and its easier for me to take the text with me on the train and read as I commute to and from work. I also find that trying to address the readings from a computer causes me headaches and eye fatigue. Although, it is the modern way of handling text (using a computer/ tablet) I still believe that one should adapt these ways to what is most comfortable for the individual. Even though my job requires me to keep electronic records of student work I still have physical records of everything. I still feel as though electronics are not very reliable. Good luck with the course.
ReplyDeleteI agree that nothing beats the feel of paper, the ability to jot down your own ideas in your own familiar handwriting, highlighting and underlining words that are important. There is also a sense of "permanence". Unless there's a fire, the paperback you have in your bookshelf will still be there tomorrow. On the other hand, who knows what will happen to your Facebook account tomorrow, right? For me, note-taking also helps a lot in remembering things.
ReplyDeleteAgain, your not alone! I also prefer to print out texts, so I can pick the text apart for a full understanding! I am a note taking junkie. Having something in front of me so I can underline, make notes, look up vocabulary is necessary for my learning. I am all about the online learning and use of technology but sometimes it is best for me to not be reading on my computer because of certain distractions such as glare and social networks.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you to a degree Alonda. While I have made that transformation from paper to digital - I use both forms. For instance- I have two ereaders, two tablets and three computers - and with a right click I can add notes, define words or google the subject that I am reading. I cant start a paper on the computer - I have to write it out as my introduction takes me days to complete. If a book is not available in ebook format I order the paperback. I think using both methods work.
ReplyDeleteTraditional learning (via paper, pen, and a book) is good in terms of being able to focus on some things that are important to you. However, after going through our reading assignments, I have started to appreciate using the internet as a learning and teaching tool. With a book for example, we tend to be merely recipients of information. On the internet, there is more interaction. You can agree or disagree with the writer and make your opinion known to others. Just like Wikipedia, you can contribute something to the knowledge bank. As always, more heads are better than one!
ReplyDeleteIt is funny you discuss how you do not read every word. I find myself doing this not only with text that I have less interest with, but even in leisure reading novels. I have taken courses where instructors want you interacting with text, writing questions in the margins and such, but maybe this is just a people thing. We write off children as just having short attention spans, but adults are very much so the same. If you spend too much time doing anything your mind tends to drift-especially if you come across something in the reading that triggers a real life situation. It is crazy how easily distracted we are and how much easier I find it to be if working off a computer! I still print out many of the articles as well for ease of mark up and noting thoughts-and it keeps the other web-related distractions to a minimum!
ReplyDeleteBridget, thanks for letting me know I am NOT alone! SMILES
ReplyDeleteNoemi, I agree and am becoming more open to Internet learning/reading, especially after beginning the assignments. However, I must be aware that some of the content found on websites, including Wikipedia is not always factual. As a matter of fact, our school district blocks Wikipedia sites for that reason. I do, however, enjoy the interaction afforded by the Internet.
ReplyDeleteTikeshia, I definitely am growing to enjoy both methods.
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