Is Google Making Us Stupid?
Read the article from the Atlantic.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google
and the letters to the editor related to the article
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200810/letters
Post comments on the following questions.
Has the Internet changed the way you think and process information?
How can the ideas about thinking and information processing presented in the article be applied to the classroom?
posted by schwaban @ 8:25 PM
8 Comments
8 Comments:
Wow. Did anybody else find themselves skimming the article or jumping between it and another site? I spoke briefly with a couple of classmates after class on Monday and found that after reflection, their minds tend to wander easier when reading long text. To be perfectly honest I've found it harder over time to return to classics I've enjoyed like the Count of Monte Cristo because it is so long and sometimes "confusing". I tend to skim to words or subjects that catch my eye, rather then read word for word. If this article is true, no wonder my students can't stay focused on a piece of text for longer then 15 minutes without skipping to the end. I guess this ultimately means we adapt for education. Information in shorter spurts with more interaction and time for reflection appears to be ultimately in order. If we don't move with the technology will we be moved or run over?
I liked what "sadie" asked, "If we don't move with the technology will we be moved or run over?" Things change. People change. Technology and its importance changes. It is obvious that the internet has become a HUGE tool for research, leisure reading, and other communication tools. Now, there is a big movement to incorporate this HUGE tool into our classrooms. Don't we want kids to use any resource possible to accomplish something? This is the direction Americans are going. We need to make sure our students know how to use it. However, I also believe children need to have the knowledge how to research information like we did in the past. It was interesting to read the letter to the editor where the father took his daughter to the library because their internet was down and the student "freaked out" because the books were "too" long. This is where the problem lies. I think we are putting too much importance on the internet. I believe we still need to keep some traditional ways of doing things. The internet should not be used as the sole tool, but an aide. We still need to be able to process information on our own.
As for Google wanting to throw advertisements and other junk at us, I just don't buy that right now. Google has been a great resource for me as I try to search through this enormous thing called the internet. As for being able to read something longer than a page, I still enjoy reading the paper or novel when I have time. There is nothing better than sitting in bed reading a good book WORD FOR WORD!
First off, I must say the the article is very long considering the point made by the author. But Google is not the only culprit for this phenomenon. The internet in general is responsible, because yes, technology does change the way we process information. The printing press changed oral culture to written culture. The internet is changing culture yet again.
However, there is a difference between reading for information and reading for enjoyment. Like selective hearing, people can selectively read. If the student has to, they can. My teachers have always made it mandatory to use printed books along with other sources for any research. I think that, if necessary students can read anything we hand them, and if they need strategies, we can provide them as well.
It took me three days to read this article. In part I was distracted by other applications that I had open at the same time, a hungry child, and my desire to chat with people.
Without a doubt, the internet as a whole is changing our current culture. Everything is immediate, and when it is doesn't arrive immediately, life is tough. As professors, we must provide students assignments that require varied avenues to complete an assignment and learn the material. That is a challenge as internet based assignments and resources are much more convenient than a thick, long book that requires more time and effort.
Personally, technology accomplishes many things, but removes the one-on-one human interactions that truly make life rewarding. I would much rather spend hours a day with a family member or friend, rather than valuable time staring at a screen.
Interesting article.
John
I also had a tough time reading this article and wasn't able to read it all at once! I kept skimming to the bottom to see how much I hard left to read. I don’t know if technology has changed how I read, more than I don’t have time or make reading a priority as I use to.
Along with what others have said, technology has done some wonderful things for our lives. Although, it is difficult to adopt when you are a digital native vs. immigrant. The Education system in an immigrant and we are all struggling with how to incorporate this massive research tool into our classrooms.
The article was interesting and I liked how the tied the historical effect of using the typewriter and made some parallels to the changes we have made throughout history. I was not surprised that I found my mind wondering at some points, but reading for information and reading for pleasure are two different things. The article did have a nice balance which helped keep me on track. While reading for fact finding/info searching almost always find what I need "information wise" without having to think very much about what I am doing. I have learned how to pick out important points and details. As teachers we need to teach our students how to access and analyze info to get what they need.
Very interesting! I had a completely different experience with this article –maybe it’s because I am from a different age?
(Digital immigrant)
I read the first 3 paragraphs (word-by-word) and then jumped to the class blog – looking for a reason why I should read the rest of this long article. Finding no complete summary, I returned to the article and finished reading. (Every word)
What I find interesting is that I did not “skim”…because when I was taught to read 40 years ago…that was not a reading strategy!
I agree with all of you and what the letters to the editor said about how the internet has changed the way children think and process information.
I can't help but wonder
if my teenage daughter who struggles with a
“reading comprehension” problem, is in some part due
to the way she has been taught
to read for “information” vs. reading for “pleasure.”
Although I can count on one hand the number of novels she has read, she can read every word
in a given text.
All while “text-messaging,” "listening to music", and
"making something to eat from the recipe on the back of the box."
Her problem comes from an inability to construct meaning from the words, as she describes “They are just words.”
As teachers we need to be aware of this phenomenon that is being perpetuated by the internet,
we must strive to make distinctions in "how" and for what "purpose" we read.
We should balance our daily “technological reading” with “pleasure reading” so students will develop the skills to distinguish between the two.
I, too, had a hard time concentrating on this article long enough to get it finished. Not that I didn't find it interesting, I did. But I have found that the busier I get, the less patience I have for "long" reading. I attribute it to the speed at which we live in the Internet world, the perceived need to multi-task on a non-stop basis, the media, and my own lack of interest in maintaining a longer attention span.
I included the media in my list because even though you don't notice it right away, the media (especially TV and now Internet) has over time increased the speed in which their commercials are delivered, for example. When I taught in Jr/Sr. High (in the 1990's), I used to show a video on this topic comparing a 1960's commercial to a 1990's one. The difference was staggering. Is it no wonder that students today can't sit still long enough for us to teach our lessons?
Today, we as adults are modeling to our students how we multi-task, how we interrupt each other in conversations, and how we spend countless hours on the Internet. I think this article was truly no surprise!
I would love to see us use technology simply as a tool to enhance our teaching, I just don't know if it is possible.
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