What do people have against books? Time and again techno-philes and proponents of wiki-whatevers claim the computer to be superior in all ways to books: it's free, fast, and, unless one has a laptop, doesn't need to be transported. Those arguments are fine if we users could trust all content posted online. The fact of the matter is this: Internet information is usually unreliable and written by people who are not experts on their selected topic. Students of any age should not be learning, as a primary source, something that any Joe or Jane Schmoe could have written--which often happens with Wikis or internet publications. It's great that students create web pages, wikis, whatever, and share them--but other students should not be relying on those pages for information.
Part of the problem is students want information right away. Why should I read a book when I can go to Google and find information--and a lot of it--in a matter of seconds? Why should I go to a library when I can look for information from home? Why should I page through journals, magazines, newspapers, when I can see graphics of my search or click through pages online? And there are times when I would love nothing more than to sit in front of Google to find information. But the reality is this: the soon-to-be teachers who believe, or are lead to believe, that the Internet is the best way to find information, are misguided. Regardless of where this thought originates, here are some of the dangers of relying too heavily on the Internet:
1. Students, and hell, many adults, do not know how to discern information and/or find credible sources.
2. Students, by not reading, by and large have smaller vocabularies, worse grammar, usage, and spelling, and poor oral skills.
There are many theories about why and when kids stop reading. I love reading; I always have. My parents and sisters are readers; my best friends are readers; and when asked what my hobbies are, reading is always listed first. I don't know if the 24 and younger set think it's dorky or uncool, or takes too much time, or lack the reading skills necessary to read a book, but it's a frightening trend because as teachers and parents, we need to be modeling what we want. Teachers cannot encourage reading and stress its importance if they themselves are not readers.
More to come on this...
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Clearly you feel strongly about this, but I think you are missing the point. Agree or disagree, reading is reading. Across the board the internet has made people read more, not less. The medium is different, but the syntax is the same. You wouldn't read something if it were posted in Yoda speak, nobody would read it. We as a species have a way of communicating.
ReplyDeleteAs for research, there are good ways to find good research. There is a serious problem with the teaching of research at the high school level, as well as the college level. Professors don't TEACH, they tell and expect, so research methods for students don't get better without the teaching. High school teachers only do so much research. You know as well as anyone else that there is a great disconnect in communication between these levels, and with this disconnect comes frustration. I could go on, but you already know where I stand.
And on what research are you citing this alleged evidence? I highly doubt the Internet has made people read more. Unless you are talking about reading blogs, online media, facebook posts, or wikipedia. I'm talking about literature. The internet has made reading slightly more accessible, if people pay for Kindle, but that doesn't mean people are reading more.
ReplyDeleteThough I think we're taking semantics here...
BTW, a large disconnect between research and the classroom is indeed taking place because LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS are getting their jobs cut. Until 5 years ago or so, LMS instructed students on how to use the library, where to find information, how to find credible sources in the library and Internet, etc. When those positions started getting cut, very few teachers stepped in to fill the role, and as a result, students are in fact at a loss for researching topics.