Wolf and Barzillai's article on deep reading showed me that online reading can lead to deep reading: by learning to read selectively. I have been reluctant to make the shift from reading from a book to reading a book online for fear that the quality of knowledge might be compromised. I can spend the same amount of time reading online as I do with a book, by making the right choices and distinctions from what is distracting and what is real reading for me.
This article helped me define the meaning of what it is to acquire knowledge versus mass information. The Aristotle analogy of the three lives is a perfect reference to achieving knowledge:
"Of the three lives Aristotle speaks of, the life of action, the life of enjoyment, and the life of contemplation, we have the two, but we lack the other, contemplation. That, I thought, is why ours is a violent city." [First Page]
Deep reading is critical to our development of knowledge. There is a possible misconception in cyberspace that the more information scanned through and amassed, the more you know, but what about the quality of that "knowledge"? Take for instance spellcheck and grammar check in Microsoft Word, the rules are still being taught in grammar school, but with all these nice electronic tools, why go through the trouble of learning to spell if you can always rely on spellcheck? Did the student/writer really learn? Ah! That's where the concept of deep reading comes in.
Deep reading, like correct spelling and grammar, are practices that require contemplation to help make the connections and construction of knowledge; the smaller child needs more time than an adult to learn to construct knowledge, but once this is achieved, deep knowledge starts to set in, is my perception of the author's article. The processes they refer to that make up deep reading require time, at least for me. Deep reading processes help produce comprehension, reflection, induction, deduction, analogical skills, critical analysis, and insight, and ultimately, help produce an expert reader. These processes cannot be achieved by competing with time; it takes time to absorb things and then synthesize them.
I believe we need to learn how to think and discern in order to achieve good judgment and make sound decisions. This is the challenge of the contemporary educator, to help foment all of these processes as early as possible so that students can achieve deep reading to perform at a higher level, and it can be achieved using both traditional print and electronic print.
This article helped me define the meaning of what it is to acquire knowledge versus mass information. The Aristotle analogy of the three lives is a perfect reference to achieving knowledge:
"Of the three lives Aristotle speaks of, the life of action, the life of enjoyment, and the life of contemplation, we have the two, but we lack the other, contemplation. That, I thought, is why ours is a violent city." [First Page]
Deep reading is critical to our development of knowledge. There is a possible misconception in cyberspace that the more information scanned through and amassed, the more you know, but what about the quality of that "knowledge"? Take for instance spellcheck and grammar check in Microsoft Word, the rules are still being taught in grammar school, but with all these nice electronic tools, why go through the trouble of learning to spell if you can always rely on spellcheck? Did the student/writer really learn? Ah! That's where the concept of deep reading comes in.
Deep reading, like correct spelling and grammar, are practices that require contemplation to help make the connections and construction of knowledge; the smaller child needs more time than an adult to learn to construct knowledge, but once this is achieved, deep knowledge starts to set in, is my perception of the author's article. The processes they refer to that make up deep reading require time, at least for me. Deep reading processes help produce comprehension, reflection, induction, deduction, analogical skills, critical analysis, and insight, and ultimately, help produce an expert reader. These processes cannot be achieved by competing with time; it takes time to absorb things and then synthesize them.
I believe we need to learn how to think and discern in order to achieve good judgment and make sound decisions. This is the challenge of the contemporary educator, to help foment all of these processes as early as possible so that students can achieve deep reading to perform at a higher level, and it can be achieved using both traditional print and electronic print.
Blanca, it sounds like you were really interested in this early reading... if you feel like pursuing this topic, I would encourage you to check out N. Katherine Hayles's piece on hyper versus deep attention. This debate is ongoing, as many still feel that deep reading cannot be achieved using digital texts (or at least without first inculcating certain behaviors and skills using traditional print culture).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alenda...yes, I did enjoy this early reading. I believe whole-heartedly in deep reading--I just did not know the 'signifier' for it. I love what technology has done for us in the last quarter century, but we still need the time to "contemplate" things.
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