Dennis Baron

From Pencils to Pixels: The Strategy of Literacy Technologies

Getting ready to read

Definition of Technology: the tools that one uses to both discover and record information with
The definition above is the best way I could word what I thought that technology was. Some examples that first came to mind right away were: computers, cell phones, notebooks, books, etc.

Summary

The article by Dennis Baron, focuses on the very beginning of writing technology and how it has progressed throughout the years. The articles aims to inform it's readers, who could be anyone; the article is written in a way that does not target one general sort of audience, but aims to inform those interested enough in learning a little more about technology and writing. The article also discusses the computer making it's way into the world and how it has become the biggest and most popular form of technology today. With this new technology, literacy may be changed, whether it is a good or bad change is up to each person.

Synthesis

The article that Baron has written is hard to connect to other articles right off the bat. After looking more closely at the article however, there are several ways in which Baron's article is relatable. The first article is Kantz, for Kantz discusses nurturing creativity, which could be seen to relate back to Baron based on the use of technology to explore and be creative with a different set of tools that people are used to working with. Another connection can be drawn between Baron and Porter. Porter's main focus in his article was the thought of text being just a repeat and reformation of old works, which the same can be said about technology. Technology advanced throughout the years by looking at previous creations, the same with writing. 

Dialectical Notebook

Response	Quotation
I never thought about where the terms hello and goodbye came from, but now that it has been discussed, it makes more sense. It is weird to think that they argued over what was appropriate to use as a closing and an opening to a conversation.	“The term ‘hello’ and ‘good-bye’ quickly became standard, despite objections from purists who maintained that ‘hello’ was not a greeting but an expression of surprise, and that ‘good-bye,’ coming from ‘God be with you,’ was too high toned and serious a phrase to be used for something so trivial as telephone talk.” (434)
Privacy is a thing of the past. In today’s society, there are people constantly communicating with each other, and the sad thing is the fact that for the most part the communication is not face to face, but instead over several wires.	“Of course the telephone was not only a source of information. It also threatened our privacy.” (433)
I like how it shows that something intended for one thing, can completely change and become a use for something else, which works better for it.	“Although writing began as a tool of the bean counters, it eventually added a second, magical/religious function, also restricted and obscure as a tool of priests.” (428)
It is weird to think of writing as a sort of technology, when I think of technology, more of things such as computers and other devices along that line come to mind.	“Of course, the first writing technology was writing itself.” (426)
I like how instead of being biased and taking a stance on the computer, it allows the reader to choose for themselves.	“The computer, the latest development in writing technology, promises, or threatens, to change literacy practices for  better or worse, depending on your point of view.” (423)
I think that the computer can definitely help with illiteracy, but I don't think that	“..hooking up every school classroom to the Web will eliminate illiteracy.” (423)