Three sources from ebscohost

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=103&sid=1881ba02-15c8-4b1d-9a7f-b7f1e5933250%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=5857525

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=19&hid=4&sid=1881ba02-15c8-4b1d-9a7f-b7f1e5933250%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=20098125#db=aph&AN=20098125

http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?type=retrieve&docId=A76729021&contentSet=IAC-Documents&docType=IAC&version=1.0&userGroupName=cuny_queens&&prodId=OVRC

Questions of the day

Do you think writing long text to our peers can be seen as a means of improving the the way we write?

Do you agree with Lunsford that technology is reviving and pushing the way we read and write in bold new directions?

With the increase use of the Internet as a means of social avenue rather than for educational use and the decrease in the reading of books do you agree with the scholars that an age of illiteracy is at hand?

Clive Thompson on the New LIteracy

In this article, Clive Thompson addresses one of the most discussed topics in our generation and that is about technology, in the form of the internet, leading to an age of illiteracy. Clive Thompson believes that this is not so and he uses a study by Andrea Lunsford a professor of writing and rhetoric at Stanford University to dismiss this claim and to express his own viewpoints.
Andrea Lunsford organized a study where she closely examined the writing of college students from 2001-2006. For her study she collected 14,672 student writing samples from formal essays, in class assignments to email and blog entries. After her study she said and I quote, "I think we're in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven't seen since Greek civilization," end quote. She believes that technology is not negatively affecting the way one writes but it is breathing a new life into the way one read and writes. The first thing she discovered was that young people today write far more than the generation before. I totally agree with this. From the time we wake up to the time we go to bed , we are constantly texting .With the likes of Facebook, AIM, Yahoo Messenger and other online texting services ,texting has transform into a huge phenomenon.
Thompson says that for students writing is about persuading, organizing, and debating. I definitely agree with this. Many times when we are talking to our friends, discussions and topics tend to arise that everyone doesn’t agree on and as such it allows for individuals to provide their own point of view. Whether it is about how cute a guy is or about the privilege position of business within the American Society in history, debate often arises among our peers or among a group of people. As such individuals always aim to present their point of view in the best way possible so as to convince others to take their side or to agree with them.
The author, Clive Thompson also believes that the idea that texting in short with the use of abbreviation such as LOL and the use of slangs and smiley may taint the seriousness of academic writing is a myth. He talks about the fact that in the Lunsford study of the works of first year students that it was found that there wasn’t any use of slangs or abbreviation that one would have used in a text on their academic papers. I believe that we as students know when to write formal and when to write informal. My Professor, Professor Schwartz, made mention the other day in class that it was very rear for him to see a student write a piece containing words that they would have used in a text. We as young people know the distinction and we know the difference. Just as we will not talk to our Professors as we would talk to our peers, we know the difference in writing to our friends from writing for school projects.
Thompson also believes that “online media are pushing literacy into a cool direction” where young people can write long complex pieces while working with others. He made mention of 15,000- word video game walkthroughs. He ends by saying and I quote "We think of writing as either good or bad. What today's young people know is that knowing who you're writing for and why you're writing might be the most crucial factor of all".emd quote.


I definitely agree with this as young people we tend to distinguish between what is important and what is not as well as what is serious from what is for mere entertainment. When it comes to our schoolwork we know that we should be serious in what we write and do as oppose to when we are texting our friends.

Questions of the day

With the Internet becoming such a vital entity in today's society, Do you think the US should allow for the testing of children based on digital literacy in schools?


With the advance age that we live in today ,and the advance in technology do you think books serve such a great purpose as they were before?


Do you think spending more time on the Internet rather than reading a book results in poor performances in school?

Literary Debate: Online R u Really Reading?

In this article by Motoko Rich he ask the ask the question “Online ,R U Really Reading?” .He presents points based on others personal experience and the opinions and facts of experts who are for as well as against reading online rather than providing us with his own definite answer. He does this by creating an article around a subject matter being a little girl by the name of Nadia Konyk who loves to read online and her mother hoping to persuade her to read books. In his article, Motoko presents ideas of people who are not in favor of reading online and believe books are the best means of reading and those who believe reading online can be very good.
Some argues that reading online has lead to poor SAT results. They believe that reading on the net lessens one’s ability to read and write ,destroys one’s ability to pay attention for a long time and has destroy the culture which exists in reading books. I disagree with the point that reading online has lead to poor SAT results; for the most part it has helped to improve SAT scores. On the net there’s an SAT website where each day children are able to test their knowledge in math, writing and reading. Each day this sites provides “question of the day” that allow for children to test their ability to understand, analyze and interpret things. There is also multiple practice tests on the net that children can take that allow them to prepare for the SAT.
According to the Motoko recent studies by literacy specialists has prove that the only kind of reading which enables for higher academic performance is the reading of novels as it help to improve one’s GPA and ones grade in English class. Many traditionalists believe that reading on the internet distracts rather than strengthens a reader and that many youth spend most of their time playing games or sending instant messages that does not require a lot of reading and as such is not substantial to children or benefit them in no way. I definitely believe that the internet can serve as a great distraction because many children just go on the internet to play games ,my brother being a fine example, or go on facebook rather than to read something meaningful.
The Author makes mention of the fact that readers tend to be unable to judge whether a site is trustworthy or legitimate and I definitely agree with this. On the internet there are many false sites and it is not a guarantee that a website we view provides real facts and information. Many times we have to trust our instincts or be able to know if a site is trustworthy or not which can be very had to do. Books, however, are more trustworthy especially those found in the library. Libraries will ensure that books provide real information.
While many believe that reading online provides a disadvantage for children, others believe the internet can be very helpful and useful. Some argue that the internet has created a new kind of reading that should not be disregarded. Some digital experts say that online reading skills will allow for children to be better able to compete for jobs in this digital age. In this technological advance age, the internet is one of the main medium of communication. In many schools one has to have access to the internet because most time one has to access ones work from the web or even send work to professors via the net. Many also have to have access to the internet to apply for jobs and many jobs require that their workers are able to use the computer.
While some Scientists believe that reading books can be more enriching some experts believe that reading online is more enriching as it enables for one to “cover a lot more of the topic from different points of views” the exact words of Mr. Spiro of Michigan State.
Zachary Sims, 18, finds the internet to be great as it enables for one to see and share in different point of views and to be able to interact with others, while books tend to be more one sided with one person providing his or her point of view. Being able to see and read other people’s point of views can be very helpful and it can also be very bad. Being able to see others point of view can give one an idea of the thoughts of others and provide a better understanding of a particular topic at the same time it can be very bad as it can prevent one from formulating one’s own ideas and thoughts and prevent one from thinking on their own as one just take the idea of others and use it as their own.
Experts also believes that information on the net which may include, pictures, video and audio is usually very helpful for those who struggles with reading. Children with learning difficulties have found the internet to be more comfortable to search and read on. Some who believes that books are very significant also believes that the children need a range of reading experience and I definitely agree with this.
“Reading opens up doors to places that you probably will never get to visit in your lifetime, to cultures, to worlds, to people” are the exact words of Ms Konyk .But so does the internet .The internet more than anything provide a medium where one can view tons of places, be open to all the cultures which exists and meet all the people there is possible. The internet has it all.

Online,R U Really Reading? The answer

Online, R U Really Reading? There is not a definite answer to this question. The term “Reading “can be interpret in many ways and as such, there cannot be one definite answer .In truth and in fact everyone who goes online read online. We read our text messages, the news, our assignments, instructions to play a game, blogs, our email and the list goes on. However in terms of deep, thorough, intense reading that books offers, reading online doesn’t allow for this for the most part.
One also needs to understand that there are different kind of readers and people read for different reasons. There are those readers who are intellectual readers such as teachers and professors who love to read no matter what an article maybe and there are people like myself that reads only when it’s a must, in the case of school work, or read mainly for entertainment. Intellectual readers definitely read in depth and thoroughly online. Readers for the most part are usually captivated by interesting engaging topics and articles. When topics seems interesting one is automatically drawn to that particular piece because they want to what’s it’s about, whether it be a news article, an article on a celebrity site or on a blog. Readers in these instances tend not to skim read but read thoroughly to get the full details. So to answer the question we do read online. There are also certain people who prefer to read a book online than to reading the hardcover book itself. They may find it more comfortable or accessible. In this case people do read online.
For the most part however, I think we read online but not in depth as if we were reading a book. The Internet allows for one to skim read and to scan trough different information to find what one wants. The Internet provides us with short precise information. The Internet doesn’t “go around the bush” but it “knocks the nail right on the head” .With the Internet one doesn’t have to read as intensely as if one was reading a book to find answers. Whether one “read” online also depends on the length of an article. If the article is short for the most part, one tends to well read that particular article but if an article is long one tends to skim read. At the same time if one wants to get the full meaning of an article on the web one tends to read that article as if one was reading a book.
So do people read online the answer is yes but do people read as intensely as if one was reading a book the answer is no for the most part.

New Media and the Slow Death of the Written Word

In “New Media and The Slow Death of the Written Word” by Mark Zeltner the author proclaims his love for newspaper and providing reasons for such love but at the same time he has come to terms and has accepted that a new media, the computer , has been introduced and is quickly taking over the word provided by newspapers. With this realization of the popularity of the new media Zeltner has provided ten basic rules for students learning to write for the new media.
Zeltner in his piece started off by expressing his love for newspapers stating that he loved everything about newspapers, from the well organized information it provides to the feel of the newspaper in his hands. He realized though that most people under 25 hate s newspapers and prefer television and his plan has been to convince much of his students as to how interesting and great newspapers could be.
Zeltner then proceeded to give his arguments as to why a newspaper was better than a computer screen. The first point he made is that computers are hard on the eyes, as no web version of a newspaper can offer the ease of access of a newspaper and allows for one to scan headlines easily to choose articles to read. For me I think its much more easier to scan a computer screen than a newspaper. The computer provides quicker links that is just a click away that can lead to where one want to go. With newspapers however although there’s table of content one tends to have to skip through multiple pages to find what one wants.
Zeltner also mentioned the fact that one could not fold up a computer screen and carry it around in a book bag which can be done with a newspaper. While this is true, technology has made it possible for one to access the information on the computer that can be carried around in a bag. There are laptops, internet phones and the list goes on. What I agree with though was the point he made that one could use a newspaper to line the bottom of a birdcage which a computer screen could never do.
Although Zeltner made it clear that he prefer newspaper over the new media he was very open to discuss the advantage of the new media. He made mention of the introduction of hypertext links that can allow writers to construct new styles of writings and that the use of audio and video clips can enhance a story and give it greater meaning than before, which I definitely agree with. The use of audio and video clips can provide a better understanding of a piece of work and make it more enticing to read.
Zeltner also states that even though there’s the introduction of the new media, there will always be an audience for newspapers. I truly agree with this. Different people have different likeness. There's still going to be that grandpa or mom or even that student who’s going to prefer the newspaper over the computer. But while he says this he believes the new media can attract new audience. I think the new media can attract those audiences who always hated newspapers and may prefer information on the computer and may find it more interesting and appealing.
Mark Zeltner also made the point that the new media is not truly a “new media” but it is also made up of old traditional mediums and the writers just change up the style of writing making it more appealing. The Author provides us with ten basic rules for students learning to write for the new media which he believes can serve as a guide for new media writers and producers.
In the first rule the writer made this statement and I quote” you want to write for the new-media then forget about word-count, concentrate on content and squeezing the value out of EVERY word” end of quote. He talks about making one s writing short and precise and ensuring that al the main points are stated. I agree with the writer as sometimes less is better because sometimes when we write long pieces one is just writing about the same thing over and over just expanding and expanding when one had already made the point in the first few lines. Reading long pieces of information can also tend to be very boring and one tends to lose focus and attention, what Zeltner is saying to us is that we should be very precise and to the point but at the same time ensuring that one is on point and the piece is well written.
In the second rule the Author talks about the idea of scrolling versus clicking and when to use the former or the latter to ensure that the reader wants to read one’s writing and wants to continue to read to the end. He talks about how scrolling can be hard on the eyes and can lessen the readers understanding of what they are reading and at the same time he talks about clicking which can also create problems as it can be stressful for a reader to wait for a file to download via a slow modem connection. The solution the author provides is for a writer to be aware of the content of one’s work and find the right medium that is appropriate to ones work and at the same time ensuring that whatsoever one decides it will attract readers to the work.
I also agree with what Zeltner talks about in his third rule. He talks about the fact that one who's writing for this new media should plan ahead before even typing a single word. One should fully plan out ones thoughts and information so as to ensure that the reader is captivated and is not bored and is unable to miss the important part of one's work. Writers should also enable for the readers to have a sense of freedom, to treat the writing as how one choose.
A picture is worth a thousand words or when to embed images and when to just write is the fourth rule. The author talks about the use of pictures as a means of enhancing one's work ,as they give the work a little color and fun.Pictures can also lessen the amount of writing for the writer as a picture can create a sense of what the writer wanted to say. However while images can be good, too much can cause problems as the images may turn away ones focus from the writing. One should not spend too much time on pictures because as one doesn’t know how they may look on individual computer screen and this can turn away a reader from a piece of witing . What I disagree with though is that pictures don’t always have to be downloaded by the reader, the writer can just upload the pictures without the reader having to download it.
“The sound of a person's voice can often convey more meaning than a hundred pages of written quotes from the same individual”. This is a line from the forth rule where Zeltner talks about audio, where the tones of one voice can elevate the written word. When one listen to an audio clip it allows for the listener to have a sense of how one feels and give a sense of the mood of the reading whether it is happy, sad or anger. At the same time a dull, dreary and boring voice can take away ones attention from the piece and it would hav been better if the writer had just written everything. While the author talks about the use of audio as a means of enhancing ones writing one should not depend on it to tell your story and it should not be too much that it distract the readers or turn away the reader from the writing. Mark Zeltner also talks about video clips as a means of elevating ones work in the sixth rule. He mention the point that digital of more than thirty seconds can be very tiresome to watch and can distract the reader from the main purpose of the writing. This can be very true but at the same time once video clips are interesting and very insightful people when its finish will want to read on to find out what will happen next. Video clips can give one a visual understanding and interpretation of a text and it makes the text more factual and believable.
In the seventh rule Zeltner talks about the use of footnotes and creating one’s own definition and description pages rather than creating hyperlinks that allows for readers to go to another page to find meanings and descriptions. I believe that hyperlinks allow for readers to be distracted from the work and allow for one to wander away from one’s work, but why should one need to find the definition of a word instead the writer should just make the words simple and easy to understand.The author went on to talk about the dangers of hyperlinks in the eighth rule. He talks about the fact that when a writer allows for a reader to hyperlink off one’s document the reader doesn’t always tends to come back to the text. How I see it is as long as a writer makes his piece interesting no matter the hyperlinks, readers maybe force to go back to the reading to find out what happen next. He also mentions the use of sidebars as a means of supporting or explaining what one said in ones writing. He talks about the fact that sidebars shouldn’t be too enticing that it would allow the reader to wander away from the main document and to never return.
The last rule Zeltner talks about the importance of both content and form. While content and form makes ones work more striking and engaging and give that urge to continue reading at the same time they must not be too distracting but just right.
For the most part Mark Zeltner made some great points but there were few things that I didn’t agree with.

Three sources

http//www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR38/001/2008/en/c7546d90-ff39-11dc-b092-bdb020617d3d/amr380012008eng.html

http//www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080803/lead/lead7.html

http//www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20071109T010000-0500_129182_OBS_BLAINE_BLAMES_SCHOOL_DROPOUTS_FOR_CRIME__VIOLENCE.asp

WHEN WILL IT END?!

“When will this crime and violence end!” this is the cry echoed by the many enraged, “fed-up” and outraged citizens of Jamaica. Jamaica is a small Caribbean island of just over 2.5 million people and it has one of the worst murder rates in the world. In 2004 and 2005 Jamaica was recorded as having the highest murder rate in the world. In 2008 alone, 1600 people were killed as a result of crime and violence in Jamaica. This ruthless, ongoing rampage of Crime and Violence as left the citizens of Jamaica searching for answers and the government itself is not making any progress to find its cure. Youth unemployment, Poverty, Social inequality and lack of education are just a few of a long list of causes of this heart wrenching epidemic in Jamaica. Some of the deleterious effects include economic instability, separation of communities into warring factions, loss of investment opportunity and loss of personal and business income. The Government needs to call for international help and they need to do it now.

AIDS,the plague taking over the lives of African Americans in the US

I strongly believe that the United States Government is not doing enough to limit the outbreak of AIDS among African Americans. This pestilence known as AIDS has robbed us African Americans of our moms, dads, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts just to name a few. To date over 225,000 African Americans have died of AIDS, nearly 40%of total death. Of the more than 1 million people living with HIV in the United States of America today, about half are black. What’s even more alarming is that African Americans as a race only represents just 13% of the U.S population. Poverty, lack of access to healthcare and being incarcerated are just three of the many factors that have lead to the rising number of AIDS victims among African American. I believe the Government needs to step up to the plate.

I say Marijuana should not be legalized!

“Marijuana makes you fell rejuvenated and energized, it’s the best herb of the land and there are no negative effects of marijuana” Complete Nonsense! Many argue that the US government should legalize marijuana but I believe that Marijuana should remain banned.
Many are made to believe that the smoking of marijuana is good for one’s health and there are no bad effects. I am here however to tell you that the smoking of Marijuana does indeed has short term and long term effects that can be very harmful to ones body. The smoking of Marijuana is one of the most lethal illicit drugs used today. Its short term effects can be very devastating and its long term effects can ultimately lead to ones death. Marijuana short term affects ranges from effects on the brain, the heart and the lungs. Some of the long term effects include Cancer and bad effects on the Immune System and the Lungs and Airways.