what is reading and writing?
Will Richardson has written an article on The Pulse called “These Days, Reading Means Editing.” I think Richardson raises great points about the blurring of reading, editing, and writing in a digital age where the validity of something written isn’t as readily apparant as it used to be (well, perhaps it never used to be). He writes:
So here’s the question: as you lit on this post and made the decision tostart reading it, are you reading it differently from the way you read today’s newspaper or the latest best-seller laying by your bedside? Not interms of one word after another, left to right sort of thing. I mean in terms of the way in which your brain takes in the words, processes them,makes decisions about them. Believes them. Is the process different, somehow?
It should be.
[...]
And as you read this, are you reading passively? When you are done, is yourbrain preparing to click to the next piece of reading, turn the page, so to speak? Or are you reading with an active intent to write about these ideas,either in your own space or as a comment back to me at the end? Reading inthis new world is a participation sport, one where if you don’t like what’sbeing said, you can engage the ideas in a very public way.
In Composition, there is a huge debate between reading and writing (think Bartholomae and Elbow, also Sirc). Are we teaching ways of reading or ways of writing when we teach composition? Do we teach criticism and critical reading of the world (is that how we write?) or do we teach creation and expression and individuality and trust of language (is that how we write?) or do we teach selection and collage and experimentation (is that how we write?)? How much, in a digital age, does reading and writing become one and the same? You read something but you must simultaneously “write” it - edit it, critique it, even quote, lift, or comment to it.
Of course, we all talk about the digital age, but the question of who is on the read/write web? doesn’t get raised enough. Is this as universal as we think? Are we really only talking about half the population? A third? A quarter? I do think that much of the future will be read/write mix (for those who are critically literate), but does this apply for areas without the same technological resources? What about rural and urban communities that do not have much internet access yet?
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Mariolina Salvatori has pointed out that “Reading and Writing” was dropped as a category from the CCCC proposal form around 1996: apparently, after the brief hubbub raised by Iser and others, we are now no longer disciplinarily interested in reading. Which is unfortunate, given the questions you and Richardson raise.
Where to start - when I read online, how I read depends on what / where I read. For example, when I read your blog, I read eagerly looking for the ideas to engage with and ready (or at least) hoping to continue the conversation. I always know I will find something interesting.
Sometimes I don’t have the time to write back right then - but I intend to. So, sometimes, I print out the post to read later when I can compose my thoughts. First thoughts are not always best thoughts (whose quote is this?). Right now I have two or three of your recent posts printed out to read at my leisure and ponder. This blog of yours is a wonderful place for ideas. And if we collage together your posts with our responses, we co-create ideas.
As for the question of whether we teach reading - certainly in my composition classes I help students interrogate the texts - ask what is the author saying and how and how well is it being said. I prod students into cultural literacy and situating the authors and texts they are reading. I try not to be a snob about the things that many students don’t know - just as I hope they are not snobs about my cluelessness about pop culture (but I have asked for a tutorial on the Simpsons later in the week so I will be a bit more conversant on the subject).
My sense is that many students at Oregon State do not read much that is not required, and what is required is textbooks largely. And they read either for the information to do well on the test, or for escape, and not so much for intellectual stimulation. As far as I can tell, few read the news either online or in print. In fact, I’m not sure where or if they pursue the news. I read newspapers in print, but do check online a bit. I see some TV news in the evenings as I walk through the den, but rarely sit down.
My sense, also, is that most OSU students read print for their courses and don’t read content online. But how typical are they? When you ask who is on the read/write web - do you mean who reads websites? maybe half the world? which websites? do you mean who writes and engages with audience? maybe 10%? who engages in co-creating information with others - such as in commenting on blogs or collaborating on wikis etc? Maybe 1%? Wild guesses here.
I’ll have to do more thinking -
Sara