Innovation has always been a defining feature of Humans, ever since an early ancestor of ours discovered how to use shape a rock into a hybrid hammer/axe tool. Eventually, we were able to harness and control fire. Then, some bright person discovered how to use scratches in clay tablets to record their business transactions: the early beginning of written language. The the development of writing added a new dimension to their rich oral tradition, allowing people to read the teachings and stories of people they had never met. Readers could read their tablet, scroll, or codex at their leisure, in the comfort of a location of their choosing. They had access to the musings of thinkers the world over, and so books inevitably began to be used by scholars to edify their pupils. In the five-thousand years (give or take) since the advent of writing, the book’s inclusion into the classroom has become universal. Now we have created another innovation to contend with—the Internet.
Around thirty years ago, the Internet began to take form. It easily has the capacity to store the entirety of human books and journals, plus the innumerable videos of people hurting themselves on camera. There hasn’t really been enough time to fully research the consequences of Internet use on our brains or our social interactions, but it has already intricately laced itself into nearly every part of our lives: commerce, entertainment, correspondence, sex, shopping, interpersonal interactions, research, work—and education. It has radically altered the way we interact with information, much in the same way that the written word did in the ancient world. It has been remarked that the average tween now has in her pocket (via a smart phone or hand-held computer) more i...
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... every day. One wonders what new innovation will come next, and how we will react to it.
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In composing “Is Google Making Us More Stupid” Nicholas Carr wants his audience to be feared by the internet while at the same time he wants his work to seem more creditable. Nicholas Carr uses many different types of evidence to show us that we should be scared and feared as well as his credibility. Carr’s audience is people who think like him, who find themselves getting lost on the internet while reading something, someone who is educated and uses the internet to look up the answers to questions or to read an article or book.
In Nicholas Carr 's article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” he discusses the effect that technology has on our brains as the world becomes more advanced. He gives examples of how technology has helped us and hurts us. Nicholas Carr tells about his own experiences with technology and others as well. In this paper, I will talk about the first part of Carr’s article, I will then agree with Nicholas Carr, give examples from his article, talk on his structure, sources, counterarguments or solutions, and end with why I agree with what he has said.
Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Evolving Ideas. 2013-2014 ed. Plymouth: Hayden McNeil, 2013. 101-107. Print.
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid." July/August 2008. The Alantic Magazine. 20 February 2012 .
Atlantic journalist Nicholas Carr confesses that he feels something has been “tinkering with his brain.” The internet, he fears, may be messing with our minds. We have lost the ability to focus on a simple task, and memory retention is steadily declining. He is worried about the effect the internet has on the human brain, and where it may take us in the future. In response to this article, Jamais Cascio, also a journalist for the Atlantic, provides his stance on the issue. He argues that this different way of thinking is an adaptation derived from our environment. Ultimately, he thinks that this staccato way of thinking is simply a natural evolution, one that will help to advance the human race.
These two articles are similar in the sense that they agree that the internet and computational objects are reshaping our brain’s structure by changing our neural circuit. By using examples from their personal experiences to identify a trend in technology use, the authors illustrate that the more we bury ourselves in technology the more we are unable to understand material which leads to loss of concentration and the ability to think for ourselves. As an author, Carr finds the internet a beneficial tool, but it’s having a bad effect on his concentration span. Carr points this out by stating “Immersing myself in a book or lengthy article used to be easy, now I get fidgety, lose the thread and begin looking for something else to do” (39). He is no
The following essay will discuss how the ideas in “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, is expressed in the futuristic novel Feed, by M.T Anderson.
This article discusses the use of the Internet in the classroom and how it can be used to personalize education. The effectiveness of the Internet in the classroom is evaluated at the Henry Hudson Regional School in Highlands, New Jersey. A faculty member at the school explains that the Internet was introduced to their classrooms to expand limited electives, advanced placement, and foreign language offerings. The use of the Internet allows small schools to provide an education that would not be economically possible without it.
This article addresses how children have mastered the art of technology from a very early age. The internet allows for faster learning than textbooks because it helps children choose an avenue of learning that suits them best. Research has proven that vocabulary expands at a quicker rate with the use of technology. This article provides information from a variety of news sources and a professional writer. Harsh Wardhan Dave is a media and communications specialist. Harsh Wardhan has a passion for finding the right blend of technology and creativity in his writings. This source is relevant to the thesis statement because it also validates that we need to make the most of technology and the internet while still providing a healthy balance as well as ensuring a safe environment so that we can provide our children the best of both worlds.
Do you ever think about how much technology has changed the way we work, learn, play, and even think? Technology is a major beneficiary to society; especially in the classroom where we get the opportunity to learn and grow. In recent years, schools have begun implementing tablets and other devices in the classroom to better student’s education. The use of technology in the classroom provides more of a personalized learning experience and gives students a widespread availability to engage in learning. Technology is necessary in today’s modern globe, it is basically “the pen and paper of our time and the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Warlick, 2013). Technology is not just considered the “internet”, it is so much greater than that. Overall, it enhances the quality of education and engages students deeper than ever before. With all the significant gains, why would people argue that technology hinders students more than it helps? Critics may try to repute the use of technology in the classroom but I believe what really matters “is the way we use it, the context that we use it in, and the learners who we use it for” (Chong, 2012).
The Impact of the Internet on Education A dusty, one-bedroom schoolhouse on the edge of a village. An overworked teacher trying to manage a room full of boisterous children. Students sharing schoolbooks that are in perpetual short supply, crammed in rows of battered desks. Children worn out after long treks to school, stomachs rumbling with hunger.
Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Magazine - The Atlantic. (n.d.). The Atlantic — News and analysis on politics, business, culture, technology, national, international, and life – TheAtlantic.com. Retrieved April 21, 2012, from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/
The traditional education environment is starting to implement new ways to teach students with the rapid development of technology. One strategy is the use of the internet to communicate, listen, and share ideas among students and professors alike; specifically the use of the internet realm in wikis, blogs, and podcasts. Blogs are either a website in itself or a part of a website where something like an interactive journal is being used; a person can write about anything they wish, link or show images, and decide whether other people can comment on the blog entry. Wikis are websites or webpages dedicated to providing information about a topic and can be edited by either the members of that site. Podcasts are digital files in the form of audio, video, or both that can be downloaded online onto computers, MP3 players, certain phones, and many more devices. Wikis, blogs, and podcasts could positively alter the educational format of lectures for students.
Everything revolves around the internet these days. Every business, big or small has a internet website for you to visit. Let’s face it, the internet is not going away, we as a people must learn to use this tool and not think of it as a negative thing. The internet must be used positively to benefit us. We can find anything we want through the internet. The internet can be abused but we must educate our children so they can use it effectively to their advantage. We definitely need to make most schools have the internet in classrooms, there is no doubt about it.
As time goes by, advances in technology will provide more and more avenues for learning by way of the computer. The Internet has opened the doors of the world and unleashed limitless possibilities in research and education. It may be only a matter of time when the classroom is brought online to all children and attending a school classroom outside the home is a thing of the past. Looking back over the last 20 years, I never would have imagined that computers would come this far and impact our lives so much. Just imagine where they will be 20 years from now.