[Grace Rowan]

I agree with both Casey and Alexa. I find myself skipping over anything but the text. I think it is important to especially read the introduction because it states ideas that the reader should be aware of while reading the text. Especially in older readings, the footnotes definitely help the reader grasp the concept more effectively.

[Grace Rowan]

I agree with Melanie. I think that it is the job of the reader to not take the information as law, but to analyze and take the source into consideration. Ignorance can restrain you from learning because without having background knowledge on the topic, you cannot fully analyze the information presented. Biases are prevalent in every text, even textbooks which are supposed to be solely factual based, because as Winston Churchill once said, “history is written by victors”.

[Grace Rowan]

I think this is a very important question in terms of relevance of today’s technology. I believe there is no right or wrong answer. More people are reading today due to social media, online blogs, and eBooks; however, they are not demonstrating the traditional definition in terms of reading novels. Overall, it may be considered a positive impact due to the greater prevalence of reading and word recognition and definition due to accessibility. The biggest take-away, in my opinion, is that because of websites like Amazon, reading has become more accessible to a vast amount of people. Regardless of what they are reading, they are still reading.

[Grace Rowan]

I completely agree with Kaitlin. The famous expression, “a picture is worth a thousand words” truly is applicable to every person because pictures provoke emotions. I think the technical skill is not something the average person would pick out, but the subject could impact how the person feels. I think what sets photographs and texts apart to individual people is how they perceive themselves in the work.

[Grace Rowan]

Reviewing the change in the reverse order definitely changes the tone. Retracting my earlier comment, one could view this change as a greater emphasis on the word placement of “we”. Putting this word at the end of the sentence rather than the beginning solidifies that it is our job as a nation to unite rather than divide. The importance of “it”, in my opinion, is a synonym for “this”, but can be viewed as more direct and specific. Specifically, the differences in the definitions are conformity versus actuality. Proper is more appropriate because it is truly what something is said or regarded to be, rather than accepting standards of behavior or morals.

[Grace Rowan]

A change that I noticed was in the second paragraph where Lincoln changed “It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this” to “This we may, in all propriety do”. I think this had the most meaning because of the change to the word “propriety”. Lincoln changes his wording from “we should help” to “it is our civic duty”. By stating this, he uses ethos in order to state how it is their moral duty to work together as a country. This change impacted the rhythm of the address due to his shift of tone to make the issue more prominent to every person in the nation. I believe that this is more effective because he is uniting the nation during a time when it was falling apart.

[Grace Rowan]

I thought this was a really interesting point. With all of the schooling that Thoreau has had, as a privileged white man in this time, can Thoreau attest to this point? I do not think that he can tell people what experiences they should have in order to live a fulfilled life. I think he contradicts himself a bit with his thoughts on education: he believes that you should be able to read ancient texts in their native language, but thinks that experience is the best tool. How does Thoreau expect people to read ancient texts in their native languages with formal education?

[Grace Rowan]

Thoreau’s observational learning is similar to our learning today because it is all based on the visual learning style. Today, you can learn almost anything through a YouTube video. These learning styles typically have step by step instructions which become more user-friendly; however, I would not go as far as saying that watching a YouTube video or reading a wikihow is greater than life experience.

[Grace Rowan]

I think our definition of technology today is limited to electronics. It is important to remember that at one point, any invention was considered new technology. One definition of technology is, “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.” Isn’t Thoreau applying his knowledge of measurement in order to find the depth of the pond? One may argue with either side, but I believe this is technology in its simplest form.

[Grace Rowan]

While one may argue that technology has expanded the social mobility of people, it has also stunted this growth. This is due to the fact that not every person is exposed to the same materials and/or advancements. If every person had equal opportunities in relation to access to technology, then I do agree that it it increases social mobility for those who take advantage.

[Grace Rowan]

I agree with Melanie. There are various learning styles, some proven to work better than others. As a special education major, I completely disagree with Thoreau. For example, people with autism lack Theory of Mind (ToM), which is the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others, and to understand that others have beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives that are different from one’s own. Autistics can read all about ToM, but cannot grasp this concept without visual examples that also connect to their daily lives. Additionally, in order to earn a degree, you must complete student teaching. You can know all the information in every textbook, but you need field experience in order to know how to handle each unique situation. I agree that there is much to be learned from from books because they contain valuable lessons, but I believe that this is the foundation to a successful educational career. Books are only the first step, while experience goes above and beyond.

[Grace Rowan]

I agree with Melanie. One may believe that constantly checking various forms of social media can be viewed as anti-social or rude. On the other hand, when people do not have social media accounts they are looked down upon or out of the loop. In my opinion, this is because the progression of this technology is still evolving resulting in no formal etiquette of how one should act. In a society that is so dependent on social media, one may question whether or not we are progressing or rather regressing.

[Grace Rowan]

I don’t think that Wake Up Now is dishonest, they are just not presenting all the facts upfront. Can withholding information be viewed as “dishonest” or merely not necessary, in the eyes of the organization, to the ongoing movement? In this case, at the convention, members of this praised program could not even describe what Wake Up Now was about, and yet they beamed with pride representing them. One may view the company as misleading, using people’s trusting nature and manipulating them. On the other hand, another may argue that all the information was there, but just not easily accessible. This presents the question of ethics: if we can take advantage of someone, should we? Could you not feel pity towards these people because there intentions are finding cash, rather than earning their own income? Is that ignorance or laziness? In conclusion, both are at fault: the people who ignorantly and blindly followed a company because they saw they could easily make money for virtually no work, and the company who took advantage of these people.

[Author]

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