Embedded Files
7th and 8th Core: Language Arts and Social Studies
The History of Writing
Kim Brown, Michele Delattre, Donna Kasprowicz
It took from 4000 BCE to 1440 CE (5000 years) to come to a point where communication and information were available to many more people although for the most part only the elites while from the 1960s to present day (50 years) internet becomes the new paper and we jump from cheap paper production to having people communicate and access information anywhere once they are online. Images and sound have been woven into the mix as well. The internet or cloud is the NEW paper. While the digital divide exists we are seeing more and more non-elites have access to technology. Farmers in Africa have access to cell phones, and people are provided with micro loans to begin their own businesses.
On the Internet we have access to medical, engineering, and historical knowledge. We see news events the moment they occur including sound bites and video. Who is writing and videoing all of this? Can we trust what we read without knowing the authors? Is there time for reflection? Do we take the time? Are we multitasking? Do we question what we are reading and writing? Do we check the sources? Who is controlling the communication? These questions can also be asked of newspapers and books. Do we take it for granted that if it is in a book it is credible/valid/truthful?
Do we know the difference between a credible/dependable website and one that is not? Do we know how to check the worthiness of the website? Is communication more global? More multicultural? More multimedia? More casual?
Do we depend on Amazon, or YouTube, or Blogs?
Can we trust what we read in print - hard copy or digital?
Writing allows us to be human among humans, where communicating is at once a personal satisfaction, a survival skill for the species and the citizen, and an art.
Our ability to read and write critically may be more important than ever.
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