What is text? 

What is technology?

"Jonathan Berkowitz [...] breaks down the meaning of words such as viral, computer, cloud, and others, and reflects on the way technological change leads to linguistic change. [What] other words [may] have been updated based on technological advancements?" ([1.4] Activity, n.d.)

Considering the following questions:

• What does the etymology of these words suggest about their inherent meanings?

  1. • • After reviewing the etymology of the words text and technology, it is clear to me how their origins are connected to their current meanings and usages. Metaphorically, thinking of written text as a fabric -- a connected pattern of material woven together to create a specific piece (to convey specifc ideas or messages) -- is a lovely way to think about the written word, even language for that matter. The history of the word technology connects to the core of its pracitacl meaning in the 21st century, in that there are systematic approaches to simplifying or executing a task.  

• What, for example, does textiles have to do with text?

  1. • • Clothing is made of specific fabrics for a desired look. Books are made made of pages (digital or physical) and organized by chapters/sections to share specific ideas. Fabric is woven from yarn and dyed to create a specific look and feel. Chapters and sections of books are composed of words connected to one another through grammar, punctuation, and context to share specific ideas.

• How is technology related to text?

  1. • • I see technology as the platform from which text can be created. Whenever it be the loom weaving textiles, or the word processor helping us with spell check.

• What does teche (teaching) have to do with technology?

  1. • • One has to know how to use grammar, or any other tool for that matter, in order to wield the tool or technology effectively, for its intended purpose. Certainly, one can learn through trial and error, stumbling upon innovative applications or perhaps even how the technology is intended to be used. However, when an informed facilitator with a sense of familiarity and purpose in using the tools and technology offers clear guidance, the process is more timely and rewarding for the learner.

• Can you identify historical events that might have influenced changes in the usage of these terms over time as evidenced in the Google Ngram search?

  1. • • Text - It seems the invention of the printing press had a marked impact on the use of the word "text" in print. It use dwindled throughout the 17th century, but with the rise of industrialization and urbanization in the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a steady increase in its frequency in print. By the mid 20th century, there was another drastic increase in its use, similar to the dramatic increase witnessed toward the latter half of the 16th century. This is likelty due to the advent of the computer and its use in various media to produce text.

       • Technology - With computers becoming a big part of everday life through the latter part of the twentieth cetury, the term "technology" has drastically increased in its appearance in print.