This chapter contains additional reading and writing activities related to the articles in Themed Texts: The Changing Ways We Read and Write.

Making Connections

Several of the readings in this section speak to the ways that technology is changing how people read and write, be those positive changes, negative changes, or neutral ones. As examples, consider the following:

• The article The Enduring Power of Print for Learning in a Digital World shows some advantages of reading in print form over digital form.
• Both 7 Tips on How to Take Better Notes and Look Out, Email. Handwritten Letters Are Making a Comeback speak to the value of handwriting over typing.
• The pitfalls of not recognizing misinformation in online texts are evident in To Navigate the Dangers of the Web, You Need Critical Thinking — but Also Critical Ignoring and Out-of-context Photos Are a Powerful Low-tech Form of Misinformation.
• The article What Is BookTok, and How Is It Influencing What Australian Teenagers Read? shows how technology is leading to more print-based reading among certain groups of teenagers.

What connections do you see among these readings? What connections do these readings have with your experience? One way to make connections is to compare and contrast ideas among readings or with your ideas. Comparison/contrast is a common method of thinking, organizing, and writing across the curriculum. In a math course, for example, you may be asked to compare and contrast two approaches to solving a math problem. In a history course, you may be asked to compare and contrast two historical events or two leaders. In English courses, it is common to compare and contrast ideas, writers, and texts.

Complete the following activities to practice making connections by using comparison and contrast.

1. Choose one idea related to technology and reading/writing that you see addressed in one of the readings. Consider your opinions on the idea. Compare and/or contrast the ideas in the text or the writer’s opinion with your ideas and opinions.
2. Choose one idea related to technology and reading/writing that you see addressed in at least two of the readings. You could use an idea in the bulleted list above or choose your own. Compare and/or contrast what the writers have to say about the idea.

Rhetorical Analysis

Analyzing Examples

The authors of What Is BookTok, and How Is It Influencing What Australian Teenagers Read? and Look Out, Email. Handwritten Letters Are Making a Comeback use examples throughout the articles. For example, “What Is BookTok…” includes examples of BookTok users and posts, and “Look out, Email…” has examples of participants in the pen pal resurgence.

Analyze the use of examples in the articles. Use the questions below as a guide.

1. How does each example contribute to your understanding of the thesis?
2. Why do you think the authors chose the examples they included in the articles?
3. Are all of the examples relevant? Are there any examples that could have been omitted?
4. Is there a place in the article where an example should have been included?

Analyzing Process

Both Out-of-context Photos Are a Powerful Low-tech Form of Misinformation and To Navigate the Dangers of the Web, You Need Critical Thinking — but Also Critical Ignoring include processes for thinking critically while reading online. “Out-of-context Photos…” includes a process to detect misused photos, and “To Navigate the Dangers…” includes a process for lateral reading.

Choose one of the readings and analyze the author’s inclusion and explanation of the process. Use the questions below as a guide.

1. Is it clear why the process is helpful or useful to the audience?
2. Attempt to follow and apply the process explained in the article you chose, either detecting misused photos or reading laterally. Is the process detailed and clear enough for readers to be able to use it without confusion?
3. What additional details, if any, should be added to clarify the process?
4. Are there any details that are unnecessary and should be removed?

Evaluating Sources

Choose one of the following articles: The Enduring Power of Print for Learning in a Digital World or 7 Tips on How to Take Better Notes.

The links in the articles serve as citations or references to the sources where the writers obtained their information. In the article you chose, click on the links to evaluate the sources. Use the questions below to guide your evaluation.

1. Does the source seem reputable? Has the information from the source been reviewed by editors or experts?
2. Does the author include enough details and information from the source, or should the author have included more information to provide a clearer context?
3. Is there anything the author should have told the audience but omitted?
4. Does the author misrepresent or misuse any of the research?
5. Does the source seem current enough, or should the author(s) should have searched for a more recent source? (The need for currency varies according to the topic.)