Technology and Literacy Tomoko Oda

•  access : There is an issue on access to the Internet in terms of connection. As Selfe (1991) states: "the poorer and the less educated Americans are in this country - both of which conditions continue to be closely correlated which race - the less likely they are to have access to computers and to high-paying high-tech jobs" (p. 7). Access to the Internet does not merely indicate pysical connection, rather it refers to social stratification. In other words, as Salfe (1991)'s observation, "in the continued reproduction of poverty and racism" (p. 7). Technology has created another social heirarchy between computer literates and computer non-literate people. 
• privacy : In the post-information age, writing a diary has not been a personal thing any more. Blogging opens a space to share a person's life with others. On blog, people exchange comments and enjoy these correspondences. On the other hand, people use computers for payment. In this proccess, they are required to provide with personal information. It beings them concers about where their personal information goes. The convenience of high-technology cause insecurity of personal privacy.      
• dehumanization : As Ohmann (2008)'s notion, the post-information age has brought humans a new competitive capitalism. This phenomenon has started since in the mid and late nineteenth century (Ohmann, 2008, p.24). However, the new age involves technology. Technology has intertwinesd with literacy which has been seen "a good thing" (Ohmann, 2008, p. 22) for economical and political development. People has involved the race of monopoly capital. Ironically, the computer revolution makes people become only key operaters (Ohmann, 2008, p.28).  This reminds the statement from my mother: "You use a computers but you are not used by computers." We, humans, should not be a slave of computers.    
• As teachers, how should we attempt to respond to these issues? Teachers should keep in mind that technology is a tool which share "someone else's logic" (Stoll, 1995, p.121). It does not provide students with experiencing warmth though physical human interactions and does not help them invent their own ways of solving problems (Stoll, 1995). As Stoll's (1995) observation, the computer can be a barrier to close teaching relationships between students and teachers. In addition to this, a computer can hinder imagination to improve creativity. "No computer can teach what a walk through a pine forest feels like" (Stoll, 1995, p.138). Five senses create humen creativities. Writing skills come from human hearts. In other words, five senses can lead to how and what they want to say. Computers cannot help such improvements and implementations. Teachers should teach what technology is for humans in the classrooms.  
• How does technology change/dictate our behaviors? Younger generation, especially teenagers seem to do two things at the same time. For example, they are listening to what a teacher is saying and are typing a computer in the classroom. It seems that their brain has developed differently. On the other hand, their communication behavior has changed. Even though they are in the same place, they are not talking with each other face to face, rather, they are texting each other. Technology has changed human behaviors in communication. 
• How should we help students cope with this impact technology has on us?: Teachers can teach what technology means to humans in historical, social, political, economical, and psychologocal perspectives. Students and teachers sometimes need to see technology from critical perspectives.   
• Discuss how each of these concerns might be addressed by teachers.: Teachers cannot avoid using technology in post-information age and in globalization society. While technology gives impact students on de-humanization, merely teachers can teach how students see technology critically and can teach how students interact with others with warm hearts and compassion. Keep balance between using technology and human interaction in the classroom can be an element key in the future teaching.     
• Is there any way for us to "turn off" technology? Is that hope, put forth by Brende completely unrealistic or achievable in some way?: "Turn off" technology sometimes brings more freedom. I sometimes turn off my mobilephone and television and enjoy a quiet moment. "Turn off" technology sometimes provide a chance to see myself objectively and differently.      
• Discuss how you might study these technology problems as a researcher? :

A book chapter "Literacy, Technology and Monopoly Capital" by Richard Ohmann (2008) provides me, as an educator, with many questions in terms of the concept of literacy in my teaching language.

The fist question is what literacy is. The term "literacy" has a lot of definitions, for instance, reading and writing ability. According to Ohmann (2008), literacy refers to "an activity of social groups, and a necessary feature of some kinds of social organization" (p. 30). In other words, literacy is defined as a social participation and a life itself. Historically, literacy has been believed as a "Good Thing" (Ohmann, 2008, p.22) in the fluidity of the modernization and capitalism (Ohman, 2008). This belief created the stratification between literate and illiterate people. However, Scribner (1984) who studied the Vai, one of West African indigenes poses a question what literacy is. In her study, she found that Vai is not actually an officially written language but it is functionally used in the society. Therefore, this language is facilitated for the people's social interactions. If Vai people were forced to have official language for reading and writing, where would their indigenous culture go?

Computers also created other stratification between computer literate and illiterate people depending upon whether people can operate a computer. To be able to use a computer, people tend impulsively to make money and obtain a higher education. They do not know that they are in a race of "Monopoly Capital" which involves competitive capitalism (Ohmann, 2008, p.22) as if humans become slaves of the capitalism.

In such circumstance, what can teachers do for students by using technologies in the class room? It is important to consider for teachers "What we have gained and what we have lost" (Sidler, Morris, & Smith, 2008, p.1).   

Ohmann, R. (2008). Literacy, technology, and monopoly capital. In M. Sidler, R. Morris & E. O. Smith (Eds.), Computers in the composition classroom: A critical sourcebook (pp. 20-34). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Scribner, S. (1984). Literacy in three metaphors. American Journal of Education, 93, 6-21. 

Describe several significant life experiences you've had with technology:

• in school

It was an exciting experience and a little anxious about writing about myself, especially in terms of a personal accademic background. It was the first experience to share what I have done with others. I feel nervous because my culture tends to hide personal things because this possibly means "showing off" what they have done. However, in American culture, it is important to appeal what I did. It is quite different and challenging to me.       

• at work

My Japanese class created a blog describing their interests about Japanese in Japanese. They put some pictures in order to give visual aids in order to exactly what they talked about. After they wrote their interests, they exchanged comments each other. It was a great experience among the students. You can see at www.genkinalama.wordpress.com.

• in your personal life

     My first exciting experience was creating my own blog. Although I did not use my   actual  name, however, I informed my friends who were interested in my thoughts to see my blog. They excitedly gave comments and exchanged even between audiences. The most wonderful experience was someone who has never seen or talked before accessed to my blog and asked me to write more. It was a wonderful experience that I have ever had. My personal bolg is www.genkisakura.wordpress.com. If you are interested in it, please access to it and give your comments!       

• Since your blog is public, be sure to pick experiences to write about which you are comfortable sharing with others

    If I write my personal past experiences, I may not feel comfortable to share it with the public. However, if I believe that a thing is important to let people know, I would prefer to remain anonymous. I enjoy sharing what happened to me such as happy, wonderful, amazing things that I saw and experienced though my life. The purpose to share these things is to encourge my audience's life as well as mine.

• Describing what the technology in the experience was
• how you used the technology: when I want to contace someone immideately or share something with others.  
• what you learned about the technology: it is convenience however it also comes along with risk, such as privercy protection.  
• what you thought about the technology at the time: it has become a part of my body. 
• how this experience changed/impacted you: The life also has changed. I has become more deminding to get something (i.e. information) and quicker.  
• Remember that computers are not the only technology humans have ever invented. For many kids, bicycles are the greatest technology on earth. Television is a pretty widely loved (and hated) technology as well. And there are more...

Make a blog entry focusing on these questions:

• Discuss yourself as an IUP C&T student. 

I am happy to be in the program. There are a lot of things to do, research, teaching, talking with people, and volunteering communities. All things would help me to see what langauge is for humans and what teachers can do in teaching language classrooms. I think that Indiana is one of good places to do these things. It is a small town however people here are very friendly. I still keep to practice English as a L2 learner. I sometimes practice pronouciation and grammar. My learning never end. It helps me a lot because I always understand L2 learners' concerns and difficulties. So, my goal is to a coach of language but not be a "teacher" in the classroom.      

• What has your experience as a student been like so far?

My interest research in my master's degree is how L2 students find their own voices in the classroom. L2 speakers face relacutance and anxiety when they speak out their own ideas and thoughts in English. My research focused on speaking orientation how they performed their language beyond their langauge difficulties. Therefore, my interesting is how students construct their voices through interactions with teachers.  

I was working on sociolinguistics focused on language identity among female Japanese students. The research question was how female Japanese studnets at an American university construct their second langauge identities. 

• What challenges have you faced?

My interest is relationship between learning environment and students' motivation in a foreign language setting. How do the interaction between teachers and students affect students' language acquisition. I am especially interested in a context where students learn a language in a foreign langauge context (i.e. learning English in Japan or learning Japanese in the U.S.)

• What aspects of the experience have been most interesting, positive?

My English teacher who taught me when I was in Japan how powerful language is. He always taught me how sensitive people are when they use language. I think that "sensitivity" would be a key of language teaching practice.