Chapter 7: From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies by Dennis Baron

Citation:  Baron, Dennis.  “From Pencils to Pixels:The Stages of Literacy Technologies.”  Passions, Pedagogies, and 21^st Century Technologies. Eds. Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia L. Selfe. Logan: Utah State P, 1999. 15-33. Print.

Reading and Thinking

Literacy is connected to both technology and the pencil. Both devices allow us to communicate without speaking.

I think Baron’s main argument here is that new technological advances are always met with some resistance and fear of possible aftermaths, and sometimes there are alterior motives behind those criticisms. It really helps to put things in perspective. I thought the comment about the “backward wave” of new technologies affecting old ones was interesting.  it made me think about clothes.  We constantly recirculate fashion. 

Baron allowed me to understand a wider perspective of how items are created for convienance and learning. Baron explains his concept very well pertaining to the pencil being replaced by the computer. I had no idea that the main purpose the pencil was developed was for artist. WOW!