Baron- Pencils to Pixels

Baron, Dennis. "From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies." Computers in the Composition Classroom. Eds. Michelle Sidler, Richard Morris, and Elixabeth Overman Smith. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2008. 116-134. Print.


In this article, Baron makes the argument that new technologies (from the "pencil to the pixel") go through similar stages if they "catch on" and the computer is newest development in a long history of literacy technologies. After a new technology is developed, whether or not it is widely used ultimately depends on how accessible it is, what the function is, and whether or not we can authenticate it. He takes the reader through a history of literacy technologies beginning with language itself, the use of clay tokens as the start of writing, writing itself, the pencil, the telephone, and the computer. One issue that comes up and is difficult to maneuver is the authentication of the digital world. As he says "As anyone knows who's lost a file or tried to revisit a website, electronic texts have a greater tendency to disappear than conventional print resources" (131). Finally, Baron brings up the same issues that have been themes through the rest of the readings in the book-access to literacy based on socioeconomic status and the technology fading into the background and becoming "natural."

I enjoyed the tone of this piece, and his integration of Thoreau as businessman instead of literary figure. I do have to agree with him that the computer is just another tool; however, with any tool, we need to determine whether or not that tools is best suited for our purposes and shouldn't forget that even the language we use is a tool. As a matter of fact, this reading (very indirectly) reminded me of Reddy's Toolmaker's Paradigm in that the technology (and literacy in that technology) plays a role in the communication created with it.

I suppose I should have guessed it, but there's a website called pencils.com that I thought was pretty cool, and relevant. At the bottom of the page, there is a link for the history of the pencil and free lesson plans on the pencil. Teaching with Technology right? :)