“Planning for Hypertexts in the Writing Center… or Not” ~ Michael A. Pemberton
The author of this article is a little too worried about something that to me does not seem like such as big deal. He states, “Writing centers without the technology or staff to work with these students will find themselves no longer in sync with how writers write and with what writers need to know about writing processes as they affected by technology.”Hypertexts are online books, citing them and obtaining the same information from them should not be a problem, it’s just the same as acquiring information from a hard copy book. I however can say that using them is not as convenient as using a hard copy book. For one it’s tiring on the eyes from having to stare at the screen for hours reading the book. In fact the student may acquire more information and gather more insightful thoughts because they are reading on an instrument with internet access. It is certainly much easier to look up unfamiliar words and concepts and look at what other scholars have thought about their reading. And also if the teacher has a discussion board the student can chat with his or her fellow peers and see what their opinions are certain things instead of waiting until the next day of class.
The author provides three questions to ask:
Are writing centers generally willing to accommodate hypertext?
Do writing centers need to accommodate hypertexts?
If a need exists, how should writing centers prepare to accommodate hypertexts?
Technology is the way of the future is rapidly progressing, the writing center cannot afford to not join this trend or it will be left behind. The only thing that I can see that can affect the writing drastically in terms of hypertext is having to read papers online and collaborate with the student online. This is very difficult to do, it is not the same kind of tutoring and although the student can still be facilitative in this collaboration effort it would only benefit the student more if the tutor was more directive. Helping someone with their paper via the internet is very hard it is much easier to do in person. The writing center could probably have follow up sessions over the internet but the first session with the tutor for that particular paper has to be in person.
“Hypertexts…sometimes threatening often unfamiliar-will probably exacerbate any hopes of easy accommodation.”
The author of this article is a little too worried about something that to me does not seem like such as big deal. He states, “Writing centers without the technology or staff to work with these students will find themselves no longer in sync with how writers write and with what writers need to know about writing processes as they affected by technology.”Hypertexts are online books, citing them and obtaining the same information from them should not be a problem, it’s just the same as acquiring information from a hard copy book. I however can say that using them is not as convenient as using a hard copy book. For one it’s tiring on the eyes from having to stare at the screen for hours reading the book. In fact the student may acquire more information and gather more insightful thoughts because they are reading on an instrument with internet access. It is certainly much easier to look up unfamiliar words and concepts and look at what other scholars have thought about their reading. And also if the teacher has a discussion board the student can chat with his or her fellow peers and see what their opinions are certain things instead of waiting until the next day of class.
The author provides three questions to ask:
Are writing centers generally willing to accommodate hypertext?
Do writing centers need to accommodate hypertexts?
If a need exists, how should writing centers prepare to accommodate hypertexts?
Technology is the way of the future is rapidly progressing, the writing center cannot afford to not join this trend or it will be left behind. The only thing that I can see that can affect the writing drastically in terms of hypertext is having to read papers online and collaborate with the student online. This is very difficult to do, it is not the same kind of tutoring and although the student can still be facilitative in this collaboration effort it would only benefit the student more if the tutor was more directive. Helping someone with their paper via the internet is very hard it is much easier to do in person. The writing center could probably have follow up sessions over the internet but the first session with the tutor for that particular paper has to be in person.
“Hypertexts…sometimes threatening often unfamiliar-will probably exacerbate any hopes of easy accommodation.”
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