Talk+Pynchon+Luddite

Topic 3: Site Design 3/07/08
Read Pynchon's essay on Luddites http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_essays_luddite.html or pynchon essay This is one of my favorite pieces on how we view technology as both a source and destroyer of wonder. Much like the Cogs movie, this is a very challenging text. Your assignment is to give your interpretation of the piece AND to explain what technology tools could have made the piece easier to understand (think graphic organizers, media, etc.). If you had to use this piece in a highschool classroom, how much technology be used to make the piece digestible? Post your responses below.

6-14-07 - Site Design - Andrew Moshirnia
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3-7-2008- Site Design- Samantha Rist
In a nutshell, I think that Pynchon is simply stating that the gap between the Luddites/literate and those who were considered scientific is closing. Machines were once few between and “vulnerable" in comparison to paper texts and novels; and the Luddites were skeptical of technology as those who were technologically savvy could access any information they pleased, which took the nobility out of being a learned person. As being literate and well-read used to distinguish those of an educated, higher class from the working, lower class, information is now accessible over the world-wide web to anyone who wishes to learn; thus, the rich no longer have the upper hand in this aspect, since technology has the potential to take all of the hard work out of learning. People are using processors/machines more and more to become accomplished, which is also somewhat intimidating. A couple of technology tools that could have made the piece easier to understand would have been: a site map (in which the points Pynchon made could have been mapped out in categories like historical context, present connections, terms, etc); and perhaps a simple chart (in which the connections between Luddites, the “scientific,” and today’s learners could have been visually connected). As for using this article in my own classroom, I would use a power point (simply to break up/summarize the article); a graphic organizer (leaf notes, in which I would have terms such as “Luddite,” “scientifically literate,” “today’s learners,” etc on one half, and have the students define distinguishing characteristics on the other); and a chart as mentioned above, so that I can connect the beliefs and relevance of the learners to the context of my classroom/why each of their ideas and backgrounds are important to grasp when looking into the future.

3-7-08 - Site Design - Laura Draxler
I feel like Pynchon's article was one intended to enlighten the reader about the history of the term "Luddite" and how it continues to evolve along with our society. He used many historical "pop culture" references to illustrate his points, like Mary Shelley's //Frankenstein// and the implications of that new humanish technology on society. Also, the industrial revolution is mentioned, helping him to make a direct point justifying the fears and tantrums of the Luddites over possibly losing their jobs as well as their humanity. I felt like this article was more a commentary on how the Liddites came about and attempting to predict, in a very sarcastic way, what their reactions will be to future technological developments. For me, this was a history lesson with a vague warning about the danger and implications of technology as well as the benefits. Because this article is rather lengthy, I would probably have students read it in class to make sure that they would be able to stay focused at least a little better than they would at home. But before they read it, I would have them engage in a historical discussion about technology as it related to the Industrial Revolution and today's "digital age." I would ask them how people viewed these changes, what their reasons would be as for or against the change, their hopes and fears about technology. Having this framework, I would then have them read the article. Afterwords, we would use Inspiration as a class to draw parallels from the article to what they know about history to get a more visual understanding of what the author was trying to say. If this idea wasn't feasible, I could also see breaking this article down into a really not-crappy powerpoint to make the main points easier to grasp.

3-7-08 - Site Design - Chase Ketchum
This was an interesting essay in that it gave many good points to support being a Luddite and many good points against it. The point of the essay was to examine how Luddites have been viewed over time and what their true origins were. He claimed that often times Luddites were given a bad representation when there were many outside factors that could have been involved. People today might look at someone who is against technology and say that person is crazy, but Pynchon shows how this might not necessarily be true. There are many great things that have come out of technology, but as he explains, there are also many bad developments. He claims people should not be looked down on for being a Luddite, but should be seen for what they believe.

This was a challenging text to read. If I were to use this lesson in a classroom, I would want to have some sort of flow chart for students to fill in. Pynchon goes in chronological order when explaining the history of the Luddites. If students had a flow chart that they could fill in, they could rewrite each step in history in their own words. They could be asked to make a map in Inspiration to show the difference in the perception of Luddites verses what he feels truly happened. By making it sequential and visual, it would make it much easier for a student to follow.

3-7-08 - Site Design - Ryan Durant
I think that Pynchon's essay on Luddites was intended to address the preconceived notion of what people think of a Luddite, as well as to help people understand the history and meaning of what it means to be a Luddite. When I was first exposed to the term Luddite, the term was explained to me as being a person who dislikes technology. I felt the essay did a great job of giving the first account of when the term came to be used, meaning the event involving Ned Lud. I don’t consider myself to be a Luddite, but I think that if I were in the same situation during his time, I would have felt the same way. I know many people when I was growing up talked about how people were out of jobs due to the rapid increase of machines being able to do the work more efficiently, and cheaper. Ned Lud was just demonstrating how he felt about precious jobs for humans being taken by machines, not his hatred for machines, and how Luddites are about demonstrating what they believe in, and not just technology haters.

This essay was pretty difficult for me to follow, so I would go through and make a graphic organizer of the history of the Luddites that not only I would understand but my students would as well. If I were to use this essay in my class I would give the students the full article, but I would present only the relevant information via a PowerPoint, or by just having them take notes while I lecture. I may also do what we are doing now, and have them give their interpretation of the article, but then have a class discussion to address any questions anyone had.

3-8-08- Site Design- Alex Riemann
From this essay I feel like the author is trying to enlighten the reader about what a Luddite is and about the history of the term. He explained why people were with the Luddites and why people were against them. He then traced the history of the term and how the Luddites have changed throughout time. The essay also shows the attitudes of those who opposed different forms of technology and machinery and how they were criticized. To help better explain this to high school students you can have your students create a sight map that outlines different points and periods brought up in the text. To also help breakdown the text I could create a power point slide over important terms and themes that would help them understand what is going on. In a history class I would use this essay when talking about different industrial revolutions or when we talk about important technological advances that shaped history (cotton gin, printing press, telephone, etc.)

3-7-08-Site Design-Sarah DuPree
After reading Pynchon's article on Luddites main goal was to help people understand the roles and what Luddites are in our society over time. The article was interesting because i have never heard of the term used before. It was interesting to see that Luddites seem to have had a bad reputation since they are seen as people who dislink technology in our world. At the same time though it can be understandable when technology is taking the place of humans such as jobs. Overall what i got from this article is that the author is trying to explain what a Luddite is, where they come from-their background, and how they have been percieved historically. To make this article easier to understand for a high school student (preferably a history class) i would try to tie the article into a lesson of an event that could coincide with Luddites. Since i even had trouble reading through this article i think that it might help to provide a timeline, or a discussion in class on the article to better understand it and see what peers thought of it as well. A debate on the pros and cons of Luddite ideals might also help connect the students to understanding the topic as well.

3.09.08 - Site Design - Lindsey Jones
This was an interesting but difficult article for me to read and fully understand. What I took from the article was that he was informing the reader about the origin and real meaning of a Luddite. I thought he had some very interesing examples and stories and a humorous way of delivering them. He also gave kind of a history of a Luddite and how they were viewed over time. I think he did a good job of giving a different perspective than what most people may have. I also think he was trying to get across a message about how easy it has become (especially even more now) to gain access to any piece of knowledge you may want. This can be a good thing, but the ease of finding information can actually make actuall true learning take a backseat. To help readers better understand this article better, I think it could have been useful to have some kind of graphic organizer or timeline of the events he was discussing in this piece. There was a lot of information and history in this essay, and someting to help the reader see a simple outline of events to refer to would have been helpful. When using this in my class I would deffinetly have to make a power point of just the main points/information in the essay. I would also try to creat a site map for the students to refer to. This would help them see the timeline of events presented in the essay and help them to understand whant the author is talking about. I would also have to have a discussion in class of what the students think this essay is about. Class discussion would be very important in helping them understand this essay.

3-9-08 - Site Design - Travis Lindeman
I first heard the term "Luddite" a couple weeks ago when in a poem a friend suggested the word over my own phrasing: "archaic solipsism." In theories of education the term also refers to what I unfortunately align myself closest to, that of intellectual traditionalism. While I still maintain that the overall human predicament has changed little since the founding of civilization there is little to be gained if one teaches only within a context of traditionalism. I agree that this has been a common procedure to renounce the "new" as something immature or a phase that will move out as easily as it came in, but even if that is true I don't believe that it has any less merit than older pieces of culture. As resistant as I am personally to technology (my lack of facebook, text messaging, myspace, and the iphone, (my inherent Luddite sensibilities) I cannot ignore Marxist dialectic materialism that whatever arises in the future will be the result of all forms of culture up to what I can renounce as the most petty of all modern culture i.e. Sex and the City to what I baptize as the greatest i.e. FLCL. As the article relates to teaching, it will be impossible to deny the influence of all bodies of culture impacting the classroom atmosphere, and unfair to regard anything that does come up as less serious or worthy of acknowledgment in discourse. Regardless, I enjoyed the article almost as much as Gravity's Rainbow. If I were to incorporate technology to make the piece easier to understand, then it would have to be some kind of software made to organize an outline such as Inspiration, or my personal favorite for keeping an outline together is using the 'outline' mode in powerpoint. It is a quick and easy way to throw out and organize thoughts. If that data is then incorporated into Inspiration, it could be reorganized in a manner that make the points more cohesive.

3-7-08 – Site Design – Amy Gress
I believe that Pynchon’s article is about the development and evolution of the term Luddite and how it has evolved with today’s society. I felt that giving the history of the term was an excellent way of introducing the concept of Luddite but then the examples of cultural history helped to tie everything together. The use of the two books entitled //Frankenstein// and //The Castle of Otranto// were used to show how the voice of the Luddites did not change to much time and gave a good background of where the Luddites got their inspiration. I found that although the Luddites of today’s society may not be against the use of computers and technology, they still have their doubts about technology, especially the nuclear kind. As stated above, I think that this was simply an article about the history of the term Luddite. If I were to use this piece in my high school classroom, I think that I would have the students read this article aloud in class so that they would be able to discuss it in greater detail and be able to, hopefully, understand it better. I would also employ the use of a graphic organizer that would highlight the important themes and topics that the students need to be aware of. I would also make sure to keep the organizer’s information in a sequential order to further help to students to understand the topic at hand.

3-9-08 - Site Design - Sarah Peterson
This essay was definitely interesting. I think he does a good job explaining the reasons behind both sides and gives reasonable evidence to support them. However, I think it is a bit out of date for present day debates. The overall ideas still apply and propose the same question. Should we question all parts or accept them blindly. I personally don't see a group answer for that though. I think it's an individuals responsibility to find the answer to his question. The essay does a good job using references as examples. So, if I where to use this in a classroom I would have the students map out the arguments using inspiration. Or have them find pictures or other materials they feel like reflect the article.

3-9-08 - Site Design - Kristen Cunningham
I thought that this article was very interesting and informative, although it was a challenge to read. I think the author of this article wanted to help the reader understand what a Luddite is, how the term “Luddite” came about, and how Luddites have interacted with society as it has continued to change. Pynchon says that technology has become so important in our society that even Luddites cannot refuse to use it. Although, Luddites still have a place in society as technology becomes more advanced and unpredictable.

// I thought the article was challenging to read, so I would want to find a way to make it more easy to digest. I would probably use or have the students use a PowerPoint, some other type of presentation to define difficult terms used in the article and to break it up into sub-categories. The students could use this to better understand that the chronology that the author wants to convey and give them a better understanding of what being a Luddite meant throughout history and in our society today. //

3-9-08 - Site Design - Erin Cook
I found the essay to be entertaining and informative, despite its challenging nature. Pynchon writes in a comic way that keeps the reader engaged. I particularly enjoyed and appreciated his references to Frankenstein since I've read that book twice. Relating Frankenstein to being a Luddite brought me a new perspective on the book. The article was basically trying to describe what the term Ludite means and its historical origns. He lead the reader through a chronological explanation of what being a Luddite meant in a specific cultural context up to today's technologically growing world. To make the essay a bit more accessible, Pynchon could have used charts to illustrate some of his points. I think the reader would also be better able to keep up with the article if he broke the piece up with headings. A table of contents could be included at the beginning with clear links leading the reader to a particular section. If I were to use this for high school students, I would definitely provide them with a historical context of the Industrial Revolution and a literary context of Frankenstein if they didn't already feel familiar with it. I would also go over some vocabulary terms. This could be done using powerpoint. Using Inspiration, I would definitely have students create charts illustrating the progression of the understanding of the term Luddite. This would give them a good visual representation of the progression. I would have my students write about whether or not they think Luddites still exist in today's world and if so, how those Luddites exert and demonstrate their influence. The students could post this infomration on their wiki.

3/7/08-Site Design-Grant Noble
What technology tools could have made the piece easier to understand

Text to audio application Text to audio applications “read” on screen text aloud. Improvements are still being made to this technology, but text to audio applications are still a useful tool for reading comprehension. I would instruct students to read along with the audio in order to optimize the student's learning experience. Inspiration Idea webs can be used to visualize concepts. The students can arrange the different parts of this essay within inspiration in order to understand the text better. The Internet Prior research helps students with reading comprehension. YouTube, image searches, or even internet articles are good resources for prior knowledge. Having the students understand the article through prior research on a computer will utilize reading skills and technology skills.

How much technology be used to make the piece digestible

I would use one maybe two pieces of technology in order to make the piece easier to understand. Overloading an activity with technology, in my opinion, is detrimental. The author's message is best conveyed through his own writing. Technology may make a text more digestible, but, ultimately, the text must be read and understood. Eventually a point can be reached where students' will be lost in the technology and miss the bigger picture.

Interpretation of the piece

This article is about being informed. The author conveys this through a tale about a group of people called Luddites. The information in this essay is made relevant through examples from different time periods. The Luddites stood for something and happened to be misunderstood later on in the future. Instead of always assuming things about people, it is important to “walk a mile in their shoes.” The author did a good job of making the Luddite story relevant to today.

3-12-08 - Site Design - Alex Rock
The article seems to target educating the reader on the becoming of the term Luddite, and it role in today’s society. Pynchon went about proving his point by citing many example of pop culture, and their influence on technology and society. One of the points that he highlights is the fear of the Luddites fearing to lose their job and humanity during the industrial revolution. At points in his argument he discusses how the Liddites are predicting what the future reaction will be for technology developments. He seems to be warning us about the potential dangers and implications of technology; however, at the same time restating the benefits. I would assign the reading as homework and forewarn them that a quiz would be given to reward those students who took advantage of the enrichment opportunity. The quiz that I would give would be asking them to do some higher level of thinking, and not meaningless trivial questions. Partly because I am still bitter about doing poorly on so many trivial quizzes that still take place today at the University of Kansas. Anyways after the quiz, a class discussion would take place about the benefits and set backs that technology has brought to the United States. I would further question the students if they think larger parts of society have changed to technology. For example, has “Democracy” as America practices it, changed due to the reliance we have on technology. We would then assess the changes in American culture from pre and post the industrial revolution.

3.28.08-Site Design-Carolyn Sears
I think that the purpose of this article is to explain where our use of technology is going—to examine both the positives and negatives of the constant development of technology. I think that this author aims to rhetorically inform readers. He does present both sides of this issue using historical fact, but essentially, he frames this history so that the act of reading it moves the reader to fall on his side of the issue. That position is that of a Luddite he works to define—a person who is concerned with technological advances that ultimately could destroy human life, and one who longingly remembers a time before technology was capable of this type of destruction. As he explains, people of this viewpoint are a political a money making risk for those who develop this technology. I think that the point is to draw people into this perspective. He is not defining Luddites to open eyes as to what they really are as much as he is putting forth this history to demonstrate a real concern within this technological age. At the same time, he expresses wonder and amazement over the abilities of technology. I believe he wants readers to understand the value and risks that come from technological advances—to look forward to but also be wary of where they may lead us. I think that Inspiration Web is a really awesome tool to use with this reading. I would have students outline the reading and then make it into a web to help them better grasp the ideas. Because I may end up teaching English classes, I think this article would be awesome to use when discussing British Literature, it really does a nice job of bringing into focus political views of authors like the Shelley’s and Byron, and drawing meaningful connections with issues kids are familiar with. I think it would be really interesting to look at technology pieces on You Tube and compare views of technology (like the cogs video) and discuss the creator’s varying views of technology. Finally, I would like to work with the imovie program and the poem at the end of this article. I think that it would be interesting to see what students derive from this poem and then have them re-create it on screen. They could also use other artistic programs to re-create the meanings they assign to the poem and what it says about technology within the world we live in. I think that asking kids to define the ideas of this article would help them get to the core of what they think about technology today. I also think that these projects would help them to draw meaningful connections between the things they read in school, how they communicate using technology, how technology works in the world, and what those things will mean in their own life time. This level of synthesis is an awesome and fun place to take students. It is also a very valuable tool in deconstructing a confusing text and making it manageable.