Revisions mean Understanding

In modern times, drafts have denounced from their once hierarchy position and are belittled to a peasant. By this, I mean that drafts are out and Word is in. Word document has accumulated popular demand by the applications that it continually improves on for editors and writers alike. Features such as spelling and grammar check, comments, track changes, built in thesaurus, and more, accommodate the most basic writer in his piece. How is this going to affect future generations? The kids of the future will not have to worry about having to spell completely nor look for correct sentence structure with the modern Word document. I cannot imagine what improvements technologists have in store for the future Word. Technology is dumbing down the English language while building science skills.

In Dave and Russell’s “Drafting and Revising,” they brought about this point I am now conceiving. The way drafting has changed is radical. Technology has overrun students with this idea that the computer is a self-editer. The need for a printed copy seems outdated in a sense. Although research depicted no drastic improvement with hard or electronic drafts, the real question that should have surfaced is: what is true and what is false? Truth of the matter, “handwriting may teach students how to revise better,” (431). Through handwriting, the computer cannot operate for us – our brains would have to turn its wheels. The revision is necessary and practical, yes, but it is what we learn from revisions that make us true authors. The English language cannot be applicable unless revisions are taken seriously and understood completely. Any person can take words and make a sentence; however, that sentence can be manipulated to mean anything unless the correct context is used – which is where revision rests. With the use of revisions, it is understood that the student understands the assignment and completes it fully.

Now think about the future. To decipher what is practical in the future, one would need to call for a vision of the cyber era. This new world is complex and every corner is coded with the latest technology. Doors are now activated with synchronized combination patterns of numbers and letters. The cameras that linger on the rooftops are protruding and retracting as desired. Television sets are more than 3D but 4D in all senses. The control is within the swipe of a hand, and as for computers, they run the world. The computer is the one thing that holds every piece of information about each person. Every social security number, every transaction, every conversation is locked away in the database.

Looking back at the big picture, this era is run by technology. Clearly, the skills applicable for this world would be science; however, language, has decreased to a minimal. The spoken language is merely all the citizens need. There will be computers that can read the consumer’s thoughts and put them onto paper. If there is a need for a more complex vocabulary, the touch or verbal command with correct the mistake. The computers hold the language while the people merely live in it.

The relevance of this? Word document. The extremity is unlikely but not out of the question. This is just a call to action. To rethink the way drafting is done. Can we let computers control our thoughts and dumb us down back to the cavemen era? Multiple tribes are developed in a fashion where language is only spoken and, sometimes, depicted with symbols. I see that being the future – reversing time and replaying history.

Although it is clear that extensive research is needed to better understand what is being learned and what is being dismissed with the arrival of advanced technology, it is understood that we must “theorize how students’ conceptions and practices of revision are shaped by the intersection of technology,” (430). If we are to understand the English language, revisions are necessary. Can technology also be beneficial? That is controversial. The Internet makes it nearly impossible to know if these are ideas are original or preconceived by another source. It is also unknown to what extend a student relies on the computer and Internet to produce his story. With technology quickly advancing, research needs to begin on what must be concrete in English classes and what must be dismissed. An obvious answer would be to prohibit computers as writing tools until later years, but that alters the future of the children and the dependability on the technology era. This idea is left open to suggestions and not limited to what is referenced. Students are “affected” by “writing processes and their conceptions of writing,” (430). If the world turns digital, the English language will no longer be a hard copy but a rough, electronic draft.􏰁􏰅􏰆􏰙􏰋􏰎􏰍􏰎􏰅􏰏􏰄􏰖􏰁􏰘􏰄 􏰍􏰃􏰁􏰕􏰚􏰄 􏰉􏰍􏰈􏰆􏰃􏰅􏰍􏰉􏰄􏰚􏰐􏰙􏰄 􏰍􏰐􏰄 􏰋􏰃􏰂􏰎􏰉􏰃􏰄􏰛􏰃􏰍􏰍􏰃􏰋􏰜􏰄􏰁􏰅􏰆􏰙􏰋􏰎􏰍􏰎􏰅􏰏􏰄􏰖􏰁􏰘􏰄 􏰍􏰃􏰁􏰕􏰚􏰄 􏰉􏰍􏰈􏰆􏰃􏰅􏰍􏰉􏰄􏰚􏰐􏰙􏰄 􏰍􏰐􏰄 􏰋􏰃