Reflection Paper
Joohee Son
MSTU4016
12/18/09
Introduction
As a person who has over 15 year working experiences and has currently come back to the school, the allegory of the cave by Plato allowed me to be encouraged of the decision to continue my studies as well as to understand the role of communication technology, which brought new world into most people in the society. I chose to pass through the way of education from my empirical teaching experiences to ideal knowledge of instructional technology for teaching career, planning to introduce the new method of learning English to the students. Especially, the study of ‘The history of communication’ course gave me insight of how the way of communication can affect on the quality of society and on the daily lives of individuals.
Through reviewing the reading materials and my blog postings of the course during whole semester, I came to realize that there are some pioneers to allow people to escape themselves from the cave, experiencing more externally and internally extended lives than before. This paper includes some historical figures that are interpreted by the author as very important to create huge impact in the history of communication, such as Plato, Gutenberg, Morse, and McLuhan. Plato and McLuhan seem to have possessed insightful thought of historical communication at the time and that’s why they brought heated argument and followers into even current period. Gutenberg and Morse also are believed to have created a new way of life into the society by their inventions of communication technology. I think the impact which printing press and telegraph caused into the history of communication seems compatible to the change which historically important leaders in the world brought into the society.
Plato
Dialectic discourse & Communication
Historically, there have been transitions of the roles of human beings when they were exposed into the communication environment. During Homer’s period (around 800 B.C.), there was no concept of ‘human soul’ and only interference of God made the thinking possible. People were passively identified into the characters of Iliad and poet’s own interpretation of the stories was very decisive to the people. The impact which the poet brought into the audience was strong enough for people to be absorbed by the content of the story, which could be very dangerous in a current point of view. In around 500 B.C., Protagoras contended that human beings already had intellectual ability, and rhetorical skills in the speech were critically important for their success. It was quite an advanced approach for human beings compared to previous communication methods, though, it was still limited communication between people with lack of insight in speaker’s internal world.
Passing around 400 years from Homer’s period, Plato (400 B.C.) introduced the dialectic communication method into the people, which requires logical reasoning dialogue method. It helped people be aware of them and start to think objectively in the communication. When we consider historical background that most people were used to passive communication each other, he is believed to suggest very constructive way to build up knowledge. If we think how many times we tell our children to explain clearly about their opinions, Plato can be considered a real forefather of education even today.
From the allegory of the cave, Plato explained that most common people who are ignorant of ideal knowledge and used to their daily lives could be changed into the people who experience ideal knowledge by way of education. It makes me even thrilled by the extent to which the theory is applicable until now. He compared the concept of empirical experience and ideal knowledge with examples of ‘cave’ and ‘sun’ from the allegory. Even though there was ways of communication by using oral method before Plato, his dialectic method of communication allowed people to move their current level of cave status onto upper knowledge level of outside the cave. As an English educator, I really respect Plato’s point of view that Education should play a key role to improve the quality of life and learners should be encouraged to build up their own knowledge by way of logical thinking and dialectic communication.
Gutenberg
Printing Press & Communication
Even before Gutenberg’s printing press, there was written form of communication, but his invention of printing press seems to have installed the ‘wheel’ into the communication. With more accessibility of the reading materials, people came to read more easily and cheaply, experiencing more individualized and extended form of lives. When people communicate each other, they could refer other reading sources conveniently, mentioning by pages or other standardized forms in the book. They could preserve the message and distribute it to many other people at the same time and even to the next generation. Especially printing allowed the young people to be educated effectively as a way of written materials, such as for Christian doctrine or morality. As a Christian, I really appreciate the bible study from Sunday school teachers, which educates my children more professionally and effectively than I teach them about how to live as a Christian.
When Victor Hugo mentioned that “The one will kill the other”, people worried that printing will destroy the power of church and architecture. Especially, by 15th century, the architecture was considered as a kind of great book, in which people used the ‘art of memory’ to associate memory image in visualized locations. People put the emotionally meaningful memory into the parts of the building, and are reminded of memory by a certain part of the building. It is such a huge paradigm shift to me by the fact that people could consider a building as a book itself, which had to be limited by time and space, though. By reading the bibles individually, they could directly communicate with God, not through the priest who could possess and read the Latin words on the bible. People must have felt more than blessed and could develop their faith toward God.
Before the printing press, most people could not possess the book individually, and only a few people who possessed books had to read loudly to transmit the content to others, which can make readers hard to internalize their own thinking. With the help of printing press, people could read the books silently by themselves, and they could communicate with their internal voices. They could reflect their own understanding and could manipulate the amount and speed of reading depending on individuals.
Especially, printing materials could be distributed to many people with the same message. They didn’t have to memorize the content to transmit them to other people and just could carry and pass the book to the person. After reading newspapers on the same day, people could communicate each other about what happened last night, which could provide people with strong sense of community they live in. If we walk by on the street on Saturday morning and happen to meet our neighbors, the topic from the current newspapers can be a wonderful source of communication and becomes a strong rope to unite us as neighbors.
Morse
Telegraph & Communication
If the printing press is the wheel of communication, the telegraph can be the ‘wing’ to make the message fly to the receiver. With the help of industrial revolution, ‘Telegraph’ separated the communication from the transportation. When we consider historical background, the invention of writing and the invention of wheel vehicles were produced almost together between 3500 B.C. and 3000 B.C. during pre-modern period and they performed great team play in society. Therefore, the separation caused by telegraph from the transportation was very meaningful in history of communication and people could receive the message even before the train reached them. Morse (1838) expected the concept of ‘global village’ by creating telegraph, which connected the people each other without being limited by time and space. If we think about how much people are thrilled at the scale and the speed which the internet bring into the current society, telegraph seem to have provided the path with the people from the cave to the sun.
The standardized language of telegraph brought the objectivity of communication to the people, which was helpful for power group to possess the consistent system for controlling many people. With more refined languages, people could filter out more emotional feeling of the message by telegraph, which is efficient to distribute the message to control the group. Especially in urgent situations, the power of telegraph would be very strong to give the message to a large number of people easily and quickly. Just a few words by telegraph could have saved a lot of people to escape from dangerous situations in the war and could have made the people go to be with their families just before their passing away.
McLuhan
Current media & Communication
McLuhan is one of the representative intellectual people who understood the social impact of media in current society, whose point of view brought a lot of argument from the people, though. He contended that media affects society not by the content but by the characteristic of medium itself, mentioning “Medium is the message”. I don’t think he totally ignores the content, but he seems to focus on the importance of the change of scale and speed of communication technology. Moving from telegraph through telephone to the internet, the content of the message has not been totally changed when compared to the speed and scale of communication technologies. Back then, we could call one of our families who lived far away and celebrated their birthday, but now we can video conferencing call to the people on their birthday and can see each other and celebrate them with a sound effect from the computer.
The benefit of online learning can allow more people from all over the world to receive the chance of being educated and continue their academic study without being bothered by their other life schedule. Many international students can take online language courses to speak with native speakers who live their own countries. For example, there are not enough qualified native English teachers to satisfy all the current needs in Korea and as one of the solutions about this situation, the online language learning currently receives a lot of attention from the government and parents in Korea. Especially, students receive more feedback from teachers and provide more responses during online speaking class. They can take an online course in their rooms at their convenient time, which is very helpful especially for Korean students who are not used to speaking in public. Definitely, we become extended physically and mentally by using the current media.
Conclusion
Passing through the course of ‘history of communication’ reminds me of the passing the route from the cave to the outside, which showed me the world of ideal knowledge about the communication and the society and gave me a confidence to continue my academic career in my life. From the impact which the pioneers in the communication created in the society, I come to be challenged by the changes which I have to introduce to my students after finishing my degree. This course gave me the insight of historic vision in the communication and education, which provided me a tool to understand the past and the present, hopefully the future.
Now, I can understand why the password of the course readings was ‘thinking’ because this course really made me think. Personally, I appreciate Dr. McClintock’s and Dr. Moretti’s insightful guidance through the course and Ruthie’s sincere support during the discussion group, all of which helped me to finish the course. Also, I really thank all of my classmates for providing their insightful opinions of weekly readings and appreciate their patience of my silly questions during the class.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Reflections of the final week, 15.
As the last course reflection, I'd like to talk about two concepts, Extension & Deep Thinking.
(Extension)
Personally, during the last 7 years, I've lived a life, which can be called, "distraction".
7 Years ago, I had to come back to Korea because of my husband's serving the army and had two boys (4 and 7 years old). And from the working, oh, there was always unexpected situation popped up almost every day. ( I'm working for the English institute and there were always calls from parents, asking their kids' performance or complaining of not enough homework.. Now, this summer, I came back to NY with my whole family. It means that I had to consider like dozens of factors to consider when I had to decide the area to live in.
Yes, we are being globalized and extended physically and mentally. But, at the same time, it seems that the importance of 'density' (I don't know exact word for this expression) is getting more attention, also.
For example, moving from one country to another country is a huge agenda because we have to set up whole things from the beginning. When I came back to NY, I had to make every paper document from the beginning, like new driver liscence or new bank account, new PSE&G bill address, new cable & internet account...
But, I think one of the biggest power sources I could handle all of these new challenges is the "FAMILY". I can be encouraged more than enough by my son's laughing or by husband's joke or by family call from Korea. Especially, I think after we move into US which is a foreign courntry to our family, we came to be united stronger. Like when we are out of our country, we feel more patriatic feeling of my country.
I could reach more people through facebook or by hundreds of lists from our mobile phones. But at the same time, I am more filtering out the people with more density from our networks.
(Deep Reading and Deep Thinking)
Yes, I believe deep thinking helps a person to build up the person's identity, vision, personality, or religion. What I believe that 'reflection' makes us objectify our selves or our situations and move on another step of life.
During this semester, this course kept me reading and thinking, which helped a lot for me to understand the whole picture of communication and it confirmed me that I have to continue my academic life in my life career. Especially, 'the allegory of cave' was very meaningful for me to reflect myself and to be confirmed about my vision as an English educator. I've written about this on my final reflection paper.
But, the thing is that I never used computer screen for my deep reading about weekly reading assignment. I always print them out and marked or underlined the important sentences and try to think deeeply. Personally, I enjoy the physical interaction between the reading material and me.Just occupied in a physical space, desk in my room, I can enjoy the touching the papers and breathe with books, sometimes the content or sometimes the author, and had an invisible communication with them or with myself.
I don't know just because I'm not familiar with the computer that much or maybe because this new media doesn't follow the density as much as the 'density' or 'proximity' of books.
More thoughts are left finishing this course, but I love to participate in 'thinking'.
12/17/09
Joohee Son
(Extension)
Personally, during the last 7 years, I've lived a life, which can be called, "distraction".
7 Years ago, I had to come back to Korea because of my husband's serving the army and had two boys (4 and 7 years old). And from the working, oh, there was always unexpected situation popped up almost every day. ( I'm working for the English institute and there were always calls from parents, asking their kids' performance or complaining of not enough homework.. Now, this summer, I came back to NY with my whole family. It means that I had to consider like dozens of factors to consider when I had to decide the area to live in.
Yes, we are being globalized and extended physically and mentally. But, at the same time, it seems that the importance of 'density' (I don't know exact word for this expression) is getting more attention, also.
For example, moving from one country to another country is a huge agenda because we have to set up whole things from the beginning. When I came back to NY, I had to make every paper document from the beginning, like new driver liscence or new bank account, new PSE&G bill address, new cable & internet account...
But, I think one of the biggest power sources I could handle all of these new challenges is the "FAMILY". I can be encouraged more than enough by my son's laughing or by husband's joke or by family call from Korea. Especially, I think after we move into US which is a foreign courntry to our family, we came to be united stronger. Like when we are out of our country, we feel more patriatic feeling of my country.
I could reach more people through facebook or by hundreds of lists from our mobile phones. But at the same time, I am more filtering out the people with more density from our networks.
(Deep Reading and Deep Thinking)
Yes, I believe deep thinking helps a person to build up the person's identity, vision, personality, or religion. What I believe that 'reflection' makes us objectify our selves or our situations and move on another step of life.
During this semester, this course kept me reading and thinking, which helped a lot for me to understand the whole picture of communication and it confirmed me that I have to continue my academic life in my life career. Especially, 'the allegory of cave' was very meaningful for me to reflect myself and to be confirmed about my vision as an English educator. I've written about this on my final reflection paper.
But, the thing is that I never used computer screen for my deep reading about weekly reading assignment. I always print them out and marked or underlined the important sentences and try to think deeeply. Personally, I enjoy the physical interaction between the reading material and me.Just occupied in a physical space, desk in my room, I can enjoy the touching the papers and breathe with books, sometimes the content or sometimes the author, and had an invisible communication with them or with myself.
I don't know just because I'm not familiar with the computer that much or maybe because this new media doesn't follow the density as much as the 'density' or 'proximity' of books.
More thoughts are left finishing this course, but I love to participate in 'thinking'.
12/17/09
Joohee Son
Response to Reading #14. McLuhan
When McLuhan says that "Media is the Message", I don't think he totally ignores the concept of 'content'. Just he seems to give a spotlight to the 'changes which the media brought into the society', I think.
When the people face advanced version of media, like telegraph, TV, or even internet, they already had tools to communicate each other. But the scale and the speed which they brought seems huge enough to change our daily lives with more extended ourselves.
There is a movie, "Iron Man" which is about that the main character wears a 'special tool' like a semi-robot stuff and he can fly even into outside of the Earth. When I look at what is happening currently, that movie reminds me of my current life.
I could extend my academic career by taking online courses even in Korea and can reach the people I want to contact anytime and anyplace by using Blackberry. It's so convenient to check out my e-mail even during the commute.
And the media is getting 'cooler' than before by McLuhan's definition because it's providing more options for us to participate in. We can make more customized our communication tool, for example, we can select more TV channels depending on our preferences or we can make our computer or cell phone screen with our kid's photo.
Yes, we are getting extended. But what about the density? I'm not sure...
Joohee
When the people face advanced version of media, like telegraph, TV, or even internet, they already had tools to communicate each other. But the scale and the speed which they brought seems huge enough to change our daily lives with more extended ourselves.
There is a movie, "Iron Man" which is about that the main character wears a 'special tool' like a semi-robot stuff and he can fly even into outside of the Earth. When I look at what is happening currently, that movie reminds me of my current life.
I could extend my academic career by taking online courses even in Korea and can reach the people I want to contact anytime and anyplace by using Blackberry. It's so convenient to check out my e-mail even during the commute.
And the media is getting 'cooler' than before by McLuhan's definition because it's providing more options for us to participate in. We can make more customized our communication tool, for example, we can select more TV channels depending on our preferences or we can make our computer or cell phone screen with our kid's photo.
Yes, we are getting extended. But what about the density? I'm not sure...
Joohee
Monday, December 7, 2009
Response to reading # 13, Beniger
Kind of long period time of silence between 'printing press' and '19 century' was bothered by 'industrialization'. The scale and speed of development seem to have experienced big step of upgrades by industrial revolution.
The power of technology started to affect our daily lives as Beniger took an example of 'Henry Crowell's creating concept of 'breakfast'. This example helped me understand easily the concept of 'Control of Revolution'.
Beniger said that before this guy, Henry Crowell, there was not exact concept of 'Breakfast'. Just people ate some food when they feel hungry after getting up in the morning. But, Crowell had a mill and could make mass production of 'oatmeal' and could use 'railroad' to distribute his product to the people. Also, he could use the method of 'advertising' or 'getting feedback' by controling consumption.
How perfectly he used all the power of controlling 'production, distribution, and consumption' with the help of industrialization! I can tell he is so lucky and smart, which seem two prerequisite factors for a success even today. Really I have to agree with this because our family start a day with creal as our breakfast.
What caught my attention was that Beniger's use of word, 'crisis' about the control. So I've thought about when we use the word, 'crisis'. I think we use the word, crisis, especially when we didn't expect the situation and even after we face it, when we have a hard time controlling them.
The speed and scale of controlling power of production, distribution, and consumption became so huge beyond the level of individuals and seems to have brought another identity which seems to have own life from birth, growing up, even to death with another generation. That is 'information'!
Like the movie, 'Transformer', wearing a huge body of robot, industrialization, the information became the huge real entity in the society which everybody has to admit the existence of it. But, personally what I believe is that we, human beings, can be stronger and control them because we do have our emotions.
Expecting more connection to the effect of our communication and existence as human beings..
The power of technology started to affect our daily lives as Beniger took an example of 'Henry Crowell's creating concept of 'breakfast'. This example helped me understand easily the concept of 'Control of Revolution'.
Beniger said that before this guy, Henry Crowell, there was not exact concept of 'Breakfast'. Just people ate some food when they feel hungry after getting up in the morning. But, Crowell had a mill and could make mass production of 'oatmeal' and could use 'railroad' to distribute his product to the people. Also, he could use the method of 'advertising' or 'getting feedback' by controling consumption.
How perfectly he used all the power of controlling 'production, distribution, and consumption' with the help of industrialization! I can tell he is so lucky and smart, which seem two prerequisite factors for a success even today. Really I have to agree with this because our family start a day with creal as our breakfast.
What caught my attention was that Beniger's use of word, 'crisis' about the control. So I've thought about when we use the word, 'crisis'. I think we use the word, crisis, especially when we didn't expect the situation and even after we face it, when we have a hard time controlling them.
The speed and scale of controlling power of production, distribution, and consumption became so huge beyond the level of individuals and seems to have brought another identity which seems to have own life from birth, growing up, even to death with another generation. That is 'information'!
Like the movie, 'Transformer', wearing a huge body of robot, industrialization, the information became the huge real entity in the society which everybody has to admit the existence of it. But, personally what I believe is that we, human beings, can be stronger and control them because we do have our emotions.
Expecting more connection to the effect of our communication and existence as human beings..
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Response to Reading #12, Carey
If the basic concept of 'wings' is to make living things 'fly', not limited by the space, I think 'the telegraph' gave wings to the communication. Isn't it wonderful to fly, free from the transportation and heading to the place with messages? Like all other generations, people had savior, Morse in 1838, helping them escape from the cave and experience 'global village', linking them with people everywhere.
From all strong impacts of telegraph, I'd like to talk about its effects on 'language' and 'power of controlling group'.
* Effect on Language
By the impact of printing press, people already experienced reading newspapers of same date edition in the morning simultaneously, enjoying their vernacular languages, not bothered by understanding Latin. But the characteristics of telegraph communication tools, dots & dashes, gave more objectivity and standardization to the language when people deliver the message. I think it may have possessed strong effect on giving the message to large number of people, especially in urgent situations.
* Effect on Power of Controlling group
There is a game, which is relaying the message person to person from the first to the last, and we always laugh, realizing the fact how much different between the first and the last message.
Telegraph made it possible to transmit the message 100 % correctly without misunderstanding to the receiver from far away area.
Surely common people could use the telegraph, though, I think especially power group must have felt thrilled by the fact they can use this technology to control the group, taking advantage of it. The power of control frequently comes from the power of communication, I think.
But, if we watch what's happening currently, like so many leaders or important people in public collapse by the power of communication, isn't it irony?
Joohee
From all strong impacts of telegraph, I'd like to talk about its effects on 'language' and 'power of controlling group'.
* Effect on Language
By the impact of printing press, people already experienced reading newspapers of same date edition in the morning simultaneously, enjoying their vernacular languages, not bothered by understanding Latin. But the characteristics of telegraph communication tools, dots & dashes, gave more objectivity and standardization to the language when people deliver the message. I think it may have possessed strong effect on giving the message to large number of people, especially in urgent situations.
* Effect on Power of Controlling group
There is a game, which is relaying the message person to person from the first to the last, and we always laugh, realizing the fact how much different between the first and the last message.
Telegraph made it possible to transmit the message 100 % correctly without misunderstanding to the receiver from far away area.
Surely common people could use the telegraph, though, I think especially power group must have felt thrilled by the fact they can use this technology to control the group, taking advantage of it. The power of control frequently comes from the power of communication, I think.
But, if we watch what's happening currently, like so many leaders or important people in public collapse by the power of communication, isn't it irony?
Joohee
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Response to Reading #11,Anderson
Passing through the invention of printing press, people in Western Europe came to face more indivualized society and now I want to 'imagine those communities'.
Personally, strong impressions from this imagined communities are 'more uses of vernacular languages' caused by gradual decrease of sacred language, Latin or Arabic and 'simultaneous factors' caused by newspapers and books.
There must've been very difficult to learn sacred languages, so it made limitation of making classical communities, but as there were more uses of vernacular languages, taking time a lot though, people could've had a concept of closer concept of national identity. If we think about the impact of language for national identity, thoses situations make a sense a lot.
Language seems to be a invisible rope to connect the people in a concept of 'nation'. I think , using the language, we can communicate about what/ why/ who/ when/ where/ and how. From the history of what language did for establishing a contry or maintaining it, the power of it seems very huge in the society.
Currently, language doesn't seem to be limited by the geographical boundary of nation. For example, English even make new concept of language community, which is beyond nations.
How many language learning communities are there through both off-line and on-line!
And the power of English moves onto making national identity stronger , not directly connected to every nation using English, though.
Also, 'spontaneous factors by printed media', as Anderson mentioned, gave a strong identity to the nations. Talking about the events which happened in our country today seems to provide strong national identity to the people. Yes, we're getting globalized currently, but at the same time, it's interpretation and experiences are happening with a pretty much national point of view, I think.
joohee
Personally, strong impressions from this imagined communities are 'more uses of vernacular languages' caused by gradual decrease of sacred language, Latin or Arabic and 'simultaneous factors' caused by newspapers and books.
There must've been very difficult to learn sacred languages, so it made limitation of making classical communities, but as there were more uses of vernacular languages, taking time a lot though, people could've had a concept of closer concept of national identity. If we think about the impact of language for national identity, thoses situations make a sense a lot.
Language seems to be a invisible rope to connect the people in a concept of 'nation'. I think , using the language, we can communicate about what/ why/ who/ when/ where/ and how. From the history of what language did for establishing a contry or maintaining it, the power of it seems very huge in the society.
Currently, language doesn't seem to be limited by the geographical boundary of nation. For example, English even make new concept of language community, which is beyond nations.
How many language learning communities are there through both off-line and on-line!
And the power of English moves onto making national identity stronger , not directly connected to every nation using English, though.
Also, 'spontaneous factors by printed media', as Anderson mentioned, gave a strong identity to the nations. Talking about the events which happened in our country today seems to provide strong national identity to the people. Yes, we're getting globalized currently, but at the same time, it's interpretation and experiences are happening with a pretty much national point of view, I think.
joohee
Response to Reading #10, Eisenstein
As a following impact of printing press, I think, Eisenstein covered very broad areas affected by it. Especillay, she mentioned of the standardization of reading material, which is the format and content of it brought strong impact to the readers, and it's very interesting to me.
I think if we think about the educational role of it, it is very meaningful in that they can more easily and effectively educate many people of Christian doctrine or moral concepts of what to do or not to do. Young readers must have absorbed the standardized rules of how to behave. If we think about learning how to behave currently, there is a lot of educational difference between learning from parents and from the book, which seems to provide more objective and professional knowledge to the learners.
Also, personally, I was very interested in her mentioning, 'people read the books silently, which is quite different from before'. I think it has a profound meaning of it because when there was not prevalent printed materials, a few people who possessed the book must've read it loudly to transfer the content of it, but after inventing printing press, people could read individually.
Especially, by reading silently, they could have more chances of thinking or meditating the material individually. Isn't it wonderful progress for helping people stand on their own?
joohee
I think if we think about the educational role of it, it is very meaningful in that they can more easily and effectively educate many people of Christian doctrine or moral concepts of what to do or not to do. Young readers must have absorbed the standardized rules of how to behave. If we think about learning how to behave currently, there is a lot of educational difference between learning from parents and from the book, which seems to provide more objective and professional knowledge to the learners.
Also, personally, I was very interested in her mentioning, 'people read the books silently, which is quite different from before'. I think it has a profound meaning of it because when there was not prevalent printed materials, a few people who possessed the book must've read it loudly to transfer the content of it, but after inventing printing press, people could read individually.
Especially, by reading silently, they could have more chances of thinking or meditating the material individually. Isn't it wonderful progress for helping people stand on their own?
joohee
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