In this week’s reading from Brain Gain (2012), Marc Prensky expands upon the theme of “digital wisdom” by providing examples of emerging technologies that examines the extent that they may contribute “brain gain” and/or “digital wisdom.” Analyzing the subject of technological advances in this way definitely takes away some of the unease I felt beginning this book. I am still not comfortable with the possibility of pharmaceuticals being prescribed to enhance our brains, but I am beginning to see that this might be my own personal “yuck factor” bias. I enjoyed the sections on “Brain Gain and Digital Wisdom from Combining Mind and Technology to Improve our Relations with other People” and “Brain Gain and Digital Wisdom from Combining Mind and Technology to Involve our Whole Planet,” because as social beings, I think we improve greatly when we can have more meaningful interactions with each other.
In chapter three of The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to Our Brains (2010), Nicholas Carr describes the four technology groups, and the impact of “Intellectual Technologies” on our brains. While I have long accepted that maps and books are forms of technology (digital or not), I had not considered before that written systems of language are technologies as well. As a future English teacher, and student of several world languages, I find it interesting that different ways of recording language shape the brain in different ways, and that our language is changing based on interaction with technology. I also thought about how written language was a big advancement for ancient society, but it is so much an intrinsic part of my everyday life that I cannot imagine a world without it. I wonder if elderly Sumerians, who had spent their lifetimes using counting tokens and and painted images to record their thoughts, were as wary of cuneiform as my grandma is of e-mail.
Come to think of it, I am not sure I am as fluidly comfortable with many of today’s technologies as my children and grandchildren will be. I still like to go backpacking out in the wilderness, and part of the appeal is that I am separated from my digital devices. Obviously, technology is still following me, because the average outdoor enthusiast never goes without matches, a knife, and a compass, so what is it about cellular service and glowing screens that I am so eager to leave behind? Even though we had a personal computer in my house when I was quite young, I am starting to wonder if the fact that I did not start interacting with digital media on a daily basis until adulthood makes it less meaningful to me.
I have to admit, though, I might start bringing my Kindle backpacking with me. I have a Paperwhite, which has a built-in adjustable light, making it ideal for nighttime and beach reading. I have really appreciated the light, and the device’s light weight, as these features make it possible for me to read my assignments where ever I am, whenever I have a spare minute or two. I usually use my iPhone or Kindle to read through the chapters, then I go back and review my notes and highlights on my PC. I learned this week that the iPhone App lets me “favorite” especially important highlights by selecting a blue star.
Screenshots of highlights from Brain Gain (Prensky, 2012).
Also, highlights on my Kindle device (but not on the PC or iPhone versions) display page numbers, but I have yet to determine if these page numbers correspond to printed editions, or just my current Kindle view. If it these page numbers do correspond with printed editions, then I have solved my problem from last week.
Sources:
Carr, N. (2010). The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Prensky, M. (2012). Brain Gain. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishers.
Heidi Reimer's bPortfolio 
Heidi,
I agree that the idea of using pharmaceuticals being prescribed to enhance our brains seems a little strange at first. Although, I must admit I think medications do have a place in researching the before and after effects of them. I was surprised when I began to research all the ways medication are tested that we have no idea about.
Also, I have the same experience with technology as you. We did not have a home computer until I was in high school but I did not even use it much more than just for homework. In college I did not have my own computer and often used my friend’s or went to the computer labs on campus. The labs were open 24 hours so it was a nice feature to have for those who did not have the ability to own their own computers.
I am also enjoying being able to have my kindle with me, so I can read our course content even when I am away from home. It is difficult to carry textbooks around but it is nice to have the option to use multiple devices to read a book.