Shou-Wen Pai

Professor Agosta

UWRT 1101-006

17 January 2017

Scribner Reading Log

1. Reading critically is the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and

evaluate ideas, information and texts. according to University Writing Program.

Critical reading is when a person process the piece after he/she finishes a reading. The

reader should draw connections, conclusions, and look for evidences, etc. Reading

critically is important to our writing because we want to have the habit of being able

to analyze and digest our own writings. Make sure our evidence in our writings are

sufficient and reliable. Thus, improve our writing. My typical process of reading for

school is try to finish as fast as possible. I love reading in Chinese, but not in English.

Therefore, I always try to read as fast as possible so I can finish the assignment. Even

though I was taught to read critically during high school, I rarely apply it. However, I

do not know anybody that applies it regularly either.

2. To me, literacy means the ability to read. I think not just reading for

daily use like a restaurant menu, but also able to read books or meaningful writings.

Literacy is extremely important, because it is very hard to communicate without it. It

is the most basic education. Especially how advance the technology is nowadays,

along with the booming of social media. If someone cannot read, none of this

information on the internet can be received by him/her. It can also mean knowledge.

Being able to read deep meaningful contents can enrich a persons knowledge. We can
 gain an understanding of a topic like learning a chemical formula by reading the

textbook. Good thing the literacy level in the world is increasing.

3. According to Scribner, literacy is a topic most common people do not

discuss about because they do not understand it. It is extremely difficult to define

literacy. Many scholars and researchers has attempted to do so, however, even though

they cover all the important parameters of the concept, not all agrees to it. The reason

it is so controversial is because it needs to consider all the different angles. Different

educational programs define literacy differently. To define literacy, one must define

illiteracy, and that is another controversy. The problem is that, the people that

promotes literacy does not know what it is themselves.

4. What Scribner meant by literacy as an attribute of individuals is that

people focus on defining individual literacy, and they forgot that it should be

considered by society as a whole. Scribner points out that individual literacy and

society literacy goes hand in hand because without a society that uses writing,

individuals will be illiterate. As time goes on and the society evolve, the definition of

being literate also evolves. There cannot be a fixed definition of literacy. Scribner

clearly advocates literacy as a social achievement.

5.

Literacy as Adaptation This metaphor was part of what I was

...and groups attach to reading and
writing activities. -pg. 11
thinking about while I was answering
question one. It is a persons ability to
read to function in daily life. After
reading this section, I learned that it is
much more complicated than I think.
Since not everybody needs a certain
level of literacy to survive in the world,

Literacy as Power
...to claim their place in the world.
-pg. 12
Literacy as State of Grace
...and humanities as they have evolved
historically. -pg. 13
it is hard to draw the line how much a
person needs to learn. Not all
communities define literacy the same as
others, so how much is proficient? That
is a difficult question to answer.
I did not notice this problem until I read
this section. I realized that more
advanced countries have less number of
illiterates, and developing countries are
the opposite. There is definitely a
correlation. For a community to be more
powerful, they must have to be literate.
For example, countries in Africa has a
high number of illiterates, and their
country is not considered as powerful as
someone like France.
This is similar to the second half of my
answer to question one. Scribner
mentioned religions encourages literacy
by written word of their holy book like
the Quran. I think this might be the very
first reason people started to become
literate - to be able to read religious
writings. May not even be to
communicate with each other. This can
also go back to his earlier sections when
he mentions the definition of literacy
changes over time. At the time, being
able to read the Quran is considered
enough to be literate.