blog post
Make reading fun: a literacy debate
posted by Otis on July, 29
I just read a very interesting article on reading. It mentioned a trend that many kids are now reading online instead of printed books. One reason given was that:
"'The Web is more about a conversation,' he said. “Books are more one-way."
I think this is dead on. This is one of the main goals of Goodreads: to bring the conversation to books. And we're always looking for better ways to make reading more fun.
If you have any ideas, please post your ideas here. Would you like to see reading a book as a group activity with a conversation built-in?
posted by Otis on July, 29
I just read a very interesting article on reading. It mentioned a trend that many kids are now reading online instead of printed books. One reason given was that:
"'The Web is more about a conversation,' he said. “Books are more one-way."
I think this is dead on. This is one of the main goals of Goodreads: to bring the conversation to books. And we're always looking for better ways to make reading more fun.
If you have any ideas, please post your ideas here. Would you like to see reading a book as a group activity with a conversation built-in?
comments (showing 1-4 of 4) (4 new)
date
newest »
newest »
I don't think hanging out on facebook and reading war and peace belong in the same category. When you drive you read billboards and traffic signs, but are you really reading?
I agree with Michael. Whereas discussing what you have read online with others is wonderful, and reading articles, essays, poems, novels, etc... from your computer is great, I don't think that is what most kids these days are doing. It is all about facebook or myspace chats filled with netspeak: hope u keep it reelz, ttyl! :-D And articles such as the one Otis read does what many journalists do. A few small, isolated examples are over-generalized into "trends". My mother, brother, and sister-in-law have or had all worked in public schools as teachers and librarians. I can tell you, they've seen little to none of this trend. But I will admit, the computer and the Internet are underused tools in turning kids on to reading, especially those who need to be weaned off TV, the Internet, and video games.
I think the site is great but still needs refiningin terms of design I think it could have an even more book like theme ,eg. this area of text could be made look like the page of a book with stacks of books on one side and the spine of a book on the other and the tabs at the top could be made look like bookmarks
and the site could have a slogan like 'making reading fun'
maybe a stream like a slideshow of books could be a way of browsing
and if themes of books were more prominent/accesible like in a library making the layout more organised like a bookshop/library
also if you could be recommended books based on what you have already would be good
something like this site
http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/searc...
also if buying and bartering books was more prominent would be good
and maybe a link up with bookcrossing http://www.bookcrossing.com/ to make it more fashionable
more colour on the site would be good too
also I think this site http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/
deserves a mention ,an uncomplicated online book sellers who deliver free worldwide
also a mobile version of the site would make it more accesible for a lot of people
thanks for the site ;)
