R-MA has a lot of reading programs to encourage students to read outside their “comfort” zone. In addition to all the reading done in class, we engage in Battle of the Books at the middle school level, and upper school students can participate in the Alpha Readers Book Club which consists of both students and adults.
One of the big annual traditions is known as “The Big Read” or the “Community Reading Selection,” which students in grades 9-12 and all adults are encouraged to read. This is an over-the-summer program sponsored by the National English Honor Society.
The book for this summer is Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Sherry Turkle (2011).
“Sherry Turkle has observed more widely and thought more deeply about human-computer relations than any other scholar. Her book is essential reading for all who hope to understand our changing relation to technology,” commented Howard Gardner, Harvard, author of Multiple Intelligences.
R-MA English Department Head Bob Davies sent in the following concerning the selection:
“Everything that deceives may be said to enchant.” Plato, The Republic
We are certainly “enchanted” by technology: iPhones, iPads, video games, Kindles, laptops, robots, HD, 3-D, mp3, Facebook, Second Life, avatars, the Internet, World of Warcraft. More and more of our lives are lived “on screen.”
Technology that was recently unimaginable now dominates our lives—and particularly the lives of young people such as our students. Where are our machine dreams leading us? Researcher Sherry Turkle explores the social and psychological impact of the brave new world of technological hyper-change.
Students and adults are invited to read this fascinating and significant work for summer community reading. In the fall, students may earn bonus credit in English class through a test on the book. Join the conversation and explore the ground-breaking research.
The book is available at the R-MA bookstore, or if you need to order it online, you can follow this link.