{"id":14222,"date":"2017-10-05T17:04:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-06T00:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=14222"},"modified":"2017-10-05T17:04:16","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T00:04:16","slug":"if-reading-is-activity-why-doesnt-it-burn-calories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/if-reading-is-activity-why-doesnt-it-burn-calories\/","title":{"rendered":"If reading is activity, why doesn’t it burn calories?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to reality!\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take long to have to readjust back to reading (or not), writing blogs, gathering research resources, and developing annotated bibliographies.\u00a0 My blissful two weeks of experiential learning is surely over \u2013 or at least that was my attitude as I began reading the book \u201cHow to Read a Book, The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading<\/em>\u201d by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren.\u00a0 Admittedly I was skeptical of the benefit of tackling the reading of this dry literature.\u00a0 However, I did glean some good material from the text.\u00a0 There are three significant points which I will be highlighting.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Adler and Van Doren write \u201cReading is a complex activity, just as writing is.\u201d [1]<\/a> I appreciate the acknowledgement of reading as an \u201caction\u201d however I ascribe to Clay\u2019s further development of this concept, \u201cReading is a complex, problem-solving activity, which increases in power and flexibility the more it is practiced\u201d[2]<\/a> My initial reaction to this statement is – no wonder my brain is so tired after I read texts, journals, and articles<\/em> (and I am a little sad that it doesn\u2019t burn more calories).\u00a0 <\/em>The mental acuity required to \u201cread well\u201d is significant.\u00a0 It also explains the very real concept of brain fatigue.\u00a0 Brain fatigue manifests as mental fatigue, burnout, or feeling tired.[3]<\/a>\u00a0 When the brain has reached a level of dysfunction from fatigue, brain degeneration can occur.\u00a0 The following case example from highlights a classic case of brain fatigue:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A middle age adult is having a mid-life crisis and decides to change careers and go back to school. This once busy executive, who could multi-task without crashing, now finds that going back to school full-time in a new area of study is exhausting. He has to read the material a number of times to understand it. He comes home after a full day at school, and he is exhausted, having to go to bed by 8:00. He finds that home life starts suffering, and he is not able to maintain the school schedule as he had been when he was in his twenties. This reflects ongoing wear and tear, brain fatigue that the brain is not able to compensate for or manage well. This reflects more significant difficulties and reflects a growing problem with the brain.[4]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    Therefore, it is essential that the reader practices intentionality when it comes to \u201creading well\u201d. \u00a0Finding coveted time when the brain is fresh and able to retain material is crucial.\u00a0 The reader should also be aware of self-care.\u00a0 When the brain is fatigued, reading will not be effective.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 \u201cReading is learning from an absent teacher\u201d[5]<\/a>. As a college instructor, this concept resonates with me \u2013 getting students to read assigned materials is a struggle.\u00a0 Academics are often guilty of feeding students enough material that they don\u2019t need to read the text.\u00a0 However, when Adler and Van Doren go on to say \u201cwhen you ask a book a question, you must answer it yourself\u201d, it accentuated the very essence of why I believe reading is important.\u00a0 Reading – and then attempting to understand and apply the content \u2013 requires critical thinking skills.\u00a0 In the age of google searches, critical thinking becomes a dying art.\u00a0 As a society we must change the course on fast and furious information.\u00a0 Too much information is not necessarily a good thing.\u00a0 As a society that values critical thinking, expecting a student to read, question, analyze, and seek answers is crucial.<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 \u201cThe role of relevant experience, special experience must be actively sought and is only available to those who go to the trouble of acquiring it\u201d[6]<\/a>. Adler and Van Doren specifically refer to Science and experiments when discussing special experience.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to take the liberty of \u201carguing\u201d with the authors a bit and stretch this concept to discuss our trip to South Africa.\u00a0 I believe that all special experience related to a topic is important.\u00a0 For example, after reading and blogging about Welsh\u2019s The Rise and Fall of Apartheid<\/em>, I thought I had a decent understanding of the circumstances and history of Apartheid.\u00a0 However, my understandings were infantile in comparison to what we learned on the ground. \u00a0Seeing the sites of District Six and Robben Island bring history to life \u2013 in a way reading a book cannot do.\u00a0 I\u2019m a tremendous advocate for reading, but I\u2019m an even bigger advocate for experiential learning.\u00a0 While it\u2019s challenging to connect my research interest to this text, I can say that reading articles and books about the refugee experience in the United States in no way captures the face to face story and narratives of refugee people.\u00a0 Words are only a piece of the puzzle.\u00a0 When you look in someone\u2019s eyes, hear the tone of their voice, and see their body language \u2013 only then can you understand the full story.<\/p>\n

    While I can\u2019t claim that Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren\u2019s text is the most interesting or exciting reading we\u2019ve done thus far, I will concede to the importance of understanding how to read well.\u00a0 It sets me on an improved academic trajectory and gives me key skills to move forward in this incredible program.<\/p>\n

    [1]<\/a> Mortimer J Adler and Charles Van Doren.\u00a0 How to Read a Book.\u00a0 <\/em>(New York:\u00a0 Simon & Schuster, 1972), loc198<\/p>\n

    [2]<\/a> Clay, M . M . (2001). Change over time in children\u2019s literacy development . Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann .<\/p>\n

    [3]<\/a> https:\/\/www.wellnessresources.com\/news\/brain-fatigue-101<\/p>\n

    [4]<\/a> https:\/\/www.wellnessresources.com\/news\/brain-fatigue-101<\/p>\n

    [5]<\/a> Adler & Van Doren, How to Read a Book, <\/em>loc337<\/p>\n

    [6]<\/a> Adler & Van Doren, How to Read a Book, <\/em>loc2486<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Welcome back to reality!\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take long to have to readjust back to reading (or not), writing blogs, gathering research resources, and developing annotated bibliographies.\u00a0 My blissful two weeks of experiential learning is surely over \u2013 or at least that was my attitude as I began reading the book \u201cHow to Read a Book, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1033],"class_list":["post-14222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-adler-and-van-doren","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14222"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14224,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14222\/revisions\/14224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}