Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Why connect? . . . . Phony or not?
So, we've been reading, and we've been talking about connecting, but why? What's the point? Let's discuss it. Below, in the comments section, I want you to answer the question: Why is it important that we make connections whtn we read or listen to music or watch something that includes audio and visual media (movie, film clip, tv show, etc). After you respond, then come back, and comment on other people's comments (nicely). You DO NOT have to post on your own blog for this one. I'll start . . .
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I first ponder, is it possible to disconnect when you read? I mean I know that sometimes people get caught up, get lost in the story, but aren't you always connecting to things as your brain interprets them from the written page? I do.
ReplyDeleteMy main strength as a reader is predicting, but I believe that it is important to make connections because it really personalizes the reading and listening and viewing experience. I don't want to get too in detail about my thoughts on this cause I don't want everyone to copy my answer, but these are my initial feelings about connecting. What is your thought about the reason we connect? What do you think about what I said about it?
connecting while reading helps understand what's going on. if you connect then you obviously know what's going on...or else you wouldnt be able to use a connection.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to connect because then you can understand what you are reading better. You can understand what the main idea is and what the author is trying to say.
ReplyDeleteI think that when you connect, it helps you to better understand the book on a personal level, and it makes the book more interesting. If we didn't connect, you might understand what's going on, but you're not getting the real point of the story, the underlying concepts, and the overall effect. It would just be a simple story, not effecting anyone.
ReplyDeleteFrom that I disagree with you Mr. Toland. I don't always connect to it, unless you consider not being able to connect a connection. I don't always find a story personally connectable.
I think that connecting helps you understand on a personal level what the Author is saying. By connecting you are able to have a clear picture in your head about what is going on. When we connect to visual, or vocal things we can see/hear what is going on and are able to connect with our own experiences.
ReplyDeleteconnecting helps you to understand what happens, it helps you to get to know the person by connecting yourself to the main character, also it gives you something to do.
ReplyDeleteI think its important for us to connect because it makes whatever we are reading/watching better. we relate things that are relevent to whatever we are watching/reading.It gets me personally more interested with the story. that is why I connect.
ReplyDeletewhen you read something or see something, you relate it to something going on in your life. when you make that connection, it helps you to understand that person or the situation better. Connecting is about understanding.
ReplyDeletewhen i connect i feel like i can get into the book more...like the story could happen to me if i connect enough! it keeps me entertained when i connect. and i like to think these cool adventures could really happen to me=)
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to connect because it helps you to understand what is going on. If you can connect to the character you are going to better understand the book as a whole and what the character is going through. I alsok think that it helps make it more interesting. If you have a connection to something like a novel that you may absolutely hate but have to read anyway, it makes it a little bit easier to read and get through.
ReplyDeleteI am always connecting while I read. It is hard not to. I think it makes it much easier because I can think about what I went through when I had the experience that the character did. Connecting helps you understand the character better. Connecting helps me read and understand the story nd the character(s).
ReplyDeleteroy i agree with you...the book does become more interesting when you connect.
ReplyDeleteI think that we connect because there are things in our lives that we remeber and think about when we are reading something or watching something on tv. We dont even think about doing it becuase we jsut recall them. we dont have to think about it. It also gets us closer to the people in the story or whatever when we connect to things because we feel that we have something in common with them:)
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ReplyDeleteso, pretty much everyone so far but toland thinks that connecting is about understanding. haha. =]
ReplyDeleteI think when you read the only way to stay connected to this book is to connect with your life stories. We connect so we can predict what is going to happen in the story and summerize what we already read. Then when you go back to think of what happened you can think of the connections you made to the book. That is why we should connect.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mr. Toland i personally agree with i think to really like a book or a story you need to connect with to a personal level.
I think its good that we connect and talk about our connections and questions during class because it makes us connect with Holden more and his feelings. It also helps us understand the book more and whats going on.
ReplyDeleteZach, i like making a picture in my head too! its like a movie in ur brain!
ReplyDeleteBy connecting to stories, it becomes a more intense experience while reading. For example, you can read "She had golden hair and deep blue eyes that smiled when she did". Yes it sounds pretty and you can probably picture it, but now if you take somebody you know that fits that description, your perception of that character will completely change. Connecting makes words come alive and allows you to really experience what you're reading. It will help you remember as well and bring details to light that could better help you to understand.
ReplyDeleteduring reading i usually get bored or think about something completely off topic unless the reading is not boring,which is unlikely most of the time. connecting keeps the reader on topic. it makes you think of things that you have experienced and you visualize that. connecting to a part of the reading allows you to much better understand what is being said throughout. it makes you think more in depth versus trying to go back at the end of it and think of what was said. it basically just keep you on topic and helps you get whats being said.
ReplyDeletei agree with fish and roy. its boring to just read something and not connect to it. it totally helps because then you have somthing else to look for while your reading instead of just reading:)
ReplyDeleteSo far I agree with what everyone has said. I think we all agree with why you should connect.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you,Lindsey, since connecting does help you understand the story and characters better :D
ReplyDeleteI think that connecting while reading is important because it helps you understand what the author is trying to say to you better. If I connect while I read it helps me remember what happened. I think what you said is right but I'm not sure about the disconnecting. I understand people can get distracted while reading but I'm not sure if I understand what you mean exactly by disconnecting.
ReplyDeletealright mr. toland...you asked how? if someone dies in a book, then you would connect by saying that i've had someone in my life die. it's like connecting to something personal/relating something that happened in life or in your life...i hope that answers your question...
ReplyDeleteToland, I agree with you! Even if you dont like something, you're still connecting. Clearly it's just not a good topic for you! I feel connecting is important because it establishes common ground and by connecting, you can relate to what you're reading or listening to or whatever. And by relating, you're making your reading or listening experience much more pleasant! Because I for one don't like reading or listening to topics that I don't relate to!
ReplyDeleteAnd Hana, I agree with you. Connecting does help in history too. When reading, I always try to picture myself in that time and place based on pictures and stories Ive heard about how it looked and felt like. Usually when I can really connect with a section, I remember it much better.
ReplyDeleteI feel that if i cant connect with a book that my mind really is not in the book. It really has to relate to my life in some way. I can understand better if it relates to my life. I think if we dont connect we may not understand wants going on, but every person is different. Some people can connect better then others.
ReplyDeleteclaire i agree, the book does get more interesting as you make connections :)
ReplyDeleteMissy i agree with you 111111111000000% you hit this one on the tip of the nail. And becasue you did so good i got my 2nd comment;)
ReplyDeleteI think your brain automatically connects. My guess is that we connect to better understand what we are reading. If we've had an experience like what we are reading we better understand whats going on. It's also a way of our brain giving us a visual so we know what is going on.
ReplyDeleteMaking connections helps us understand how characters are feeling. it helps us place ourselves in whatever situation is happening. I think connecting to books and movies is why we have emotions throughout such as laughing or crying in morrie and making opinions like we did in Monster. With catcher in the rye we connect to try to figure out the reasons Holden behaves the way he does.
ReplyDeletedone...commented on roy's and on mr. toland's comment that he left on mine
ReplyDeleteUsually when I connect, Im connecting to my environment, and usually I connect with myself last. It usually helps me visualize the scene, if I can get a feeling of who the person relates to, then usually I can imagine it better so I just usually connect automagically!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read a good book I picture it as a movie in my head. Isn't that connecting? You are putting yourself into the situation with the characters in the book. So it is hard not to connect to a book in some way. Even if you dont see yourself with the characters, you connect with them when they do something that you have done.
ReplyDeleteSo connecting helps you fully understand what the book is about by mentally putting you into the story situations.
i like to connnect when im reading because it helps me get in to the book. if i read something that i cant connect with then i often start thinking about other things and have to go back and re-read. i connect with a book byputting my self in the charters shoes and try to think about the how i would react
ReplyDeleteI think everyone connects while they read whether they try to or not. It seems impossible that you wouldn't connect while you read. If your not connecting you really wouldn't be digesting the text because you wouldn't be thinking about what your reading.
ReplyDeleteI think no matter the text one can connect to the reading. Sometimes you can connect on a personal level to something, but even in another reading you can connect to whatever. If it is a horror story, one could connect to a story they heard or a movie. No matter the book or story I believe it is possible to make a connection, whether personal or distant, a connection can be made.
People always connect with things whether they realize it or not. Connecting helps with building a memory and with that memory you can bring up relevant things about the topic that are noit in the thing that we are reading. It there for can help you understand the book and other junk better.
ReplyDeletei think that it would be impossible to not connect while you read, you just naturally do it with out even thinking about it. it helps you interperate whats going on in the book with out even having to try at all. i've never really thought about it that way before.
ReplyDeleteI think making connections keeps you interested in the book, and then you can take things away from the story. I automatically connect when I read a story that I'm interested in, but when I'm reading things I don't like, it gets harder. I use connecting a lot when reading ACT passages and things for school because then even if I'm not interested, I can still remember the passage when I'm done rather than just tune out what I'm reading.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I read a book or listen to music or watch something on tv. I try connecting to the characters or what they are saying, because for me that helps me understand what is going on and why someone feels the way they do. I find myself connecting all the time, because it helps me relate to things I have done and it helps me understand more.
ReplyDeletei think it is important to connect to what i read for many reasons. if i cant connect to a book, or it is hard for me to connect to what i am reading, the book gets boring! when i connect i can picture what is going on. it makes it easy to imagion what the characters look like, what their personality is like, ect. the book flows alot better when i connect because connecting leads to asking questoins, predicting, and so on. =)
ReplyDeletewhen you connect with a story you stay more focused while reading it and have a better understanding of it, for example i have made no connections, therefor i have no clue what is goin on whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteConnecting, as well as helping you understand what is happening in the book, it also keeps you focused so that you're not reading the words without actually 'reading' the words. Also, if you can connect to something a character in the book has done, it can help you understand why they might have done that and what they were feeling about the whole situation.
ReplyDeleteif i can connect with something, then i feel like i get more into the story. it's almost as if i can imagine how the character's feeling or what they're going through.
ReplyDeleteand everyone at one point or another, consciously or not, connects. it may be something simple or something that no one else has any idea what it is, except you. and when that happens, it kind of makes you feel special. :)
I connect all the time. Its mostly when/while i read. Im always thinking about what is going to happen next. I also think its important because it keeps you thinking and keeps you interested in the book. I know i cant read a book that i cant connect to some way in my life, or the experences ive gone through. So connecting to me is really a helpful thing:).
ReplyDeleteI think connecting is just a natural part of reading. You automatically do it, just like you automatically infer, predict, and use imagery without thought. Connecting I think is the easiest strategy because you understand what you're reading on a more personal level. You can connect a book to different experiences you've had or people you've met.
ReplyDeletei agree with you roy. except for the part about disagreeing with mr. toland. i always connect when i read
ReplyDeleteI agree with you wampler... if the book is more interesting than it would be easier to connect with.
ReplyDeletewhen i read, its very hard for me to get into a book. i usually start thinking of something totally off topic while im reading. when i read i think of random things like what im going to do over the weekend or what made me mad, something along thoes lines. Thats why i connect while i read, because if i dont i will be completely lost. connecting helps me understand whats going on and helps me stay focused :) !
ReplyDeletei think people connect to try and make the story seem like its there life. when people conect it with there life they can understand it more and it seems more personal to them. also it might make them want to read the story more
ReplyDeleteI believe connecting is very important while reading. It helps me relate to the story and get a better understanding of it. While reading I like to play a little movie in my head and connecting make it easier to visualize. Also I find connecting the easiest out of the strategies and the most helpful.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dallas and Maddie =) when i don't connect to what im reading I start thinking about what I am going to do after school, this weekend, and so on. connecting keeps me on track and helps me while i read and when im done as well. =)
ReplyDeleteI believe it is important to make connections while we read/watch something. To me it makes the story or show more interesting that I am able to relate to it. I also believe that making connections will give you a better understanding about what is going on at the time.
ReplyDeletei almost have to connect when i read because if i dont i lose whats going on and i start to lose focus. I dont realize i have been reading but not paying attention to the book until i have read a whole page. SO then i have to go back and read that section again. That is why connecting while i read is a very important thing with me. Reading is really the only thing i have to connect with because its the only thing i lose focuse on .
ReplyDeleteIt's important to connect so we don't miss tiny details our brains would otherwise automatically disregard.
ReplyDeleteThe connections that come naturally are the important ones, however. Forcing yourself to try to find a way to remember what color Holden's brothers hair was probably won't help you understand the concept of the book.
Thanks for clearing that up Fish. Also, Abby, I agree that understanding is a component of connecting, but I was focusing on HOW we connect, not the purpose of the connecting.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with brooke and Wampler. Connecting does help keep you interested in the story and it helps to understand whats going on.
ReplyDeleteNeal, I do the exact same thing. It makes the book more interesting. Also, when they make a movie out of a book I've read I compare the characters in the movie to the ones I pictured in my head as I was reading.
ReplyDeletei was thinking the same hannah :)
ReplyDeleteeverytime i connect its usually something that has happened in my life . haha :D
I think that your always connecting and that it is important that you do. Your almost always connecting to whatever you hear,read or watch on tv. Connections help make you understand things better. Also when your connecting to things your following it and thats what your suppose to be doing. I think that a lot of people connect all the time they just dont know it.
ReplyDeleteomg claire and zach i LOVE to have a movie in my head. its almost as if im a director reading the book to see who i want to play who, where i want the scene to be, and also just to imagine how an actor would read the lines and dialogue. its super fun! :D
ReplyDeleteIt is very important to make connections when you read. I do it all the time. It helps me better understand what im reading and why its important. It would be very difficult to think about whats happining if I didnt make connections in my brain.
ReplyDeleteI think people dont necessarily try to connect when they are watching or listening to whatever, but their mind automatically thinks of things that relate to what you are currently doing. People who actually TRY to connect end up making themselves frustrated because if they dont think of a connection right away, then they feel pressured or what not because they cant think of anything. Connecting does help you out a lot though. It makes things more fun and stufffff.
ReplyDeletebilly makes a good point, sometimes that happenes to me and i dont understand anything
ReplyDeletei think connecting when you read makes you more interested in what your reading..if im not connecting to what i read then my mind wonders off and i think im reading but im really not..then when i get done "reading" it; i actually have no idea what i just read.
ReplyDeleteWhen im reading something im connecting to though, its like i got a little movie going on in my head because i can actually understand and keep focus on what im reading and remember it!
Peoples!! A lot of you are telling me it is important to connect - no crap! What you need to answer is what is important about connecting, not whether it is important to do or not! Read the question!
ReplyDeleteI think as you read you're automatically connecting to the story. That's usually what happens when you get to the bottom of the page and then realize you tuned that whole page out. You'll read a word, connect to it, then connect to something else, and then next thing you know you were zoning out the whole time you were reading the page. Although connecting is an important aspect of reading, meaning you are obviously understanding what you're reading since you are able to connect to it from your personal life. But on the other hand it can be somewhat of a distraction. It's easier in my opinion to connect to a visual or a song because you are actually visually seeing it or hearing it. You don't even have to be paying attention. You can just glance at something or hear a sentence that is said outloud and quickly connect to it. When you read, the only way you can connect is if you are completly understanding the whole concept.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Spencer that connecting is the easiest out of the reading stratigies. It also helps me out more than the other stratigies.
ReplyDeleteRon - Alec, how does it help you out?
ReplyDeletei agree with lauryn , if i dont connect with what im reading i start to think about other things and get totally off topic. Thats why i always connect when i read :)
ReplyDeleteConnecting is not only important for reading, but for anything that requires concentration and interest, such as education. If we are not able to connect the things we've read in the book with our own experiences in life, they become unimportant and we'll probably read them without getting anything out of it. On the other hand, if we do connect, the things we read/learn stay in our heads, and we are then capable of introspection.
ReplyDeleteI think that's why I hate or have a great difficulty in math, for instance. I'm not able to make connections between abstract equations and the real world. It feels like as if it were like learning a foreign language that you would never use.
Wamp, explain more. Billy have to read anything to connect with?
ReplyDeleteIt is very important to connect while we read. Connecting with a book, story, or even a paragraph makes us comprehend the book. There is no possible way that a person can understand a book, but not connect with it. As readers we make connections with out even knowing it. Connections are nesessary and they are very helpful. We connect with personal expericences in our own lives that can help us relate to another situation. COnnecting is simply a part of life.
ReplyDeleteIt makes things flow easier, such as if you are listening to music or watching a movie that makes you think of something. It helps because you can actually relate it to somehting you have experienced
ReplyDeleteI agree with everybodys connection considering there all preety much saying the same thing. Everybody makes connections when they read. I think it is useful for everyone
ReplyDeleteToland - as for how I connect, it just runs naturally in my thought process. Which is why I HATE reading stratagies because then you have to stop and write down everything you're thinking instead of just enjoying a story or passage.
ReplyDeleteEm, excellent description of why we connect and what it is to make connections, however, the question remains, why is it important for us to make connections?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dallas, when I don't connect I start to lose focus and think about unimportant things.
ReplyDeleteSpencer you are so right. Connecting is the easiest and helps us tremendously. You are right on. YOu are so smart! YOu have excellent genes.
ReplyDeletei think the reason connecting is important is because it keeps you focused on what you are reading or watching and it makes the material more interesting. if you are reading a story that is very boring but the main person has a lot in common with you then that connection will make the story easier to read.
ReplyDeleteMovie in your head is an excellent example of what a connection is and ironically, I'm sure that a lot of people made a connection to your description of a connection - if you follow that. But focus on WHY it is important to make connections, not just how you make a connection.
ReplyDeleteKate, not surprised you agree with Lauryn. Matt, try not to agree with Spencer, just some advice.
I basically believe that if we don't connect, we don't learn.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas, maybe that's why almost everyone sucks at math, because we can't connect to it.
ReplyDeleteI agree wiht Emily F. I think that when your connecting your understanding and thats the important thing. I also agree with lindsay connecting is something that you do naturally and its a great thing.
ReplyDeleteKate good, Chloe good, Jago good, Thomas good. Connor, don't agree with Spencer
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Mapes connecting does help me put the book on a more personal level which helps me relate and comprehend the book better.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to connect so that you can better understand what your reading. When you connect to something you are thinking about the text more deeply and hopefully understanding it better.
ReplyDeleteConnecting is a key concept in providing a understanding of a subject. If you can connect to the subject you can have a deeper understanding of that subject. Which will further expand your mind.
ReplyDeletei agree with you seth
ReplyDeleteeveryone has great input on this one, and it just shows that there are many important things connected with connecting!
ReplyDeleteI think that when you try to connect it helps you understand what is going on with the story. Connecting can also keep you focused and keep make the materical a little more intersting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all people they are certanly grand connectors.
ReplyDeleteThomas I completely agree and I think you have the best post I've read yet. Anything I'm interested in, it's easy for me to make connections so I agree with what you said.
ReplyDeletegood way of putting it Randall
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Emily and Thomas. Math is harder than reading because it is harder to connect to
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Leanna, I love to have a movie play in my head as well. I think that is why books are AWLAYS better than movies. Because its your vision, not some director, therefore, you're connecting on a more personal level. Great thought!!!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to get to as many of these as I can, but I think what Tyler Sanders is saying is very valid. Think of it like this. If you are reading something and it is boring, then you might make a random connection, or your mind might drift, but you are still technically connecting even if the thoughts are off topic. Nice point.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thomas. If you don't personally connect to the story then you won't be able to pull out anything new. Connecting helps you eliminate what you already know and understand from the story so that you can concentrate on what you don't know.
ReplyDeleteGood Wamp I completely agree.
ReplyDeleteWe connect to things while we read or listen to music because it helps us to understand it on a more personal level. I'm not a huge connection-person but it definitly helps me stay focused on REALLY BORING topics like history. So to me, connecting is important since it helps me stay focused on what I'm learning. It also helps me feel more involved with what your reading so I tend to retain that information.
ReplyDeletei agree with lauryn. I almost always get off track because books are boring. If I connect I keep my focus.
ReplyDeleteI basically agre with everyone. Everyone is saying how they connect with real life and every day life events. Thats how i connect too. So i agree with everyone:)
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