The past two classes with Diane Shaw in Skillman have solidified my belief that, while technology is incredibly useful for many things by making our lives easier, there is nothing like the real thing. We have had the opportunity to not only see original historical works, but literally touch them, creating a “hands on” experience in the literal sense. For me, being able to see, touch, and read one of Shakespeare’s folios epitomized this idea. While I have read about the folios many times and have read many of Shakespeare’s works, those experiences were nothing compared to the “hands on” experience of the actual folio. So, while it is still useful to have copies of Shakespeare’s folios and information on their history available in print and on the internet, the real experience and I feel that the real learning must be done with the physical text itself.
I agree that being able to actually touch historical works in class was a much better experience than simply reading about them online. Something about being able to see the actual physical being of a work in front of you really does make it more engaging and awakens the mind much more.
I also agree that being able to touch the works in class was a better experience. I feel the same way about books for leisure reading. It is convenient that I can download a book at any point on my kindle but there is something about holding a book and turning the pages that I enjoy. I feel like that element of reading is completely lost with ebooks.