Paul Barnwell's Speech

As society grows, technology grows with it. Technology has been around for many years and advances at the same rate, if not faster, than humans. It is remarkable how much technology has developed, yet it is also terrifying. We, as humans, rely on our technology to entertain us, to speak for us, and even to think for us. In Paul Barnwell’s article, “My Students Don’t Know How to Have a Conversation,” he effectively uses rhetorical strategies through the use of imagery, relating to the readers, and using his credibility as a teacher to convey to his readers that students rely heavily on technology to a point where they cannot communicate to another human being without using their screens as a crutch. Barnwell is a high school junior English …show more content…
He declares that his, “[S]tudents were covertly—or so they thought—pecking away at their smartphones under their desks” (Barnwell). He uses this imagery to show what the actual problem is. He argues that they are too caught up on their cell phones, checking their social media to actually participate in class and have a real social discussion. His students are fidgeting and eager to return to their online world just like many other students across the nation are. Descriptive details help Barnwell visually portray what he is trying to say through words on paper. His use of imagery is effective in that he really allows the readers to visualize what his classroom is like. Barnwell then carries on by saying he gave his students an assignment to help them gain conversational skills, and yet they still “reached for their phones—an automatic impulse and the last thing they should be doing” (Barnwell). As he continues with his real life example, he effectively displays to his readers, which consist of students and their parents, that this is an ongoing struggle for most students and is not something that should be ignored. Barnwell’s opening paragraphs not only grab the audience’s attention, but clarifies his claim as well. He wants to teach his students a skill, one they will actually need in their lives, the skill of …show more content…
He quotes her from an article that was published in the New York Times by saying, “‘When we communicate on our digital devices, we learn different habits … we start to expect faster answers. To get there we ask one another simpler questions’” (Barnwell). Barnwell, being a credible source himself as a high school teacher, uses her as another credible source to further engage his readers on his statements. When people read a quote from a professor from MIT, it really grabs their attention. Barnwell explains by using technology to better classroom learning, it actually worsens learning. Using discussion boards help get students to participate, but it is just an easy way out for the