Was there something particularly challenging in the process?

It was hard to decide how big or small I wanted my letters but when I checked the potatoes I had, they were all small, so I had no choice but to create smaller letters and that was very challenging. The marker I used to write the letters hardly worked, maybe I didn’t wipe the potatoes enough. Using a knife with such small pieces made it hard to carve out the letters properly, also it was very time consuming because I did not want to cut my fingers. One major challenge is I didn’t realize while carving my letters to make sure I carved mirror images for my letters. As you can see in my pictures, I originally carve “L” incorrectly, I had to carve it again to make sure it was printed properly, luckily my other letters were okay!

How much time did it take for you to create the stamps? 

It was very time-consuming between printing the letters, drying potatoes with napkins, carving the letters properly while I corrected numerous mistakes, and finally applying the stamp to paper…it took me one hour and twenty minutes.

Have you noticed anything particular about the letters that you have chosen to reproduce?

The reproduced letters were more faded and looked more natural, meaning that any imperfections were easier to see.  This was particularly evident with my letter “L” the edges were not leveled properly which caused the paint to be unevenly distributed.

Considering the time and effort that took you to create a 5-letter word, how do you feel about the mechanization of writing? 

The mechanization of writing is a very time-consuming process compared to just handwritten notes. Looking back at the printed press they had to determine how many pages the work would take, how many lines per page to determine the amount of paper to order (Richard, 1997, p.16). By doing this activity, I can see how hard it was because experiencing how difficult the process is to create and print each letter. Now it makes me appreciate handwriting and typing. The printing press has evolved in efficiency to allow for rapid printing.  This activity also made me think of students who have challenges with letter formation and printing, and the energy and effort needed to complete what many people consider to be a simple task.

Reference

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