From an early age I always enjoyed making up stuff in my head and as a result, writing was always a fun time for me.Thus I have always found it easy getting my thoughts down on paper. As time progressed up came the technological age and with it the the word processor Microsoft Office which is the powerhouse of modern day writing, followed by it's affiliates e-mail and tweets.Which I very much dislike.This is because personally don't like electronic devices but I use, because of necessity.Then comes the typing part. Although I can type to a certain extent, I am not a pro.To this day I don't like typing much but I must admit that constant typing of letters in the electronic environment ,emails and other documents has made me develop on my speed and made me more aware of some of the features that come with the Microsoft program, such as the check document for spelling and grammatical errors and also how to rearrange content and separate them into paragraphs.
On the other hand, writing with pen and paper encourages me to tax my brain to become creative.When I write it is easy for me to remember what I have written.There is just a connection with you, your pen and pencil as you put your thoughts down on paper, not to mention if you have a beautiful handwriting which is a work of art in itself. One major difference is that when I am writing, I am in deep concentration and less likely to be distracted by other on line influences or the clicking sound of the keys on the keyboard .One thing I can say for certain is that writing with pen and paper is definitely a tool of creation.
Interesting insights Leisa, however, in view of your not-so-welcoming use of technology, do you think that it is imperative that individuals should equip themselves with the basic necessary skills to maneuver these technological writing platforms, keeping in mind the direction our advancements are heading??
ReplyDeleteLeisa with regard to the features offered by Microsoft Word to enhance a piece of writing, I think this is very beneficial for adults and students alike. From my experience, the spell check feature especially is a strong motivator for struggling students. I have noticed that many of my students use these features to their advantage and do not become as frustrated when they have to type a piece of writing as opposed to if they had to write it. They have put forward the argument that using the features readily available on the computer saves time because they don't have to be distracted from their writing by going and search a dictionary for the correct spelling of a word or manually looking through a thesaurus for a synonym to replace a word.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as a teacher, I find that it is much easier to read students work when it is typed, especially if the student does not have a legible hand writing. In addition to reading the students' work i also find it easier to give qualitative feedback because of the spacing when students type.
I totally agree Tyhera.
DeleteThere is much advancements in technology and we should be welcoming of it. Using technology can be a good motivator to get students to write as it brings to them a new experience in the classroom. They are already familiar with technology as the tweet and send messages to their friends via social media on a day to day basis. So why not incorporate it into the teaching and learning process? We can involve them in writing blogs or tweeting about their experiences or what they learned after the day’s lesson. By doing this we are creating an environment where students feel comfortable and will be willing to complete tasks.
Nevertheless, the traditional pen and paper way of writing should also be encouraged in the classroom as the skills the develop is equally important to enhance their writing. I believe that there should be a balance in their uses in classes.