Some researchers have found that learning to write by hand -- instead of just how to type on a keyboard -- may help us learn things faster and better.
In fact, even that old dinosaur cursive handwriting may play a role in helping the human brain develop information-processing skills. Nice to know someone took a look at this before we junked the idea of handwriting education completely, but pen and paper are mighty dull competition compared to the gee-whiz factor of giving every kid in school an iPad.
Of course, they're cheaper and easier to replace, too. But a lot of school administrators don't want their field to start looking at things that way, lest they themselves be out of a job.
That finding seems utterly unsurprising to me. I STILL take notes, even if I might not need them later, as a way of forcing myself to pay attention to something.
ReplyDeleteAnd I take notes with a pen or pencil and paper, not by typing on a smartphone or something else.
I know I'm a dinosaur but I can't help but think that for many people, writing it down helps remember. Something about "muscle memory."
I have in fact taken notes at events which required my presence even though I had no interest in them, just to keep the boredom below lethal.
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