E learning is important, but so is writing (with a pen)

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I know I started out hesitant about all this technology, then I vowed I would change and embrace it all.

But I’m still slightly concerned for a few reasons. Well one in particular. I have just read a Newspaper article Experts, teachers and parents are coming out and saying that school students have little ability to write, using a pen! Furthermore, due to their tendency to use abbreviated words in text and email, this can negatively imapct on the grammar used by student.

The key issue is that whilst students are highly capable on the keyboard, their actual handwriting is often not nearly as strong. Yet at this stage, exams are still handwritten. Computer based exams are not off the agenda, but there are none planned for the near future.

I’m not entirely opposed to the idea of computer based exams, however, written exams have worked sufficiently for many years and are not subject to issues of socio economic discrimination.

Source: Noonan, G. (2008). Keyboard kids losing art of handwriting. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved August 19th 2008 from, http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/keyboard-kids-cant-write/2008/07/27/1217097102048.html

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3 Responses to “E learning is important, but so is writing (with a pen)”

Tania - you are so correct, a pen can be good too! | E Learning Maria Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
[...] reading Tania’s blog I felt that she had made a pertinent point. Our collective experiences so far do not indicate that [...]

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Literacy is found in the pen’s ink!!! | new generation bloggers Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
[...] truley upon us. Many issues have arised due to the relationship between education and technology. Tania’s blog raises the issue of literacy as an impact of this relationship. In the workplace our communication [...]

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Back to the basics | Queenie's digital zone Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 3:14 am
[...] reading Tania’s post, I remembered my co-operative teacher offering students a choice of writing key points in work book [...]