Last week, I was thinking about how sometimes change happens and we don’t really notice it. It’s the old story of how to boil a frog. One such change that I think is happening around us is in the very foundation of basic education and in the three R’s: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
The change in arithmetic started happening when we started giving kids calculators. When I went to school, calculators were banned. You had to learn how to do math in your head, at least basic math. But I won’t dwell on the poor state of basic math skills since that’s not the core point of my post.
The bigger realization has been in how reading and writing are changing. When was the last time you picked up a pen/pencil and wrote a page full? How about a paragraph? Or even a full sentence? The pen, though metaphorically mightier than the sword, is becoming useless for anything more than signing our name on the credit card receipt, on a check or on a legal document. Yes, we may hunt for one when we need to scribble down a reminder or a quick thought, but whenever it comes to writing anything meaningful or of substance, our tool of choice has become the keyboard.
What does this mean for education and for the children who are learning how to read and write today? Do they really need to learn how to hold a pen or how to write longhand? The importance of longhand has diminished to such an extent that I worry about its very existence in the near future. It is more important to know how to type today than it is to hold a pen. In fact, I bet that very soon when someone needs to scribble something, they won’t be reaching for pen and paper, but reaching for their phone or whatever device it is that is almost surgically attached to their hand. (BTW, in case you haven’t tried it yet, I would strongly recommend trying out ShapeWriter on the iPhone. Here is the iTunes store link for ShapeWriter Free and ShapeWriter Pro.)
Writing longhand is a skill that I compare to boiling a frog — with every passing day, with every blog post and with every tweet, we’re boiling the frog that is writing with an instrument that still vaguely resembles a quill.
February 15th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
This is a good inquiry. I believe a counter culture will keep it alive. With almost every trend the masses encounter, an underground group keeps the lost art alive. The movement I follow the most is midwives and homebirths in a technological birthing age where 1 in 3 women are c-sectioned. To wrap it up, I find myself actually spending the time writing letters, something I rarely do, as a peaceful way to reconnect with someone. Isn’t it nice to get a letter and a card as a surprise when you’re so accustomed to email?
Great blog!
February 15th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
@AC: I agree that writing longhand is not going away and it will stay around forever. But its importance as a core foundation of education will be diminished by the new forms of writing (including the keyboard, cell phones, and innovative techniques like ShapeWriter).
It is rather quaint (and nice) to receive a handwritten postcard. The last time I received a handwritten letter was probably back in the late 90s — well over a decade ago!
February 15th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I can barely read my writing anymore, not that I ever could. Interesting to me that kids today are born able to type, while we had to take “keyboarding” classes as late as high school. Also stunning to look at handwritten documents from the days before typewriters to see how amazing everyone’s writing was. This must be changing the wiring of our minds as well.
January 27th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
The Apple iPad form factor is far better suited for writing that it is for typing. It is not currently accessorized for it but imagine a box full of writing, painting, coloring accessories. Imagine the Wacom Intuos Tablet – now the iPad could potentially completely replace that.
January 27th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
@VoottooChief: Absolutely, the iPad would make for a great Wacom replacement. Having a pen/brush for it would be even better. I’m all for that. My point is that we won’t be “writing” much. Using a tablet for sketching, painting, coloring, doing CAD work etc. makes perfect sense. I just don’t think “writing” using longhand is going to be around too long. Keyboards and voice are way more efficient.
January 27th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
People have been saying this for 10-15 years and I haven’t seen much movement. I have little kids and all the schools they have been in still start with pencils and do it for years. I think we will do both, just move to keyboards earlier. These devices are still slower than a piece of paper and pen for quick notes.