Comentarios en: From books to tablets: the new challenge

Por: JaimeMartinez

JaimeMartinez — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:36:12 +0000

Hi Yolanda!
I agree with you and with Loli about that this news makes me a little bit sad because students will lose the chance of handwriting and replace it by writing on a computer.
I agree with you also in the advantages of writing on a computer because it is easier to delete the mistakes and you have so many advantages that you don’t have with handwriting (possibility of checking the grammar while you’re writing or keep your ideas clear), but I think that although we start to release that kind of writing, we have to continue teaching how to do it properly because it is the base to other multiple things and skills. For example, taking a pen with your fingers is part of the “fine mobility” (in Spanish, motricidad fina).

Thank you very much for your comment and have a nice week!

Por: JaimeMartinez

JaimeMartinez — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:31:35 +0000

Hi Loli!
I agree with your comments to my post, because days after publish it, I see that the news that come from Finland was a little bit changed and they didn’t tell us all the truth about it.
In Finland they teach 2 types of handwriting: one called “printer handwriting” which the common one; and the “traditional handwriting” which is less used by the students, and this is the one which is going to be as an optative subject outside the compulsory one which will continue being the printer one, so the Finnish students didn’t stop writing with pen and paper, they just leave the useless method away and “replace” it with the digital method of writing.

Here you have the link to the ABC article that talks about the mistake: http://www.abc.es/sociedad/20141203/abci-finlandia-educacion-escritura-mano-201412030753.html

Thanks for comment on my post because it makes me think more about the topic and find the mistake.

Have a nice week,
Jaime

Por: yolanda.hernandez

yolanda.hernandez — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 17:06:51 +0000

Hello Jaime,

I have to say that I also find that your post is very interesting and I wanted to comment about my feelings about it.

On one hand, I agree with you in the fact that when I first heard this new I thought it would be a good step to make in schools. It is true that we are using more and more technological devices instead of “pen and paper” and, therefore, schools should take this into account and develop the way in which they teach their lessons.

Other advantage that I see about implementing these devices instead of using the normal handwriting is that, as I have seen with my own experience, it is much easier to “erase” things in a Word document than doing it with your normal rubber and it takes you also less time to do it.

But… is it really an advantage that the future generations write EVERYTHING in devices and they forget about doing it with their pens and pencils?

I have to say that after thinking more deeply about this topic, I am more in Loli’s perspective, I also feel a little bit sad about it. I am sure that we have to take into account that the world is changing and we have to change with it, but I also think that we can not delete the positive things that we have.

Thank you very much for sharing with us the information you have!

Por: Loli Casco

Loli Casco — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 18:03:50 +0000

Hi Jaime,

I have to say that, although I found your post quite interesting, it doesn’t arise positive feelings on me. And I will explain myself better. I consider it a pity that Finnish pupils won’t be using handwriting (or maybe the piece of news is incomplete, or I got it wrong).

Some studies have shown the importance of handwriting in terms of cognitive development, like the ones you can find supporting this article from The New York Times (2014):

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=0

There is also another article (2010) published by the Wall Street Journal, that supports the benefits of handwriting in terms of neural connections improvement.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704631504575531932754922518

Maybe the Finnish idea includes handwriting using an ICT device, and it would be different. Not perfect for a pen-and-paper lover, but closer to what is considered as brain-friendly.

Nevertheless, thanks very much for sharing the information with us, it is always interesting to read you.

Have a nice week,
Loli.