Due to the large quantity of comments posted to a previous blog entitled “Keyboard vs Pen” it seems there are quite a few students out there in cyber world who read the T+L Blog.  Many of these student bloggers voiced their preference of writing instruments and gave many good reasons why they prefer either the keyboard or the pen. 

Those students in favor of the keyboard prefer its ease of editing and organization – noting the increase in the readability of their work.  Some appreciate the relative speed at which they can record their thoughts.  And, the luxury of the spelling/grammar check function helps some students to polish their finished product while learning to spell correctly.  Our “green” bloggers value the keyboard for its role in the reduction of paper waste.  Many students say they use the keyboard as a way to stay connected to the latest technologies and as a channel to upload their thoughts to the world.  

On the other hand, those students in favor of the pen noted that writing allows them to learn through muscle memory.  Some students feel greater focus when working with pen and paper, sometimes due to the temptation of the internet.  A few bloggers pointed out that many standardized tests continue to require hand written essays in their testing.   Lastly, a number of money conscious students appreciate the affordable cost of pen and paper.

One student argues for both keyboard and pen use “I find the advantages of writing via computer and pen both too valuable to sacrifice. Students benefit from both methods, and, as usual, having two options is much more effective than only having one.” 

While another student looks to the future “It is a good skill to be able to hand write and students need that skill; but in the world we live in today not knowing how to use technology and the computer will affect you a lot in the future.  Therefore we should have and use both skills to the best of our abilities.” 

In the end, it could just come down to personal preference.  One blogger, explains “Maybe this sounds silly, but the way I see it, it’s all dependent on the individual. Just because one study says this and another study says that doesn’t necessarily mean there is a “better” way to write.”

Keyboard vs Pen, the storm continues to rage…