“Pen and Paper is the only way to go”, says ‘Lucy’, the 21
year old singer, songwriter, musician,
teacher and band leader who taught me how to post and created the moniker “The Momsey”. Our son’s girlfriend, who has called me ‘Momsey’
since 2010, is now professing these words of wisdom upon learning of the
phasing out of paper, pencil and pen, in some classrooms. (The Momsey-5/2012)
Lucy is my ‘editor’ who gives my personal stories the required
stamp of approval before they are posted. ... She is a member of the now
generation helping to shape the modern hooked up planet that we all
inhabit. ... Her
Blackberry, her laptop computer, her state of the art musical instruments and
her acoustic guitar make up her daily world, a somewhat foreign place for those
of us born of another time where pay phones, land line phones, typewriters and
carbon paper ruled the day. ... I
queried this unusual young woman why she felt so strongly
about pen and paper’s slow demise in some circles of thought. ... "To truly understand the world around us,
we must use pen and paper”, she remarked! Learning happens in a more profound
way. Pen and paper aids in our understanding and processing of information. Eliminating
this step in the elementary classroom is absurd. ...
As I listened to Lucy’s comments, I also realized the
significance of our signature, that unique, prized, must have bit of handwriting that is our name,
mandatory on all legal contracts. Our signature makes what we do, buy or own,
official or legal. It seals the deal. It is required. In our signature, we have a very personal stamp, a caricature of us, a
mini version of who we are and all that it entails.
One study published in October 2012, supporting Lucy's
hypothesis, verifies that the physical act of writing augments the intellect as
it supercharges the brain. ... Using pen and paper forges deeper connections
within the brain, an important learning development, especially, for vulnerable children without
access to a computer or other educational aids.
Lucy learns quickly and explains clearly as she teaches me a
quick and easily understood lesson on the connection between the weather and
quantum physics. ... She is most at home with all manner of gadgets,
especially, the king of them all- the computer. ... She writes daily about many
things and knows that this physical act- more than any other- helps to give insights
into her life and the people in it. Can pen and paper be revelatory tools, too?
Writing is about movement, about the mind and hand
connection and the significance of this bond in learning as certain
regions in the brain are activated. (Even colouring is an important creative and
therapeutic outlet for children, at times.)
Handwriting or penmanship, as it is called, also helps in creating an
emotional outlet for all that is wonderful and painful in our lives, a very
personal way of opening up to another person in a letter or card or revealing our innermost thoughts to ourselves. Pen and paper can help with emotional healing.
Pen and paper are not exclusive elements in the formation of
thought, learning and personality. To put all our eggs in one basket, so to
speak, is foolhardy. Printing is an essential rite of passage for children as
they hone their fine motor skills. The skill of paying attention, central for
learning to occur, is aided using these simple, easily accessible, inexpensive
writing tools. ... The foundation of history was dependent upon primitive pen and paper. For someone as young
and modern as Lucy to agree wholeheartedly with me about the significance of
these two tools in our lives was a complete surprise. I agreed right back!
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