Miguel Guhlin mentioned something in a recent blog that struck me.
My daughter has access to a computer, but still does her writing with pencil and paper. This bothers me on some level (although I’ve been careful not to say anything) because she could use the technology. But, then I realize that in her school, she doesn’t have access to technology in such a way as for it to change her work habits. And, that’s a problem. If we lack sufficient access in our schools–one to one–for our students, then we continue to produce children who will grow up to be digital immigrants.
This struck me on a personal level, because when I was in college I took a creative writing class, and realized quickly, that to complete my assignments, I would have to compose my manuscripts directly into the typewriter. I remember this being a pretty steep learning process, because the thinking I had to do was different, some how.
I’m facing the same situation today, as I have great difficulty performing my podcasts by talking directly into the microphone. The thinking is different. So I’ve gone back to writing the script with my text processor and reading it into the microphone. I guess that’s the same as writing on paper and then typing it into the computer later. 😉
Not to fear, Miguel. When your daughter starts IM’ing, she’ll learn to compose through the keyboard, no problem.
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