Analysis
I originally thought this task would be difficult since I usually type when producing texts; however, I found it quite easy to pour my feelings and let my thoughts flow freely. Deciding on what I wanted to write about was probably the most difficult part of this task, but once the topic was decided it was fairly easy to get the words down onto the paper. The pen I was using was also a friction erase one, so I could easily fix any spelling or word-choice mistakes I made along the way. There were moments where I considered changing around some sentences, but decided against editing my text because I wanted everything to be as raw and unfiltered as possible; had the text been typed, there would have definitely been more editing done to it.
I believe that writing by hand is often times more spontaneous and untouched than mechanized forms of writing. When typing texts, it is easy to change and delete sections that you may not like without leaving obvious traces of those edits on the final product. When writing by hand, especially using ink, the changes you decide to make to your text are often visible at the end. I also like how raw and in-the-moment writing things by hand can be–imagine a writer, even a detective, jotting things down on a notepad or a napkin as ideas come to them. That is not to say that typed texts are not poetic or romantic! But there is just something about a handwritten letter versus a typed one that hits the heart differently.
I completely feel the same way. I enjoy writing by hand and also by typing but the formulation of words and feelings are so different with the formats. When typing, my thoughts and feelings come out so much faster. It’s easier when organizing. Although with writing, it’s much more raw but the conjunction of words have more errors despite more frequent errors. I think it’s important to practice both in the classroom when improving writing processes so that students can see/feel/think about the differences such as their word choice, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. I recently just started journaling with my students and I feel that it’s their cool down time before we get into the reading etc.
Thanks for your comment! I also believe that it is important to practice both handwriting and typing in the classroom, especially in this digital age where many students might be spending more time using their thumbs when it comes to any sort of writing. Personally, I have found it challenging to have my college-level EFL students practice their English writing using computers. Any kind of English writing they have done in the past has always been done by hand, but I believe it is essential for them to master how to type in English as well.