Calculator of the Humanist
Technology has certainly changed the way we write, in both quality and quantity. Nowadays anyone can become a writer as long as he has a computer. Due to its high versatility and flexibility, word processors are one of the greatest technology resource commonly used in our todays classrooms. However Bolter considers the word processor not much as a tool for writing, rather a tool for typography (p. 9). With advance features like insertion of cover or index page, changing font colours, sizes, style or cut/paste/copying or word count, spell check etc., all these features facilitates typing and revision process. Bolter considers word processors as an advanced form of typewriter, where not only words are types, with the advancement of technology now writers can erase a single word or sentence of the whole paragraph”. (Bolter, ch 3)
Many writers are using word processors as it facilitates their thinking, which Bolter declares as “in using these facilities, the writer is thinking and writing in terms of verbal units or topics, whose meaning transcends their constituent words (p. 29). Though the word processor did not fundamentally change how a printed product looks, it did have a major impact on industry and business and on literacy in education.
Not long ago dictation was part of classroom practice and memorization of spellings were a part of student learning. Now with the advancement of technology, students are commonly using word processors beginning from early elementary years. From my personal experience of using word processor to primary grades, I feel that it certainly motivates students to type and help them in teaching keyboarding skills but at the same time with auto spell correction feature, I feel that students become dependent on it, hence they do not pay much attention on the writing conventions and spellings. Bolter explains that “most writers have enthusiastically accepted the word processor precisely because it does not challenge their conventional notion of writing. Therefore using word processor does not guarantee that the written work is of a high calibre. There is an ongoing debates on if the word processor has actually affected literacy amongst students. According to Kurth (1987), “the use of a computer does not improve the quality or quantity of writing. She further claims that using word processor, students had fewer spelling errors as compared to when they used pencil and paper”.
I personally think that though word processing technology has many benefits in facilitating student learning but at the same time the quality of students’ writing is affected more by good instruction than by the writing tools. Lastly, it’s difficult to weigh the benefits and drawback of this technology but I do feel that we also miss the simplicity of hand written papers, letters, etc. A letter from someone used to be very meaningful and it was so nice to see that someone cared and took the time to write down their thoughts for you. Now email has made these thoughts and messages much less meaningful because we are flooded with email every single day. I fear that the generations after mine will not get to experience the joy of receiving a meaningful hand written letter.
Reference;
Bolter, Jay David. (2001).Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print [2nd edition]. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Kurth, R. (1987). Using word processing to enhance revision strategies during student writing activities. Educational Technology, 27(1), 13-19.
Word processor image retrieved from ; http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/5880/5880,1263517260,9/stock-photo-word-cloud-concept-illustration-of-word-processing-44516173.jpg
There seems to be a lot of different opinions for word processing for students, although I think everyone can agree it is here to stay. I think there is merit in saying that the flexible format allows students to edit their work and write bits and pieces to put together later. However, there is little doubt that spell check affects learning how to spell. I think it’s important for students to have a good grounding in spelling and grammar, but also it is important for them to actually practice writing and to have the flexibility to develop and edit their ideas.
Hello Mehdia,
Word processing is here to stay, of course; it has saved us so much grief. I used to work in law firms editing prospectuses and cannot imagine how in the world those were revised before computers!
I would add that not only is word processing a tool of topography, but that the elements of that landscape (fonts, indexes, formatting) enhance it as a tool of communication. Communication may not be a topography in itself (though perhaps we could refer to a topography of communication) but it gives word processing an intangible, sometimes ethereal, quality. It also becomes oral in nature, as we process words by ‘speaking’ them, even if silently. [1]
Publishing tools have evolved, with the power to design beautiful pages and clear documents; results vary depending on the skills of the author / scribe / document specialist / secretary.
Yet despite the benefits, I agree there is no substitute for the joy of receiving a letter. I have cherished boxes of letters from childhood friends, and will never forget the Budapest-Vienna letters that started my first romance. If you don’t know the Arcade Fire, you might like their song, We Used to Wait. [2]
Life will go on, even in the digital space. Today, my life is filled with emoticons. I can’t lament these, but I am grateful I’ve had another experience. There is no point in romanticizing the past, but at least I don’t need to re-create it digitally. I wonder, is sending “handwritten letters online” a form of remediation? [3]
LINKS –
[1] http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/theres-no-such-thing-as-reading-silently-to-yourself-5748464/?no-ist
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nTjn1yJp0w
[3] http://www.writingfont.com/send-handwritten-letters-online/
Ah Julia;
Maybe we won’t stop writing handwritten letters if we still desire romance in our lives. And sorry but the online version doesn’t cut it with me. I’m the one who wants to touch the same paper that the writer touched. At least we can keep these tucked away for our old age. How do we know we will be able to access our private email when we are in the nursing home?
Two movies (mushy ones at that) came to mind while reading your post: PS I love you (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GNxdc-wlw4)
where the written letters help demonstrate a human trait; a spiritual bond for holding on and letting go (if that makes any sense).
The other movie is You’ve got Mail (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCetfaS7GAo) which demonstrates the fickleness of email. Somehow I can’t see a reverse of the modes of communication accomplishing the desired effects.
I can’t see myself saving emoticons.
I wholeheartedly agree with Bolter who argues that a word processor is a tool for typography. It only helps with a very small piece of a big picture of effective writing – conventions. We must look at all the other important pieces of writing. As an elementary teacher I focus of the “6 traits” writing model with my students (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions). A word processor cannot be credited for effectively communicating the ideas that a writer is trying to convey, nor can it express the personal tone or voice of the writer. I suppose it can assist with the organization of writing through templates, one can access a dictionary and thesaurus to assist with work choice and it can correct our spelling and grammar, but the entire personal meaning behind the writing must come from the author.
I don’t think you should worry about primary students using a word processor. I don’t see a problem with a tool that assists students with writing conventions. It is a similar argument about students using calculators instead of memorizing facts. But I won’t get into that here… As long as the lessons accompanying the writing are helping students to form their ideas, organization and voice, the word processor is a handy tool. It is through the process of assessment for learning, consistent feedback, and time for revision wherein students begin understand the process of effective writing.
Great post,
I think you touch on Bolter’s significant points when discussing how word processors can change the writing process. The flexibility created by allowing the writer to cut, paste and move words and ideas around the page certainly helps me when I write. Bolter explains that “By defining topical symbols, such as headings in an outline, the writer can, like the programmer or the mathematician, abstract herself temporarily from the details of the prose. The value of this abstraction lies in seeing more clearly the structural skeleton of the text” (Bolter, 2001). The ability to rewrite errors and use spell check helps with the mechanics of writing while the ability to manipulate structure throughout the writing process helps the author develop the piece holistically. I feel that these features aid the goals of the writer and do not hinder creativity or reduce the learning that takes place when writing. However, word processors have evolved a great deal since the publication of “Writing Space” and the question of how electronic word processing is affecting writing and literacy has become more complex. Although Microsoft Word still dominates the word processor market, there are more options than ever (networkworld.com). With competition comes the need for creators to set themselves apart in order to gain users. There are free standalone processors like OpenOffice, cloud-based processors like Google Docs, and now app based processors designed for phones and tablets like Quip. Since it’s designed for mobile devices, Quip is small and has few features. It’s simplicity is marketed as a feature; the user picks a couple style choices and can then focus on the writing. With such a range of word processing choices, from simple featured apps like Quip, to completely customizable professional programs like Word, the writer now has a number of options which could impact the writing process and outcome. When offering students the freedom to choose which processor they use in an assignment, I find that there is a lot of learning that has to take place ahead of time before they think critically about their decisions. I imagine that this was far less of an issue when the only option was the closest typewriter.
Bolter, Jay David. (2001).Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print [2nd edition]. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Green, Tim. Microsoft Word: At 30, the word processing package is king, but threats abound. Networkworld.com. Accessed July 8,2015. http://www.networkworld.com/article/2171135/software/microsoft-word–at-30–the-word-processing-package-is-king–but-threats-abound.html
Quip Word Processing. Readwrite.com. Accessed July 8,2015.http://readwrite.com/2013/08/09/quip-word-processing-era?previewTime=undefined&auth=undefined&expires=undefined
Hi Mehdia;
“However Bolter considers the word processor not much as a tool for writing, rather a tool for typography (p. 9). With advance features like insertion of cover or index page, changing font colours, sizes, style or cut/paste/copying or word count, spell check etc., all these features facilitates typing and revision process.”
Careful Mehdia when reading Bolter. If you look at his references you will see they are historical in nature. His sources are from the mid 1980s. If you had a mother, aunt or other family member (most likely a female) who at that time happened to be working in an ‘avant-garde’ establishment where new word processors were introduced, you might realize that these machines were not expected to do anything more than what Bolter is saying. I grew up with a neighbour who had a healthy business selling and repairing typewriters and adding machines. Businesses would rather repair than replace equipment and clerical staff were not high on the corporate ladder. Advancements in software have changed all that. Time management and need for greater efficiency ($$$) may have played a bigger role.
As for spell check, is there a way to turn it off on your student computers? To emphasize the importance of spelling, I can see devising a game whereby one student had to provide written instructions to another student to get from A to B by getting one one clue at a time; something like a scavenger hunt. If the second student can’t read/understand the instructions then they become lost and loose points. The next round would see students working in new pairings. Those with less points get more spelling tutoring (maybe from the high scorers).
From reading your post, I wonder if you would rather see word processing not implemented in the early grades. One advantage to this is as you say seeing the erasing and scratch marks so the teacher can follow the child’s mind; their thinking processes as they work through an exercise. Identifying the stumbling blocks may be made clearer. Neatness should not be the desired outcome.