• Do you normally write by hand or type? Did you find this task difficult or easy? When I write, it is normally by hand. Wether it’s writing reminders to myself on post it notes or taking notes for course readings, I find that it easier to write it out manually. When writing by hand, there is always something available to write on (paper, napkin, receipt!) and write with (pencil, pen, lipstick!).  Although, I do consider myself a fast and accurate typer, I don’t always have my laptop on hand when needing to write something down. I need a keyboard if I must type since I am not a big fan of the on screen keyboard that is available on mobile devices. The accuracy of my writing is greater when using a physical keyboard vs texting on a digital keyboard. Thank goodness for autocorrect, although the choices in words aren’t always what I want!

I should mention that when I am writing for adults, the style is different than when I write for my students. When I write on the board or provide written comments to my younger students, I switch to printing the words. The craft of cursive writing is a controversial topic and is not taught as commonly as when I was an elementary student. So many times I have heard people say that it is a “waste of time” or that it is “a dying art.” (To this I get quite heated and counter-argue their opinions.)  Therefore, I can’t expect my students to be able to read my writing, which is a combination of cursive and printing. I believe and know there are benefits to teaching cursive writing to young students and that is why I incorporate it into my teaching. So depending on who will be reading my writing, the style changes to suit audience.

• What did you do when you made a mistake or wanted to change your writing? Since I used ink on paper, I crossed out my errors and made corrections. There weren’t too many obvious errors, but the ones I did cross out were either spelling or word choice errors. If this was a document that was to be properly edited, I would’ve used white out tape to disguise my errors. I would’ve also wrote with more care and decreased my speed while writing so that it is more legible. Since this was a free flow of thoughts, I wasn’t as conscientious and strict with how my writing looked overall. 

• What do you feel is the most significant difference between writing by hand and using mechanized forms of writing?                                                                                  I believe that when writing by hand, it is a form of art and expression. Penmanship defines one’s individuality and craft when writing by hand. I loved learning cursive writing in elementary school and if you analyze my writing, it is a mixture of cursive and printing. I’ve had mixed reactions to my writing style from my colleagues. One person mentioned that I had romantic writing and another said that it was not legible. Either way, I like my writing style because it is unique to me. Although, sometimes I do wish I had that perfect Kindergarten teacher printing. When using mechanized forms of writing, the expression and art are replaced with pre-programmed font choices. The individual expression in the formation and strokes of letters when writing by hand is lost when it becomes mechanized. There is a sense of formality when it comes to a typed out piece of writing, which is conducive to various formats such as reports, evaluations, and articles. So depending on the purpose and the content that is behind the reason for the writing, the style of the text will be decided upon.