When I signed on a moment ago, I was surprised to see how long it's been since I've written on this blog. I must endeavor to be more faithful to writing.
Writing is actually the subject today. No, not creative writing, but the actual, physical action of writing with a pen or pencil. One day someone is going to read this and remark, "Boy...that was an old essay! Noone has sold pens and pencils in decades!" Unfortunately, I think that really will happen.
'Why?', you ask. (probably you don't because you already know.) It's because electronic devices are taking over, and you don't have to do much writing with such utensils as ink pens or lead pencils. There will come a day in the near future when anyone...not just the handicapped...but anyone who can afford it, will be able to have a device into which they will speak, and the words will be printed onto something that can be read or printed out. I hate to think of what this means.
It's bad enough now, I think, that so many have given up hand-writing tools in exchange for keyboards. I'm one of them who uses email and keyboards for transposing ideas to print. I will never give up my pens and pencils, though, as long as I have breath in my body. I've got such a collection of them, I shan't run out of them, though the ink may dry up in the pens before I use it up!
I like to write, doodle, scribble, draw, compose, practice calligraphy and place words on paper. It's unfortunate, in my opinion, that many schools have given up teaching cursive penmanship...and worse yet, that many are not grading children on their handwriting. That is a travesty! If a person can't print so that someone can read it any more than they can a doctor's hen scratch, what will become of them?
Sadly, so many schools have opted to allow, even force, students to bring electronic devices to the classroom. No longer are they required to have multiple, hands-on, text books...or a long list of specific school supplies which will break a young back. Now they are asked, while still in elementary school, to bring in their own 'internet access' electronic devices. Great. Now kids can not only take photos in school, text each other and play games when they are supposed to be learning, they can squint all day long at little screens while the teacher feeds them web pages to learn from.
Not only is that a potential problem from a parent's economic stand point, but it could be a problem for teachers. How many educators does it take to say to a class, 'search for www.blahblah.com'. One teacher could get a microphone and speak it before a school gymnasium full of children who would be taking that class. There are many teachers now, due to the numbers in classrooms, but how many teachers does it take to bark a website address?
These are just some of my thoughts on these subjects. What are yours?
