Post 4: My Experience With Using Writing as a Tool for Learning.

Writing to Learn, What A Concept.

Grade school, High school, Oh the memories. I thought we usually forget bad memories. Well one thing for sure is all that note taking we did in school. It hasn't changed much. Sure technology has advanced but we still have to write things down to learn them. Some things will never change.

In high school we had endless note books, huge notebooks. Some I think were bigger that me well, they seamed like it at the time. As much as the students complained, there was a valid reason behind killing all those trees. It worked. We learned.

People learn in different ways. The lucky ones can see it once and they remember it. Most other people have to work a little harder. We have to see it, hear it, and write it down. So writing things down is part of a larger process.

When I attended a trade school for aircraft maintenance back in the early '80's, we had no technology to speak of. Everything was on paper. The school had a requirement to take notes on the lecture material and put it together in a notebook form and turn it in for a grade. I hated this but now I see the value.

Now the other side of the coin is when a school goes paperless. No text books, an no notebooks. When I was an Instructor at a local Tech school, the administration decided this would be a great selling point to incoming students go go paperless. Well it doesn't work. They are not learning the material. Some will remember enough to pass a basic multi question test but they don't understand the material. I'm not in favor of these paperless classes. Even taking online classes, I find I have to take notes and write it down on paper.

One way I gather information for a paper is to put ideas and short comments on 3x5 cards or sometimes called index cards. I can rearrange then, discard them, and expand on them. This is how I was taught back in school. I still do this today as I did my first college writing assignment. Even with all this technology we have today, I'd rather use my cards.

Another point about writing is simply writing down bits of information so we don't forget it. This is where Sticky Notes are a God send. My desk is full of them. So much so that I have to go through the stack on a regular basis and purge some. I also have learned to use the note app on my phone, but I still like my sticky notes. The phone has an advantage as I can take it with me where ever I go. Its better that pulling out a stack of sticky notes from your pocket. The phone definitely has the advantage here.

So my advice to you is, if you want to remember it, write it down. If you want to learn it, write it down again.

I wonder I should invest in a pencil company.

Until we talk again.