INTRODUCTION
Modern innovations and gadgets that aid education and learning like laptops have really gone a long way in improving the way we learn and research, it has equally improved and aided classroom learning in children.
They are indeed a great learning tool which also aids educators to transfer knowledge to students. Not only can this learning tool be used in classroom, it is equally used by children at home and one great thing about this tool is that it can be used anywhere because it is a mobile learning tools that can be carried around.
Over the years many educators who has been using laptops in their classrooms have recorded huge success owing to the fact that it has improved classroom learning and also students have also improved in subjects like mathematics and science. And this particular learning tools called laptop is gradually being introduced in schools allover the world to be used in classrooms to impact and improve learning.
Of a truth no one can argue about the fact that this great learning tools has aided learning in children and it has improved their overall skills in learning. It has also helped teachers lecture their students at the comfort of their homes, the students too can equally receive learning from the comfort of their homes as well.
So as far as education is concerned this innovation called laptop is a great learning tools which is already taking over the classroom, but the big question is what effect does this learning tool called laptop have on handwriting or handwriting skills in children?
HANDWRITING SKILLS IN CHILDREN.
I could remember vividly as a child during my nursery and primary school days, special attention were given to handwriting skills, infact it was a subject of it's own and at the end of each term, awards were given to the student with the neatest and best handwriting.
We were given a kind of writing paper with lines called the linedpaper to write on in order to improve our writing skills. Also we were taught how to hold the pencil correctly on the right arm and relax our grip and then write slowly to improve writing skills.
Handwriting skills develops over time, handwriting was equally used to write assignment, test and examinations. When we moved to higher classes, our teachers would walk into the class and dictate notes for us to write down in our notebooks and at the end, it would be marked and it formed part of our assessment.
Handwriting skills in general is needed to undertake many tasks in the future like filling forms, writing reports as well as filling and signing important documents. It equally builds confidence in children and as they grow, they can write and pen things down anytime and anywhere even if the tool called laptop is not available at the time.
Handwriting skills in children equally helps them make constructive, reasonable and educative arguments in different kind of subjects which will be useful in their schools as well as on the job. It also aids in improving communication and learning skills in children because as they write, they are equally reading at the same time.
EFFECTS OF MODERN GADGETS ON HANDWRITING SKILLS IN CHILDREN.
Modern gadgets like laptops are great educational tools that aids learning but on the other hand it is gradually killing and putting an end to handwriting. With the way laptops are being introduced in schools all over the world today, it is fast taking over the classroom, as of now, laptop is used by most school in classroom to teach and children equally now use it to write and as well as submit their assignments.
Some schools have started allowing children use laptop in classroom to write their examinations instead of the normal pencil or pen and paper. With time, this will spread and every school will adopt this system and this will kill handwriting skills the more and with time it will be goodbye to handwriting. Right now children and students in general are so used to laptops as they depend on it for almost all classroom learning and activities.
Like I mentioned above, laptop is a great learning tool which is also quicker and clearer when used to learn. Someone might say handwriting is an old skill and laptop is a modern day tool, yes I totally agree with such person, but then this old skill called handwriting impacts more confidence in children during learning process and if laptops eventually takes over the educational system, in the nearest future when a student is required to write on pen and paper, such student will definately struggle to write and the person who is suppose to read that which the student wrote will equally struggle to read.
In conclusion, if I am left to say, the modern tool called laptop should be allowed to exist in the classroom as well as the old skill called writing skills, as both of them have a great role to play in the learning process and development of a child. Both should coexist, handwriting skills should be focused on in the early stage of learning while in the later stage laptops can be now used in writing. Fellow steemians your thoughts and contributions are equally welcomed in the comment section.
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