Advancement in Technology: How it has Lead to a Decrease in Writing Sk

Advancement in Technology: How it has Lead to a Decrease in Writing Skills It’s the 21st century, and technology is rapidly moving more into people's everyday lives, especially as the interest in computers grow. The advancement with computers alone has increased drastically, faster than some would have ever imagined. For the most part, this advancement in computer technology has skyrocketed businesses and eased our lives as a whole in society. However, technology doesn’t always have a positive influence on our lives. In fact, it has the potential to harm a major area of our communication skills if not used carefully. It has been shown that technology is one of the factors as to why writing skills have decreased in the past years. With our nation’s writing skills in a slump, it’s important to note the reasons as to why this trend has started and put an end to it as soon as possible. Computers should be used as a language-learning tool in the classroom, just as any other piece of equipment like a tape recorder or VCR. No one can argue that the computer is one of the most influential tools developed in education. However, in school especially, it seems as if the use of computers has become the center of attention in class lessons, which is where the problem comes in. If for instance, there is a situation when activities at the computer could become the center of attention, teachers should be using more discretion in this area than they currently are today. Relying on computers for every aspect of a lesson will greatly have an effect on a student’s writing capabilities, and it isn’t a positive one. When students are interacting with a computer, they are also using motor skills as well. These motor sk... ... 3e/students/rcd/rcd_ch05.html Haney, W. & Russell, M. (1997). Testing writing on computers. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 5(3), Retrieved October 17, 2004, from Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Electronic Journal database. Jones, Rebecca (Oct1995). Education Digest. Writing Wrongs, Volume 61, page 63. Poor Writing Blamed on Little Practice, Poor Instruction (July 10,2003). Retrieved October 17, 2004, from http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/wabc_ourschools_071003writing.html Toner, Erin (1997). Graduates lack computer, writing skills. Resources from state news staff. Retrieved October 17, 2004 from http://www.statenews.com/editionsfall97/082997/p1_study.html Using Technology to Enhance the Writing Processes of Students with Learning Disabilities (1996, July). Retrieved October 17, 2004, from http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/tech_writing.html