Pencil Revolution
I was given this article to read, and I thought it made an interesting point. The article talks about the comparison between the introduction of the pencil into society as compared to the revolution of technology in our society. This article is from 1984, yet it relates to the debate in education today as to if technology is really helping children learn more efficiently / effectively.
The first uses of the pencil, was in the world of commerce to create price tags. Then, attorney’s found they could quadruple business with a “written contract.”
The article then talks about how the “tool” (the pencil) was in high demand at the university level, and this sparked a debate about the pencil’s importance in the classroom. A common feeling toward the pencil was, “just because they have the pencils does not mean that a lot of education is going on.” This comment struck me as a similar argument that the naysayer have with the importance of technology in the classroom. I had never thought about the “pencil”, a tool, and its introduction to society, just as some of my fifth grade students can probably not imagine how the world survived without computers, cell phones, and video cameras.
The article then goes on to discuss how the most “privileged” students were provided with personal pencils. They conducted a study, which compared personal pencil using students with their non-pencil using peers, and they saw a big difference. Those personal pencil users were able to compute math problems far more quickly than their peers. What a concept!
So, I guess my point in comparing these two articles was that all innovations and advancements in technology are questioned regarding their importance, even something as “innovative” as the pencil!
