Blog Post #2 - Pamela Linares

Scrolling though the table of contents, the chapter that caught my eye was chapter 6 “Writing with a computer.” I thought this would be an interesting chapter because I am not very good at writing on computers and feel as though, even though it takes longer and can be very tedious, I can learn better by writing thing down. Although I do understand that some things are better typed rather than written, some things I prefer to write down. Steven Krantz begins this chapter by explaining the conveniences of using a computer. He states how everything that you can do on paper, like makes notes, use post-its, etc., can also be done on a computer. Plus, a computer has a lot more to offer. For example, h Krantz makes the point that on a computer we have spell check, the option to have multiple tabs open, the ability to search for something in seconds and so on.

I do agree with Krantz in the fact that computers are, in fact, very handy when it comes to writing. A typical person is a lot faster at typing than writing, thus a lot of time can be saved. Not only that, but for someone who struggles with spelling, typing would come in handy since a computer can usually guess the word one is trying to type (although there are times when it guesses wrong and we fail to notice). I think computers are great for people who are doing long projects, like writing a book/textbook, writing an article to publish, or anything that requires more time, editing, and organization.

However, for the simple act of taking notes for a class or anything that isn’t in need of proof-reading and editing, I would say that pen and paper are my preference. For me, writing down on pen and a paper is a form of learning. When I write things down, I tend to remember them a lot better than when I type something. This is probably because when I write, I take the time and effort to makes my notes well-organized and structured in a way that is easy for me to understand. Although I am sure the same thing could be done on a computer, especially if we are using the text editor program mentioned by Krantz, the act of not physically writing seems awry.

Again, I do agree with Krantz on the fact that computers are very useful. I see a lot of benefits from being able to type on a computer, save drafts as needed, and be able to access them anywhere. I don’t know much about the TEX system, and it seems like an amazing way to type math on a computer and make it understandable. However, as of today not everyone has computers, but pen and paper are easy to access.