I am a freshman in college and I have realized how much of an impact computers have on people. The days of writing papers by hand are long gone and the ability to know how to spell seems to have vanished with it. Having computers continually correct any mistakes made while typing allows for the typists to overlook their mistakes and just allow the computer to fix the errors for them. I am not saying that computers are not helpful because really they have a major impact on the research aspect of writing. It would take so much longer for a person to find information if they had to actually read books. This seems to sound so strange but I really think a line needs to be drawn regarding writing and typing on computers. In elementary school, middle schools, and high schools the students seem to be required to type almost everything. At least at that young of an age a child or adolescent should be taught the foundations of writing properly. These years should be all about teaching them grammar and helping them become intelligant in their own right without having to rely on a computer. In college and in the work setting it can be a personal choice but hopefully by this time the adult will be capable of writing with good penmanship and know how to spell.
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I am a writer, so I understand the importance of both hand writing and typing, but I think many students with less self motivation don't get that. I think computers have a tendancy to make us lazier, and granted, worse spellers, but technology seems to be unbeatable. Maybe we will have to cut our losses or require penmenship classes and vocabulary tests all the way through highschool....?
Let me share my experiences. I am a tutor for a college, and have worked with many students in different capacities. I am a student now, as well, so I've seen a lot of the situations you're describing. It was at my job as an educational technology aide in a high-scoring junior high school that really drove the problem home for me, though.
I agree, students definitely are not learning spelling and writing skills anymore, and a reliance on computers plays a part. What I saw in that junior high school, however, is the real culprit, and that is apathy towards the subject in general.
I don't mean that the students don't care; we expect them to care only about what they are led to care about. It was the attitude and even the bad habits of the teachers and other school staff that surprised me. I was shocked when the students had such poor spelling and grammatical abilities that spell check failed them. Either the program couldn't come up with a possible alternative because the originally typed word was so mangled, or the student couldn't pick out the correct choice. When I mentioned this to one of the math teachers, she told me that spelling isn't really important anyway. I am seeing this attitude more and more, and it's sad really. The staff emails that circulated the school network daily were full of spelling and grammatical errors, despite the spell check utility. If the educators don't see the point, how can we expect the students to?
I consider myself a writer because I love the written word. Anyways, I also believe when the auto correct speller came in many people's ability to spell plummeted. I for one am a perfectionist when it comes to spelling so I know what you mean. But to weigh whether the computer is actually more helpful that hurtful, it did help because information can now be reached much quicker and easier.
--I am nothing special, just the combined efforts of every
person I've ever met and every book I've ever read.
WHen Ppl liK u Or mi tRy 2 tpy a papper lik dis & omg, actually turn it in to a teacher... now that's sad. There should be more focus on spelling and punctuation...maybe they can at least have software programs in school without spell/grammar check, like wordpad?
My spelling sucks, I try to spell, but I use the computer a lot to fix my spelling.