I've been at the library these holidays and I see all these students writing with batteries attached to their pens..
Apparently it makes the pen heavy so when it comes to the actual HSC you can remove it, thus allowing you to write quicker.
IS THAT TRUE?!
WOULDN'T THE PEN JUST WEAR YOUR HAND OUT BEFORE THE HSC?
I've observed with horror the way students write nowadays. I've tried to get my students to do their handwriting correctly but realise it is not easy. I was bemused to read that Barker College's principal even had to engage an occupational therapist (I had to consult Wikipedia to find out what an O/T is). I thought it was ridiculous. But on reflection I can see why. I found it hard to re-train my students. But long ago, when I was a kid, even the slowest students had no handwriting problems,
One of the main problems is the wrong grip. I suspect this is due to young children in kindies being encouraged to write or scrawl their drawings. They are doing this before their hands are fully developed to hold(grip) the pen or pencil or crayon correctly. So they hold it any which way (invariably the wrong way) they can. Over time their wrong grip become part of them as they grow into young adulthood,
Apart from the grip, students do not know/care/bother about letter formation and how to write them correctly. The way some of them even write the numeral "5" can even be unbelievably comical.
Understandably we are in an age of keyboard/mouse input. But you still have to handwrite in your HSC exams. So you want to be able to write and legibly (unlike 35 and more years ago, employers no longer check out your handwriting, you don't need a beautiful hand, but at least others must be able to read your handwriting readily!). To write quickly the best approach is to do running-writing. But most of your younger teachers, like you, don't know how - so you have no one, like me, to teach you how.
I think in 2009, there were several very active threads on this handwriting issue. Many discussed about the types of pens to use - which/ type. brand etc of ballpen/felt-tip pen/fountain pen. I thought this was essentially barking up the wrong tree. People were addressing the wrong issue. The fundamental aspects are: how to hold your pen, to ensure the maximum degree of freedom; how to write the various letters nicely and finally how to execute this in a speedy smooth-flowing running writing.
I put in my 2-cents into the debate not with much success. I even felt strongly enough to offer to teach anyone interested for free how to write. Nothing materialised. Some were apprehensive that they might run into a pedo trawling on bos.
If anyone is seriosly wanting to learn to write properly, let me know. We can arrange something if sufficient number are interested (for your personal safety!).
