--- title: "Tech Talk: Want to Remember? Write It Down!" description: Has computer use in schools eroded our kids' note-taking skills and diminished their recall of information? --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2014/05/08/tech-talk-want-to-remember-write-it-down#) [MEDIA](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/media) # Tech Talk: Want to Remember? Write It Down! May 8, 2014 7:00:36 AM  |  by [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) [![](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/TechTalk-sized-652.png?width=326&height=244&name=TechTalk-sized-652.png "TechTalk sized")](http://catholicmom.com/2012/09/16/tech-talk-digest-for-last-week-13/techtalk-sized/) My daughter, a senior in high school, has spent the last four years in a 1-to-1 tablet computing environment. In other words, she was handed a tablet computer on the first day of her freshman year and expected to use it as a notebook, word processor, presentation generator, and even textbook for some classes. [![tablet pc at school](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/tablet-pc-at-school-e1398962020420-400x400.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=tablet-pc-at-school-e1398962020420-400x400.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/tablet-pc-at-school-e1398962020420.jpg) Four years later, she's great at adding music and animation to Powerpoint demonstrations. But when she wants to remember material from class lectures, she takes notes the old-fashioned way:  in a spiral notebook. Her high school was all about going paperless when they introduced the tablet computers seven years ago, but the students have other ideas. My older son graduated from the same high school, but his class did not receive the tablet PCs. He always commented that he didn't want one, because the distractions of the internet would be too tempting. He got a laptop before he went to college (to major in computer programming). And he carries spiral notebooks to class--not the laptop. He's graduating next weekend and has a job in his field awaiting him, so he's definitely not afraid to use technology. [**Washington Post editor Fred Barbash**](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/04/28/why-students-using-laptops-learn-less-in-class-even-when-they-really-are-taking-notes/) observed, > According to a new study based on a series of lab-based experiments comparing how much students learned after listening to the same lectures, there’s no contest. Handwriters learn better, hands down. > > The ones who took their notes in longhand demonstrated in tests that they got more out of the lectures than the typists. [![spiral noteook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DSC_0005-550x366.jpg?width=385&height=256&name=DSC_0005-550x366.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DSC_0005.jpg) With a sampling of just over 300, this might not be the most scientific study in the world, but its results do bear out both my older kids' experiences as well as my own observations as both a student and a teacher:  **writing helps you remember things**. That's why your third-grade teacher made you write your spelling words five times each. I'm happy that my daughter's high school encourages the use of technology, but I think any technology has its limits. So I'm relieved that my older children have figured out that they can't do *everything* electronically. **Given a choice, what method of note-taking do your children prefer?** ***Copyright 2014 Barb Szyszkiewicz*** ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F08%2Ftech-talk-want-to-remember-write-it-down%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F08%2Ftech-talk-want-to-remember-write-it-down%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F08%2Ftech-talk-want-to-remember-write-it-down%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Tech%20Talk%3A%20Want%20to%20Remember%3F%20Write%20It%20Down%21) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F08%2Ftech-talk-want-to-remember-write-it-down%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F08%2Ftech-talk-want-to-remember-write-it-down%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/BSzyszkiewicz%202022.jpg) ### [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at [CatholicMom.com](http://catholicmom.com), is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at [FranciscanMom](http://franciscanmom.com) and her family’s favorite recipes with nutrition information at [Cook and Count](http://cookandcount.wordpress.com). Barb is the author of *[The Handy Little Guide to Prayer](https://amzn.to/2LQB2oL)* and * [The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours](https://amzn.to/3wbDB8k)*, available from Our Sunday Visitor. ## Related Blog Articles [ What My Daughter Has Taught Me about Mercy #OTEM Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/06/01/daughter-taught-mercy-otem) [ Meatless Friday: Lazy Shrimp Tacos Two Ways Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/meatless-friday-lazy-shrimp-tacos-two-ways) [ Meatless Friday: Vegan Walnut Tacos with Pineapple Salsa Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/meatless-friday-vegan-walnut-tacos-with-pineapple-salsa) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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