There has been an ongoing debate about whether using computers in class is beneficial for students or not.  The struggle many have with only working on computers is that they can’t always focus.  A lot of people do a lot better with paperwork in school because it helps them remember what they are doing in class. Being able to take notes on paper is beneficial because you can build your own notes. Also, taking notes on the computer is hard because most teachers have the notes built for you instead of you doing it yourself.

Working on paper helps students pay attention better especially if a student has had issues with staying on task. The issue with working on the computer is that students can go to a different site and just play games instead of being on task. Most schools now use technology as a way to learn when using paper is really the answer to keeping the class active. 

The use of paperwork for students is more helpful for them because they tend to remember what they are learning about. Learning is a very important part of class and paper tends to be more useful for students. Junior Lilly Perez said, “With paper, I can actually learn, and when I write things down I can remember better.”

The process of writing down notes or anything school-related the way you want makes it easier to look back on. Sometimes when working on technology it’s easy to get distracted because you can just go onto a different site.  Many times students have a much better understanding in class when writing on paper. “If we are taking notes then I’m forced to pay attention and remember what I’m writing,” said sophomore Neveah Graham. Having to pay attention in class is easier when using paper because technology is a major distraction.  Phones have been an issue, but the students can’t hide their phones behind paper whereas students can with a computer.

The point of using paperwork in class is that writing on paper seems to be more hands-on for students and teachers. The use of a computer is just typing which tends to be less hands-on and has a higher rate of distractions. “Paperwork is more hands-on, and for me writing it sticks in my head so I don’t forget,” Graham said.

Writing is more active than typing. With writing, you would have more body movement, and it keeps the students on task. Brian Moritz, a biology teacher at Abraham Lincoln explained, “The activeness of actually writing something down; something about the hand-eye coordination as opposed to just typing.” Sometimes when writing it forces your brain to remember because of the movement. The thought of writing down your thoughts will continue to replay in your head because you’re thinking of what to write next. 

When you have a sheet of paper you can’t go to a different screen, all you can do is write. “(Working paper helps me focus) because then I can’t look off to a different screen,” Perez said. “I will only be working on my single sheet of paper.” 

It’s better to have paper in front of your face instead of a computer because the screen can become draining to the eyes compared to paper where it can’t. “Absolutely I feel like having a computer in front of you is like a potential distraction for the students,” Moritz said. Teachers at some point try to use paper to take a break from computers, and to keep their attention in class. The use of paper is to not only keep the classroom active, but so then they aren’t just playing games on their computers. 

Although technology can be useful for classroom activities, for example needing to research, sometimes you can’t correct words on paper like you can on the computer. With technology, a lot of your work won’t get lost and it will be saved through Google Drive. The reason it can be useful is that it is easy to access for you to get to your work. Many students don’t handle their paperwork with responsibility. Paperwork does get lost and not kept track of by some of the students. Teachers tend to use the technology to their advantage because they can just post assignments and make it easier for the students to get to their work. 

Focus is a big issue for students when it comes to technology because they could have just gone to a different site. The paperwork part of school is very hands-on for the students and keeps them moving on a constant basis. Also, using paper in class is like having a break from the screen because your eyes get strained from a bright screen all day. Paying attention can be hard, especially when using technology, but again with using paper you only have that paper nothing else.

Remembering is an important part of school work because of tests they may have, and paper is a useful tool for that. Taking notes on paper is better than using a computer because writing the way you want helps a lot more. Paperwork will always come in handy for school whether it’s lab sheets, homework, or notes. The change that should be made is that teachers and students should use more paperwork due to the fact that working on paper helps with focusing more in class, and paperwork decreases the number of online distractions.