Wendy Scott, a teacher of at North Brookfield Elementary School in Massachusetts, tried to ban pencils and pens in her classroom for fear that they could be used as weapons. While I’m sure many of us in academia would relish the thought of slowly moving to an all-online system of sharing, note-taking, and learning… it’s just too soon. Scott is really pushing the envelope by simply BANNING pens and pencils from her classroom. While Scott and another teacher did not ban writing implements simply to push the technology envelope, it is still an important question to ponder in light of this story.
Here’s the skinny from various Internet sources:
A Massachusetts school district superintendent said a memo banning sixth graders from carrying pencils was written without district approval.
North Brookfield School District interim Superintendent Gordon Noseworthy said Wendy Scott, one of two sixth-grade teachers at North Brookfield Elementary School, did not get approval from administrators before sending the memo to all sixth-grade parents, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported Thursday.
The memo said students would no longer be allowed to bring writing implements to school. It said pencils would be provided for students in class and any students caught with pencils or pens after Nov. 15 would face disciplinary action for having materials ‘to build weapons.’ Noseworthy said the memo does not represent district policy.”
Will Technology Replace Pens & Pencils?
Perhaps it’s a sign of things to come? Will pens and pencils be out with the abacus and one-room schoolhouses? What do you think? While there is obviously a place for technology in the classroom, could it replace pens and pencils?
I am not handy at all and I wonder what kind of weapon would one build using pencils. And if pencils are dangerous, perhaps, because they can be thrown at someone, just wait until they see the damage a flying laptop can do.
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