Some twenty five years ago I was researching the impact that computers 'might' have in the World of Work and particularly within Typing and Office Practice in schools in the UK.   I was appalled by the response by an otherwise well-respected teacher of T&OP who informed me that, yes, they did have a computer and that she allowed the 'best students' to copy-type work that they had already completed on a standard typewriter.

My concern is that still far too many teachers have not moved on from that mentality.  Still, far too many students are asked to wordprocess work that they have already written out neatly by hand or even, in some cases, wordprocessed and printed at home - only to be wordprocessed again!

In one of my very first Advisory posts I was working in a small R.C. school with some of the most unkempt 12-yr olds I'd ever met.   The first pages in their new exercise books were covered in smudges, mistakes and crossings-out.  Their self-esteem was very low and motivation for schoolwork was even lower.

However, when I explained to these lads that, using a wordprocessor, they could draft and re-draft; worry about the spellings later; change their minds as many times as they liked, etc, etc, suddenly a pride and satisfaction oozed out of each of them.  Motivation increased possibly 10-fold and the resultant prose and poetry was just pure beauty. 

These lads, street-urchins as they were, had learnt something about functionality that many staff and students fail to maximise over two decades later!

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