In today’s classrooms, screens are everywhere—from interactive boards to tablets and laptops. While technology has its place, research cautions against relying too heavily on screen time during the instructional day, especially when it replaces active, hands-on learning. What if the best practices for learning are becoming extinct in classrooms? Is the art of handwriting to learn becoming a thing of the past? What about the art of student discourse? Relationships…they are getting lost in devices both in an out of school for students. Students are lacking in prosocial behaviors, and often do not know how to hold a face to face conversation. How do we find the balance of human interaction in an ever changing digital world?

The Balance of Screens and Brains

Studies have shown that excessive screen use can interfere with attention, reduce deep processing, and limit opportunities for practicing executive functions (Twenge & Campbell, 2018; Christakis, 2019). Excessive exposure to screens both in and out of school significantly delay executive functioning development, impacting working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. When learning is presented passively on a device, students may retain less information compared to activities that require active engagement.

The Power of Writing by Hand

Neuroscience consistently supports the act of physically writing things down as a powerful tool for both working memory and long-term memory consolidation. Mueller and Oppenheimer’s (2014) well-known study demonstrated that students who took notes by hand retained and understood more than those who typed notes. The motor act of writing strengthens neural pathways, engages multiple regions of the brain, and supports encoding that helps information “stick” (Smoker, Murphy, & Rockwell, 2009).

The Importance of Student Discourse

Equally important to limiting screen time is preserving opportunities for students to talk to—and learn from—each other. Dialogue and peer-to-peer interaction build language skills, social-emotional understanding, and deeper conceptual knowledge. Vygotsky’s theory of learning emphasizes that knowledge is socially constructed, and today’s research continues to confirm that students learn more when they articulate, question, and explain their thinking in collaborative discussion (Mercer, 2019).

When devices dominate classroom time, face-to-face interactions decline. Students may become more isolated in their learning and miss critical practice in listening, negotiating meaning, and co-constructing ideas. By limiting screen use and creating structured time for partner talk, group work, and class discussions, educators protect one of the most powerful drivers of learning: human conversation.

Practical Implications for Classrooms

• Use screens strategically. Digital tools are powerful for collaboration, research, and accessibility, but they should supplement—not replace—hands-on learning.
  
• Build in handwriting opportunities. Encourage students to write key points, sketch diagrams, or keep content notebooks. These practices deepen processing and improve recall.
  
• Mix modalities. Have students alternate between digital tasks and analog tasks to provide the brain with variety and support multiple pathways for learning.
  
• Protect attention. Short, purposeful screen activities are far more effective than extended passive use. Add opportunities for discourse through structured routines.

Technology has value, but it can’t replace the cognitive benefits of writing things down. If we want students to remember what they learn, to connect concepts, and to build lasting knowledge, then face to face conversations, pencils, pens, and paper still matter—maybe more than ever. Community, belonging, building confidence, and increasing levels of engagement where students are investing and driving their learning…that is the goal of school. Many students are lacking the skills needed to be successful with student discourse and writing to learn, but providing the social scaffolds (executive function, prosocial skills), along with small moments to capture thoughts and learning on paper, teachers can build confidence within every student. 

References

• Christakis, D. A. (2019). The challenges of defining and studying “digital addiction” in children. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(10), 922–923.
  
• Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159–1168.
  
• Smoker, T. J., Murphy, C. E., & Rockwell, A. D. (2009). Comparing memory for handwriting versus typing. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 53(22), 1744–1747.
  

Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents. Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271–283.