Hi there, just some random links to share on varied topics that have interested me over the last few weeks.
- Want to Remember your notes? Write them, don’t type them. Dust off your pens and notebooks. A new study finds laptops makes note taking so easy it is actually ineffective.
- And here is another article with scientific evidence on why handwriting is important for both children and adults: What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades. For adults, typing may be a fast and efficient alternative to longhand, but that very efficiency may diminish our ability to process new information.
I’m old fashioned and don’t even own a laptop. When I was a student, I always sat in class taking notes with my pen and paper. Often I was the only one! These findings make logical sense to me, even without the studies or science behind them. Using your fingers to hold a pen and form letters is different than taping keys. I’m independent and rarely participated in group study sessions. Once when I did, everyone except me was reviewing the class material on their laptops while I was flipping through my handwritten notes. I was able to find the needed info faster than anyone else in the group! I think handwriting made the notes more personal to me, and I could locate needed info more quickly as a result.
**adding this link (1/28/16) for my future reference: Here’s Why Writing Things Out By Hand Makes You Smarter.
** Adding another: Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away
**Another: Can handwriting make you smarter?
- Faking Cultural Literacy. It’s never been so easy to pretend to know so much without actually knowing anything!
- I recently lost
my beloved 20 yr old cat. This dear cat was a part of 3 decades of my life: my 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s! He was a consistent presence through the many changes that take place in life over 20 yrs. Many years ago I would have considered it near heresy to think our beloved animals might be with us again on the new heaven and earth, but my views have slowly changed over the years. While I don’t think we can know for sure if they will be, I think it is a distinct possibility. Here are a couple of interesting links: Pets in Heaven? -and- Do pets go to heaven?
- Four modern “versions” of the Bible that are ruining the Bible. In a era with more Bibles than ever before, biblical literacy is in serious decline. Maybe the problem is all those Bibles! – Interesting thoughts from Ben Irwin on the problems with the Bible being treated like a consumer product to be marketed…
- Are we holding our fingers in our ears? Yes, I think some Christians are! We can learn from those with different views…if we will take the fingers out of our ears.
- When did Christians get so mean? Some similar thoughts as the above link but with an emphasis on grace. Perhaps the reason we have such a hard time honoring others with our words is because the idea of grace is something far too many of us have heard about, but few have truly experienced.
Enough Light 
Thanks for sharing the articles on handwriting. I also take notes by hand 🙂 I probably do so because there weren’t laptops when I was growing up and I was accustomed to it, but I do find that I remember more if I am writing out my notes instead of typing them on the computer.
Laura,
Good article about pets in heaven. I’ve read other articles which support this as well. But mostly, I just wanted to say I’m sorry you lost your kitty. I know your pets share a special place in your heart and I can imagine he will be very much missed by you. But, even so, I do believe we’ll see our special companions again one day.
Blessings,
Ellen
Ellen, thanks for your condolences. It means a lot. After 20 yrs, it is really strange for the cat not to be here. I still see him everywhere.
In Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven, he talks about pets in heaven and his conclusion is that he thinks they will be there. Obviously Scripture doesn’t tell us for sure. I view it that God loves us so much and knows how important our pets are, it would be just like Him and His love for them to be there with us.
I appreciated another book by Alcorn, I need to get his book on heaven. I dearly hope to see my dear animal companions again.