Four Reasons to Keep Paper Around

I remember, like it happened thirty minutes ago, the pandemic of 2020.  I, along with all my colleagues, had been watching other parts of the world try to run away from COVID-19 to no avail. In the spring semester of 2020, my part of the world would be no different.  At the close of a Friday, I tidied up my classroom, packed up my personal belongings and laptop, and exited the building for the weekend.  The following day met me with news that, for some reason, surprised me: the school district would be closed for an indefinite period of time.  This indefinite period of time turned out to be pretty close to a whole school year.  All the students in the district were given a personal device for completing schoolwork and hotspots were set up in and around neighborhoods to assure every student had internet access for learning. 

It’s amazing to remember when AOL dial up was a luxury in 1997, but suddenly the internet had become a necessity for survival.  My, how time brings about change. 

At any rate, fast forward to today.  The district still maintains its one-to-one device model and nearly all assignments are issued and completed through an online learning management system (LMS).  Most teachers only provide electronic assignments to students these days.  Paper assignments are so rare that my principal, after a teacher observation, told me that my classroom was the first classroom she had seen with students using paper assignments in several weeks.  For a moment, I wasn’t sure how to take that remark, but I soon realized it was a compliment.

I’m not a fan of touching dirty student papers.  Issuing assignments online has several benefits:

• It saves instructional time.  You don’t lose class time handing out papers or collecting them.
• There is less paper to keep up with. I used to maintain so many files for student work: graded files, to grade files, to return files, files for every student, files for the sake of having files…online learning management systems help to cut back on that.
• Absent students don’t have to sift through a late work folder; and teachers don’t have to maintain a late work folder.  When students are away, all they have to do is log into the LMS and see what has been missed.
• Parents know what’s going on without emails and phone calls. Well, they should know what’s going on as every classroom is now able to be fully transparent with an online LMS in place.
• Students can’t get away with lying about their work. Work posted online is time stamped. This means teachers and parents can see exactly what work their students complete, when they complete it, and how much time they spend completing it.

With all the wonderful benefits of online learning management systems, I totally understand why so many teachers embrace online learning and shy away from paper assignments. In fact, I was once that teacher. However, several concerning observations led me to incorporating paper copies into my classroom again.

1. Student Distractions.
   • Many children are so consumed with the tempting thoughts of all the more fun things that are accessible through their fingertips that they hardly get around to starting the given assignment.  The second they have an opportunity, they click into another web browser to play video games, watch movies, view sports highlights, or peruse music.  BUT when they are required to tuck their computers away and complete their assignment on paper, these distractions are no longer available.
2. Student Engagement.
   • With the online distractions eliminated, students are more apt to hone in on their work. I also notice fewer students rushing through their paper assignments.  Sometimes, with computer work, students will quickly, and with feeble effort, complete an assignment so they can claim to have earned time to dilly-dally online.
3. Student Spelling.
   • Spelling words correctly online can now be a mindless practice for students, as the computer will automatically correct misspelled words.  Or, at the very least, it will suggest a list of correct spellings.  The yielding result of this beautiful convenience is a lower retention of spelling.  A lot of students are not very good spellers because they don’t have to try to remember how to spell anything.  When they are no longer allowed to rely on their spell-checking technology, they begin to exercise and strengthen their phonetic awareness.  Thus, their spelling retention becomes better.
4. Student Penmanship.
   • With more online work, many students are not spending much time exercising their fine motor skills through writing.  Students who have relied on a computer for work completion for several years can lose, or never fully develop, fine penmanship.

I fully support the use of technology in the classroom; it is necessary.  I greatly enjoy and appreciate all the benefits gained by teachers and students through online learning management systems. However, there are advantages to having students complete paper assignments. Perhaps, instead of being all in for one option or another, a hybrid approach can strike the perfect balance for our students’ academic development.

Be the First to Learn About New Products & Events.

• Instagram
• Pinterest

• Facebook
• Pinterest
• X
• LinkedIn
• Mail

© 2025 Expand Instructional and Curriculum Design