It has also been said that young students view their work when done on a computer as that of a professional. Students might also be encouraged to take risks more often because of the ease in which they can be undone. You often see students begin discouraged to change their work because of the struggles involved with erasing. Typing a paper using some kind of computer writing software, i.e. Microsoft Works, Word, Word Perfect, don t limit children with what they can and cannot do because they can cut, paste, copy, and undo. When you are working whit only a piece of paper and pencil, you do not have this freedom.
Computers are also more than just writing tools.
They are used in the classroom as resources for research as well as a curriculum aid for the teacher. Computers provide information to elementary students about words or concepts that they are not yet familiarized with. When students ask the teacher a question, the teacher may encourage the student to look up the answer using some of the familiarized software. Teachers do not always know the answer to all of the children s questions, so this is how a computer can step in a help solve the problem. A dictionary or an encyclopedia might be too time consuming, or perhaps even contain outdated information or few illustrations of the concept when applicable.