Paper Planning: The Comeback Kid
I’m going to get right to it. I’m a paper planner girl. Always have been. Always will be. There’s something about putting pen to paper that makes me feel organized, time-managed, and yes, in control. And it seems I’m not the only one. In our high tech world, paper planners are making a comeback— and in a really big way. And not just for adults, but for students too!
According to the survey done as part of the Paper and Packaging Board’s recent Annual back-to-school report, 63 percent of K-12 teachers’ courses involved paper-based learning and that included using a student planner! The 2019 report found that 94 percent of college students and 89 percent of students in grades 7 through 12 say that paper is essential to helping them achieve their academic goals.
Want even more proof? In 2017, the London School of Economics, recognized paper’s unique role in the lives of our Gen Z students born from the mid 1990s to the early 200os, who have grown up in a world of cell phones, laptops and touch screens. In a study of college students in ten countries, researchers found that these students still choose paper to study, read, share and send.
So, when schools are posting assignments online and giving students iPads to use, why are students reaching for a hard-copy planner?
Writing in a paper planner helps you remember. Philosopher and psychologist, Nicolas Clausen said it best. “Typing only activates the “language” areas of our brain; whereas writing with a pen/pencil activates multiple brain regions and therefore makes the process complex, sensory rich and memorable.” Plenty of research shows that students who take notes by hand have a higher retention rate than those that take notes on laptops.
Paper planners are more time efficient. I’ve been selling this concept to my students for years! But it is oh so true. How do I know? I test it by timing my students! I ask them to record the same homework assignment in their academic planners and then again on an electronic device. The physical planner wins every time!
Electronic devices are distracting! I hear all day long that when my students go to open an app on their phone or computer to write something down, Instagram/TikTok/text messaging/YouTube (should I go on?) starts calling their name. And of course, what they intended to do never gets done.
Paper planners build time management skills. I can’t say this enough! They allow us to see the big picture using clear weekly and monthly views to help create a time sense and future awareness. I can’t count how many times I have heard a student say, “I need to see everything all in the same place.” Seeing helps us plan, prioritize and stay on task and track.
Paper forces connection. I love this one! According to the Paper and Packaging Board’s annual report, 76% of parents felt more comfortable helping their children with homework if it was being done with paper rather than a computer. Paper encourages interaction and opportunities for expanded learning.
So, if you thought that paper planning was a thing of the past, well, maybe. But I think it’s very much the present and the wave of the future!
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