The MEK Way: Pencil Still in Hand
Schools are pulling back on classroom screens. A recent EdWeek report found that three-quarters of parents want daily limits on device use, and districts are calling it a “reset.” Minnetonka superintendent David Law put it simply: “We have to do a reset, and we have to retrain our kids because some kids have developed some bad habits.” MEK has been ahead of this shift for years.
The MEK way has never been screens instead of study skills. It has always been screens alongside study skills. Assignments and testing run through our Canvas portal because a digital platform means faster feedback and real-time progress for families. That convenience is real. But convenience is not the same as comprehension.
Why the Pencil Still Wins
The research consistently backs this up. A well-known Princeton and UCLA study found students who took handwritten notes retained material better than students typing on a laptop, because writing by hand forces a student to process an idea, not just transcribe it. A Norwegian study found students who read on paper scored higher on comprehension than those reading the same text on a screen. Researchers at the University of Tokyo found paper notes led to faster, stronger recall than digital ones. The slower, more physical work of writing something down is exactly what makes it stick.
The MEK Way in Practice
This is why, underneath the Canvas platform, MEK instruction still runs on annotation, underlining, handwritten math work, and review, done by hand. It is the same principle behind our “Skills AI Can’t Replace” series: exposure to material on a screen is not the same as building a skill from it. That takes hands-on, repeated practice, and a pencil in hand remains the best tool for it.
As more schools reset their relationship with screens, families will recognize what MEK has offered all along: the right guidance for a digital generation, knowing exactly where each tool belongs.
Warmly,
Ann Ahn
Head Counselor,
MEK Review
