Good post, valid points. I do want to comment on "would we go around praising the merits of pencil based learning?" because it's nice turn of phrase.
Yes.
I remember reading something about the history of pencils, and there were benefactors out there singing the praises of pencils, and producing funding to provide "a pencil for every child", or something about that.
I have to get to work now, else I'd look it up myself for the details in the Font of All Knowledge.
This of course, takes nothing away from your comment, as eventually, every child did have a pencil, and they had to move along to using them effectively.
sr