Donna, Robin, all,
Donna, I really appreciate your bringing fonts into the discussion --
especially because your preference highlights my strongest point -- that in
all things we are unique, and individual preferences are genuine and IMPACT
the learning process.   I emphatically do NOT like Times New Roman, and
routinely (multiple times daily) copy articles /emails/ website info to a
new Word document and CHANGE the font to Verdana size 11 (or my new
favorite, Calibri size 14) AND increase / zoom the view of my computer
screen to 150% -- this has become my preferred readability format.

I have found that MORE students prefer Tahoma or Verdana over Arial or Times
New Roman in limited informal classroom research.

I always ask/request students to try to remember to increase their text size
when they email me.

Reading in books, on looseleaf paper and/or on computer screens, I find my
preferences stay the same.  However, I always prefer buff- or soft yellow-
or ivory- or cream-colored papers/background over stark white.   And I am in
the minority of research preferences for online / computer screen / website
preferences -- I do not like hues of blue, whereas it is the color of choice
for the majority.

So, when I read your preference for Times New Roman, I was spurred
to a quick Google research foray -- and here's some of what I found:
It is recommended to use fonts with simple typefaces, for example Arial,
Tahoma or Verdana. [source:
http://www.bon.uw.edu.pl/en/przetwarzanie_materialow_en.html ]

research:
Top 3 fonts for each personality adjective: (from
http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/81/PersonalityofFonts.htm )
 http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/41/onlinetext.htm

The most commonly used sans serif font is reported to be Arial (Ramsden,
2000). However, Tahoma, and Verdana are also very popular. Arial has a
rather large x-height and the letters are spaced so they do not touch. Both
Tahoma and Verdana were specifically intended for viewing on
computer-screens by also having wider letter spacing and a large x-height.
In addition, great effort was taken to make the lowercase letters, j, l, and
I more distinctive on computer screens. Tahoma and Verdana are fairly
similar to each other, except that Tahoma has a greater letter width than
Verdana. Another sans serif font that has become quite popular is Comic.
Comic was designed to mimic print found on comic strips, and it is generally
preferred among children (Bernard, Mills, Frank, & McKown, 2001).


http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7581-4H8DPNP-48&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=3307ef01bfcb2be22671b84d74944626

Hope others find this topic ON-target rather than off --

And, will use this post to add my disappointment that FOB will not be able
to continue their wonderful work in the same venues -- I (as so many others
have indicated) have found FOB a strong influence in informing and refining
and provoking reflection of practice for years now.  I will miss it
greatly.
Holly


>

> --

> Holly (Dilatush)

>

> holly at dilatush.com

> (434) 960.7177 cell phone

> (434) 295.9716 home phone

> [OK to call 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST / GMT -5 time]

>

> "Live with intention. Share inside~out smiles, inspire hope, seek awe and

> nurture in nature."

>

> www.tales-around-the-world.blogspot.com

> www.abavirtual-learningcenter.org

> www.boomerlangs.edublogs.org

>

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