quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
Obsolete. The time and effort could better used on more valuable skills.

This is what I'm leaning towards. The only time I use it now is for signing my name, and I see handwritten signatures becoming obsolete in the future, too.

Teaching basic grammar and reading are more important, and in greater demand.

 
This brings back memories of the cursive alphabet above the blackboard.
 

From first hand experience, the public education systems in both Alabama and Louisiana have bigger fish to fry than writin' purty.

I don't have a problem with cursive, in and of itself, but this illustrates an all too typical set of fucked up priorities with respect to education.

quote:

Originally posted by IrishWind:

That is probably the most readable cursive I've ever seen. Of course it is probably a cursive font in a photoediting program.

But I agree with others I don't see the value in cursive. Sure someone brings up some of our founding documents, but most of are available as digital text now. And the people that want to study the obscure founding documents written in cursive can easily learn to read it. After all there are people that understand dead languages like ancient Greek, Latin, and Egyptian hieroglyphics. Reading cursive is much easier than those three languages. Heck understanding the differences between how they use English then and now would be harder.

The only other thing I used it for was writing greeting cards. My mother was a stickler for that. She's gone now, and I've stopped doing that.

What they should do is to start teaching typing in elementary school. Then again, how long until that's replaced by voice recognition.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
Obsolete. The time and effort could better used on more valuable skills.

This is what I'm leaning towards. The only time I use it now is for signing my name, and I see handwritten signatures becoming obsolete in the future, too.

Teaching basic grammar and reading are more important, and in greater demand.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
What they should do is to start teaching typing in elementary school. Then again, how long until that's replaced by voice recognition.

Unfortunately few schools really teach typing. Most will teach computer skills, but few will spend the time to actually teach touch typing. But then again, like many skills it requires practice. It was quite a while before I could actually touch type to the level I do now. Although I rarely am exactly on the home row like they teach you in school.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
Different skills for different times.

This is my thought.

I don't think there is anything inherently valuable in knowing cursive writing over "mere" printing. I am sure in ancient Greece they used to complain that schools weren't teaching students how to write on wax tablets.

Change comes to us. Just because we learned it doesn't mean it still makes sense.

It's one of those things that fall into the "it would be nice if..." categories. It isn't needed in any way, shape or form. I learned it in fourth or fifth grade and then never used it again (except as punishment a couple of times in 6th grade). My signature is simply my first and last initial with squiggle lines after them.

My kids go to a private school and they really emphasize neat handwriting in K-3rd grade and still teach cursive. In fact, if a kid gets held back in one of the early years, I can almost guarantee you that one of the reasons (not the only reason mind you) is sloppy handwriting.

It's a shame my oldest didn't start going there until the 3rd grade. His handwriting is some of the worst left-handed chicken scratch you've ever seen (currently in 7th grade). My two younger ones that started the school in Kindergarten have extremely neat handwriting.

I took typing in high school. I pretty much knew I was going into computers at that point, and knew it would be handy. I think it was the type of vocational class they used to teach.

But given how much of an absolute necessity it is at this point, and how much students will be using that skill, it would make a lot of sense to teach it.

quote:

Originally posted by PPGMD:

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
What they should do is to start teaching typing in elementary school. Then again, how long until that's replaced by voice recognition.

Unfortunately few schools really teach typing. Most will teach computer skills, but few will spend the time to actually teach touch typing. But then again, like many skills it requires practice. It was quite a while before I could actually touch type to the level I do now. Although I rarely am exactly on the home row like they teach you in school.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
I took typing in high school. I pretty much knew I was going into computers at that point, and knew it would be handy. I think it was the type of vocational class they used to teach.

But given how much of an absolute necessity it is at this point, and how much students will be using that skill, it would make a lot of sense to teach it.

It was in middle school for me. High school was computer science classes. But it was all optional.

And IME computer literacy is going down. Sure most people still can access the internet and such, but they are so used to using devices that basic computer literacy is becoming less common as it was with my sub-generation (the Oregon Trail generation).

quote:

Originally posted by PPGMD:And IME computer literacy is going down. Sure most people still can access the internet and such, but they are so used to using devices that basic computer literacy is becoming less common as it was with my sub-generation (the Oregon Trail generation).

I'd say that's true, but the complexity of the devices and programing is so far beyond AppleSoft Basic that I don't know how much value there is in what we learned.

My Mom encouraged me to take a typing class in high school. She said it would come in handy later. My first thought was along the lines of "Geez, typing is for girls!" But I took it, and she was right. It paid off big time when I got into computers after college.

I've pretty associated cursive with applying my signature to checks, legal and financial documents and the like. Occasionally I'll still use it in Christmas and birthday cards, but not much else. I know that digital signing is being used more and more as the technology becomes more accepted and more reliable. So I guess I fall into the "it's nice to have but there are higher priorities when education budgets are short" camp.

In a time before keyboards and few typewriters in common use outside of business and professional offices, cursive made hand writing more efficient. One could write more words faster and with less fatigue when using proper pen and wrist placement.
My mother had the most beautiful flowing, looping artistic cursive. It was not easy forging her writing for high school excuses but I retired undefeated

I saw this video today and I thought that this is an appropriate counter to the idea that just keeping cursive alive is enough to make sure new generation understand our founding documents like the Constitution.

English and how it is written is an evolving language, the further and further you go back the less you are doing to understand.

Obviously it is a short video, but it illustrates the point fairly well. In 100-200 years there is a good chance that people might not be able to understand documents from the 18th century even if they could read them.