What next!

[captain]

really, I guess no one needs to use a pen or pencil in the future....

cap

Typing Beats Scribbling: Indiana Schools Can Stop Teaching Cursive

Who still writes in cursive?
That age-old writing method you might never have used since fourth grade will no longer be taught in Indiana schools come fall, thanks to a memo from school officials. Instead, students will be expected to become proficient in keyboard use.

Seems like a smart move as being able to type efficiently is a vital skill in today's world, as opposed to knowing how to write cursive, which — like being able to churn butter and knowing how to hitch a horse to a wagon — is no longer needed.

But it might not mean the end of cursive entirely in the state. The directive from the state's Department of Education allows schools to decide for themselves whether to continue teaching cursive or disband the archaic practice altogether.

NewsFeed has just one question: How will Indiana's students know how to sign their name?

 

[twotonevert]

Wow! ???

 

[PocketRocket]

Good point , I wish they pushed typing when I was in school.. Arizon might be the only true state left teaching all American forms of writing..

 

[dadofthree]

Rachel and I were going over cursive writing a few days ago and someone mentioned it might be going away.

Well baby, this is how I was taught 45 years ago

 

[Fastfrog007]

Bout time, was useless when I was in school, and still is today

 

[Lamb busa]

lamb hasnt used cursive ever. He Prints to this day!

 

[zukracer]

Its only going to get worse. There are already schools where everything is electronic, even books. I think technology is great, hell it pays my bills but kids still should have to learn the "old way" as one day they could actually need some of these "old fashioned skills"

Things keep going this way we might be back to people signing their name with "X"

 

[Busa1166]

As far teaching in schools I think it's ok. I learned cursive in school the only use I have had for up to now is to sign my name. They need to learn to sign there name in cursive I guess they make and app for that too

 

[O Holy P]

my signature is "chicken-scratch", they don't teach those kinda skillz

 

[omslaw]

Well, it's about time! My daughters were learning cursive and while helping them, I was thinking "...this is crazy; teach them keyboarding!" They already know how to WRITE - just not in cursive - who cares?! I don't write in cursive. The only time I wrote in cursive is in 4th grade when I was FORCED to write in cursive; once I was done with that, I went back to printing everything.

Oh and at work, when I sign for stuff - my signature IS an 'X' (drives the receptionist nuts)

 

[mrsBusawhipped]

I use cursive everyday. I just like how it looks. But I will say since I do most of my correspondence through email and FB it isn't as neat as it use to be. Cursive writting will probably go in the same catagory as caligraphy. I just hope they don't do away with writting all together. Most kids today have great keyboard skills by the time they are entering kindergarden.

 

[kitchener rider]

Rachel and I were going over cursive writing a few days ago and someone mentioned it might be going away.

Well baby, this is how I was taught 45 years ago

45 yrs ago???? man your old...

 

[sportcustoms71]

man the only thing i use in cursive is when i sign my name......the rest is chicken scratch

 

[ogre]

i have awful handwriting, but type 70 wpm, accurately. they started teaching us typing in the second grade, along with computer use.

 

[jellyrug]

Just learnt something.

I am really getting old.

 

[Blanca BusaLess]

We would probably be the first country to do away with teaching our kids how to communicate on more than one plane. Many languages have several written forms of language and teach them all. It broadens ones capabilities and expands the mind to new frontiers. Sure I want my kids to be able to type or 'keyboard'? but I'm happy to say my son will learn it starting in second grade and my daughter has been able to do it since fourth grade. Public schools here are able to decide on their own whether or not to teach cursive and many choose not to. Both my kids now go to a school that teaches it and believes in it.
Writing in and of itself in cursive is a beautiful thing.
Can you print poems? Love letters? Memoirs? Like Russel said Calligraphy is a beautiful form of writing. On my fathers side the Arabic language has several forms of writing and a couple are themselves considered art when properly done.
In the end my main reason that I want both my kids to be able to write cursive is so that we can communicate properly in our cave after the zombie apocalypse comes. What will all you keyboarders do then, huh , well ? Huh Mnnyaaaahhhh

 

[Busa Jules]

Cursive is going the way of "shorthand". I remember as a child being fascinated by the pages of little curly cues and dots and dashes that my grandmother would have on her desk. I actually still have many of her old steno pads today and don't have the first clue what any of them say. For all I know it could be top secret information (she was a secretary for a high ranking military official in the 60's).

Being a teacher, I don't care how they write it as long as I can read it. I am, however, concerned when they are making letters backwards and sideways (keep in mind I teach HIGHSCHOOL). Granted, these young adults are not going to ever be given or refused a job based on their penmanship... but at least get the letters in the right direction.

Schools don't teach phonics either. Spelling is atrocious. These students have become dependent on SPELL CHECK. People say Phonics is useless because we now have the technology that can correct it. Well we had the technology too.. it was called a DICTIONARY! But then again most of the students don't know how to "sound out" a word to even attempt to find it in a dictionary!!

Okay... I'll crawl down off of my soap box.. school starts in less than a month... *sigh*

 

[Blanca BusaLess]

Don't stop for you speak the truth, every word.

Cursive is going the way of "shorthand". I remember as a child being fascinated by the pages of little curly cues and dots and dashes that my grandmother would have on her desk. I actually still have many of her old steno pads today and don't have the first clue what any of them say. For all I know it could be top secret information (she was a secretary for a high ranking military official in the 60's).

Being a teacher, I don't care how they write it as long as I can read it. I am, however, concerned when they are making letters backwards and sideways (keep in mind I teach HIGHSCHOOL). Granted, these young adults are not going to ever be given or refused a job based on their penmanship... but at least get the letters in the right direction.

Schools don't teach phonics either. Spelling is atrocious. These students have become dependent on SPELL CHECK. People say Phonics is useless because we now have the technology that can correct it. Well we had the technology too.. it was called a DICTIONARY! But then again most of the students don't know how to "sound out" a word to even attempt to find it in a dictionary!!

Okay... I'll crawl down off of my soap box.. school starts in less than a month... *sigh*

 

[semi]

there was an article in the paper this morning that IL is dropping all writing from standardized tests...there have been discussions for several years about doing away with cursive

click linky

 

[MO-BUSA]

funny this was brought up, my son and daughter were telling me the other day they were going to stop teaching cursive at their schools also, guess the keyboard is taking over.