They No Longer Teach Cursive Writing In Schools?

I received this link this morning. Not only does it make me feel ancient, but extremely thankful that my kids received a stellar education.
 
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0818/students-beethoven-dog/

First of all, that is one poorly written synopsis of others' work.  You might do better to read the original piece: http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2014.php to put some context around an otherwise inflammatory headline.  There is also a pull-down menu at the top to look at previous years' versions of the list - which would provide even a little more context.

Honestly, I am not sure if the authors mean that no one calls it "cursive" writing any more (or the more common nomenclature "script"), or if the process is not being taught at all - but, I know that writing is not at all important to the students starting college this year.  It doesn't need to be.  They don't have handwritten assignments any more - everything is done via computer.  If that is the case, what is the point in spending a ton of time on cursive writing skills?

The fact of whether or not students are or aren't getting a quality education today is debatable, but it is not because they are or are not being taught to write in cursive.

Cursive?

I thought this "%#@*&5X%$@#!" was cursive?

It used to be called cursive when I was in elementary school, however the word "real writing" was the term that was commonly used to describe script handwriting.

The business from which I recently retired used interns from a highly regarded private college. For the mst part, their writing was a nearly illegible combination of manuscript (printing) and cursive letters. It presented a real problem in phone messages and other notes. Not all writing in the "real world" is done on computers. Writing does not have to be pretty, but legible is necessary.

I teach at a university, and I still give in-class essay exams that students have to write in blue or black ink (unless they have a designated disability which requires them to use a keyboard).
 
I confess my own handwriting is awful (always has been -- I got a "D" in penmanship in grade school), but some of theirs is even worse.  Not all, however.  Most write very legibly, and in some cases, quite beautifully.
 
One of my husband's students (he teaches law school) challenged my husband's ban of laptops in class, claiming that he (the student) never expects to have to hand-write anything again, and that it was unfair to require him to take notes in class by hand, rather than on a laptop.
 
The student "lost."
 
I also ban laptops -- not because I have a problem with them for note-taking, per se, but because 1) students use them for other things, like checking Facebook, which is distracting to them, their fellow students, and to me, and 2) some of them get so engrossed in staring at the screen and trying to take verbatim notes (essentially a transcript) that they are more or less hypnotized and incapable of taking part in class discussion. 
 
 

mbrookes and rumaki - 

I hope you understand that I am not disagreeing with you, and was merely using hyperbole to illustrate that cursive handwriting is not something that most younger people are doing with frequency.  

The point that I was trying to make is that one's handwriting education should not be the metric that decides whether or not one has received a "stellar education."

It would seem to me to be a situation of post hoc ergo propter hoc.

No cursive, no ability to make change for a $3.50 purchase paid for with a 10 Dollar bill, unless a caculator is handy. Can't be taught because most of the teachers are also clueless. Memorization, gone, History is history, press 1 for English...but don't dare pledge allegiance to this Country, or anything remotely JudeoChristian...sad state of affairs.

Another opinion on the Beloit 'mindset list': http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/08/17/129250886/the-mindset-list-do-college-students-really-think-beethoven-is-a-dog

I don't always say this, but NPR nailed it on the head. Perfectly.

(Travelin Man basically did too)

As an educator (well, former fulltime educator turned gov't employee who works in education and arts education advocacy on the side - to the point that I should really just go back into education), I get pretty angry when people generalize about how dumb they think our children are. Meanwhile, they'll tell us their toddlers are brilliant at how much they know, but the high school graduate is unprepared?

Students today have a huge range, just like they did 50 years ago. They may express themselves differently, but isn't individual expression good? It was was good for Beethoven, but not for Teddy Jones? 

I like the response in the NPR article from the wife of a Beloit College professor, who sums it up best, " The makers of the list poll the professors every year for items to add to the list... those same professors wouldn't let students write papers making huge generalizations about a group of diverse people. "

@ NancyP - My annual problem with the Beloit mindset list is one of the main points of your linked article.  It doesn't need to be an ANNUAL production.  There would seem like there was a lot less repetition if it were only done once every, say, four years.  

@ CTF - After weeding through your xenophobic rhetoric, I think what you are trying to say is that some young people today aren't that bright?  When I went to high school - 20+ years ago, to be sure - there were absolutely people who could not make change for a $10 bill.  It's not because they didn't have a calculator; it's because they never learned simple arithmetic.  I am pretty sure that there is no fourth grade class in America where students are expected to learn their multiplication tables with the use of a calculator.   I think a better modern day equivalent is that most students graduating from high school today will have no ability to read a map - ever.  I see that one all the time - with people who are a lot older than recent high school graduates.  How on earth would anyone find where they needed to go without a GPS in their car?  I have a friend who uses a GPS to navigate around his own hometown.  How on earth is that necessary?

My writing with cursive was awful.  I print much better but not a whole lot.  I am grateful for the computer as it allows me to progress with my communication much faster.

My grandboys (8-10) were taught cursive and math (still at the Christian Academy of Knoxville) .  Both are excellent at math and all other subjects taught at the school.

I was very good at math and science and these young boys excel and constantly surprise me with their skills at all subjects including computer science.

Some have label some young folks as not being able to make change.  I challenge those of you to beat these young men at math.

School is changing.  I have noticed that.  I sincerely wonder how long the brick and mortar schools and university will remain with cost and etc.  Many degrees are being offered online.  Is that the way of the future?  A degree can be obtained from accredited university for thousands of dollars cheaper than attending a brick and mortar university with dorm fees, food and etc.

Writing cursive is not a necessity any longer.  It is nice skill to have but is it necessary?

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

 

Now you can record notes, have them automatically transcribed and insert your own coordinated notes. You can do cursive writing and sketches too.

AudioNote for iPad

the ancient mariner


Captain Oh Captain ----I am very sorry to hear about your atheism, I will pray for you.

CTF----the good Nuns never taught you how to make those crazy soups though.  Can't teach good cookin' by rote.  Ya gotta jump in and stir the pot.
'55 ---your still a boy.  How come you knew about Bobby Thompson in '51 ???
During one World Series the Dodgers were down a game to the cursed Yankees and the Pastor in our parish asked us all to pray for Gil Hodges to break out , but he went 1-22 or something like that.   

I was 5, I listened to all things radio, and for whatever reason remember it, I remember many things from very early childhood, even though I'm Irish and have had at least 3 beers on a few occasions.

Does the lack of cursive writing as a necessity extend to a person's signature? In the financial and legal fields, a printed signature is not generally accepted, and a name printed by a computer certainly is not.

mbrookes


Does the lack of cursive writing as a necessity extend to a person's signature? In the financial and legal fields, a printed signature is not generally accepted, and a name printed by a computer certainly is not.

It's my understandind everyone is going back to the good old X

I used to have beautiful cursive handwriting...and then I started drawing lighting plots, which requires drafting letters.  I can now print in all capital letters far faster and more legibly than I can write.

I have no opinion on today's education, however...my nieces and nephews range from taking classes I don't comprehend in the least because they are beyond my education level to classes that make me shake my head that this is required information because they are so stupidly basic.  They range from 15 years old to nine years old.

Folks, you will notice that I deleted several post.  Some of you got way off topic and ventured into areas that we do not discuss on this forum.  I am sure you understand.
 
Thanks
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Hey CTF---

I can still repeat some of the stuff I heard on radio---never a curse by the way.   Drinking a few beers loosens up the brain and the thought process. 

Many's the marvelous discussion I've participated in over a few brew.  Literary matters, problems of the world, religious and secular opinions offered------and generally everything solved before hitting the hay.  Never remember one of the solutions the next day. 

And after viewing the handwriting of my grandkids I had assumed that they were teaching Chinese or that Russian writing now-a-days.  Actually I don't think they teach very well at all-----but I can't say that out loud. 

I am a Notary Public for the state of N.C.  On many documents the person is required to sign their name "Cursive" Then print their name.  I do feel people need to know Cursive if only for legal documents. When I apply my stamp I must sign "cursive" then print my name as the Notary. I understand times are changing, but I think IMHO children need to be instructed to do basic hand writing skills, if only for legal documents.

Wabbit. I am with you---signed ELMER

-------------can't do it in cursive sorry. 

BTW - in Washington DC Public Schools (DCPS) well known as one of the worst public school systems in the coutry, the children are taught cursive writing. And, as bad as these schools are, many students still manage to go to college with that skill.

So, I think one Beloit Professor, may have been a bit far-reaching with his comments about the youth entering college.