Cursive Endangered? Chronicle Of Higher Ed Editorial

[mbankirer]

http://chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/2014/06/27/ive-seen-the-writing-on-the-wall-and-it-is-in-cursive/?cid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en

[Parker51]

This is I believe a symptom of the problem of individuals within our society being treated as if they were all the same mythical average person whith the same set of capabilities, who both is able to and is seen as needing to learn the same things.

[Ambien]

I feel like I read this article before. It's not endangered esp. when news articles keep bringing it up every few months/years zzz.

[Mezzie]

I think saying our connection to history is lost if we don't read cursive is a bit hyperbolic. If I couldn't read cursive and stumbled upon my great-grandmother's diary, I wouldn't despair -- I would learn cursive. It's a few million times easier than learning another language to read something (which I would have to do if that great-grandmother happened to be the one from Germany).

 

I do think there is something to writing by hand, but believe me -- our schools are not funded well enough that our students will be typing all of their work (or even half of it) anytime soon.

[inkstainedruth]

This is I believe a symptom of the problem of individuals within our society being treated as if they were all the same mythical average person whith the same set of capabilities, who both is able to and is seen as needing to learn the same things.

I suspect that most "lowest-common denominator" advocates never read the Kurt Vonegut story "Harrison Bergeron". Oh, wait, sorry, I think that part of the curriculum in my AP English class in high school. So I guess *I* wouldn't be "lowest-common denominator"....

As for the article, I *love* how the library is doing something proactive. And that the course filled up immediately. Maybe if it's a success it can spread to other places. Although it would be interesting to see whether it was the kids or their parents who were more hung-ho over the concept (and if socio-economic factors were in play).

I read the article out loud to my husband. His handwriting is atrocious. Plus he's dyslexic (and got poorly mainstreamed after being in a failed experimental phonics program in elementary school -- he can't spell for spit -- and also got negative reinforcement to reading for pleasure growing up (yes, as far as I'm concerned his mother is a mutant, since *both* of my parents read fiction, mostly mysteries and -- in my mom's case -- SF and some fantasy). I'm hoping that getting a fountain pen into his hand will be an improvement, even this late in life.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Paddler]

If you want to learn cursive, you can learn cursive. It should take you about a half-hour. Same as black letter or any other hand.

 

People send their children to school, these days, and expect them to learn everything they will ever need to know in later life. A school doesn't have enough time with a student to teach all that. Does the school teach how to sharpen a kitchen knife? Does a school teach what a circuit breaker is for and where it is located in one's house? How about the main gas valve, the water shutoff? Can your child catch a fish and prepare it for the table? How about a chicken or a rabbit? Has your child even seen an onion growing? Cursive? Cursive is a walk in the park.

[sotto2]

IMHO, not learning cursive handwriting is a relatively minor issue compared to the other difficulties in education these days. I recently talked to a lady and her teenaged daughter about tattoos. I told them that I had met a young man (about 18) who was covered with tattoos. I pointed to his arm and asked him how much that work cost and who paid for it. He said, "About $3000", and "My parents." I asked the girl's mom what she thought of that arrangement, and she said "Well, he's going to have those tattoos for a long time, so he should have good ones."

 

It may just be me, but there's some interesting thinking going on there that spills over into a lot of other areas.

 

And to bring it back on topic, I'm going to make a t-shirt with the following written in cursive on it, "If you can read this, you're obsolete."

[nojanv]

As a high school student, I haven't seen any students writing in cursive. I myself write in spencerian script and practice calligraphy with an oblique holder almost everyday! Most my friends love my handwriting but can't read it hahahah!

[dcwaites]

Writing notes down by hand should be seen to be an essential part of learning. Whether it is printing or cursive doesn't matter, it is much more effective than keyboarding. However, the advantage of cursive is that it is much faster than printing, so you can take more and better notes in cursive.

 

What I don't like is the practice that I went through at school of the teacher writing notes up on a board and we students copying them down rote. I learnt very little that way. The teacher/lecturer needs to speak, the student needs to listen, interpret, take notes and ask appropriate questions to clarify.

 

The aspect of learning to read cursive is, as some have mentioned, not really a problem for a dedicated researcher. We don't teach cuneiform or hieroglyphics any more in school, and that isn't a problem for a researcher.

[proton007]

Rather late to the party, this writer. Other newspapers have already made the most of this phenomenon.

 

I just think the world is full of too much moronity to be bothered about. Somehow, in every society, this stratification occurs.

 

As for the 'library course getting filled up', I wonder how many of those who signed up did because of a genuine interest in Cursive, and how many just went along because it's cool and others are doing it.

 

 

In other news, The American soccer fans are among the dumbest in the world.

 

Where does it end? Brave New World, anyone?

Edited July 2, 2014 by proton007

[tonybelding]

If you want to learn cursive, you can learn cursive. It should take you about a half-hour. Same as black letter or any other hand.

 

This. I remember learning cursive one morning in third grade. Of course there were practice sessions that followed, but the basics are not all that difficult -- or time consuming -- to pick up.

 

edit: Now that I think back, though, I can also recall how much cursive looked like indecipherable code before I learned it. So, maybe it's not surprising that some are intimidated.

Edited July 25, 2014 by tonybelding

[Algester]

I still use cursive Palmer method to be exact (learned since 1996)... though I see a lot of students during my high school write in print... <_< (year 2004-ish) but now I'm finding ways to make the flex appeal on other letters Q, S, F, T, I to be exact... C to an extent I think a simple brandish looks kind of... lame, I'm surprised no matter how hard my hand writing is my teachers can apparently understand it... heck there are times even my own written words phases through my mind

Edited July 25, 2014 by Algester

[Earl Pitts]

As I understand it, 45 states and the District of Columbia no longer include cursive in their curriculum. Sad commentary on our educational system and the state of affairs in this country.

 

In some school districts, teaches are no longer allowed to use red ink in grading students papers. It's demoralizing and the student feels threatened.

 

Back in the day, it wasn't the color of the ink that impacted me, it was the grade and accompanying note! Sometimes not so nice! I survived and always didn't get a trophy.