Indiana drops handwriting from school curriculum

[joseephuss]

http://www.vancouversun.com/Indiana+drops+handwriting+from+school+curriculum/5070433/story.html

Indiana drops handwriting from school curriculum

Indiana's public schools are abandoning teaching children how to write in favour of showing them how to type.

The state is among 48 others transitioning to new national learning guides, the Common Core State Standard Initiatives, that no longer require children to learn cursive handwriting but expected them to achieve proficiency with a keyboard.

An Indiana Department of Education memo said teachers can still choose to teach cursive writing, or can stop altogether.

"State standards themselves, they're just supposed to be a guide for what students must know before moving on to the next grade," said department spokeswoman Stephanie Sample. "And there are lots of little details that aren't in those standards that kids learn."

Sample said she has not heard any feedback from parents who are concerned their children will no longer learn a basic, yet fading, skill.

How often does one write in cursive every day?

Much of our daily personal and business correspondence is done by a quick email or text message. Notetaking and composing essays or statements are done almost entirely on the computer.

"There are much more important skills I think they take into this century than whether or not they write cursively," said former Indian teacher Mark Shoup, listing critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and literacy.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Indiana...l+curriculum/5070433/story.html#ixzz1RWboZ9zS

 

[Doomsday101]

I guess spelling will be next. No wonder we continue to fall behind in education

 

[TheCount]

I guess spelling will be next. No wonder we continue to fall behind in education

Meh, there are plenty of doctors and executives with terrible hand writing. How neat your hand writing is has absolutely zilch to do with your intelligence or education level.

If a teacher can't read what you've written, I am sure he/she will be sure to tell a student so.

I know that every paper I turned in from middle school on had to be typewritten anyway.

Now that the internet is such a part of the culture, however, there's mostly no need for typing classes.

I have yet to see "Must write cursive." on a job description.

 

[Doomsday101]

Meh, there are plenty of doctors and executives with terrible hand writing. How neat your hand writing is has absolutely zilch to do with your intelligence or education level.

If a teacher can't read what you've written, I am sure he/she will be sure to tell a student so.

I know that every paper I turned in from middle school on had to be typewritten anyway.

Now that the internet is such a part of the culture, however, there's mostly no need for typing classes.

It is basic skill, why not do away with math we have machines that can calculate. It is lazy and just another example of how the education system is failing.

It is like the kid who can't give proper change if the register is not working.

Funny we have all these so called highly educated people running the schools yet we continue to fall behind.

 

[casmith07]

The only thing you need to be able to do in cursive is sign your name.

 

[TheCount]

It is basic skill, why not do away with math we have machines that can calculate. It is lazy and just another example of how the education system is failing.

It is like the kid who can't give proper change if the register is not working.

Funny we have all these so called highly educated people running the schools yet we continue to fall behind.

I think you are being a bit over dramatic here.

"Handwriting" is not a basic skill, writing is a basic skill. The medium doesn't matter.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think you are being a bit over dramatic here.

"Handwriting" is not a basic skill, writing is a basic skill. The medium doesn't matter.

By all means, if cursive is so important to you, teach your kids to write in cursive.

That is your opinion. Sorry it is basics it is what they teach in 1st grade. Instead we see the education board get off into personal matters that should be handled by a parent not the school.

Call it being over dramatic if you want but the proof is in the pudding and US educational system is falling behind others. Our educational system has become a joke.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The only thing you need to be able to do in cursive is sign your name.

True story, the grocery store and Walmart I shop at have those devices at the checkout stand that you slide your card and sign and go. When it's time to sign, I draw a straight line and push the enter button. Works every time. I haven't signed my name at either store in a long time.

 

[joseephuss]

True story, the grocery store and Walmart I shop at have those devices at the checkout stand that you slide your card and sign and go. When it's time to sign, I draw a straight line and push the enter button. Works every time. I haven't signed my name at either store in a long time.

Good to know once I steal your credit cards.

 

[Duane]

The only thing you need to be able to do in cursive is sign your name.

+1

I don't think I've used cursive for anything since high school.

 

[TheCount]

That is your opinion. Sorry it is basics it is what they teach in 1st grade. Instead we see the education board get off into personal matters that should be handled by a parent not the school.

Call it being over dramatic if you want but the proof is in the pudding and US educational system is falling behind others. Our educational system has become a joke.

Whether that's true or not has nothing to do with this particular story, that's my point.

Dropping cursive is not an indictment against the education level of the students or the education system.

 

[Doomsday101]

Whether that's true or not has nothing to do with this particular story, that's my point.

Dropping cursive is not an indictment against the education level of the students or the education system.

Being able to write in my view is important. What, are we to go back to putting a X as your signature? Are we to rely on computers and be ignorant with something as simple as being able to write in cursive.

It is a 1st grade subject and while you may not think it is important I disagree.

No wonder more and more people are getting out of the schools and using home schooling where the kids are grading out much higher than what we are getting out of the public schools.

 

[Dodger]

I saw this yesterday. The article states that they are removing cursive instruction from the curriculum, not how to write in normal print text, so I fail to see how this is an example of an increasingly poor educational system. There are other things you can point to for that.

Personally, I never use cursive, never have. I was forced to learn it way back in grade school, but after that waste of time, I went back to print text and have always written papers (back when you actually used pen and paper) in print text.

As long as a student knows how to write the letters of the alphabet in print text, can put those together to form words and sentences, what does it matter if they can't write in cursive?

 

[bbgun]

I still find it quite useful.

http://img851.*************/img851/5352/35153830.jpg

 

[Aikmaniac]

Why was cursive instituted in the first place?

There must be a reason why the Declaration of Independence and other historical documents were written in cursive.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

RAGE..RAGE!!! Kids will not know how to write only type.

Wait...What is that...you said they will still be taught how to write in print just not cursive and even then the teacher has the option to teach cursive.

Ok...maybe I raged to early and did not read everything through.

Sorry...Had to be done.

 

[Doomsday101]

I saw this yesterday. The article states that they are removing cursive instruction from the curriculum, not how to write in normal print text, so I fail to see how this is an example of an increasingly poor educational system. There are other things you can point to for that.

Personally, I never use cursive, never have. I was forced to learn it way back in grade school, but after that waste of time, I went back to print text and have always written papers (back when you actually used pen and paper) in print text.

As long as a student knows how to write the letters of the alphabet in print text, can put those together to form words and sentences, what does it matter if they can't write in cursive?

And I never use algebra since high school maybe we should get rid of that as well.

 

[joseephuss]

Why was cursive instituted in the first place?

There must be a reason why the Declaration of Independence and other historical documents were written in cursive.

I think it is a class thing. Social class that is. I have absolutely no proof to offer on that. Just wanted to throw it out there and see what happens.

 

[bbgun]

So we'll have a future generation of kids printing their names on checks, legal documents, tax returns, and birthday cards? ********. Why not just "make your mark" like an illiterate hillbilly (no offense, BP ).

 

[joseephuss]

So we'll have a future generation of kids printing their names on checks, legal documents, tax returns, and birthday cards? ********. Why not just "make your mark" like an illiterate hillbilly (no offense, BP ).

There will be an app to leave your mark on the screen.