Cursive Writing

Actually, he isn't. Learning to write is among the most basic of basics.

And that's why I will never allow you to be in a position to teach of influence our children.

The English alphabet.

 

simply, cursive means joining, and that is all it means...we join our letters by a curve to complete each word as one.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Never mind. Not going to feed the trolls.

 

That's right folks -- Cursive handwriting is one of the important skills for the 21st century. (He doesn't know math or science and he can't can read or write, be gee, look how well his letters are joined together!)

Personally, I can't remember the last time when one of my kids had to turn in a handwritten report -- cursive or otherwise. In fact, a lot of their work is not only done on the computer, but it is turned in electronically.

 

One thing is for sure: the arrogance, passive-aggression, contentiousness, mistrust, cynicism, and bad faith displayed by this participant in this conversation are very telling and shocking, to say nothing of the complete misunderstanding of educational theory and process.

We're talking about cursive writing, for God's sake, and the best that we as a group can do is lower ourselves to this point it shocking. Absolutely shocking.

As for the statement that I would never be allowed to teach his children, I might should leave well enough alone, but I would like to say a couple of things.

First, I am a music teacher, and if I ever had the pleasure and privilege of teaching your children, they would never be the same. I am a hard-working, demanding yet sensitive and caring teacher who gives his students way more credit than most of their parents or the rest of society. I teach children to think independently and creatively and push them well beyond where conventional wisdom believes that they should be.

I don't phony up excitement, put up with excuses, or give them license to be foolish. Immature in light of their years, yes, but never foolish.

But, funny, kids don't care . They actually love me for it. My class is water to a parched generation. The fact that they have to do more than repeat rote and irrelevant tasks and are challenged to explore, create, evaluate, and express actually makes a difference in their lives. The sense of self-worth is life-giving to a demographic that others assume will only end up poor, pregnant drains on the rest of us.

I am more than adequately suited and gifted to teach your children or any others for that matter. I am in a low-income area because I consider it a privilege to work with those who the rest of society doesn't give a crap about. It is a heart response and an act of worship.

Do I think public education in this country is solid? Absolutely not. I disagree with much of it, actually, but I'm not in it because it's perfect. I'm in it because I love children, music and sharing all the intangible gifts that it allows me to do.

So cut out all your bitching and moaning about how we're not teaching a completely superfluous skill. When your children can write in cursive but can't relate to the world around them as Christ calls Kingdom people to do, your attitude will be completely exposed.

And when, as probably will happen, they rebel against your sheltering and parching influence, you will wish you they had more teachers like me.

 

Let me put this in a way you can understand:

"]You are an idiot.

 

Normally I think this kind of language is completely inappropriate for civil discussion, and we rarely agree on anything, but this time, I want to say:

well put, Matt.

 

Seems not teaching it would be silly. It is a relatively common form of communication and computers generate cursive fonts. Signs, menus, letters and other writings may use cursive writing. Everything written in the past in cursive - do we just ignore that as indecipherable? Remember that many historical documents, letters, and notes, such as the original Declaration of Independence, were written in cursive.

Apart from banning cursive, it is definitely beneficial to know it. Most of my handwriting is cursive. For those who master it, cursive is faster than printing. This means students taking notes on lectures and such have a benefit over those that print.



Certain people and certain fields may only print. That doesn't mean cursive should no longer be taught or used.

Yes, I believe it is a basic skill that schools need to keep as a requirement.

 

cursive writing may have been fine with the new fountain pens, ball points and pencils, but it wasn't the greatest with old dip pens and inkwells!

http://www.drawyourworld.com/dnealian.html

samples of cursive writing.

Cheers,

Jim

 

I find most handwriting impossible to read. Printing is much easier to read. Either way is painful for me due to arthritis.

 

A. I homeschooled my birth children for years and am working towards my degree in education. I'm a 4.0 gpa student but cannot even get to college level math and that is a major issue. I am dyslexic and have a math disability, but cannot afford the legal testing that will exempt me from that requirement. In the meantime I work as a substitute teacher, typically teaching English/Lit or special ed at the high school, but occasionally take a break and teaching elementary. Prior to that I worked as an English/Lit tutor at our local college. If English is not in demand, I move upstairs and teach art or vocal music classes.

B. Yes. I have high school students who cannot read cursive writing, despite the fact that elementary students are taught cursive starting in second grade in our district. My English students not only typically print, but also want to use text language in essays. Very unprofessional. They argue that it should be acceptable so not only are they moving away from cursive writing, they're moving away from the knowledge of proper grammar and sentence structure.

C. The disadvantages of not knowing cursive writing affects their ability to appreciate the importance of writing and English because they both become less of a focus in classes. Those who cannot read it do not fully understand or appreciate historical documents which were hand-written and some seem to have a tougher time taking proper notes. When printing, you need a stronger grip on your pencil, must stop at each letter, and that takes more time. They get frustrated and ask me to slow down during lessons or if they're taking notes off a story we're reading or a video we're watching.

Teaching less means more ignorance remains. I'm never going to be a fan of promoting less knowledge.

 

It seems that some are putting a different meaning to cursive writing than a mere stroke which connects letters. It has nothing to do with penning thought or reading that same thought.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Cursive should die the same way shorthand did....

No need for it in the 21st century...

 

Man, when I saw my lab partner taking notes in lecture using shorthand I felt like I would have given my little finger to be able to take down as much info with such ease.

Of course, I ended up buying a little recorder and then I was was taking down every word effortlessly. :smilewinkgrin:

 

Tim is saying there is no need for handwriting to-day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just don't get this thread. Are Americans putting a whole other meaning to cursive writing???????

Perhaps some American could define cursive writing for us foreigners.

Cheers,

Jim:tonofbricks:

 

I am convinced that the medical fraternity have a subject at university called the Art of Illegible Scribbling in order to send nurses mad.:BangHead:

Having said that I have been accused of having a hand writing akin to a demented,drunk and dangerous spider on a web and trying to achieve microscopic fonts. Okay it is weeny, but it is a printed type, I never learnt cursive writing until final years at high school because in Australia every state has a seperate school curiculum and never never should they work in a co-operative fashion. This had a negative effect on army brats and no doubt others where their parents had interstate moves almost every year. Sadly, this also applied to parsing and grammar.

My calligraphic handwriting was too beautiful and too slow for everyday report writing. :sleep: Computer generated fonts have been a boon as far as I am concerned, I use an Edwardian Script for personal letter writing as I believe that is the style of cursive writing I would love to have achieved.

 

It's cursive writing vis-a-vis print writing.

 

Printing is the style you see when you look at what I typed. Cursive is what you see on the Declaration of Independence: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thu...on-of-independence-john-hancock-signature.jpg