Stop teaching cursive writing in schools ?

[lxskllr]

I don't use cursive, but it has it's uses. It isn't difficult, or time consuming to teach, so why not? A lot of people are focusing on the wrong thing here. Cursive doesn't take time away from more practical pursuits, it's those stupid standardized tests that take away the real time. No Child Left Behind is leaving a lot of kids in the dust. Learning how to take a standardized test isn't educating kids. Aside from that, some just aren't cut out for academics. They may be more hands on. You'll never see that in a standardized test. Our education system needs some serious reworking, but dropping cursive training isn't the place to start.

Edit:
Minor grammar, and to say I print using all caps, no lower case.

 

[Perknose]

This thread makes me irrationally sad.

 

[zinfamous]

retarded.

yet another nail in the coffin of illiteracy that we are bestowing amongst our texting, brain-dead spawn.

 

[Deeko]

Who the hell uses cursive anymore? Even when I write things by hand, I write in print. Always. Including my signature.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
retarded.

yet another nail in the coffin of illiteracy that we are bestowing amongst our texting, brain-dead spawn.

Because killing off an unnecessary and outdated second writing system that more often than not is hard to read is totally connected to people not learning grammar properly. :roll:

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Saga

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: Saga
In the age of computers, typing, and PRINTED text - cursive is obsolete and an absolute waste of anyones time.

Bullshit, communication is all about agreed upon references and standards. The importance of cursive writing is that it is intrinsically tied to those references and standards in a way that printing is not. If you want to communicate nuance to anyone outside your FaceBook group trying writing in cursive. The abbreviations and short cuts so prevalent on the interweb make communication to a vast number of people who supposedly speak the same language almost impossible. It's not that one is inherently better than the other, it's that printing or, specifically typing, that lends itself to being lazy and unclear.

I think this is case in point for trying too hard and entirely missing the point.

People being lazy and ignorant leads to communication being lazy and unclear. Cursive as nothing to do with it, and by your logic we would still be speaking Old English. I know it's hard to realize your standards are dated and obsolete, but unfortunately reality is a cruel mistress.

I think you are missing the point. People are lazy and ignorant so, you want to make it easier for them? The difference between modern English and Old English is that the change did not happen in the space of twenty years. We all know people who are computer illiterate but, there is also a rising number of internet users who think Wiki is the pinnacle of all knowledge and "Sup?" is an understood greeting.

It's about communicating, my standards or your standards don't matter. Right now, the 'intarwebs be ridin' the fail boat, dawg.'

 

[Saga]

Unfortunately for both of us, these children will be raised with l33t speak, and 50 years from now it will be as common as the nightly news. You were quite correct when you stated that neither of our standards matter. The difference between us is that you refuse to accept this historically accurate inevitability of culture progression, whereis I simply accept that what will be, will be.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Saga
Unfortunately for both of us, these children will be raised with l33t speak, and 50 years from now it will be as common as the nightly news. You were quite correct when you stated that neither of our standards matter. The difference between us is that you refuse to accept this historically accurate inevitability of culture progression, whereis I simply accept that what will be, will be.

I believe change in our culture is inevitable as well. What I am concerned about is that the current generation will have to reinvent the wheel and relearn lessons made more difficult by the inability to share common references. That, coupled with the growing dependence on complex technology, opens the door for truly catastrophic events.

Cursive is not the answer to the problem, finding a common language is. In no other time in history has language changed as rapidly as now.

 

[nixium]

Originally posted by: Perknose
This thread makes me irrationally sad.

me too, and i'm under 30.

 

[nixium]

Originally posted by: Deeko
Who the hell uses cursive anymore? Even when I write things by hand, I write in print. Always. Including my signature.

I use it almost exclusively, despite all the laughing and ribbing. The majority of my written communication is by typing, so I use cursive to add personality and that human touch, which is rapidly being eroded by the pervasiveness of technology.

 

[Saga]

You started in defense of cursive, but now take the stance that cursive is not the answer. Forgive me for being rather perplexed by the situation, but during the course of our discussion it would appear you've changed your mind - or changed your stance. Regardless it's pleasant to see we both agree that cursive is indeed not the answer, and I can only assume you acknowledge my initial assessment that it is obsolete.

As for a solution, quite frankly I intend to be long dead before that problem needs solving.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: MotF Bane
Waaaahhhhh, we have too much to teach, waaaahhhh. /teachers

Stop teaching to the lowest level and moving so slowly that you could bring in a fucking squirrel and get more done. Make the homework something besides busy work, make the kids actually learn something if you're going to try to chain them to their desks at home for hours a night in preparation for later years.

Yes, because it's the teachers who are forcing irrelevant tests on the schools and it's the teachers who are forcing schools to cover things in health classes that are properly the domain of parents, and it's the teachers who are forcing government mandates that require gearing classes towards the lowest level students so that "no child is left behind", and it's the teachers who are threatening schools with ridiculous lawsuits when kids might get held back a grade for poor performance... :roll:

You think that the teachers really have a say in any of this crap? They don't. The problem with schooling is that the government keeps barging in with ridiculous additional requirements and constraints and is essentially doing everything it can to ensure that teachers don't have any opportunity to actually teach. Thankfully for the government, idiots who don't have the slightest clue what it's like to be a teacher put the blame on the teachers instead of on the government where it belongs.

ZV

QFMFT.

also, i write a mix of cursive and print

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Saga
...and I can only assume you acknowledge my initial assessment that it is obsolete.

It should still be taught though. It doesn't take long, and there's still plenty of legacy documents that use script. Deeds in the courthouse from the early 20thC and under are generally hand written. I'd prefer that that people other than lawyers can read them.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Originally posted by: nixium

Originally posted by: Perknose
This thread makes me irrationally sad.

me too, and i'm under 30.

Thirded. This is yet another sign that I'm getting old - something I was taught in grade 3 that is about to disappear (I'm only 26 BTW).

Everyone here decrying the uselessness of cursive writing apparently hasn't written romantic cards and letters to their girlfriend. Trust me, the extra effort is much appreciated.

 

[TruePaige]

Buh-bye Cursive. I won't miss you.

I remember getting points taken off for my script stinking in a 3rd grade history class where we were forced to write in cursive. I had a real bitch of a teacher.

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha

Originally posted by: nixium

Originally posted by: Perknose
This thread makes me irrationally sad.

me too, and i'm under 30.

Thirded. This is yet another sign that I'm getting old - something I was taught in grade 3 that is about to disappear (I'm only 26 BTW).

Everyone here decrying the uselessness of cursive writing apparently hasn't written romantic cards and letters to their girlfriend. Trust me, the extra effort is much appreciated.

I write them all the time. Beautiful content is much more appreciated.

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: TruePaige

I write them all the time. Beautiful content is much more appreciated.

It's easy to see beauty when nobody can decipher it!

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Saga
You started in defense of cursive, but now take the stance that cursive is not the answer. Forgive me for being rather perplexed by the situation, but during the course of our discussion it would appear you've changed your mind - or changed your stance. Regardless it's pleasant to see we both agree that cursive is indeed not the answer, and I can only assume you acknowledge my initial assessment that it is obsolete.

As for a solution, quite frankly I intend to be long dead before that problem needs solving.

I maintain a stance of dominance. Cursive is not the answer to idiots dismissing history however, it can be the answer to sharing a common language. I see no reason why one of the few ties to our common language be dismissed as obsolete.

As far as being long dead, do you really believe that a culture who's language has changed so rapidly as to be incomprehensible to a large portion of the country, can avoid making terminal mistakes in your lifetime? I wish I was that sanguine but. being prepared is what I do.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Fuck cursive and anyone who still uses it. If you want your handwriting to be pretty, pick up a set of calligraphy pens or something...

Then promptly shove them as far up your ass as you can. You stupid twit.

Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha


Everyone here decrying the uselessness of cursive writing apparently hasn't written romantic cards and letters to their girlfriend. Trust me, the extra effort is much appreciated.

Fuck that bitch too.

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
As far as being long dead, do you really believe that a culture who's language has changed so rapidly as to be incomprehensible to a large portion of the country, can avoid making terminal mistakes in your lifetime? I wish I was that sanguine but. being prepared is what I do.

To one diagnosed with a terminal illness long before he approached his 30's, the phrase "terminal mistakes in your lifetime" in relation to cultural changes in language actually made me laugh out loud for the first time today - so I can only thank you for that. :laugh:

However, I believe that with everything eventually going to data and text, cursive will simply fade into obscurity on it's own. Too bad l33t speak won't go with it.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: mxyzptlk
Fuck cursive and anyone who still uses it. If you want your handwriting to be pretty, pick up a set of calligraphy pens or something...

Then promptly shove them as far up your ass as you can. You stupid twit.

Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha


Everyone here decrying the uselessness of cursive writing apparently hasn't written romantic cards and letters to their girlfriend. Trust me, the extra effort is much appreciated.

Fuck that bitch too.

My case in point. Does anyone understand what he's trying to say?

 

[BoberFett]

Cursive should die. Waste of time and effort.

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: polarmystery

Originally posted by: FleshLight
Cursive is used extensively in the engineering field. Our entire senior project (design a water reservoir) has to be written in cursive.

*looks around cubicle*

Nope, no cursive anywhere.

i was wondering about that. my father's an engineer, my sister's an engineer... i doubt either of them can write cursive at an appreciable speed.

 

[roid450]

I say do away with math and Cursive, we have computers and calculators now u know

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Saga

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
As far as being long dead, do you really believe that a culture who's language has changed so rapidly as to be incomprehensible to a large portion of the country, can avoid making terminal mistakes in your lifetime? I wish I was that sanguine but. being prepared is what I do.

To one diagnosed with a terminal illness long before he approached his 30's, the phrase "terminal mistakes in your lifetime" in relation to cultural changes in language actually made me laugh out loud for the first time today - so I can only thank you for that. :laugh:

However, I believe that with everything eventually going to data and text, cursive will simply fade into obscurity on it's own. Too bad l33t speak won't go with it.

Amen. Glad I could help even if you got me feelin' a little sheepish. Baaaa!