Do they still teach long hand in school

[john250]

State Sen Jean Leising of Olberding, IN introduces a bill every year to require cursive be taught in Indiana. She hasn't had much luck.

 

[bball]

They are dropping cursive from our school district. Implemented e-learning 3 years back. Then can't figure out why kids struggle with things like spelling, punctuation and grammar. Atleast that's what the scores show. I tease my older boys about it. They retort with, "Get with the times old man. Spell check, grammar check and auto format is there for a reason." I don't even know what auto format is...

More than half the world population has no access to computers and modern electronic writing capability.

Computers still screw up - there, their and they're / two, to and too and affect, effect are three small examples.

Make that mistake in the wrong spot it could cost you a contract or a job or more.

Less than 10 years ago we were in the arctic and lost all of our electronic gear.

If we had not been able to write, perform simple math in our heads and complete an entire geographic survey on paper with pencils - the mission would have been lost.

All it takes is one EMP to kill the entire electronic world.

As with any trade or any job - loose the basics, loose the ability to understand and operate the complex.

Modern aircraft and modern UAV systems - despite automation still require abilities to do simple math in your head ie: 6 x 8 divided by 4 - and the ability to write simple notations on a pad of paper when a clearance is issued and delivered for read back.

Field notes for surveys and for forestry calculations can be completed on a computer however if on an extended trip even additional batteries can run dry in the bush. Try replacing them more than a thousand miles up the Amazon.

Smart phones are not capable of operating in more than two thirds of the world at this time - no reception or communications available.

Unfortunately schools do not teach our children HOW to think - the tell them WHAT to think.

So - my response to your kids would be:

"Let's go low tech - give me all your stuff and see if you can function - because some day you just might HAVE to"

Reading - writing and basic math - vital yet essentially ignored by the modern "educator nazis".

Cheers

Yes, I concur. One of the reasons we have "Stone age Sundays"...no electronics on Sundays (lap tops, cell phones, tablets, etc. And I'm pretty blessed, my children are pretty smart (son #2 was Valedictorian, and I'm proud). Oldest two serve part time in military service. I know the military prepares for computer/electronic failures from personal experience. I feel like youngsters today think technology is the end all answer to everything and can't imagine a world without all the luxuries. I have thought for a long time, the easiest way to conquer our country would be to pull the power plug and wait a few weeks for the major metropolitan areas to implode. Then the real battles would begin in the rural areas with the folks who have some idea of how to function/survive without electricity and more.

 

[Williamsv]

I have been reteaching cursive writing in my mind all afternoon. I loved to teach it. I never gave my students runoff sheets with letters to trace and make. On the old chalkboard I had permanent lines where I would teach the strokes and then make the letters. I went to each child and checked their work. Many times, if they were having a hard time with a letter, I would hold their little hand and help them learn to make it.
A lot of students would write whole pages of extra practice on their cursive and bring it for me the next day. As I taught each capital letter, if a student's name started with that letter we would write their name. They could then write their name in cursive on their papers. How thrilled they were! I remember all to well that J was the last letter that we learned. My daughter was not too happy because her name started with a J.
Those were good days. Things like this post today bring back many good memories. I do wish school could be like it used to be. Students learned much more academically and socially. I always tried to teach life lessons every chance that I got.
It would be a sight to know the number of words, letters, and numbers that my hand has written on chalkboards and whiteboards over the years. A few years I used an overhead projector and transparencies to teach cursive. That was right after I started teaching and these were new.
I have told this on here before, but every night in my dreams I am somewhere at a school teaching or back in school myself. I bet I'll be teaching cursive writing tonight!!!!

 

[Cabo]

Is shorthand taught any more? Just curious, my wife still writes notes to herself in shorthand.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

That what they call texting now Cabo.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I write everything in cursive and it is correct cursive if you can't read it your
education is lacking IMO. But I still write letters as well.
Letter has a much more personal touch than an email.

 

[Williamsv]

I am glad someone else still writes letters in cursive. As for shorthand, if it is still taught I do not know of it. I still write notes in shorthand myself. I would like to know if it is taught in business schools any more or I guess technical colleges.

 

[suzorse]

they had also quit teaching plain block letters when my son went to school , every letter had to have a
curl on it , lots of papers you have to fill out want plain block letters , I was told the curls were so they could learn cursive faster , 20 years ago they were shoving more info down their throats faster
homework every night , and from kindergarten onward , they also almost had to have a 1st grade
education by the time they started school
Suzanne

 

[Williamsv]

De'Nealian handwriting is the style with the curls. It was supposed to make cursive easier. I never liked it. I taught the old Steck Vaughn manuscript, which made beautiful block letters. First and second grade teachers in my school decided to use the De'Nealian. It did not make cursive any easier and it was not pretty. That is when handwriting got very sloppy looking. No more beautiful manuscript letters.
Young children are pushed too much in the early grades. Taught writing at three and four years old and their little hands are not ready. Most of the time they are not taught how to hold the pencil correctly and just draw letters instead of learning them the correct way. You cannot teach a child until he is ready to learn. They are being pushed too fast. Also when they are not taught correctly how to hold a pencil, it is hard to get them to hold it correctly.