cursive writing and texting - is writing changing forever?

[bulldog]

Some may argue "That is what spell checks are for"

it is unfortunate, but this is the attitude of most of the people i encounter these days also. some may argue that some of these things aren't needed or are outdated, but what will these helpless simpletons do if there is a power outage and can't google the answers ? and why stop there, why continue teaching math ? isn't that what calculators are for ? why study history when they can just look it up online ? heck, why not do without teachers altogether ? since there are already three and four year olds who can use a computer, they didn't learn that at school.
just my little $0.02 rant.

i have to laugh at some of this though. i know a girl who had to take anger management classes ( some kind of post-columbine thing i guess)  for cursing at a teacher. by todays standards they would have kept me locked up like hannibal lector for some of the things i said and did in high school.

[iddee]

IMHO, there will never be a better anger management tool than the old 1X6 with the end cut down for a handle. Too bad it was done away with.

MATH?? Kids aren't even taught to count money these days. They just as well do away with the teachers, rather than send them into the classroom with both hands tied behind their backs.

[hankdog1]

OMG you mean people will actually be able to read future doctors signatures?   

[Riggs]

>>They just as well do away with the teachers, rather than send them into the classroom with both hands tied behind their backs.<<

They are doing both, my wife has been a teacher in NC for the last 10 years or so, I never thought I'd have to worry about her losing her job.

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2011/09/15/recession-era-budget-cuts-eliminated-thousands-of-nc-public-school-jobs/

Sorry if this is hijacking.

[kathyp]

was getting hay from the feed store.  not my usual source, but that's another story.  i wanted 6 tons and we were doing it by pickup.  since the kids weren't sure there were a whole 6 tons in the barn, we kept a running total of our trips. 

we did:  two  1 1/2 ton  and three  1 ton loads.  + 4 extra bales that were used on top of a couple of loads to tie.  the girl running the cash register was so flustered with the addition, i had to have her write it down and help her add it up.  math is not my thing, but i can add!  the extra 4 bales almost gave her heart failure.

[Slowmodem]

Cursive is a faster method of recording information by hand than is printing.  In the event of no digital/tape recorder, video camera, or whatever...someone using cursive writing will get information on paper while those printing will lag behind. 

I wonder if anyone still uses shorthand or if it is still taught?

[BlueBee]

I know plenty of old timers that know Gregg shorthand. 

Don’t think it’s taught anymore.  Probably more useful than cursive at this point.

[Hemlock]

From time to time i have to go to a courthouse somewhere and do a deed search.  If I couldn't read cursive i wouldn't be able to do my job.  Most of these deeds go back to when the original courthouse burned down (they've all done that).  Some go even farther than that (1700's).  Most anything older than WW2 is handwritten in cursive.

I was surprised when my oldest kid wasn't taught it in public school.  Though my youngest is learning it in Home School.

Cultures trading up technology isn't new.  As new ideas are adopted older practices are abandon.  There is an occasional hitch to the process though.  Usually when the progress is fast passed.  This computer age is a good example of the quick adaption of newer technologies.
The Dark ages are a good example of what happens when the old technologies are completely forgotten.

[affreux]

The best and most expensive Amps are made using vacuum tube, so maybe we should not abandom all the knowledge of vacuum tube circuits as we have the english language.

[beemaster]

About Gregg Shorthand - I learned it with my wife about 5 years ago when she got a job advancement at work. She manages several staff members, but also has to take notes in meetings and confidentiality does not allow recorded meetings.

I did much better at it than she, which worked out good, came to be she really didn't need it. But I tend to think I did well being versed in Morse Code, it all it either audible to me, doing Gregg flows, it is very audible in your head as you compose it to paper. Like sheet music I suppose although that I never was exposed too.

Shorthand is fun, I worked on learning well beyond my wife, gave me something new to do on the long slow work nights. I use it too - if not I know I'll lose it. Morse code you lose your edge if you don't do it for long periods, I know Gregg would be the same.

I do think Court Steno machines are cool - watched a few Youtube  videos on that - again, you are turning sound into print (or directly to PC in most cases where it is instantly changed to full court records.

I do know where kids see cursive writing though - video games where they solve massive puzzle adventures, like find the match and the lantern, to see the key to open the chest to get the note - almost all those types of games use cursive in their graphics of letter written for the gamer to read. So, some may have to struggle a bit to read what is said, but hey that's how life works.

[luvin honey]

My kids are learning cursive writing in schools... The study I remember reading was that our memory isn't as used any more since we can always look things up online rather than needing to hold the information in our heads.

[Irwin]

They teach cursive writing in my granddaughter's 3rd grade class.

[oblib]

Teaching typing and the shortcuts for texting is just another means to the same ends. Cursive was just a way to write faster as you need not raise your pencil from the paper. With today's tech most writing is done on a screen instead of paper so it is natural to once again invent/teach a way to accomplish it in a faster more efficient manner.

[kathyp]

and now we use Dragon    we might need to learn how to speak properly again??

[hardwood]

I'm from the South....didn't speak properly (talk right) to begin with

Scott

[Intheswamp]

I'm from the South....didn't speak properly (talk right) to begin with

Scott

?  You sound ok to me...   

[AllenF]

Sounds fine to me also.   

[beemaster]

and now we use Dragon    we might need to learn how to speak properly again??

Speaking of which... did you get it and are you pleased???

[kathyp]

i did get it.  haven't had time to play with it much yet, but the training was kind of fun!  i need to sit down and really learn it and i guess the only way to do it is to do it.