Journal 5

Is Cursive Writing Worth Teaching?

Eilts, Sharon. "Is Cursive Writing Worth Teaching?." Learning and Leading. 39.2 (2011): n. page. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Point_Counterpoint_Is_Cursive_Writing_Worth_Teaching.asp&xgt;.  

Summary: The article was a very interesting read. For a while now I have been thinking about this topic and wondering if cursive is still a large part of elementary curriculum. The article does a great job highlighting both arguments to the discussion. Leanne Potter holds the argument that students should in fact be taught cursive. She states that she has taken her students on multiple field trips to museums where historic documents are written in cursive. Students would not be able to understand the documents and read the cursive writing with out this educational practice. Leanne also recalls being at a museum once and over hearing a 6 year old say she can't wait to learn cursive! Leanne states that this is important because students still very much show interest in the topic and we should not take that away from them. Everyone has a unique signature and by not teaching our students this basic skill  the beauty of various cursive forms will be obsolete. Leanne also says that if students are not exposed to cursive writing they will have no interest in it later on in life and historic writings will be of no value to them. On the other hand Sharon Eilts has an opposing argument. She states that cursive writing has become obsolete and the mode in which students choose to write should not matter. Sharon states that with technology students can easily choose from hundreds of different scripts including cursive! Also as far as signatures go it is more commonly seen then not to have electronic signatures. Sharon feels we should spend time teaching our students other skills and not spend hours working on our cursive. Sharon feels we should move towards the future with technology and not be stuck in the past.

Question: How do you feel about teaching cursive in the classrooms?

Answer: I have to agree with both sides of the argument which would lead me to believe a good mixture of both should be incorporated into the classroom. I agree with Sharon that our students should not be spending hours in the classroom learning cursive but at the same time I do not feel it should be obsolete and never taught. Our students need to be well rounded and capable of having the skill in writing in cursive.

Question: How can we incorporate both views into the classroom?

Answer:  We can incorporate technology into the classroom and teach students how to use different scripts on the computer and if anything help them learn how to spell their name in cursive so that they have their own unique signature for life. Students may be able to find a cursive style they like on the computer and practice writing it on their paper. This would be a neat way for them to connect with technology and the paper.