Handwriting in Education

The new chisel and stoneBy: Breanna Schuster

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Rationale

• Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical PracticeThe teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and

uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learniners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.I chose this standard because in finding out information about new rules of teaching cursive writing, I am engaging in professional learning and continuing to keep up with the Common Core State Standards. This will help me practice meeting the needs of each learner while teaching necessary material.

Aldus Manutius

• Italian humanist invented cursive in 14 A.D.

• By the 1700’s schools began teaching cursive writing.

•Cursive has become as foreign as ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.• Laptops/Tablets

>Pens/Paper

Curse Cursive in Indiana

• In 2012, Indiana announced that their schools will no longer be required to teach cursive (but will still be permitted to), and instead will be required to teach "keyboard proficiency".

Pros of Handwriting in Schools

• Helps with learning and practicing letters and shapes.• Can improve

composition and expression• Can aid fine motor

development

Cons of Handwriting in Schools

• Generally a slower form of communication• Needing to use the

classroom time for something more useful• Most everything we

need to read is now available online.

Pros of Keyboarding

• Faster: erasing and typing.•No waste of paper• Always legible•Quick formatting, i.e, spellcheck.

Cons of Keyboarding• Material is not

remembers as well as when it’s written

• Typing for an extended period of time is bad for your eyes, hands and back.

• Students can wonder on the web.

References:

Casey, Matthew. (2013, July 26). Has Technology Mined Handwriting? Special to CNN. CNN Wire.

Lundergren, Sara. (2013, September 4). Cursive writing not a priority in schools. The Brunswick News (Brunswick, GA).

Smith, Denise. The Cincinnati Enquireer: Is cursive’s day in the classroom done? Retrieved November 6, 2013 from www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/12/is-cursives-day-in-the-classroom-done/2642071