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Some lament loss of cursive but teachers shrug
The Evansville Courier Press ^ | October 12, 2006 | Margaret Pressler

Posted on 10/12/2006 9:30:33 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued

The computer keyborad helped kill shorthand, and now it's threatening to kill off longhand.

When handwritten essays were intorduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2006, just 15 percent of the 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive. The rest? They printed. Block letters.

(Excerpt) Read more at courierpress.com ...


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KEYWORDS: computers; writing
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To: Political Junkie Too

We called it "Real Writin'"..........


21 posted on 10/12/2006 9:41:40 AM PDT by Red Badger (CONGRESS NEEDS TO BE DE-FOLEY-ATED...............................)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

Another useless lesson is Roman Numerals..............


22 posted on 10/12/2006 9:42:32 AM PDT by Red Badger (CONGRESS NEEDS TO BE DE-FOLEY-ATED...............................)
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To: Clintonfatigued
The computer keyborad helped kill shorthand, and now it's threatening to kill off longhand. When handwritten essays were intorduced on the SAT

In yesterday's thread, someone said spelling would be next to go.

(Copy-and-paste is our friend.)

23 posted on 10/12/2006 9:42:38 AM PDT by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary. You have the right to be wrong.)
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To: Red Badger

Have enough brandy for winter?


24 posted on 10/12/2006 9:42:52 AM PDT by battlegearboat
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To: AnotherUnixGeek
Yeah, if I write something for someone else to read, my main concern is that it's legible. So I use nice, easy-to-read print. If I'm writing to myself, I usually go for speed and it's less legible.

But I can type faster than I can write anyway, and I take my class notes on my lappy, so...

25 posted on 10/12/2006 9:43:30 AM PDT by Gordongekko909 (Mark 5:9)
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To: Born Conservative; kenth; CatoRenasci; Marie; PureSolace; Congressman Billybob; P.O.E.; cupcakes; ..

Educaton ping.

Let McVey, JamesP81, or me know if you want on or off this education ping list.


26 posted on 10/12/2006 9:43:32 AM PDT by Republicanprofessor
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To: ExtremeUnction
I was taught the "Palmer Method' in Catholic school.

I thought Catholics taught "the Rhythm Method"........

27 posted on 10/12/2006 9:43:51 AM PDT by Red Badger (CONGRESS NEEDS TO BE DE-FOLEY-ATED...............................)
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To: battlegearboat

sherry, actually........


28 posted on 10/12/2006 9:44:50 AM PDT by Red Badger (CONGRESS NEEDS TO BE DE-FOLEY-ATED...............................)
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To: Red Badger
We likes to call it: "Emminance, Rhythm and Palmer"

"Oooh, what a lucky cursive it was!"

29 posted on 10/12/2006 9:47:03 AM PDT by battlegearboat
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To: Squeako

Architecture school killed any use I ever had for cursive. But like a weed, those loopy letters have returned in the form of a draftsman/cursive hybrid that no one but I can read.


30 posted on 10/12/2006 9:47:25 AM PDT by AngryJawa ({NRA}{IDPA} Proud Infidel Since 1968)
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To: Clintonfatigued

There's this wonderful device called a notebook. It needs no batteries and can be transported in a purse, or even in your coat pocket. It never crashes or becomes technologically obsolete. Best of all, you can be equipped with a notebook and pen for under ten dollars. People who haven't tried it don't know what they're missing.


31 posted on 10/12/2006 9:47:32 AM PDT by joylyn
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To: Clintonfatigued

Being left-handed I was never able to master the cursive, nor hand in a pencil written paper that wasn't smudged. I still have ball-point ink from those original ball-point pen inks that never dried on my left hand from dragging across the paper. Naturally I am disappointed at the loss of cursive skills in the general populace. Not.


32 posted on 10/12/2006 9:47:45 AM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: Red Badger
I studied mechanical engineering back when we were actually taught drafting (machine shop and welding too). Once years later, someone who was watching me write a check in good engineering-school lettering remarked that "anyone writing like that had obviously blown $10,000 on an engineering education".

I'm left-handed too, and had to fight the teachers through the first few grades to keep from being forced to change. I don't think conventional cursive was ever easily mastered by lefties, not to mention the problem of dragging the fist through wet ink.

33 posted on 10/12/2006 9:48:07 AM PDT by 19th LA Inf
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To: Clintonfatigued

I've been writing in hand print so long that I can't even remember how to make some letters in cursive. The only thing I ever write in cursive is my autograph, er, signature.


34 posted on 10/12/2006 9:48:29 AM PDT by Trampled by Lambs (Ok, so changing my name was not such a good idea after all...)
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To: battlegearboat

ELP? WOuld make a GREAT ROCK BAND NAME!.........


35 posted on 10/12/2006 9:48:35 AM PDT by Red Badger (CONGRESS NEEDS TO BE DE-FOLEY-ATED...............................)
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To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged

"unreadable garbage"

That is not the shortcoming of the cursive writing method. It's the poor or non-existent teaching of the cursive form.

If utility was the only criterion by which knowledge and skills were selected to be taught, life would be the drearier for it.


36 posted on 10/12/2006 9:52:38 AM PDT by burroak
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To: Red Badger
sherry, actually........

So? You can write your sherry order to a Spanish monk.

37 posted on 10/12/2006 9:52:46 AM PDT by battlegearboat
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To: Red Badger
Another useless lesson is Roman Numerals..............

Well, I couldn't tell the Rocky sequels apart without them. I hope the NFL is smart enough to adopt the Windows year scheme (Super Bowl 2007) before Super Bowl LXXXVIII rolls around.
38 posted on 10/12/2006 9:54:31 AM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: joylyn
Oh, how right you are.

I love to go back and look over my lecture notes.

I took notes twice. I would tape the lecture and take notes. At study, I would replay tape and fill in the notes.

Bonus art work too!

39 posted on 10/12/2006 9:56:48 AM PDT by battlegearboat
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To: RightWhale

My husband would agree with you, since he's a leftie with that problem. Our cards to friends generally read, "Happy birthday, from Linda and Smudge". :)


40 posted on 10/12/2006 9:57:25 AM PDT by linda_22003
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