The Death Of Cursive

[Pie Serendipity]

According to Fark, Florida has the highest concentration of loonies in the USA.

[Studio09]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

And now I'm wondering just where you are.

;-)

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 The armpit of Florida.  :smileyhappy:

EDIT to add:  As far as my education my father was in the military so we moved around quite a bit.  Even so the first time I attended public school was in the 11th grade.  It was quite a cultural shock going from a small all-girls Catholic high school to a county-wide public high school.

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Studio09 wrote:

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

And now I'm wondering just where you are.

;-)

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 The armpit of Florida.  :smileyhappy:

EDIT to add:  As far as my education my father was in the military so we moved around quite a bit.  Even so the first time I attended public school was in the 11th grade.  It was quite a cultural shock going from a small all-girls Catholic high school to a county-wide public high school.

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... waves SSE from the west coast of Lake Michigan.

[Celestiall Nightfire]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting?

 

Good?  Bad?  Ugly?

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Good riddance.    It's an outdated "skill", and one that will naturally become part of history, as it will not be needed.  Just like many other time consuming "handiwork" type skills.  There is simply no need to learn this method of written communication.   Cursive evolved for a purpose, and that purpose is now better served with different methods.

There's nothing uniquely "educated" about knowing cursive, as it's merely a method of personal written communication.  It's slower, harder, and less effective than a keyboarding method.  There are many hand-related tasks that stimulate brain development, so I doubt that losing cursive will be the down fall of human brains.

Just as most kids aren't using an abacus, or high school students using a slide rule, as there are better tools, so goes cursive.

[Celestiall Nightfire]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

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Here's a reason I'm optimistic and have a huge crush on Hans Rosling...

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Hmmm...stop stealing my lines!  Grrr!

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Celestiall Nightfire wrote:

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

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Here's a reason I'm optimistic and have a huge crush on Hans Rosling...

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Hmmm...stop stealing my lines!  Grrr!

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Stealing is what I do!

Plplplplplplplpl!!!

[Monica Querrien]

In elementary school, I learned it in second grade, and then after that we were required to write in cursive instead of print. I don't think it takes much time to learn at all. How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

I think with all of this budget cuts in the education system, children are being cheated out of a well rounded education. I even heard that some schools cut out phys ed. and then they wonder why childhood obseity is on the rise.

[AveryGriffin]

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Monica Querrien wrote:

How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

I even heard that some schools cut out phys ed.

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By writing their name in a super messy false script. Pretty much my signature is First letter -scribble- First Letter -scribble-. Works well enough!

Ehhhh idk about that. Schools (at least upper level ones) are always super big on their sports teams (At least in US) and cutting PE would ruin the kid's chances at getting better and beating other schools. Schools usually grab money from the art and music programs before anything else.

[Madelaine McMasters]

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AveryGriffin wrote:

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Monica Querrien wrote:

How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

I even heard that some schools cut out phys ed.

---

 

By writing their name in a super messy false script. Pretty much my signature is First letter -scribble- First Letter -scribble-. Works well enough!

Ehhhh idk about that. Schools (at least upper level ones) are always super big on their sports teams (At least in US) and cutting PE would ruin the kid's chances at getting better and beating other schools. Schools usually grab money from the art and music programs before anything else.

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This is an approximation of a business colleague's signature, probably good enough to withdraw money from any of his accounts. I've watched him sign stuff when on business trips with him, counting the strokes. When he's sober, he'll use five, when he's drunk, up to 11. The scribble you see here is what you'd expect after one beer and one glass of Merlot. There isn't a letter in his name that could be found, even by the NSA, in this scribble...

The local high school is cutting wood shop, drama and art. A couple years ago they built a new football field. This year I think they put in a fancy scoreboardy thing.

 

 

[Madeline Blackbart]

IT is really sad that they would sacrifice art before PE really. PE is such an emotionally abusive class int he way it's currently formated. It's designed in a way that kids who are bad at sports are FORCED to work with kids who are. It leads to the more physically fit insult and sometimes injuring those who are physically weaker. Bad situation.

[AveryGriffin]

I have very bad depth perception and a condition called 'afraid of the ball' so I was never fond of PE (tho I did like running on the track, but not doing the mile that was gross omg). So usually I'd get away with not doing much by befriending the teacher and just...talking to the teacher during PE time, haha.

 

Also I think I said earlier but art programs in schools are always underfunded to begin with. I can't remember an art teacher I had who was not forced to buy supplies via their own money. One of my teachers in HS just said 'to hell with this' and built a shelving unit in his room and decked out the place with drying racks and bought gallons of paint and let us have at it. He'd bring in these huge boards from home depot for us to use as canvas. Good times.

[Madeline Blackbart]

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AveryGriffin wrote:

I have very bad depth perception and a condition called 'afraid of the ball' so I was never fond of PE (tho I did like running on the track, but not doing the mile that was gross omg). So usually I'd get away with not doing much by befriending the teacher and just...talking to the teacher during PE time, haha.

 

Also I think I said earlier but art programs in schools are always underfunded to begin with. I can't remember an art teacher I had who was not forced to buy supplies via their own money. One of my teachers in HS just said 'to hell with this' and built a shelving unit in his room and decked out the place with drying racks and bought gallons of paint and let us have at it. He'd bring in these huge boards from home depot for us to use as canvas. Good times.

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Yes that's always made me sad. It's sad when your a graphic design program and the school values buying christmas trees over purchasing your paper. It's  I suppose because people assume art has no real value. Except the fact that art is LITERALLY EVERYWHERE! Art is on every graphic design peice, every commercial, tv show, the list goes on! It's sad that no one can see this.

[AveryGriffin]

Seriously!

I mean challenge to all of you reading this.

Look literally anywhere. ANYWHERE. Just look in a direction, even if it's a wall. Seriously.

Now tell me, who designed it? How was it decided to be made? Who did the sketches for it to be made? How did the colors get chosen? How did literally anything you own get made? BECAUSE ART

If you think your cars and houses and furniture and cool gadgets just appear out of thin air I have something to tell you.
haha

[Czari Zenovka]

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Monica Querrien wrote:

In elementary school, I learned it in second grade, and then after that we were required to write in cursive instead of print. I don't think it takes much time to learn at all. How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

 

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Probably with an X - the way people who were illiterate did/do.

[Celestiall Nightfire]

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Czari Zenovka wrote:

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Monica Querrien wrote:

In elementary school, I learned it in second grade, and then after that we were required to write in cursive instead of print. I don't think it takes much time to learn at all. How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

 

---

Probably with an X - the way people who were

illiterate

did/do.

---

My younger son has an autistic disorder, and he's never learned to write cursive.  He's able to type though.  He's far from being illiterate!  He was reading at a high school level by 4th grade grade, scoring 99% on verbal national tests, and in gifted classes.  This was a child who was never seen without a book in his hand!   Currently a student at Purdue university. 

The ignorant commentary in this thread is quite astounding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pamela Galli]

Reading and writing cursive, as with any kind of decoding and encoding, do not utilize the same skills.  I think it is useful to be able to read cursive but not necessarily to write in it.

 

When I taught elementary, I decided to stop trying to teach cursive to any kind of mastery level, because the demands of testing meant I could not teach everything. Something had to go, and I picked cursive.

 

In third grade I introduced it, everyone learned how to write their names at least, and then I stopped teaching it. No one ever noticed. Some were really into it and they continued writing in cursive, so it was really up to them if they wanted to use it or not.

 

However, I made a point of writing on the board in cursive, and they just seemed to figure out how to read cursive. If they did not understand a word they just asked. 

[Madelaine McMasters]

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AveryGriffin wrote:

Seriously!

I mean challenge to all of you reading this.

Look literally anywhere. ANYWHERE. Just look in a direction, even if it's a wall. Seriously.

Now tell me, who designed it? How was it decided to be made? Who did the sketches for it to be made? How did the colors get chosen? How did literally anything you own get made? BECAUSE ART

If you think your cars and houses and furniture and cool gadgets just appear out of thin air I have something to tell you.

haha

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I've been a student of user interface design since I was a kid, and wondered why doors needed "Push" and "Pull" on them. You can make that obvious by design. But few people stop to ponder such things.

I'm a fan of typography as well. I love that subtle changes in the shapes of characters can imbue them with... character.

I've never thought I had much artistic ability. I've considered myself a technician. But I love storytelling, and I'm realizing that there are endless ways to tell a story and that if you move someone with one, you've practiced an art.

It's not only in SL that it's "Your World, Your Imagination".

[Czari Zenovka]

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Celestiall Nightfire wrote:

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Czari Zenovka wrote:

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Monica Querrien wrote:

In elementary school, I learned it in second grade, and then after that we were required to write in cursive instead of print. I don't think it takes much time to learn at all. How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

 

---

Probably with an X - the way people who were

illiterate

did/do.

---

My younger son has an autistic disorder, and he's never learned to write cursive.  He's able to type though.  He's far from being illiterate!  He was reading at a high school level by 4th grade grade, scoring 99% on verbal national tests, and in gifted classes.  This was a child who was never seen without a book in his hand!   Currently a student at Purdue university. 

The ignorant commentary in this thread is quite astounding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm not suggesting anyone who cannot read cursive is illiterate nor did I suggest anyone with ANY type of disability is illiterate, especially considering that part of my professional background is as an advocate for those disabled in any way.

What I *was* stating is that it has been customary for people who cannot write (cursive or otherwise) sign any documents with an X - addressing the population that is not learning disabled in any way.  Someone who cannot not read nor write is considered illiterate which is simply a definition, not a denigration.

I was also addressing the specific point asked - how would someone who cannot write in cursive sign a check.  Maddy has given one example.  I gave one from my own frame of reference.

Using "ignorant" as a blanket term is well ignorant.

Edit: Typo

 

[Madeline Blackbart]

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Czari Zenovka wrote:

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Celestiall Nightfire wrote:

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Czari Zenovka wrote:

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Monica Querrien wrote:

In elementary school, I learned it in second grade, and then after that we were required to write in cursive instead of print. I don't think it takes much time to learn at all. How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

 

---

Probably with an X - the way people who were

illiterate

did/do.

---

My younger son has an autistic disorder, and he's never learned to write cursive.  He's able to type though.  He's far from being illiterate!  He was reading at a high school level by 4th grade grade, scoring 99% on verbal national tests, and in gifted classes.  This was a child who was never seen without a book in his hand!   Currently a student at Purdue university. 

The ignorant commentary in this thread is quite astounding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

I'm not suggesting anyone who cannot read cursive is illiterate nor did I suggest anyone with ANY type of disability is illiterate, especially considering that part of my professional background is as an advocate for those disabled in any way.

What I *was* stating is that it has been customary for people who cannot write (cursive or otherwise) sign any documents with an X - addressing the population that is not learning disabled in any way.  Someone who cannot not read nor write is considered illiterate which is simply a definition, not a denigration.

I was also addressing the specific point asked - how would someone who cannot write in cursive sign a check.  Maddy has given one example.  I gave one from my own frame of reference.

Using "ignorant" as a blanket term is well ignorant.

Edit: Typo

 

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You may have not intended it but to the reader that is the way the comment comes off.  I'm just saying.

[Czari Zenovka]

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Madeline Blackbart wrote:

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Czari Zenovka wrote:

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Celestiall Nightfire wrote:

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Czari Zenovka wrote:

---

Monica Querrien wrote:

In elementary school, I learned it in second grade, and then after that we were required to write in cursive instead of print. I don't think it takes much time to learn at all. How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

 

---

Probably with an X - the way people who were

illiterate

did/do.

---

My younger son has an autistic disorder, and he's never learned to write cursive.  He's able to type though.  He's far from being illiterate!  He was reading at a high school level by 4th grade grade, scoring 99% on verbal national tests, and in gifted classes.  This was a child who was never seen without a book in his hand!   Currently a student at Purdue university. 

The ignorant commentary in this thread is quite astounding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

I'm not suggesting anyone who cannot read cursive is illiterate nor did I suggest anyone with ANY type of disability is illiterate, especially considering that part of my professional background is as an advocate for those disabled in any way.

What I *was* stating is that it has been customary for people who cannot write (cursive or otherwise) sign any documents with an X - addressing the population that is not learning disabled in any way.  Someone who cannot not read nor write is considered illiterate which is simply a definition, not a denigration.

I was also addressing the specific point asked - how would someone who cannot write in cursive sign a check.  Maddy has given one example.  I gave one from my own frame of reference.

Using "ignorant" as a blanket term is well ignorant.

Edit: Typo

 

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You may have not intended it but to the reader that is the way the comment comes off.  I'm just saying.

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Thus my follow-up clarification.

 

[Storm Clarence]

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Celestiall Nightfire wrote:

 

The

ignorant commentary

in this thread is quite astounding.

 

 

 

 

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It would have been foolish of you, or anyone else, to expect anything more.  Sighs.

 

[Perrie Juran]

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Madeline Blackbart wrote:

---

Czari Zenovka wrote:

---

Celestiall Nightfire wrote:

---

Czari Zenovka wrote:

---

Monica Querrien wrote:

In elementary school, I learned it in second grade, and then after that we were required to write in cursive instead of print. I don't think it takes much time to learn at all. How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

 

---

Probably with an X - the way people who were

illiterate

did/do.

---

My younger son has an autistic disorder, and he's never learned to write cursive.  He's able to type though.  He's far from being illiterate!  He was reading at a high school level by 4th grade grade, scoring 99% on verbal national tests, and in gifted classes.  This was a child who was never seen without a book in his hand!   Currently a student at Purdue university. 

The ignorant commentary in this thread is quite astounding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

I'm not suggesting anyone who cannot read cursive is illiterate nor did I suggest anyone with ANY type of disability is illiterate, especially considering that part of my professional background is as an advocate for those disabled in any way.

What I *was* stating is that it has been customary for people who cannot write (cursive or otherwise) sign any documents with an X - addressing the population that is not learning disabled in any way.  Someone who cannot not read nor write is considered illiterate which is simply a definition, not a denigration.

I was also addressing the specific point asked - how would someone who cannot write in cursive sign a check.  Maddy has given one example.  I gave one from my own frame of reference.

Using "ignorant" as a blanket term is well ignorant.

Edit: Typo

 

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You may have not intended it but to the reader that is the way the comment comes off.  I'm just saying.

---

It didn't come off that way to me but regardless it is nice that she clarified.

[Pie Serendipity]

Artists design stuff so that it looks good to them; engineers design stuff so it's functional.

Very rarely is the former usable.

I'd prefer a car that starts and stops when I ask it to than one that looks good, rolls when confronted by a deer in its tracks, and rusts to bits in one winter, which is what happened when supposedly good engineering companies allowed artists a say in developing a car.

The "art" object I hated most in my childhood home was a supposedly wonderful tea set. The bloody teapot dribbled hot liquid all over the table, the floor and bare flesh. An artist must have designed it.

As for doors that you have to push to open which have handles, because the designer artist likes handles . . .

And don't get me started on unintuitive user interfaces emanating from Cupertino that think the whole world is illiterate!

To say nothing of the Microsoft Start button which is actually how you stop the machine.

ETA: I had a fight with the guy that curated The Design Museum in London because he put a 3B1 (The Olivetti/AT&T Unix PC) on display to exemplify information technology design - Olivetti didn't actually sell a single ONE of these in the UK, because, although they looked good in profile, they offered absolutely nothing that the customer wanted.

[Madeline Blackbart]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

---

Madeline Blackbart wrote:

---

Czari Zenovka wrote:

---

Celestiall Nightfire wrote:

---

Czari Zenovka wrote:

---

Monica Querrien wrote:

In elementary school, I learned it in second grade, and then after that we were required to write in cursive instead of print. I don't think it takes much time to learn at all. How do people sign documents without writing in cursive?

 

---

Probably with an X - the way people who were

illiterate

did/do.

---

My younger son has an autistic disorder, and he's never learned to write cursive.  He's able to type though.  He's far from being illiterate!  He was reading at a high school level by 4th grade grade, scoring 99% on verbal national tests, and in gifted classes.  This was a child who was never seen without a book in his hand!   Currently a student at Purdue university. 

The ignorant commentary in this thread is quite astounding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

I'm not suggesting anyone who cannot read cursive is illiterate nor did I suggest anyone with ANY type of disability is illiterate, especially considering that part of my professional background is as an advocate for those disabled in any way.

What I *was* stating is that it has been customary for people who cannot write (cursive or otherwise) sign any documents with an X - addressing the population that is not learning disabled in any way.  Someone who cannot not read nor write is considered illiterate which is simply a definition, not a denigration.

I was also addressing the specific point asked - how would someone who cannot write in cursive sign a check.  Maddy has given one example.  I gave one from my own frame of reference.

Using "ignorant" as a blanket term is well ignorant.

Edit: Typo

 

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You may have not intended it but to the reader that is the way the comment comes off.  I'm just saying.

---

It didn't come off that way to me but regardless it is nice that she clarified.

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Very true.

[AveryGriffin]

I think you're confusing form vs function. Let's take a simple chair, for example!

This chair was created more for comfort than anything and has a simple yet pleasing shape. This chair is functional for its created purpose. However, it was still designed by someone, and design is an art.

This chair, while still called such a thing, had moved on from its original purpose and is now more of a sculpture. This chair has turned into purely form design. You can't really sit on it. This was also designed, and is also art.

Then we have this bench, which still very easily performs its intended purpose (you can sit on it), however it has still been elevated to something more of an art form than a simple bench design. It is both a functioning piece of furniture and also a sculpture. It is art.

Your teapot, while unfortunate, was not designed as something with no function in mind. It may have been poorly designed, and therefore both useless and annoying, but it was still made with the idea that you can use it. A teapot made out of wicker, for instance, would be form and not functional design. However, both are still art.

And who do you think makes the sketches for the good, yet ugly, cars? Just because they aren't up to current standards aesthetic wise (even tho all cars look the same nowadays) doesn't mean it was just poofed into existence. There was still design and thought put into it. And thus, the car is still a work of art.