Articles

Cursive Writing and the Curse of Technology

By Mark Antony Rossi

I was skeptical from the very start. A few years ago my son began 3rd grade and it was required he use and ultimately own a Google Chromebook.  My wife saw the practicality of real-time test scores since the students took tests on the mini-computer plus it she figured it couldn’t hurt to be exposed to learning how to type at an early age. I didn’t learn how to type until High School.

However, from a writer’s perspective how does early computer exposure reinforce basic writing skills particularly cursive writing? When do the students practice writing composition with paper and pen? Even note taking was computerized and then homework could be done and sent to the teacher before the next day arrived. Creativity was already being reduced by the removal of Arts and Crafts from the school system and now it seemed common writing skills were being purposely ignored. And if the school budget is too tight for art supplies how can it afford tens of thousands of dollars for computers?

I became more skeptical in the 5th grade when the first major English assignment given was an exercise called “Is Cursive Writing Still Important?” My wife and I noticed my son’s math abilities were beyond ours at his age but his writing skills were greatly decreased. I struggled to comprehend the few written assignments he was tasked to complete. We often had to work with him to practice legibility through word and letter drills. Imagine our shock to be living in the most advanced technological society yet have to personally school our children on the fundamentals of letter formation and proper penmanship.

For all the advantages of early computer literacy what are we discarding if children are missing the building blocks of traditional education? Pen, paper and learning principles should not be rendered obsolete because a keyboard is classified an intelligent instrument. I have been sending my kids to school in the hopes that their brains, the ultimate intelligent instrument, are fine tuned for a world where man and machine can inhabit constructively and creatively.

I will supplement their education at home and remain skeptical because gadgets seduce well-meaning people who lean on mechanics instead of mentality to energize our youth with the desire to overcome all obstacles and not turn dependent on digital niceties that they forget how to walk and talk at the same time. In a cynical day where daring is on the decline the only thing that stands in the way of global defeat is the village elder with a heart full of passion and a pocket full of pencils.

About the Author: Mark Antony Rossi is a poet, playwright and author of the bioethics volume “Dark Tech” now available from Amazon. His most recent plays have been produced in Liverpool and New York. http://markantonyrossi.jigsy.com

3 Comments

  1. I wholeheartedly agree with your deep concern
    i too am of the opinion that technology is necessary and one must keep that in mind and learn the basics but not at the cost of practical training in using the skills of handwriting ,which seems to be disappearing

  2. Welcome back and thank you for observing this sad trend. One has to wonder if the future tutoring will be expanded to include cursive writing instruction or even introduction.

  3. since I have been in the teaching profession for such along time i am aware how children are driven away from creativity and skills that require use of their sharpening intelligence and writing skills which we as children learned the art tirelessly . now typing has taken the trend and kids don’t even know how to hold a pencil !