I’m reminded of an anecdote attributed to Isaac Asimov (the prolific science fiction writer) who said something like: “if you talk to a young scientist who tells you that something may be possible, he may very well be right, and if you talk to an old scientist who says that something isn’t possible, he’s probably wrong…”
There is a revolution taking place in education, and to a degree, in the rest of our culture…one that doesn’t get enough focus… Cursive writing, once the very definition of being educated, is started to die out. Oh, I know I won’t die (to disappear from the earth…), but as part of what is what taught, and what is used to describe what being educated really is…the clock is ticking.
For the last several years, the SAT test written essays were written in block letters on well over ¾ of all the test takers (i.e. not cursive!). On the other hand, almost every graduating high school senior in the USA can type (reasonably well…). When I was in high school (oh, those many years ago…), typing was an elective that covered well less than 1/3 of my graduating class. Nowadays, it is closer to 95% or more…
In a broad sense, I am generally agnostic about this progress. On a personal level, I write (cursively) quite a bit, and find it to be the tool I am most comfortable with when working out ideas. But there are other ways to accomplish the same things… It would seem that there are other methods currently of greater value than this traditional art.
At the same time, with regard to this slight lessening of what is taught in schools, and this slight diminution of traditional scholastic standards, there is a new bane on the loose…SMS texting. Almost everything I have ever heard or seen written by teachers about this adjunct to cell phones is somewhat like reading about some biblical prophet calling upon the heavens for a few bolts of lightning to shape up the crowds (OK, this is a bit hyperbolic…but only a bit…). It seems that teachers and professors don’t like the idea of cell phones, texting, cell phone cameras, or any other aspect of ubiquitous modern technology. The fact is, almost all high school students (and many middle school students too) have cell phones, MP3 players, and about as much technology as they can carry with them. Especially in a school environment!
I guess this is where rereading the Isaac Asimov anecdote comes in…
Being staunchly against the tidal wave of increasing technology that students have access to seems like figuratively holding one’s ‘finger in the dike’. This is a losing cause (at least as it, as a monolithic, reactive response…). I have a hope that teachers will come up with methods of incorporating these new and seemingly intrusive technologies in the classrooms.
And those who do will probably be all the more effective because they adapted to the realities of life. In the case of cursive writing…this may be another aspect of this ‘digital dividing line’, where it will slowly fall into disuse, or only be seen as a charming archaism (like bow ties, fountain pens, or for that matter, quill pens, and homemade ink…).
