Is Cursive Relevant in the ELA-R Classroom?
As education tries to catch up with the increasingly viable importance of technology in the classroom, the question I find myself asking as a middle school ELAR teacher is "is cursive still relevant?" As a member of the Millennial Generation I was one of the last groups of children where the ability to write in cursive was decidedly important, as it was core to the curriculum teacher's based their lessons upon. Now as an educator myself, I find that few middle school students know how to write in cursive. In fact, cursive writing has altogether been removed from many state teaching standards for elementary school.
While I can understand how the teaching of cursive has become devalued in a society where the future is in the ability to understand how to use computers and engage in technology, my problem becomes why cursive lessons have not been replaced with typing lessons? Now, the students entering into the middle school classroom are unable to write in cursive and unable to type. This is a major problem when it appears that typing is something students are taught in high school (sometimes), and the ultimate desire of any modern-day educator is to integrate technology in the classroom in every level of education. Furthermore, the inability to type creates students who are fearful of expressing their thoughts on a computer. Rather than enhance expression, anything where typing is necessary becomes more of a hindrance to students.
The unfair assumption has become that the ability of students to access social media means that they are media-literate. This could not be further from the truth. Sure students can text, upload selfies, and make minuscule comments on their friend's status', but that is a far cry from being able to type a research essay or collaborate with peers in an online discussion about the various themes found in a text.
My proposition is: teach students typing in elementary.
By students entering into middle school and high school with the necessary foundations of media-literacy we can open the doors of possibility for educators to use technology in the classroom, and for the students to have the confidence and necessary tools in their belt to dive in and express themselves with full confidence.
While there are many educators out there in the United States who have entering into the classroom students who are fully capable of typing, among many other skills in terms of their interaction with technology, the group of students borne into a lower socio-economic standing do not have these skills. In order to level the playing field for students of every background, typing needs to become a part of the elementary school curriculum.
Yes, cursive may be dead in education, but there needs to be a replacement that speaks to the needs of the tech-savy society our students live in.
Video: "Cursive is Dead!"
