Indiana school board: "Cursive writing optional"

[Lorizael]

So she believes that grammar and spelling and learning to write cursive are distinct skills?

The easiest way to get people to learn spelling is to write the words down.

My opinion: Uhhhhh, yes. They're not distinct from writing, but they have nothing to do with writing cursive.

[Fake Boris]

I don't get the

[Kuciwalker]

This is just ridiculous logic. In order to be effective, a class must require that you take notes so fast that only cursive suffices. Print is just too slow! If our kids don't learn to write fast enough, it will damage all the rest of their education going forward

It sounds like it would be cheaper just to give all of the students laptops...

[Fake Boris]

We've discussed that already.

Laptop = logistical mess

[Lorizael]

I don't get the

Not all public schools are inner city schools. Public school teachers can have a significant amount of choice in how and what they teach.

[Fake Boris]

Not all public schools are inner city schools. Public school teachers can have a significant amount of choice in how and what they teach.

I meant that she might be stuck in a low-class school where the STUDENTS aren't selected.

In any case, this shouldn't matter, because she teaches in grade school, and obviously, as she pointed out already, her students don't have to write down too many notes anyway.

[Ben Kenobi]

They're not distinct from writing, but they have nothing to do with writing cursive.

May I call you Miss Lori?

Kids are not like us. Kids like reinforcement and teaching cursive and using it is one way to reinforce these habits throughout their younger years. Good written and grammar habits will help them when they learn to write on any medium.

[Kuciwalker]

We've discussed that already.

Laptop = logistical mess

Bull****.

[Kuciwalker]

You can get a netbook sufficient for note-taking for probably under $200. Compare that to the amount of time spent teaching kids to write fast enough in cursive.

[Fake Boris]

Look, I've made the points already. Criticize them.

Grade schoolers with laptops = disaster
Teenagers with laptops = disaster (for different reasons)

[Lorizael]

...teaching cursive and using it is one way to reinforce...

Yes, it's one way. But there's no particular reason to believe it's better than any other method of reinforcing lessons about grammar and spelling.

[Ben Kenobi]

But there's no particular reason to believe it's better than any other method of reinforcing lessons about grammar and spelling.

Do we know that taking it out is not going to have negative effects?

[Lorizael]

Do we know that taking it out is not going to have negative effects?

This is the argument you use when your other points have been countered. But... but... but... CHANGE! CHANGE could be BAD! If we let gays marry... uh... er... I mean... if we stop teaching cursive... the institution of marriage.... er... education... will come CRASHING DOWN!

[Kuciwalker]

Look, I've made the points already. Criticize them.

Grade schoolers with laptops = disaster
Teenagers with laptops = disaster (for different reasons)

Note taking. Sure, everyone can bring in a laptop to class, but the tickling is annoying and you lose the ability to easily draw. You can in turn solve the issue with a tablet, but then it's the keyboard that sucks.

"The tickling is annoying" => we should extend substantial resources to teaching everyone a useless skill?

Oh noes, it's harder to draw! Oh wait, if I want to draw then I don't need cursive do I? BECAUSE IT'S A ****ING DRAWING.

You still haven't justified why we need to be able to take notes so fast that print can't possibly work.

This is absurd.

Exams. You could technically require everyone to bring a laptop to the exam and have them login to a secure system... But huh, think about all the nightmares that would generate. And either you find a way to disable multi-tasking, or you have the students pass the exam in a computer room set up just for that. Extra costs for space and hundreds of computers bought.

Or, you know, they could take exams in print.

[Asher]

The note taking argument is ****ing retarded. If you can't keep up with the lecture with printing, you are taking too many notes.

You should only be capturing key parts, not transcribing the ****ing lecture.