Secret Code

[LostInTyme]

In the not to distant future, cursive writings may become the hieroglyphics of the untaught.

There may be an AP that can be downloaded to decipher these strange symbols scrawled by the ancient ones. (us)

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I haven’t written in cursive/joined up writing for decades. I don’t miss it.

For me it’s like an old punchcard computer. It’s antiquated and no longer necessary and I don’t mind that it’s a lost skill.

 

[belfastboy]

I haven’t written in cursive/joined up writing for decades. I don’t miss it.

For me it’s like an old punchcard computer. It’s antiquated and no longer necessary and I don’t mind that it’s a lost skill.

I never did get the hang of it....in elementary school always received poor marks for my penmanship. In grade 6 in my passive/aggressive retaliation I wrote backhand in turquoise ink.....it was close to unreadable....my retaliation to my horrible teacher Mr Shewchuck! In high school switched to straight printing. I was faster at printing than cursive and it was readable.

 

[LostInTyme]

I never did get the hang of it....in elementary school always received poor marks for my penmanship. In grade 6 in my passive/aggressive retaliation I wrote backhand in turquoise ink.....it was close to unreadable....my retaliation to my horrible teacher Mr Shewchuck! In high school switched to straight printing. I was faster at printing than cursive and it was readable.

Being left-handed, I always wrote back-handed. And, I used peacock ink (probably what you call turquoise) That being said, my handwriting was beautiful with every perfectly formed. In later life, I lost the ability and lettered (printed) everything. I was involved in producing technical reports, and everything was perfectly acceptable not using cursive. Currently, I couldn't use cursive. I am barely able to sign my name.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I never did get the hang of it....in elementary school always received poor marks for my penmanship. In grade 6 in my passive/aggressive retaliation I wrote backhand in turquoise ink.....it was close to unreadable....my retaliation to my horrible teacher Mr Shewchuck! In high school switched to straight printing. I was faster at printing than cursive and it was readable.

My job for almost 30 years has required block printing in all caps. My wife and kids can identify my printing from 20 feet.

I can’t recall the name of a single one of my elementary school teachers. I do recall cursive exercises on light brown lined news print type paper.

 

[Frunobulax]

I haven’t written in cursive/joined up writing for decades. I don’t miss it.

For me it’s like an old punchcard computer. It’s antiquated and no longer necessary and I don’t mind that it’s a lost skill.

The act of learning cursive, along with other hands-on and hand-eye coordination activities such as learning to throw a ball, etc. have been shown to be crucial in the development of young brains. Learning cursive, especially, has been cited as being an effective developmental exercise for the young.

This is why it is important to teach such things, in addition to imagination exercises such as free play. The unfortunate practice over the past few decades to phase these activities out in favor of digital learning and feedback could be resulting in less development. There is some evidence IQ has been declining over the past few decades.

I'm certainly not a Luddite, and love our technologies and the convenience they provide, but I truly believe it is a mistake to remove these exercises as we haven't endeavored to replace them with activities that are as effective.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I learned cursive in the third grade, and hardly ever use it. My vision began to degrade not long after that, and I started block-printing everything I wrote because it was the only way I could see what I was writing. Even after I got glasses printing was more legible than cursive. I can make out old cursive letters just fine, with a little effort, but why put anybody else thru that? I taught myself to type when I was in the sixth grade, and haven't handwritten anything more elaborate than a grocery list since.

My grandmother, class of 1930, had a lovely Palmer Method signature. My grandfather, an eighth-grade dropout, had a signature that looked like an oscillograph tracing. My own signature has deteriorated terribly as I, and my eyes, have aged. You can recognize the initials and the terminals, but that's about it. But the bank accepts it, and I guess that's all that matters.

 

[belfastboy]

I learned cursive in the third grade, and hardly ever use it. My vision began to degrade not long after that, and I started block-printing everything I wrote because it was the only way I could see what I was writing. Even after I got glasses printing was more legible than cursive. I can make out old cursive letters just fine, with a little effort, but why put anybody else thru that? I taught myself to type when I was in the sixth grade, and haven't handwritten anything more elaborate than a grocery list since.

My grandmother, class of 1930, had a lovely Palmer Method signature. My grandfather, an eighth-grade dropout, had a signature that looked like an oscillograph tracing. My own signature has deteriorated terribly as I, and my eyes, have aged. You can recognize the initials and the terminals, but that's about it. But the bank accepts it, and I guess that's all that matters.

In elementary school we were drilled using McLeans Compendium. Learning to print and stay between the lines with a dotted horizontal line to guide us between upper and lower case. I type up my grocery lists! Took typing in Grade 9, first year available. I took it for 4 years and never moved past 25 mpm. The only way I passed was sitting beside my locker partner Howard Hong who was a natural. He passed the class first day each year and gave me his test typing sheets when needed. I do owe that boy!

 

[Zombie_61]

The last time I wrote anything in cursive regularly was while I was still in school. My cursive handwriting wasn't particularly legible, certainly not as legible as when I print--all caps, except that I write "capitalized" letters larger, so it looks something like "HELLO FOLKS, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?" These days cursive is all but reserved for my signature, though I still remember how and could write in cursive if it became necessary. Hell, our bank doesn't even require us to sign the back of any checks we deposit any more; certainly nothing like the way things used to be.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

In elementary school we were drilled using McLeans Compendium. Learning to print and stay between the lines with a dotted horizontal line to guide us between upper and lower case. I type up my grocery lists! Took typing in Grade 9, first year available. I took it for 4 years and never moved past 25 mpm. The only way I passed was sitting beside my locker partner Howard Hong who was a natural. He passed the class first day each year and gave me his test typing sheets when needed. I do owe that boy!

9th grade typing class i will never forget. It was a dream class. I sat in the seat next to the wall. The seat beside me and the two behind me were filled with the 3 most popular and gorgeous upperclass rich girls in school. Not cheerleader types but the cool wild ones. They thought little Bowen was so cute and proceeded to get me up to speed. I learned sooo many important life lessons that year...typing not so much.
B

 

[Zombie_61]

9th grade typing class i will never forget. It was a dream class. I sat in the seat next to the wall. The seat beside me and the two behind me were filled with the 3 most popular and gorgeous upperclass rich girls in school. Not cheerleader types but the cool wild ones. They thought little Bowen was so cute and proceeded to get me up to speed. I learned sooo many important life lessons that year...typing not so much.
B

Typing was the one class I took in high school that came in handy later in my working life. All of the arithmetics and spelling I'd need were already in my brain, but I could see how computers serving various functions were becoming a rather prevalent tool in the work environment, so I thought I'd best try to get ahead on using them. So, since most computers at that time had keyboards, typing class. Plus I got to sit and chat with all of the girls in the class during breaks...not that I was particularly popular in that regard, but even the snobbiest girl in class recognized I was reasonably intelligent and could potentially help them with any problems they might have.

 

[Rmccamey]

Agreed...but in the right hands, it can be quite beautiful. Humankind, I think, is all about speed. We just don't take time to do things with intent and enjoyment...handwritten letters, visiting our neighbors on a Sunday evening stroll, building a birdhouse with the kids. Instead, we send emails, call neighbors on our cell phone, and buy birdhouses on Amazon...with free, next-day delivery!


Of course, we could always talk about shorthand! Now that is a secret code!!!

I haven’t written in cursive/joined up writing for decades. I don’t miss it.

For me it’s like an old punchcard computer. It’s antiquated and no longer necessary and I don’t mind that it’s a lost skill.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Agreed...but in the right hands, it can be quite beautiful. Humankind, I think, is all about speed. We just don't take time to do things with intent and enjoyment...handwritten letters, visiting our neighbors on a Sunday evening stroll, building a birdhouse with the kids. Instead, we send emails, call neighbors on our cell phone, and buy birdhouses on Amazon...with free, next-day delivery!


Of course, we could always talk about shorthand! Now that is a secret code!!!

No doubt we’ve paid a price for our conveniences. I wonder though if this hasn’t always been the way. Was there a similar thought when gas stoves replaced wood stoves for cooking? Did someone lament the loss of cutting, splitting, and stacking wood and the physicality of it? Did the cook see the loss of the old tried and true ways of knowing the temperature and maintaining it? Did ancient man contemplate the loss of hand knapped stone knives and the attendant skill after bronze blades came about?

I remember my maternal grandfather teaching me how to cut wood using a hand saw. I remember the first time I used a brace and bit. There was something satisfying about those hand tools that power tools just don’t have. I think we were more connected to the world before than we are now. At what price progress?