I think this is a mistake. All national exams that have an open response section need good handwriting. If children don't have good handwriting then they are marked lower, even though the testing folks are not supposed to do that. If they can't read it then they can't tell if the answer is right or not. I think that we need to add keyboarding skills starting in Kindergarten with someone other than the classroom teacher teaching them.
You know, handwriting is really not a big deal in Texas.....of course that is from a music teacher who has kids all the time that say that can't read cursive (like 5th and 6th graders). Of course, I also don't write in perfectly neat cursive as most people do not either. Neither does most of the population though......lol
I actually read another article about not even teaching keyboarding because the kids can "figure it out" without the monotonous exercises and that no one really needs the speed that teaching keyboard helps build. I don't agree there because I definitely wouldn't be the able to keep up with everything I type if I had to search for a key every time I needed it. I remember in junior high (we didn't have a computer in the house so I had to use the teacher's), I took me forever to type my papers.
Karen, I definitely agree with you that not teaching handwriting is a mistake because no matter what goes digital, there will always be things that aren't and students need to be prepared for either.
Just my thoughts. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
First of all Cara, I too read that story and actually am going to present it to our cross curriculum meeting when it first starts...I want to do it right! Now, Karen I have heard from many colleagues, the same thing..On our ISATS some kids did bad because their handwriting was terrible. To cut cursive out completely blows my mind! I think of my K labs, and I shutter teaching them keyboarding ...just the basics scares me... thanks for responding :)
3 comments:
I think this is a mistake. All national exams that have an open response section need good handwriting. If children don't have good handwriting then they are marked lower, even though the testing folks are not supposed to do that. If they can't read it then they can't tell if the answer is right or not. I think that we need to add keyboarding skills starting in Kindergarten with someone other than the classroom teacher teaching them.
You know, handwriting is really not a big deal in Texas.....of course that is from a music teacher who has kids all the time that say that can't read cursive (like 5th and 6th graders). Of course, I also don't write in perfectly neat cursive as most people do not either. Neither does most of the population though......lol
I actually read another article about not even teaching keyboarding because the kids can "figure it out" without the monotonous exercises and that no one really needs the speed that teaching keyboard helps build. I don't agree there because I definitely wouldn't be the able to keep up with everything I type if I had to search for a key every time I needed it. I remember in junior high (we didn't have a computer in the house so I had to use the teacher's), I took me forever to type my papers.
Karen, I definitely agree with you that not teaching handwriting is a mistake because no matter what goes digital, there will always be things that aren't and students need to be prepared for either.
Just my thoughts. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Cara
http://miscellaneousme.wordpress.com
First of all Cara, I too read that story and actually am going to present it to our cross curriculum meeting when it first starts...I want to do it right! Now, Karen I have heard from many colleagues, the same thing..On our ISATS some kids did bad because their handwriting was terrible. To cut cursive out completely blows my mind! I think of my K labs, and I shutter teaching them keyboarding ...just the basics scares me... thanks for responding :)
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