PaperDraftBlog

Thesis: Due to current developments in technology, cursive will shortly become obsolete. I got the idea for this paper the other night when I was scribbling my name on paper in (very sloppy) cursive, realizing the the reason it was so sloppy was because I never use script anymore. Then I wondered if they even still taught handwriting in elementary school (which I then found out they do) and figured that it might be a dead subject to teach in a couple years, seeing how quickly technology is converging.
One article I chose to include in this paper is The Curse of Cursive; Penmanship, like hieroglyphics and the IBM Selectric, has lost its purpose. Let's erase it for good. The article argues that teaching handwriting in schools is going to be considered irrelevant...the article also comments on a book which makes points to support the importance of teaching cursive in schools.
The other article I want to use in my paper is High Tech Note Taking, and it goes into detail about how, with new technology, you can now write on a "tablet PC" and transfer your handwritten notes right onto your computer...which would essentially obliterate the need for pen and paper. I got the idea for this paper the other night when I was scribbling my name on paper in (very sloppy) cursive, realizing the the reason it was so sloppy was because I never use script anymore. Then I wondered if they even still taught handwriting in elementary school (which I then found out they do) and figured that it might be a dead subject to teach in a couple years, seeing how quickly technology is converging.
One additional article I used for research is called If U Cn Rd This . . . and it discusses how penmanship skills are diminishing and that technology is to blame. It also discusses that "warnings" are being issues about the sloppiness of handwriting. It's an interesting article because it also mentions how the same thing happened about a hundred years ago...people were concerned about the growth of technology and they also issues "warnings" telling people that technology was the culprit and the reason for people's sloppy handwriting skills. This ties in perfectly with my thesis because now not only does it support what i'm saying but it also addresses the issue from a societal and historical angle.
Another reference is entitled Handwriting: Is It on the Wall? and it basically details current handwriting-to-computer technology and the reason for its growth. The article says that handwriting is now so poor and sloppy that it is the perfect time for software giants to market handwriting-to-computer software and hardware tablets. This article helps my thesis in that it helps to somewhat predict the future of handwriting as well as the technology that will facilitate this fate.
The two additional articles I have chosen to support my thesis are "Handwriting - A Forgotten Skill?" The article is by Jane Medwell and David Wray, and it details several studies that are trying to prove that handwriting should be considered "more than just a motor skill" and that it is an important part of a child's text composition. It examines the situation of current teaching of handwriting in England and considers why handwriting efficiency has been neglected. The article goes on to identify a variety of studies and experiments related to special needs and psychology which re-evaluate the role of handwriting. These studies suggest that handwriting is “more than just motor skill” and may actually be an important contribution to children's text composition. Existing research into the way handwriting efficiency affects composition indicates that additional research and better handwriting evaluation could aid a children's writing progress and might positively affect the progress of the many children who struggle with writing during their elementary school years. The other article is entitled Hooked Up or Just Hooked by Patrick Tucker. The article explains the impact of technology on the social life of teenagers in the U.S. It also references data from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) which states that teenagers are important consumers of technology goods and content. It is said that the want of teens for new products will grow as they continue to be exposed to a technology driven world. It is also stated that cell phones and computers have become essential to the life of American teenagers. The article also references a report from the Irish State Commission which revealed that text messaging use among teenagers was having a negative effect on their writing and reading skills. Both articles deal with my thesis, in slightly different ways. The first one focuses more on why people think the teaching of handwriting is important as well as points of view from people who think it is a dying art...the second article will help support my thesis in that it is detailing how dependent we are on technology and how it is causing handwriting to fall on the back burner.