The whole nature of information has changed. Technology has resulted in "writing" being a synonym for "keybording". Should we care? Does cursive writing have a future in our schools and society? What about printing in the lower grades? Your thoughts?
In addition, the languages of the First Nations are threatened with extinction as fewer and fewer young people learn to speak the language. What role do you see technology playing in archiving and even saving the language amongst First Nations youth?
In a world where a professor explicitly states, that assignments be typed and not hand written, but won't allow laptops in some classes as they think the ticking sound of keys disrupts other students, I highly doubt cursive is dead.
ReplyDeleteBesides the obvious fact that prolonged keyboard use and excessive typing causes serious joint ailments, the availability of computers in schools is still limited. Cursive will always have a place in society so far as things continue to cost money to buy. Handwriting is the cheap alternative to typing, like a house phone is the cheap alternative to a cell phone.
A computer is a great tool for archiving and teaching languages, the real heart of the problem isn't that they can't learn the language, its the lack of reason to want to. I don't speak even though I can understand for the most part when it is spoken; however, until recently i've had no need to learn to speak.
The only reason i've had of late are classes that force me to do projects worth large parts of my grade. It's not a lack of pride in my own culture that has stopped me thus far, but it would be like learning conversational egyptian or even a more recent language like latin. It might be a romantic idea but unless I intend to either teach or translate those languages they aren't used in modern day society.
Now as sad as that diatribe sounded I do not disagree with saving or teaching the language. I just argue that the motivation is lacking. Through the use of technology it can be saved and continue to be taught as a spoken language at the very least.
I don't think that cursive writing is a dead issue in the classrooms. My son still brings home homework that involves writing rather than typing. I think they should "continue" writing in schools. Writing teaches skills such as hand/eye coordination, and it gives children a sense of pride in there work. I think typing out school work is just a quick way of getting it done.
ReplyDeleteTechnology can be seen as a useful tool to keep the language alive. Documenting information that has been gathered through interviews or recordings can be used for generations, to teach our children their native tongue as well as the history of our Elders.
Cursive writing in my opinion is very important. When I think back to elementary school, a great majority of homework was perfecting cursive writing, repeating over and over again the same letters, sometimes for a full page.
ReplyDeleteMy twelve year old son who is in grade 7, still prints...and when I ask him to write in cursive, he dislikes it, and, it really is not that great. I believe this is because as stated above in someone elses blog, the lack of reason to do so. They are not required to write in cursive, therefore, they take the easy way, printing.
Technology is a great factor to this problem as well. Computers are available in most classes and children are being taught computer skills and much more technology based schooling than what we were as elementary and middle school students.
Technology is a great tool for learning anything you want to know, including language, unfortunetly, children need to "want" to learn the language and have the self motivation to make that a goal. I think, if it is not taught in schools, and we leave it up to the students to learn our language on their own, games, facebook, you tube...and other web sites, are more captivating to their minds, and the importance of language is lost.
Technology is moving a rapid pace, however school systems are slowly catching up. Someday everything will be voice command and touch screens, as for now we are safe with the system of teaching and learning.
ReplyDeleteFor the Mi'kmaq people, a way of thinking, must accept change. The change is needing to connect with the digital natives. as a an immerse digital culture Mi'kmaq, I see only many opportunity for the language not only to survive but to flourish.
I for one think that techonology is moving way to fast for some people in schools. There are teachers that I know and professors who do not know anything about the smart board, and there are all in the class rooms these days. Not only that alot of students depend on this to learn because they are either visual or hands on. I think that there is still hope for cursive writing especially for the younger ones, reason why I say this is because I see this everyday in my k-2 class, and they are sooooo proud that they can write their names. As far as Native language goes, I think that we do need techonology to record anything and everything we can, but there is also value and pride in saying that you did learn the language verbaly. To me it is equal on ways we can and need to help save what we have left. =) Tessy Taylor 3211046
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology is moving very quickly. I also believe that in order to get by in society we need to adapt to the changes that are taking place. Cursive writing may never die, just like everything else, it depends what the preference of some people is. I know that I really hated the idea of computers over handwritten work, but after I seen it first hand where I work I don't think it's so bad. Also I did not like computers because I didn't know how to use them very well. I believe we should need to except the changes in our worl in order for us to live comfortably. It is what it is!
ReplyDeleteI think that technology would have a good impact on saving the language of First Nations people. The reason I think this is because in todays society everybody is busy, nobody has time for anything. Just like these course we are taking a lot of us are doing from our homes. This is being done for many reasons, but the main reason is that it is easier. For myself I know that it would be difficult to go take a class to learn my languge. If there was something available for me on line I would do it for sure. With that being said I also agree with what someone posted about lacking the drive to learn the language.
Some interesting points you all make. I sense a general discomfort with the amount that technology is a controlling influence in our lives.
ReplyDeleteOne of the questions that regularly gets asked at our parent meetings for our student laptop schools is whether or not the students will continue to learn cursive. Of course, I try and bite my tongue as I am struggling with - given the coming transition of voice-to-text technology where the computer will turn people's speech into text - whether or not we should even teach keyboarding, let alone cursive.
I do, however, believe very much in young students learning how to print. As Tessy and others have pointed out it is valuable for students to have that tactile sense of how letters are made and relate that to the sound for word formation. Where this should end I don't know, but the idea of teaching students "hand-writing" seems to me to be time that might be better spent elsewhere.
“Online” in my opinion is, the extended real world that everyone is afraid to live in reality. Like Cara stated, People have the courage to be more open and express themselves online, but I have to disagree with Cara on the second part of the statement because, I do believe that people are judged according to what they are putting on the internet, especially when they announce their private lives on facebook. For example, in Mrs. Cole’s Blog comment, she stated that her friends are changing their identities! What are they hiding??? She formed an opinion of them and they are her friends….
ReplyDeleteAs I stated in class, I love facebook, and the internet, it’s a perfect way to stay “connected” with friends and family, however, when I was growing up, we put our private lives and comments into a diary. I know, you may say “passe” but at least no one can assume something other than what you really meant, and at the same time you get to vent, in private.
So, is online real?, Oh ya, more real than what we think.