The Cycle of Penmanship

1016 Words5 Pages
Penmanship has come a long way, since 6,000 years ago. Suffice it to say, penmanship did not start off with alphabets and numbers, it underwent tons of changes and developments, thus it was a long process. When alphabets came into place, it was used to help differentiate the educated from the uneducated. Mastering this skill earlier means uniqueness to an individual. Nevertheless, a theory has emerged claiming that it seems to be slowly fading away seeing that it is a technology-based world. In addition, several people debate that it’s a waste of time as communication through technology will continue to progress. Does it necessarily mean that we have to kill penmanship completely to meet the needs of this generation? Although the benefits of technology are quiet high, it is without a doubt that penmanship is important for its authenticity and close link to a successful life. “I can't think of any other place you need cursive as an adult other than to sign your name,” relayed Debbie Mattocks, a teacher at an elementary school in the US. She further elaborates her argument, “Cursive -- that is so low on the priority list, we really could care less. We are much more concerned that these kids pass their SOLs [standardized tests], and that doesn't require a bit of cursive." We are now living in a world where an increase of dependence on technology makes everything else seem irrelevant. It is true that modern technology have made our lives easier, particularly communication wise. Similarly, time is not wasted when it comes to researching online or contacting people. Going back to the statement above, Mattocks taught penmanship to her students for the sole purpose of knowing how to read ancient articles that were written in a cursive manner. Additionally, she claimed that students no longer need it for writing essays since typing it out will take care of it. Clearly, she

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