by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

One of the ways I motivate myself to the treadmill every other day  is to listen to podcasts while I walk.  These range from strictly writing-related podcasts to shows like Freakonomics, which frequently give interesting insights on different topics.

When I saw an episode titled “Who Needs Handwriting?” on Freakonomics (by Stephen J. Dubner, produced by Alison Hockenberry), I immediately downloaded it to listen.  This is a topic that can get rather heated, from what I’ve observed among parents.  My kids were never taught cursive handwriting … and my daughter was never taught to type.  Since I considered typing  a necessity,  I taught her the home keys and had her practice at home.  She’s very speedy by this point. But I never considered teaching her cursive. In fact, I haven’t used cursive myself since elementary school.

But I do like to print sometimes.  I’ve always found, when I write something down in a meeting or while in school, I never had to review my notes later.  Writing in longhand set the information in my memory for good.Continue reading