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