
Finland: Typing takes over as handwriting lessons end - Libertatea
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-30146160
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swimfar
Honest question, how common are typing lessons in Europe? Is it uncommon in
some countries? Because I've worked and studied in France and Germany with
people from all over and was surprised at how uncommon typing skills seem to
be. Many people even told me they don't think it's a useful skill.

I had typing courses in elementary school (where they would bring in stand-
alone typing keyboards) and in high school. But maybe it's uncommon in the US
as well and I was just lucky. I also did have a year or two of cursive
writing.

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seanmcdirmid
I had a typing class in my US high school, so I doubt it is uncommon (though
this was in the early 90s on PC JRs).

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ap3
We had typing in middle-school in Mexico in the early 90's, but it was on
typewriters (Olivetti's that we had to lug to school)

It has proven invaluable as a software engineer. I still prefer to take
handwritten notes, but my handwriting has gotten progressively worse - use it
or lose it.

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bluedevil2k
I had exactly the same thought when I learned my daughter would be learning
cursive in 2nd grade. What an incredible waste of time - who writes cursive at
all any more? Compare that question to "who uses a keyboard to type?" And I
think you have the answer to handwriting vs. typing.

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jozan
Just guessing but I think learning cursive improves fine motor skill which
might be more important than writing cursive.

I personally prefer teaching typing over handwriting.

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norswap
Is this only about cursive handwriting? Because I'm baffled how people would
find handwriting a useless skill. I find taking note by hand much more easy
than using a keyboard (maybe if there was a quality note-taking software
around, but using some text editor or even Word is a big no-no).

Now of course I often wish I could grep through my handwritten notes, but
there some solutions for that (OCR pens).

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chestnut-tree
I'm baffled too. Language is central to culture. If you can't pick up a pencil
or pen and contruct the letter forms that make up the alphabet reasonably
fluently because you weren't taught properly, isn't that a bit depressing?
Writing can encourage a love of lettering and letter forms. Sure, you can take
this up in later years but it's better to learn from an early age. And as
another poster says, learning to control a pen with precision is a valuable
motor skill. Anyway, it's not clear in the article if this is just about
cursive handwriting or all handwriting.

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jqm
About time. I have been making this argument for 10 years and being met with
mostly people who don't agree.

For whatever reason, most people think we need to keep doing whatever we have
been doing even though the situation is manifestly changed.

As another poster points out, cursive in particular is pretty much a waste of
valuable learning time at this point IMHOP.

