Random Thoughts

There are two things that are about to become "lost art forms" or obselete all too soon; map reading and cursive handwriting.

Just think about it, how often do we read maps anymore?  We have super cool technology now that just tells us exactly where to go, albeit the "scenic" way (specifically when using my mom's GPS to get us anywhere).  If you aren't fortunate enough to have GPS, you can use mapquest or one of the many other website that give you painstakingly detailed directions and still seem to take you the long way.  As a geography teacher on "sabbatical", I just think about how we teach this, but do they ever use it?  I'd like to think that when my former students start taking trips, they'll remember my class and the fact that they can read a paper map when their beloved technology lands them in the wrong part of town.  I love technology.  I think it saves lots of time and puts all kinds of information at our fingertips, but it always seems to get me lost when I try to use it for directions... and I'm a pretty great navigator.

And cursive handwriting.  Do elementary teachers even teach this anymore or have the state legislators decided there are way more important things to concentrate on?  The only thing I hand-write anymore is my grocery list.  I do everything else on the computer (I bet my Type-A grocery list won't be long, organized in a spreadsheet according to aisle of the grocery store).  This has lead to extremely fast fingers and LOTS of words per minute.  I love it.  Again, it saves me so much time.  But it just makes me sad that it just isn't needed anymore, except on wedding invitations.

How miserly and old do I sound right now?  "Back in my day, we read maps and got where we needed to go without those things telling us where to turn while we are driving.  You don't even need to think with those things!  It's like watching football now-a-days with the line of scrimage and first down line highlighted for you. Lazy.  And no more cursive writing? Well, I used to write love letters to my sweet everyday, now all these young people do is text.  They don't even type out the whole word anymore."  OMG, I AM so old.