Does Handwriting have a Future?

Yes, I’m currently writing this on a computer, in fact I mostly type everything on the computer.
As a youth I flunked typing in High School, I had a callous on the inside of my index finger from all the (very poor) handwriting I did, fortunately I have not developed calluses on my fingertips from this keyboard.
If the art of handwriting is in decline, what should be done?

Some studies indicate that one in three students have a computer in their room and there are reports of students showing up at college residency halls with three computers. Certainly computer ownership is now ubiquitous. It's not only the commonplace availability of computers that is reducing the need for writing skills, in other areas the need for writing skills is diminishing as a result of the following; students record lectures on their MP3 players or download them from the teacher’s website, in fact Duke University provides all incoming freshman with an iPod exactly for this purpose. Email and instant messaging is the preferred means of ordinary communication and even such commonplace activities as writing a shopping list has been replaced with walking through the store aisles chatting about options with someone on a cell phone.

Does it matter?
So what if the skill of handwriting disappears forever?

I believe it does matter; the most important, heart felt communications are still hand-written… Valentine cards, thank you notes, Christmas and/or various cards for various holidays (Passover, Dawali, Eid, and so forth) and condolence cards are all written out by hand. The most important communications will continue to be hand written and writing will evolve into a decorative art.

As writing returns to a decorative art form, what elements of writing are shared with art education?
• Hand/Eye Coordination (fine motor skills)
• Planning for and using space properly
• Composition
• Sequential memory
• Mastery of materials
• Learning to see
There is a long history of calligraphy and letter arts that would support the teaching of hand-writing as decorative art, introducing this into the art curriculum would allow the student to slow down and work out a personal writing style that is both aesthetic and expressive. Hand writing would be moved from the English curriculum and develop a new life in art and, I believe, hand writing would be better for the move.

Handwriting is having a renaissance in the fashion world, for example, Kate Spade is designing high-end stationary precisely for use as fine hand written communications. Wealthy patrons are hiring calligraphers to write out messages in beautiful script. The opportunity for a student to build an income for college should also be a consideration in this training.

In developing a curriculum and lesson plans the Internet is an invaluable resource.
There are handwriting organizations such as that are happy to provide supporting and training materials that cover a wide spectrum of handwriting as art issues, two in particular are
Association for the Calligraphic Arts and The International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting
If you wish to resist teaching the Palmer Method of cursive handwriting, (developed as a method of writing for business where to reduce writing fatigue the pen was not lifted off the paper) and desire to teach something more decorative, you might consider italic handwriting.

Italic forms are more legible, for example one picks up the pen if there is not a natural connection between letters, this leaves many letters standing alone for easy identification. letters are not forced into difficult forms to maintain a constant flow. Italic is also a dramatically beautiful written form, a support organization exists in England, The Society of Scribes and Illuminators where one can learn more about this beautiful form. There are also many books available on this subject.

To motivate and encourage handwritten forms with your students there are national and international competitions for handwriting, for example:
The 2006 Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest
The 2006 World Handwriting Competition
The 16th Annual Nebraska Handwriting Contest

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Read our February essay: Copyright and trademark for the art educator
Read our January essay: Counseling your students on choices for Higher Education
Read our December essay: Why Teaching Visual Art is now a Necessity
Read our November essay: Teaching Collage as Social Critic
Read our October essay: The Place of the Body in Education
Read our September essay: The Ways Artists Support Themselves
Read our August essay: Why students should copy the great works
Read our July essay: Hidden Clues in Works of Art
Read our June essay: The Mathematics of Art
Read our May essay: The Importance of School Art Competitions
Read our January essay : Art History and the Internet
Read our March essay: Ink Jet Printers and the Color Wheel:

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