[SENco-forum] 21st century skills

This seems very like the discussion earlier in the year about teaching

There is no argument -
Teach hand writing skills!

What about mother's day - poor mum wouldn't know which child the card
was from!

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Peter Syme
Sent: 25 September 2007 15:26
To: Jamie Munro
Cc: Peter Syme; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: Re: [SENco-forum] 21st century skills

Hi Jamie 

There are still employers out there who want hand written job
applications
Jamie. My son, mid 20's and a scientist has very recently applied for a
position where the company concerned wanted a hand-written letter of
application. This was in addition to the initial on-line application.
This
was a big, international company. There was also a long form to be
filled
in by hand!  This is not that unusual. He uses a computer all the time
for
everything else .  So  this letter took ages!!  Most jobs seem to
entail
applying on line initially  but you would be surprised by the number
that
still entail some handwriting bits at some stage of the process.

I am still in favour of teaching  handwriting because , whether we like
it
or not, ,it is still necessary. Not many primary schools have modern,
glitch free computers freely available for all pupils in the classroom.
You
work in a very hight tech, ICT rich environment. As yet, ,not everyone
does
and we have to recognise that fact and work with it. Competent ICT
skills
and good handwriting are good companians ... not mutually exclusive.
Some
pupils never master neat handwriting but the vast majority learn to
write
without much trauma.  While we may like to see everything done via ICT
we
are still a very long way from this being the 100% solution for  all
written communication.

So, we don't just do it because it has always been done. We do it
because
it is necessary and,for many kids,  we do them  a great dis-service if
we
don't do it. No-one else will teach them if if is not done well  in
primary
school. This skill is definitely relevant  to the world we live in at
the
moment. 
Yours waiting to be shot down in flames.

Anne Syme

Message text written by Jamie Munro
>This seems very like the discussion earlier in the year about teaching
children neat cursive handwriting.  Are these skills relevant to the
world
these students will live in or are these skills being taught because
that's
what has always been taught?

If you need to know the 11 and 12 times table to do long division, why
not
the 13, 14 15 or 16 times table?

As I keep pointing out, this is the 21st Century - should we be teaching
children the skills they need to be medieval farmers or biblical boat
builders?

Jamie
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