I taught 4th and 5th grades for ten years and now train teachers to use technology and constructivist methods. I have to agree with Trubek. The overemphasis of handwriting has got to end. Teachers spend valuable time every day focusing on nothing more than handwriting. Those same teachers are clueless as to why their students don't perform well on standardized tests and why some students hate to write. My theory was that if I can read it, it's fine with me. Let's focus on the content, not the form.

I realize that we are still very dependent upon handwritten work, but that is changing. Whole novels are now written on cell phones. States like the one in which I live (Missouri) are committing more and more money to improved technology in classrooms.

Besides, the last time I checked, doctors have the worst handwriting, and they've made out OK.