One hears off and on about kids these days not learning cursive hand-writing well these days, or schools not placing much emphasis on hand-writing at all. Ditto for lack of emphasis on spelling.

"Let kids focus on the creative aspects of writing without getting bogged down by details such as spelling and handwriting, especially when they have to turn in the final version typed out in Word which has a spell-checker" is the view adopted by several urban, progressive schools where children use word processors like MS Word.

Is this view justified? If I look at my own lifestyle today - I cannot think of the last time I hand wrote a letter or document! Fast forward 10 years from now - will our next generation ever need to worry about hand-writing and spelling? Personally, I think not everyone uses a spell checker while typing emails and knowing the correct spellings of words in a language you're supposed to be fluent in, is necessary. I'm not convinced about the necessity for perfectly formed hand-written letters though.

Apart from skills that are "dying" so-to-speak, there are other skills that are creeping up as the new skills of the digital generation. I was wondering, would typing be something all kids should learn? Given that they will be using computers a LOT all their lives, should they not get out of the hunt-and-peck mode of typing with the 2 forefingers? Should all kids not be taught to type effortlessly so they can focus on the thinking rather than typing?

Would be nice to get others thoughts on this. What do English teachers think?