United States

Blurred Vision

In a world where we use our pocket sized phones to take instant pictures, it’s easy to assume there is no need to learn about apertures or even focusing. Just notice something that grabs your attention and click. Attention grabbing seems to be the force that propels us, keeping us flitting from one distraction to another. It used to be that grabbing one’s attention meant that someone’s  curiosity and interest could be stirred and then engaged and focused. Grabbing one’s attention was a prelude to a deeper encounter. More and more, it seems like grabbing attention is an end in itself. No need to focus much any more. Something else will grab our attention in an instant.

Of course, attention grabbers have always been around, but our capacity to focus and sustain attention seems to be diminishing, as more and more of us seem to be constantly distracted. Like a person who struggles with sustaining attention in several domains– most notably in academic and other executive type pursuits as well as social ones, but may be “hyper-focused” in highly specialized activities–our culture seems to be struggling, even disabled, by our current disorder. This attention grabbing and emphasis on distraction is being played out most cynically in Congress. The focus on governing has been lost to attention grabbing. We need to refocus.

I have often suggested in my comments on culture, education, and policies, that we can think differently and be more creative in all those domains. As a culture, we are losing focus on what matters because we have blurred vision. Many on the right and the left have 20/20 hindsight. They refer to earlier times when their visions produced focused agenda that had clear (positive) results (while the other side clearly had negative results). Now, in a divided country, it’s as though there is either a right eye or a left eye, and to use both might cause us to become cross eyed and more visually impaired, rather than binocular. Binocular vision gives us depth perception–the ability to see in three dimensions. Just as we need to adjust our eyes to different light conditions, we need to adjust our eyes to the conditions that darken our lives today and that cause us to lose focus . Crafting lenses that allow us to see more clearly close up as well as in the distance must be usable for both eyes. (Some of us like progressive lenses, but at least bi-focals are in order!) Some would say that the right and the left each have clear vision, but the eyes don’t function together and thus leave us impaired.

Blurred vision is cloudy. It is unfocused and can lead to confusion and potential danger. Corrective vision allows us to refocus and yes, to see better. We have been myopic, and allowed our attention to be grabbed continuously as we have lost focus on policies that enhance our lives and improve our culture (and education). We need to correct our vision in both eyes,not merely try to weaken the other. We need greater perspective and depth to enhance our vision and sharpen it. Attention grabbing won’t go away, but we can strengthen our ability to focus on what is central and necessary, rather than on what is peripheral. Perhaps, in order to correct our blurred vision and see more clearly, we will have to get a new prescription. It’s important to have regular examinations. I think some of the prescriptions we’ve tried are past their expiration dates.

Jeopardy

Long before Steve Jobs was the voiceover for those “Think Different” ads for Apple computers, Jeopardy! took the concept of game shows in a different direction by requiring contestants to think of the question for the answer that was provided. The answers are clues to the questions that need to be asked. The money is awarded for the questions, not the answers. Maybe there’s a lesson here.

On day 2 of the 2013 Government Shutdown, (or as some would prefer to spin it, Government Slim Down), many of us do feel a sense of being in jeopardy. Even those of us who may not feel an immediate threat by this government shutdown, are dismayed by the ridiculousness and incompetence that has lead to yet another crisis, this one self-inflicted. Many of us hesitate to refer to “our” representatives, as we do not feel represented in Congress.  I know a single mother of two who is furloughed now. NO income for her or her kids, while Congresspeople still get paid. I guess that’s why some spin this latest drama as a slim down, not a shut down, as only some “non-essential” services are shut down. Well, the workers are essential. Just ask them if their work matters to providing for themselves and their families. I can’t say that this is a matter of right and left. It is a matter of right and wrong. Congress’ job is writing and passing laws. If one’s ideology is based on opposing government, then don’t work for the government (which is of the people, by the people and for the people). The ideological purity and reckless behavior is small-minded and adolescent. It may provide a rush of energy, which may feel invigorating and create a sense of possibility to them, but it’s shortsighted, immature, ignorant, and at this point, idiotic. It puts individuals, families, communities, and our nation and culture in jeopardy.

This 2013 Government Shutdown is the most recent in a seemingly continuous crumbling of what was once a thriving culture built upon a strong infrastructure. We have been splintering politically for some time, and the vitriol has been corrosive. Many have bemoaned the disintegration of our political system and likened that to the disintegration of our roads, bridges, levees, and education system. We (they) keep kicking the can down the road. Well, the road has potholes, and needs to be fixed and maintained. Existing from crisis to crisis keeps us from tending to basic needs and puts our nation’s future in jeopardy.

…Which brings me back to thinking different(ly) and to Jeopardy!……..Thinking one has the answer(s), may occasionally (and temporarily) provide solutions. But, smugness and absolutism are at best short-term satisfactions, and ultimately close the door to possibility and progress . Questions, on the other hand, are openings. They invite creativity and innovation, and using facts and applied knowledge rather than ideologies, invite possibilities for growth and betterment. We need to create a culture of inquiry rather than one of purity and jeopardy. We need to seek questions.

Now, of course we need short term solutions as well as long term ones, but our attachment to righteousness keeps us from continuous inquiry. I don’t mean continuous inquiry in the sense of seeing problems that aren’t there, or by creating media opportunities with senate inquiries. These are fixed ideologies masquerading as inquiries. Inquiring, as a habit of mind, means showing an interest in learning new things–not merely reinforcing beliefs. As a culture, we have shifted away from inquiry over the last generation. We have seen this play out in the political realm and the social fallout has been undeniable. Our culture has reflected the political fractures and anti-intellectual stances. Science became a matter of belief or faith,as opposed to factual knowledge and truth. Not understanding evolution gave way to not believing in evolution. What does this say about our education system? Politics, education, culture….they are all connected and in jeopardy. But, cultural shifts can make a difference, and a shift toward a culture of inquiry could open possibilities toward a healthier political system and education system.

While accountability and standardization are understandable goals in education (and elsewhere), we must acknowledge when focusing on the answers has had unintended consequences. The cost of our education system and culture of education, has been corrosive to our kids, and to our culture at large. Going forward, maybe we need to think in questions more than in answers. Creating a culture of inquiry–of learning new things, can start in our schools from the earliest years all the way through. There is a terrific piece on this very issue by  educator Thom Markham. http://www.teachthought.com/learning/a-culture-of-inquiry-through-a-forward-leaning-curriculum/

Our current state of dysfunctional government, politics, journalism, media, education, culture…….may put us in jeopardy for a better tomorrow, but I’ll bet everything on creating a culture of inquiry. We have the tools for researching and delving that make learning so different from any other time in history. We have unprecedented access to information, so the time is perfect for a cultural shift toward one of inquiry. This would be thinking different. We’re in jeopardy when we are stuck with answers without figuring out  the questions.  Winning would require questions, not shutting down and staying stuck.

Assisted Living Facility

Living independently is a particularly American ideal. Individualism emphasizes the value of self-reliance and independence. The concept of independence as individualism has progressed toward libertarianism with increasing zeal in more recent years. As a culture, we have developed the attitude that dependence, or needing assistance, is negative. Not only have we as a culture historically looked down upon those needing assistance, but we have also looked down upon care givers. Those who care for others are often regarded as unskilled, perhaps  less intelligent and/or  less educated, or without leadership abilities. They are often considered beneath the “real” workers and leaders. Historically, women have been the care givers, and when women did work outside the home (perhaps before marriage, until feminism kicked in), the jobs were usually seen as extensions of care giving–teaching, secretarial work, nursing. These were so-called “pink collar” jobs, as were other jobs that recruited women, including stewardesses, hostesses, and waitresses. When women began to have greater access to any careers, and some brave men ventured into what was known as “pink collar” jobs, some job titles changed to reflect more gender neutrality.  Stewardesses became flight attendants. Waiters and waitresses are now referred to as servers. Secretaries, usually responsible for correspondence, morphed into administrative assistants. Although secretaries were mostly female pre-feminism, the title “administrative assistant” signified a broadening of the administrative tasks and responsibilities (including project management and other administrative tasks beyond correspondence), but also signified a break from the pre-feminist association with (female) secretaries.

Now, as we forge ahead attempting to balance demands of the workplace with the demands of a home life, and we continue to expand our notions of gender and identities, we continue to wrestle with our cultural notions of independence. We still tend to equate maturity with independence– not with care giving. We still tend to equate ability with independence– not with sharing. A facility for assisted living refers to a place for those whose abilities may be diminished, and support services are available as needed without 24 hour care. We think of assisted living facilities as places designed to provide freedom and dignity for those in need of support for activities of daily living. What about our own internal facilities for assisted living–our own capacities to support one another?

We tend to not only devalue care givers and others in supportive roles, but we have even ascribed blame to them in relation to those who have suffered from addictions and behavior problems. The care givers are blamed as the co-dependents and/or the enablers. That is not to say that negative symbiotic relationships don’t exist. Of course they do,and often when dealing with destructive behaviors and relationships, we must be aware of the potential for co-dependency and enabling. But assisting living, is productive. Some people have a greater capacity for assisting and supporting than others, but like any capacity, we can learn and practice and develop. We can even elevate ourselves and others. Nurture may be part of nature, but it is also honed. We can develop our capacities to assist others, but we must also develop our awareness of the specialness of that capacity.

Living requires assistance and assistants. We delude ourselves into thinking that we are most dignified when we are independent. We are most dignified, when we give of ourselves to others and use our efforts to support others to be their best. We can develop our assisted living facility. This moves us and our culture forward.

Live and Let Die

When you were young and your heart was an open book 

You used to say live and let live 

(You know you did, you know you did you know you did) 

But if this ever changing world in which we live in 

Makes you give in and cry 

Say live and let die 

What was originally the theme song to the  James Bond movie “Live and Let Die” in 1973  has more recently become not only a subculture in American society, but law in several states.

http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-law-basics/states-that-have-stand-your-ground-laws.html

Under the Stand Your Ground law, a person who feels threatened has no obligation to retreat.

(Live and let die) 

Live and let die 

(Live and let die) 

Until recent years, the duty to retreat helped  define what “reasonable” threat meant. Stand Your Ground was seen as an extension of The Castle Doctrine, which allowed people who are threatened in their own homes to stand their ground in their own homes and defend themselves without having to flee their homes. Thus, with Stand Your Ground laws, the concept applied to one’s home has been extended, as long as one is engaged in legal activity.

What does it matter to ya 

When you got a job to do 

You gotta do it well 

You gotta give the other fellow hell 

But standing one’s ground, which of course has it’s place in certain contexts, has become a distorted cultural attitude across the country, as much as an atrocious law leading to the tragic death of an unarmed teen, Trayvon Martin, in the Zimmerman case.  We have stopped considering unintended consequences of behavior, speech, politics and laws.

You used to say live and let live 

(You know you did, you know you did you know you did) 

But if this ever changing world in which we live in 

Makes you give in and cry.

When did we become a culture of “Live and Let Die” ?

Sir Paul McCartney:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK2hKzZss5Y

Leisure Suits

I was born in 1963, just before Camelot was obliterated. By the time I started grade school, sartorial splendor was becoming a thing of the past.  In the 70s, countering the culture largely meant wearing informal, poorly made, unflattering, and often, just ugly clothes.  Changing one’s appearances was meant to denote changing  one’s attitudes. Relaxed fit clothing (before we called a particular style of jeans “relaxed fit”) was supposed to reflect greater freedom, fewer constraints, undoing structures of culture, and a more casual attitude. Adults were uptight; youths were tuning in, turning on and dropping out, which meant building a new harmonious society. Imagine. Then came those horrific Leisure Suits. Even then, I thought they were hideous and silly. The worst part was that Leisure Suits were for dressing up. They didn’t look comfortable or flattering, and came to represent a cheap, synthetic, and middling culture; a culture that was apathetic and confused, low brow and lazy.

A generation later, our children have grown up with a more robust culture. While access to information and communication has been revolutionized in the last generation, there has also been a renaissance of leisure activities and accoutrements. The leisure business is enormous, and people invest great time and money into leisure activities. This has been a terrific boon over the last generation, not only economically, but culturally. Pursuing a leisure activity such as a sport or art is productive. For years I have cautioned parents about over scheduling their children. Children (and adults) need unscheduled free time, but pursuing a hobby or activity (beyond looking at a screen) on a regular basis can provide skills that may go beyond the activity.

When we find a leisure activity that suits us, we strengthen ourselves and can expand. There are all kinds of attributes to all sorts of sports and arts, but the activities themselves often become metaphors for us. I was a great swimmer as a young child, and enjoyed the competence and strength I felt in the water. Many  years later in college, I swam every morning, as it felt like the only way my thoughts could flow in order to write papers. I hardly go to the pool for a swim these days, but I’m very much a swimmer in other ways, and yes, still a lifeguard of sorts. I tend to dive into whatever I pursue. Somehow, I’ve been able to stay afloat, treading from time to time, but mostly propelling myself forward using all my muscles, along the surface of the tide. I was well suited to swimming, and swimming suits me.

Those who are well suited to their work are often quite successful. It’s not always easy to find work that suits us. We often think of work as effort, and leisure as effortless, but there can be joyful effort in both work and play.  Leisure activities are not only ways to  have fun, unwind and relax, but are often ways in which we can more fully realize ourselves and develop our strengths to use in various capacities.  Leisure suits!

Happy Birthday to US

Happy 237th Birthday, Dear America! As we get ready to celebrate our 237th birthday, and look forward to a four day weekend starting on the Fourth of July, we enjoy down time, sales, cook-outs and fireworks. It’s time to celebrate life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Time to don the red, white and blue and hang out.

While there is no shortage of unfolding news stories today that grip our attention, including the unfolding crisis in Egypt as it’s new government is now being run by the military in the interim between Morsi and whoever is next ; the whereabouts (and what-abouts) of Edward Snowden; the George Zimmerman trial, and more unfolding stories, we will nonetheless relax and note that in 237 years, we’ve been through a lot. But what about our future?

The last twelve years have felt off balance, here in the USA. Some have bemoaned our decline. We are vulnerable to domestic and international terrorism. We have fought two  horrific and incredibly long wars. Our economy tanked in a way that was not seen for generations, and we are still struggling to create jobs at home. The American Dream for so many young adults seems to be just a dream. Like our crumbling bridges and highways, much of our  physical and governmental infrastructure seems to be in desperate need of repair. We have so many more issues to confront, and people question the ability of government to accomplish basics, much less improve conditions. We seem so acrimonious and scared, and seem to be so enervated after the last twelve years. Are we just middle aged at 237?

Or are we adolescent? Bickering and ideological; not considering consequences, but yelling grand philosophical theories about government; slamming doors. We love our gadgets and games and our industry of entertainment. We eat all the time. Everything else feels like a chore. We want to be safe, but not watched. We think we are invincible. We can find flaws in everything . Nothing is good enough. We are way more together than the other countries, even with our pimples.

Of course it’s hard to know if this 237th birthday of ours is one that will have us heading for colonoscopies or toward reconciling our early years (237) with the possibilities for adulthood.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists characteristics of cognitive and social-emotional development of adolescents . It seems to me that we could be in the middle stages of adolescence.

Cognitively, middle staged adolescents have:

Continued growth of capacity for abstract thought

 Greater capacity for setting goals

 Interest in moral reasoning

 Thinking about the meaning of life

 Moving into late adolescence we would need to have:

 Ability to think ideas through from beginning to end

 Ability to delay gratification

 Examination of inner experiences

 Increased concern for future

 Continued interest in moral reasoning

 

and move our social-emotional development to:

Firmer sense of identity, including sexual identity (**and be accepting everywhere)

Increased emotional stability

 Increased concern for others

 Increased independence and self-reliance

 Peer relationships remain important

 Development of more serious relationships

 Social and cultural traditions regain some of their importance

Declaring our independence for the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness does not have to be adolescent. We can be thoughtful and responsible and inclusive while allowing the pursuit of freedom. 237 may not be young, but I’m not convinced that we are middle aged yet, either. We have a wealth of resources and experiences to draw upon to generate positive impact. We are old enough to reflect and learn, and young enough to create and foster progress while deepening our relationships. Happy Birthday to US!

Prep

Maria Montessori was the original prep. No, she was not a preppy kind of gal in the sense of one who goes to a school that typically feeds the top colleges and universities and wears boxy clothes and shoes, with distinctive speech, vocabulary and mannerisms. Nor was she of the subculture that emulates the preppy style. Maria Montessori developed a philosophy of education from the concept of the prepared environment. While the Montessori method of pedagogy stems from this notion of creating a structure and order  so that individuals can be free to explore and choose that which best suits his or her needs, the prepared environment fosters independence and responsibility to oneself and to others. Even with individualization we can create social cohesion.

Although Maria Montessori studied young children and developed her philosophy and pedagogy for educating young children, the concept of the prepared environment is useful in other contexts. Currently, we are transitioning toward a new era in health care and education in the U.S. Some people are skeptical; some are fearful; some are hopeful. Regardless of the emotional dispositions people may have, change is upon us, and while there are still many people who resist change (or deny the need or reality of these changes), there are great efforts being made to prepare the citizenry for the soon to be implemented Affordable Care Act and The Common Core.

The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, is intended to increase the affordability and rate of health insurance coverage for Americans. It is also intended to streamline and improve the delivery of healthcare outcomes with the additional aim of lowering Medicare spending. As these reforms are new, the new healthcare environment seems rather daunting. Best to be prepared. There will be a barrage of ads and public service announcements soon, so that citizens/consumers/employers will be prepared to choose intelligently. Meanwhile, you can begin to get educated by perusing  https://

www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual.

And while we are discussing getting educated…..There is a new and potentially exciting educational reform being implemented called The Common Core. While some fear a federal government take over of education, and reflexively call for states to protest to assert their power to maintain their own education standards, the lack of cohesion and the lack of academic rigor that has plagued the nation under the previously scattered state standards has weakened our education system for a generation and created ill prepared young adults. The Common Core is an attempt to create common standards so that no state can dumb down the individual state curriculum or tests to get better results. The Common Core is a coordinated effort among governors and educators, parents and employers, using best practices and evidence from the U.S. and abroad, to create a more rigorous and deeper curriculum that is clear, consistent, and aligned with college and work expectations. The Common Core is more than benchmarks. It calls for a different pedagogy; one that creates deeper learning and application of knowledge that represents higher order thinking skills. Educators are preparing for this new education environment, and you can begin to prepare and educate yourself :http://www.corestandards.org/

Through the prepared environment, we can more thoughtfully engage while meeting our own requirements and responsibilities. This is the seed of a healthy and educated society and civic culture. Now we are literally getting prepared for a potentially healthier and better educated society. It is possible to create a healthier, more educated civic culture. Prepare for success!

Patriot Acts

Happy Juneteenth! June 19, 1865 became known as Juneteenth, after the last of the slaves, those in Texas, were finally free. Although President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation dates back to September 1862, and took effect the following January, the last of the states to finally emancipate slaves was Texas. In Texas, Juneteenth has  been an official state holiday since 1980.  There are currently 42 states and the District of Columbia which recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday or special day of observance.

For many, reading The Emancipation Proclamation has become the traditional Juneteenth celebration. I hope that more Americans are considering the importance of Juneteenth. As we grapple with current definitions and interpretations of freedom and the challenges we must meet in today’s world, I often look to inspiring acts of patriotism from the world of the arts and culture. Creativity comes from freedom. American arts and culture is replete with what I like to call, “patriot acts”. These works, a tiny sampling here, are inspired and inspiring, and invite us to celebrate as well as create more “patriot acts”. I’m sure you will find many, many more to enjoy as well.

Ray Charles, America the Beautiful

http://youtu.be/1OTRRzSuWro

Aaron Copland, Fanfare for the Common Man

http://youtu.be/1TLV-4HJ41s

Dylan Smith
Trumpet BM Degree Recital
Eastman School of Music
April 3, 2010

“America”-West Side Story, (1961) Rita Moreno, George Chakiris

http://youtu.be/P50NXB3R4sc

Jasper Johns, Flag, 1954-55

http://youtu.be/9bWJt2hjBH0

Billy Holiday-Strange Fruit

http://youtu.be/Web007rzSOI

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance-American Masters

http://youtu.be/Jh_DpDXdvkA

Richie Havens-Freedom (Woodstock 1969)

http://youtu.be/W5aPBU34Fyk

If Memory Serves….

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day, celebrated today, the last Monday in May, is observed in remembrance of those who died in service to our country. More accurately, Memorial Day is a national holiday recognizing military personnel who died during war. For many, the memorial aspect is secondary to the barbeques  and pool openings and retail bargains and the unofficial commencement of summer. For others, Memorial Day is about patriotism. For them it is literally about their loved ones being wrapped in the flag.

Decoration Day was initially a day set aside to place flowers or other decorations on the graves of Civil War soldiers. It was not a national holiday at the outset, and Northern states observed Decoration Day on a different day from Southern states. After WW1, the nation as a whole began to commemorate soldiers who died in war, and Memorial Day has become a tragic tradition that unites us in loss, as so many have died in so many wars,with the expectation that there will always be more.

Unlike the Civil War, or even the World Wars , Korea and Vietnam, today the country acknowledges those lost in wars, but many citizens have not experienced the loss personally. Military families are no longer all families. But service should be in all families. Whether or not it is military service, perhaps we can use this Memorial Day to consider service in its myriad possibilities for bettering our communities and our country.

Many people give their lives to service. They may not lose their lives to service, but find that in serving others, they are creating better communities. We need to consider these acts of national pride as well. In addition to military personnel, police and firefighters have chosen careers that put themselves in harm’s way in service to our communities. We should remember them. We should acknowledge them. We should be more connected to those members in our communities who service us. Teachers service us. No, they do not risk life or limb except in unusual circumstances, but the choice to teach kids is in service to our communities and to our nation. We have begun to encourage young people to serve–not just militarily, but in numerous ways in their communities. This Memorial Day, as some decorate graves of fallen soldiers, and others fire up the grill, let us consider the prospect that the term servicemen or servicewomen need not be limited to the military. If memory serves, then let us all be servicemen and servicewomen. Let us give more of our lives without losing them to violence in the name of freedom.

Script

Cursive!… Foiled again!

Among the seemingly perennial issues in education, there is a resurgence in the concern over no longer teaching handwriting (i.e.cursive English). Given that education is one of those paradoxical institutions that on the one hand has as its aim to prepare for the future, it is also, more often than not, conserving the past. The present state of education is one that generally feels like it is behind the present moment in the rest of our culture. K-12 education tends to play catch-up, rather than lead the culture. As schools across the country are debating and implementing the new Common Core Standards, many teachers have suggested that something’s got to go, and that something will be handwriting, as keyboarding has more  cultural relevance.

Many lament the notion that students may no longer learn cursive. For some, it is a cultural  loss for the next generation(s). In some scientific and educational communities, some point to studies suggesting an academic advantage for elementary students who learn cursive over those who don’t. Is learning cursive a necessity today?

With limited time and money,and mandated testing, many teachers have suggested dropping handwriting lessons from the curriculum. Certainly keyboarding is a necessity in everyday life in ways that handwriting is no longer requisite. Of course there are people who never mastered penmanship and were/are quite intelligent and high achieving. Physicians are not the only ones who can’t write a legible script in script. For those  who are dysgraphic, or perhaps less severely, just not good at handwriting, keyboarding is a gift, and can transform their written communication and ability to achieve. However, one of the more interesting arguments for teaching cursive, is that in practicing the smooth movements connecting letters, mental connections are also made, that are not replicated in keyboarding. The argument continues that even learning to read cursive writing advances certain mental capacities for making connections, as we see and interpret connected symbols.

What may have begun as picking up a twig or a rock and etching symbols in dirt or on caves, progressed into handwriting. With the quill and ink, cursive became more developed as the writing method was employed to limit spills and breakage. Of course, in our age, the keyboard is the most expedient form of non-vocal communication. The most obvious sacrifice in abandoning learning cursive is the individuality–the signature.Even learning the uniformity of the cursive alphabet, handwriting is a uniquely individual enterprise. It can be honed, but handwriting is still not quite anonymous. It’s personalized.

Many cling to teaching handwriting as part of a cultural heritage. Some regard penmanship as an art form. Others tout the importance of fine motor skill development as well as it’s connection to brain development. The detractors focus on the imperative of teaching the most necessary skills for the moment, and handwriting seems like a cultural remnant–irrelevant to the tasks of the future.

It seems to me that the arguments for and against teaching cursive are essentially from a tired script. Many debates in education seem to be either/or in nature. Teaching cursive is slow, and there are so many other things to test. But if teaching cursive can help develop both left and right hemispheres of the brain and their connectivity, then maybe we need to look at other ways to teach and practice writing script. We don’t need to teach cursive just because it was our script. Handwriting may never be used the way it was prior to this moment in history. However, like science, math, history, language, physical education and art, it is a way of seeing and doing that creates connections, and making connections is essential to creativity. Perhaps rethinking our script about teaching script as a remnant of the past, to a practice of creativity, makes handwriting the future.