The Art of Penmanship

A few people have discussed on their blogs the possibility of penmanship becoming obsolete as people use keyboards increasingly more. I think that it is important to teach children both penmanship and keyboarding skills, because both are necessary. While children should be encouraged to use computers for writing, they should not become dependent on a machine to do their writing for them all the time. What happens when the power goes out? And isn't it easier and cheaper to jot something down on a sticky note than to use a PDA? There is also something much more personal and special about receiving a hand-written letter than an e-mail. On the other hand, for people who struggle with spelling, writing on a computer is an enormous advantage thanks to spell check. It comes down to a matter of personal preference, but I think that both hand-writing and keyboarding skills should be held in equal esteem in education.