Would you rather teach your kid cursive writing or keyboarding?

A recent Wall Street Journal article brought a bubbling issue to sharp focus- schools are slowly but definitively removing cursive writing from the syllabus in favor of teaching kids how to use the keyboard on a computer. As a parent or educator, does this make you feel relieved or sad?Cursive writing, for long the hardest part of handwriting for kids to master and by far the one that looks the most elegant is now on its way out. And going by the article and random samplings of elementary and middle school kids, none too soon. Kids, for the most part, hate it because it requires so much effort. And parents hate it because it is challenging to teach it to kids when they detest it so much.Keyboard typing is starting to become the most important aspect of any child or adult's skill-set requirements- without typing, nothing happens today. Every aspect of the society and our tasks are computerized in some form or manner. Without keyboarding skills, it is difficult to survive in the workplace today.In this environment, naturally, there are very few takers for the cursive team. And it is a tricky choice to make. On one hand, keyboarding offers instant tangible impact on school work and gives parents the comfort that school syllabi are keeping with the times. On the other hand, cursive writing offers one of the early challenges for kids to meaningfully conquer, one that could give them an invaluable asset whose instant impact can and will never be measurable in a meaningful manner. Studies do show that typing doesnt help the brain develop as much as long form writing. But from a pure data and statistics standpoint, it is hard to make a case for cursive. Keyboarding is really a skill that has dramatically evolved in the recent years and it is too soon to meaningfully assess its impact on cognitive growth, one way or the other.The parent wants...As a parent, it is a tricky conundrum. Pretty much all of us grew up slogging over cursive. Horror stories abound. But we stand by our handwriting proudly today. I value my handwriting so much that I took to fountain pen and paper with a vengeance to bring back my penmanship skills of the past. They had gotten lost in the past few years by constant keyboard use. The ability to move away from a computer/tablet/smartphone and collect one's thoughts by writing them legibly on paper is a critical workplace skill. It allows us to focus on the matter at hand without getting distracted by the ultimate distraction box that is the computer. And keyboarding itself is transient. Soon, touch interactions will replace traditional keyboarding skills. What then?. Lessons in how to use a tablet at schools?.The role of schoolsIt is definitely the responsibility of a school to prepare kids for today's workforce. They also need to give them the ability to adapt for the constantly changing workforce. But in this process of preparing kids for today and tomorrow, we could potentially lose sight of fundamentally important skills like critical thinking and cognitive development. Using touch screens and keyboards are inherently easier than manipulating fingers and using a pen on paper to write cohesively. But easier is not necessarily better for the long run. In this case, I'd rather have my handwriting skills over my ability to touch and interact with something. And I would hope it is the same for my child someday.So what matters more to you as a parent- your child being able to write legibly and cohesively or being able to manipulate his iPad to get his report done?