Why the Pen is Mightier than the Keyboard

BY DEBBIE BARR

Five Important Benefits of Cursive Writing

When America was in its infancy, good handwriting was so highly esteemed that penmanship experts were sought to hand-copy important documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Today, we still refer to one’s signature as their “John Hancock,” a nod to the bold, iconic signature of this first signer of the Declaration of Independence.

From colonial times until the mid-1900s, cursive writing was an essential part of every school’s curriculum. However, with the invention of the typewriter, the importance of handwriting began to decline. Today, fewer and fewer American schools are even teaching cursive writing, opting instead to emphasize keyboarding skills. It’s easy to understand why: it’s impossible to send a text, compose an e-mail, or log on to a website if you don’t know your way around a keyboard. Unfortunately, this very legitimate need to master the keyboard has all but eclipsed the skill of cursive writing. While swapping keyboards for pens may be a sign of progress, it may not be as smart a tradeoff as it seems. Cursive writing benefits cognitive and academic skills in ways that keyboarding simply cannot.

Here are five reasons why the pen is—and always will be— mightier than the keyboard:

1Learning how to write by hand makes one “cursive literate.” Those who never learn cursive handwriting have trouble reading it. Iris Hatfield, the author of New American Cursive, notes, “When individuals cannot read cursive, they are cursively illiterate in their own language.” Thus, people who cannot decipher cursive writing may find themselves at a disadvantage in certain circumstances.

2Cursive writing develops fine motor skills. Younger students need the neurosensory experience that handwriting provides. That is, they need to feel the pen in their hand and they need to feel the paper. They must learn how much pressure to exert upon the pen and how to position the paper to best accommodate their writing. Then they must apply the proper motion needed to form each letter. By contrast, typing requires only repetitive motion. According to Candace Meyer, CEO of “Minds-in-Motion, Inc.,” cursive writing “builds the neural foundation of sensory skills needed for a myriad of everyday tasks such as buttoning, fastening, tying shoes, picking up objects, copying words from blackboards, and most importantly, reading.”

3Taking notes by hand enhances learning. Older students benefit more from taking notes by hand than typing them onto laptops. Why? Consider the difference in the thought processes that occur with typing versus writing. When someone types notes onto a laptop during a lecture, it’s easier to capture the teacher’s words verbatim. The focus is more on keeping up the pace of transcription than on what’s being said. Alternatively, when taking notes by hand, since we cannot write fast enough to capture a speaker’s words verbatim, students are forced to process what is being said and to summarize it in words that make sense to them. Thus, they’re more engaged with the information and more likely to understand it better.

4Handwriting improves spelling. When writing on a computer or tablet, or when texting on a smartphone, it is all-too-easy to become dependent on the software’s spell check and auto-correction features. In fact, kids may hardly notice that the device even corrected their spelling errors. With handwriting, of course, there is no such automatic aid, making it more likely that they will learn to spell the old- fashioned way!

5Cursive writing boosts literacy. According to www.pens.com, the practice of handwriting improves children’s literacy. The explanation is that children who can “quickly translate the mental image of a letter into its physical form on paper have a clearer understanding of how letters form words, sentences, and meaning.”

In 1977, the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) created National Handwriting Day to remind us all “to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting.” WIMA’s suggestions for observing the day include sending a handwritten note to a friend or paying with a check. WIMA’s choice for National Handwriting Day was, appropriately, John Hancock’s birthday, January 23rd. January is a long way off, so you may want to jot a Handwriting Day reminder on your next year’s calendar right now—in cursive, of course!

Since 1986, AirCare at Wake Forest Baptist Health has flown approximately 40,000 patients, helping them get the trauma and critical-care services they need.

The work AirCare at WFBH does is crucial, because statistics show patients who receive treatment within an hour after a traumatic injury have up to a 20-percent higher chance of survival. AirCare is a part of an EMS network serving patients in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina that responds to the scene of a trauma incident and transports anyone who is injured or needs care to a medical facility suited for trauma. AirCare treats adults and pediatric patients with a variety of conditions, including trauma, cardiac, stroke, and burns. But there’s more to AirCare at WFBH than the services provided; those who care for the patients transported are dedicated medical professionals.

Beth Driscoll, RN: Brenner Pediatric/Neonatal Transport Nurse For Beth Driscoll, “busy,” “stressful,” “unpredictable,” and “challenging” are words she might use to share her experience in a nursing shift with AirCare, and words that led her to the clinical pathway and her role in AirCare at WFBH. “My senior year of college, I worked in the emergency department and experienced the coordination of a medical team on the ground and helicopter transport, when a patient with severe injuries after being struck by an airplane propeller was transported to the hospital. The challenge of providing critical intensive care to patients in a transport environment became the nursing focus I pursued. My goal of becoming a critical-care transport nurse didn’t happen overnight. Years of nursing experience and many rotations through various clinical areas as well as required certifications were necessary. I was fortunate to spend 20 years at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill with the Air Care Pediatric/Neonatal Transport Team before moving to Winston-Salem, NC, to continue my nursing career, transporting the critical neonatal and pediatric population with Brenner Children’s Critical Care Transport Team. While no day is ever the same, there’s always an opportunity to be of service to patients and family members in their most vulnerable time of need,” said Beth.

Krisi Linton, RN: AirCare Critical Care Transport Nurse Krisi’s mom has been an RN her entire life and inspired Krisi to follow in her mom’s footsteps. “I became an LPN in 2002 and worked in a telemetry floor and the emergency department in a small community hospital in my hometown of Long Beach, CA. I returned to school and received my associates’ degree in nursing in 2005; a year later, I became an RN, rotating in medical, surgical, and cardiac ICUs. In the summer of 2013, I married my husband, a native of Winston-Salem, and we moved here. I was hired for a position in the Trauma ICU at WFBH and was then hired in June 2017 to be on the critical care transport/air medical services, which has always been a dream of mine. After I did my ride-along in the ground ambulance and then from an airbase, I knew I wanted to be part of this team. I am one of the full-time nurses at our AirCare 3 base, located in Martinsville, VA, and occasionally I work at our AirCare 1 base, which is in Lexington. Not many people can say they love what they do, but I do! I work with some of the most amazingly smart, talented, witty, caring, and brave human beings on the planet that I get to call my partners. There’s nothing more rewarding than serving your community, and my husband, a firefighter for the city of Kernersville, and I both love what we do, those we help, and the people we work with daily,” Krisi commented.

Kate Rumple, Paramedic: AirCare Critical Care Paramedic Since the age of 12, Kate knew she wanted to work in emergency medicine. “I have always been intrigued by medicine and was drawn to the excitement and diversity of emergency medicine. I decided to start in EMS with the intent to transition into emergency medicine. I graduated from an Associate Degree program and began working as a paramedic at 19. With an interest in furthering my knowledge and the scope of practice, I was drawn to AirCare. I love that we care for all types of patients and learn about all specialties in medicine. The AirCare team works together to get the helicopter ready for our patients’ needs and on any shift, we could be requested to transport critically ill or injured patients from smaller community hospitals to WFBH, as well as being requested to fly directly to the scene of an incident for patients that require more rapid transport. Becoming part of this amazing team included studying and preparation, leading to my board certification as a flight paramedic. In addition to my work with AirCare for the past two years, I am currently a fulltime nursing student, graduating this May, working toward serving AirCare as a cross-credentialed Paramedic/RN. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” stated Kate.

The AirCare at WFBH provides a unique medical service bringing critical care support to communities and people in their most vulnerable times. Although you hope you never need the services of AirCare, it is good knowing they are part of our community.

FACT and FALLACY

about FATS

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

Few words in the English language cause the immediate reaction of a scowl; yet, “fat” tends to conjure up a self-reflection of body image and years of restrictive dieting. In the desire to leap away from the connotation, it’s time to differentiate between good and bad fats. Let us explore the facts and fallacies.

GOOD FAT

Americans invest 25 million dollars annually in the goal of losing weight. Most fad diets reject the principles outlined in basic food groups by controlling the intake from a specific list. In every debate about dietary fats, the body cannot live without, or manufacture the structure and nutritional properties, of the omega-3s and omega-6s. Did you know particular foods provide a source of energy, particularly at rest and during lowintensity exercise?

THEY ALSO: • direct health to the central nervous system and brain tissue; • absorb fat-soluble vitamins; • aid cell development within the body and produce hormones.

THE FOUR FATTY ACIDS

On a molecular level, fatty acids comprise carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. As the chemistry changes, chains of atoms impact how each fatty acid behaves.

SATURATED: The chain’s weight bears heavily on carbon. Think of foods that feel comprised entirely of fat, such as butter, hard cheeses, palm, and coconut oil. Collectively they raise LDL cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease, if not consumed in moderation. To improve heart health, limit your intake to less than seven percent!

MONOUNSATURATED: One hydrogen atom creates an incomplete chain, forming double bonds between carbon molecules. Although much healthier than saturated fats, MUFAs provide the principal source of fat in avocados, nuts, seeds, and oils, such as olive and canola.

TRANS FAT: Processed foods require trans fats to create a shelfstable product; therefore, the chain’s structure is artificial. It is manufactured by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil to create a semi-solid product known as hydrogenated oil. Avoid products with the label, including fast foods, vegetable shortening, processed and baked goods, and pizza.

POLYUNSATURATED: Derived from linoleic acid, the Omega-6 group contains corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oils. Additionally, Omega-3s include linoleic acids from rapeseed and

evening primrose oils, walnuts, and oily fish.

THE BEST DIET

Consuming foods with Omega 3s, such as fish, enriches brain health, lowers the risk of heart disease, digestive disorders, arthritis, and muscle pain. Omega 6s, on the other hand, are necessary for skin health. Try adding the following foods to your diet.

AVOCADOS: Trendy and a versatile superfood, the fruit is well known for its healthy fats and fiber. Eat an avocado daily!

BROCCOLI: Did you know eating broccoli helps conditions related to inflammation, specifically joint pain? It contains the chemical sulforaphane. Don’t skip your broccoli, which is high in nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and a good source of fatty acids.

CHIA SEEDS: Rich in fiber, protein, Omega 3s, antioxidants, and micronutrients, the seeds aid in weight loss, and reduce inflammation, blood cholesterol, and triglycerides. Try cooking with Chia seeds, or consume as a protein-enriched drink.

EGGS: Befriend a neighbor who has a coop. The happy chicken will produce a bright-orange yoke and support one cup, or 12%, of your daily needs!

FISH AND SEAFOOD: The top source of fatty acids is in halibut, mackerel, oyster, salmon, and sardines. Mackerel contains 174% of your daily requirement, while herring and salmon provide 45%. It’s a great excuse to eat sushi daily!

FLAXSEED OIL: For health inside the body and out, most users take either a capsule or teaspoon of oil daily. Start researching the benefits to see if you should start taking the supplement daily.

SUNFLOWER OIL: Available in a high-oleic version, sunflower oil produces a healthier fat than olive oil.

VITAMIN E: this antioxidant fights inflammation and protects the body from cardiovascular disease, eye disorders, and cognitive decline.

WALNUTS: A half cup of dry walnuts contains 66% of the necessary intake!

Fat doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Start making promises to avoid processed foods and start incorporating healthy fats in your diet. Your body will thank you for it!

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