What Happened to Books and Cursive Writing

I am not against technology. I have an e-reader, I'm "hip" like that. But I also appreciate the beauty of a nicely bound book.

A local school has just announced that instead of getting textbooks and workbooks, the school is going to invest in iPads for each student. They admitted they haven't fully thought through the process yet. Who will be responsible if one breaks? What if a student loses one? Who can take them home versus who can't? What if the student doesn't have Internet at home and their iPad homework requires it? Seems to me they should have figured all that out before they announced to the local radio and television station their plans.

If I were a parent of a kindergartner, I would ask that the school NOT give my child the iPad. I don't want to be financially responsible for that! I think it is one thing if each classroom has X iPads that are used during the day. Those can be "checked out" and accounted for before the students leave.

With all this technology, I have to wonder what things TJ and Ella will miss out on because they were born in 2008 and 2011. I know they won't be taught cursive. Most schools have done away with that. Frankly, I see that as silly. A local radio station did a call in about it and one gentleman had a good point. If we don't teach our kids cursive, how are they going to learn to actually sign their names on important documents? I enrolled a student on Monday who didn't know how to sign his name. He is 15 years old and has no clue how to write cursive letters!

I know we are pushing our kids to learn more at an early age, but without actual books how are they going to be able to truly enjoy reading? Without cursive writing how will they learn to sign their names? It seems like we are in such a rush to teach all we can at an early age that some basic things/pleasures are being tossed aside. I remember learning how to count to 100 in kindergarten, now they expect your child to be able to do that before kindergarten. Things I don't remember learning till second grade are now taught in preschool! Why are we in such a hurry to make our kids grow up at an early age?