THEN AND NOW: 6 classes US public schools rarely offer anymore and what they've been replaced wi

Just as back-to-school fashions go in and out of style, different classes offered in schools rise and decline in popularity over the years. The basics like math, science, and language arts aren't going anywhere, but other parts of school curricula continue to adapt to changing technologies and student needs.

Here are six once-popular classes and school activities that aren't usually offered anymore in the US — and what they've been replaced with.

Cursive handwriting is no longer necessary.

Public schools are increasingly dropping cursive from their curricula, citing the prevalence of laptops, tablets, and textual communication.

With computer-based writing exams as part of the Common Core curriculum, typing quickly and accurately is becoming more important than writing in neat script.

In 2011, the writing test of the National Assessment of Educational Progress required eighth and 11th graders to use computers, with fourth graders to follow in 2019, according to the Associated Press. 

"Cursive writing is a traditional skill that has been replaced with technology," Michael Hairston, president of the Fairfax Education Association, told The Washington Post.

In the 1950s, home economics class used to teach girls how to be homemakers with skills like sewing, cooking, and household management.

The name was officially changed to "Family and Consumer Services" in 1994 in an effort to rebrand the class as teaching basic life skills irrespective of gender.

Educators have called for bringing the principles of home economics back into public schools.

In more recent years, educators have called for bringing cooking instruction and healthy meal preparation back into public schools in order to combat childhood obesity. But the days of home economics as a kind of "housewife 101" are in the past.

Shop class used to be a chance for kids to be creative and learn vocational skills.

Ken Robinson, Ph.D, wrote in "Creative Schools, The Element, Finding Your Element and Out of Our Minds" that vocational programs like shop class have been on the decline in the last decade because of emphasis on improving standardized test scores, not skills.

"The work of electricians, builders, plumbers, chefs, paramedics, carpenters, mechanics, engineers, security staff, and all the rest is absolutely vital to the quality of each of our lives," he wrote. "Yet the demands of academic testing mean that schools often aren’t able to focus on these other capabilities at all."

Some schools want to reintroduce shop class to complement their academic classes.

Some schools, such as Dalton High School in Georgia, are moving towards a more blended approach where academic and technical skills are both emphasized in the curiculum. Innovations such as 3D printers have also helped regenerate interest.

Basic computer skills no longer need to be taught in schools.

Today, kids grow up surrounded by technology. Many learn how to use iPads before they can talk. Gone are the days of computer lab classes teaching students the basic tenets of how to operate a computer. 

Computers aren't confined to labs anymore.

Now, there are programs designed to teach elementary school students how to code.

Students used to learn how to navigate libraries using the Dewey Decimal System.

Melvil Dewey invented the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) in 1876 as a way for libraries to organize their collections with numbers corresponding to different subjects. Before students could search the internet for information, they learned how to locate books on library shelves using the Dewey Decimal system.

Going to the library for books is a thing of the past.

Librarians don't just help students find books anymore — they teach students to use new computer software and databases as well as help them create websites, videos, and short animations, according to Slate. Instead of quiet reading corners, school libraries are being restructured to provide collaborative workspaces.

Dodgeball and other sports used students as targets.

Getting smacked in the face with a dodgeball was once a classic gym class rite of passage. But in the wake of school shootings like Columbine, teachers expressed growing concerns about encouraging games with human targets, according to The New York Times. Some schools limited the game or banned it altogether.

Self-paced, self-guided fitness programs are becoming the new norm.

Self-paced sports like archery, rock climbing, and yoga are replacing team sports that require athletic prowess in order to appeal to all students regardless of skill. The new goal is to get kids to be "lifelong movers" and encourage physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle, not to score the winning points, according to The Washington Post.

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