Keyboarding


 * Do you think keyboarding should be taught by the Computer teacher?**


 * yes, as a warm up only


 * If so, at what age?**


 * The earlier the better, like kindergarten

- I teach at a pk - 8 school. I begin keyboarding at the PK level with an introduction to "Action Keys" Enter, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Delete, Backspace. As the grades progress I introduce more keys to the students. home row for k and 1.

I feel that keyboarding should begin in early elementary school, when students first begin using computers. By 7th grade, all I find I am doing is breaking bad habits.

With the advancements of tablets and hand held devices is there a purpose to teaching keyboarding any longer? I believe that valuable time is wasted struggling with students over keyboarding instead of used to teach other valuable skills.

Keyboarding is taught starting in 3rd grade, however, I only get a chance to meet with the children once per week - so "solid" typing skills is really how much they are encouraged (and practice) from home. However, the classroom teachers expect the children to have this instruction.

To maximize time, creativity and usefulness of time in often times minimally available labs, keyboarding should be taught via application to meaningful projects. We can relay proper technique and redirect students to properly type without using valuable time keying practice exercises.

Definitely by the computer teachers because if the classroom teacher if having a choice will use that time for the core classes because they never have enough time. I think elementary is best if your school gives them the time. In ours they only get to the lab once a cycle and so there's a lot of disconnect with the expanse of time since you saw them last. By 7th or 8th grade you just can't break those bad habits on the majority of students. I use MicroType 5. I like the program, but of course it's not perfect.


 * Keyboarding Resources **

Keyboarding resources

[|edutyping.com]


 * Type to learn jr k-2
 * Type to learn 4 3-6th
 * I also show the students dancemat typing.
 * []
 * EduTyping, Jr [|www.edutyping.com]
 * PowerTyping (http://www.powertyping.com)--allows for teacher accounts and tracking student progress

media type="custom" key="12512308"