integrated), do you find the need for keyboarding? =20
This is our third year of full integration. We use technology daily, =
but we don't teach technology. In K-1 they have 5 laptops in each =
class. In 2nd - 5th they have one full set of laptops in each grade =
(two students for one laptop). In middle school, there is about a 1.5 =
to 1 ratio. The laptops on shelves spread around the middle school that =
students use as needed. =20
In 2nd and up, the students use the computers 3-4 times a week for a =
variety of things including math, research, writing, organizing and =
creating. In K-1, each student generally gets access 1-2 times a week =
during station time. We are using it mostly for language arts in K and =
math in 1st. In middle school, students use laptops almost daily for =
lots of different tasks. =20
I use to teach keyboarding three days a week for the first six weeks of =
school in 4th and 5th grades. I have asked the 4th and 5th grade =
teachers to try and fit it in, but they have found it just too time =
consuming. They encourage the students to do keyboarding practice at =
home. Of course, the students that don't need to practice are the ones =
that do it. The ones that need it, never practice.
At this point though, I am not sure there is the need for keyboarding =
instruction anymore. The middle school kids use the laptops almost =
everyday, and none of them seem hindered by their lack of keyboarding =
skills. Granted, I am not sure a single kid uses the standard 10 finger =
method of keyboarding, but they all seem to be at 20 wpm using their =
creative style of keyboarding. We haven't had a formal keyboarding =
program for three years now, and yet the middle school students seem =
more confident in their keyboarding abilities than they did four years =
ago. =20
We are actually investigating the use of iPads in a pilot program next =
year in three grades (K, 4 and 8). This will totally change the way =
they type since it is a virtual keyboard. The students that have iPads =
seem to have no problem using a virtual keyboard. It is usually the =
teachers that have problems with it.
With students using computers more and more at school and at home, and =
with the input method changing on some devices, should we be taking =
class time to teach keyboarding?=20
Thanks,
Renee Ramig
Seven Hills School
[ For info on ISED-L see https://www.gds.org/podium/default.aspx?t=3D128874 ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
RSS Feed, http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?RSS&L=3DISED-L
