Independent School Educators' List (ISED-L): Re: Is Typing Speed Important Anymore

I certainly edit differently on paper than on screen, a fact I've been =
struggling with as I edit a book by several authors and receive their =
progressive drafts online. The Edit feature of Word is fabulous, if you =
can read on screen - but I do miss things, tho more screen work has =
improved the balance.

Bottom line: I too would love to see the research (but not to do it.)

Dorcas Hand
Annunciation Orthodox School
Houston TX

-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Swarlis [mailto:lswarlis@columbusschoolforgirls.org]=20
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 9:28 AM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Is Typing Speed Important Anymore

I would like to add two points to the discussion.

I attended an ergonomics course a few years ago and the professor =
mentioned that touch typing was better for users ergonomically. The two =
finger technique (which requires having to look down at the keyboard =
frequently) ultimately puts strain on the neck and shoulders that over =
time (repetitive stress) will cause physical problems.=20

One of the areas that I would like to see more fully researched is =
whether proofing on the computer screen is equivalent to proofing on a =
sheet of paper. I came across some research that suggested that some =
people have difficulty depending on their level of spatial ability and =
for those users it is not an equivalent process. Those low spatial =
ability users would miss errors on the screen that they did not miss on =
paper. I did not have time to pursue that research, but the report of =
the study that I found did make me wonder.

Linda Jacobs Swarlis, Ph.D.
Director of Information Services and Library

56 S. Columbia Avenue
Columbus, OH 43209
614.252.0781 ext. 129
FAX: 614.252.0571
lswarlis@columbusschoolforgirls.org
www.columbusschoolforgirls.org

-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators =
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Bigenho, Chris
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 10:15 AM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Is Typing Speed Important Anymore

As a kid, both speed and accuracy helped me as well. I hated to use the =
white out or the correction tapes. Remember the typewriters that had a =
correction ribbon? I longed for one of those as a kid. But then, the =
last time I saw a typewriter was at a living museum in East Texas and I =
don't think we are really talking about typing.

Today, with the advent of the computer, auto correct (yes, sometimes it =
can be a curse), spell check etc., speed and accuracy have a different =
relationship. You can actually increase your speed by using these tools. =
Increased speed at the cost of decreased accuracy is a reality and =
generally not a problem.=20

As for using the correct "keyboarding technique"- who really cares when =
students are typing 40 to 60 wpm with their own technique. Yes, if you =
catch them early, you can help them develop an efficient technique. =
However, it is the end result that is important. Is what they are =
writing really worth capturing in text? That is to say...do they have =
anything worth capturing for others to read? Is what they are writing =
providing a clear window to their understanding?

If we use our class time on higher level thinking skills rather than =
whether they used their right index finger to type "y" or their left =
little finger to type "z" (I think that is correct), we can help make =
sure they have something to say that reveals their understanding. I have =
seen incredible 2-finger typists and had a student a couple of years ago =
who was amazing with only his right index finger. So amazing that I had =
him try it without watching the keyboard- yes, he could do it and was =
somewhere around 40 words a minute. However, it was what he was writing =
about that was most interesting.=20

Now with all that said, I would argue that today, one of the most =
important skills we could be teaching (in this arena) and reinforcing is =
that of proofing work. It was already stated that most students (and =
adults) write their first draft on the computer. Unfortunately for many, =
it is the ONLY draft. If writers proofed their work and had peers proof =
their work, the need for accuracy of "typing" the first time would be =
minimized. Tools employing AI and natural language recognition allow =
writers to focus on clarity and accuracy of thought, freeing them to =
explore rather than feel constrained by rules of the old world. I =
imagine there are some who would be appalled by the number of typos and =
misspellings my computer corrected as I crafted this message. However, =
the tools allowed me to focus on the creative and cognitive processes =
rather than the mechanics of capturing my thoughts...and for that, I am =
grateful.

Chris Bigenho
Director of Educational Technology
Greenhill School
4141 Spring Valley Road
Addison, TX=A0 75001
Ph. 972-628-5479
Fx. 972-628-5279
bigenhoc@greenhill.org
www.greenhill.org
=A0
Blog: http://bigenhoc.wordpress.com/
Twitter: bigenhoc
AIM: chris bigenho
Yahoo: chris_bigenho
Skype: chris_bigenho
Tapped In: ChrisWB
Delicious: http://delicious.com/bigenhoc
Diigo:bigenhoc

-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators =
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Brian Lee
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 8:38 AM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Is Typing Speed Important Anymore

Typing speed and accuracy sure helped me write my papers in the middle =
of
the night before my paper was due. Without typing speed and accuracy, =
it
would take the student twice as long to write the paper.

Brian Lee
Manlius Pebble Hill School

> From: Keith E Gatling <keith@gatling.us>
> Reply-To: A forum for independent school educators =
<ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:18:33 -0500
> To: <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Subject: Is Typing Speed Important Anymore
>=20
> Think about it. The model of typing from dictation or someone else's
> handwritten first draft is largely dead. Most people are typing "out =
of
> their heads" for their first drafts anyway, and any editing done by =
another
> person is done from a draft that is already typed.
>=20
> We don't test kids for writing speed, so is there a reason to even =
test them
> for typing speed anymore? Sure, the kid who types faster will be able =
to get
> their work done faster, but so will the kid who writes faster. Isn't =
it
> enough to just give kids the basic skill of proper keyboarding without
> having to measure their speed anymore?
> --
>=20
> keg