provided as a service by me at http://stager.org/keyboarding.html
Gary Stager
Constructing Modern Knowledge
http://constructingmodernknowledge.com
On Dec 4, 2010, at 5:23 PM, Keith E Gatling wrote:
> Let's go back about 40 years, to when I was 14. It could safely be =
assumed
> that there was a typewriter in most houses, but just because that =
typewriter
> was there didn't mean that every kid knew how to type properly, with =
the
> correct fingers, and knew all the special tricks of the machine.
>=20
> A lot of kids back in 1970 were pretty decent two-finger typists, but =
who,
> again, didn't know what all the special buttons on the machine were =
for, or
> how they could make their lives easier.
>=20
> I was also a pretty good two-finger typist, and had been typing all of =
my
> papers since 4th grade, but being made to take an actual typing class =
when I
> was a sophomore was the best thing anyone could've done for me. I =
learned
> the right fingers, and that made me faster. I learned what Tab Set, =
Mar Rel,
> and all those other buttons I had been ignoring for years, were all =
about;
> and they made getting those papers written for Mr Rosenberg a piece of =
cake.
> My friends who didn't take the "boring" typing course struggled with =
things
> that were a snap for me. Also, taking the typing course taught me a =
lot
> about the proper *formatting* of a document; something I'm still fussy =
about
> to this day.
>=20
> Can we assume that just because everyone has a computer in their house =
and
> can navigate around FB, YouTube, and Google, that they type well =
enough to
> help them out in the long run? I don't think so. You can't assume this =
any
> more now than you could have assumed 40 years ago that every kid knew =
how to
> type because there was a typewriter at home.
>=20
> And what about those smaller virtual keyboards (or finger keyboards =
even)?
> Do we assume that learning keyboarding is useless because *some* =
keyboards
> are a little smaller? I don't think so. Yeah, it takes a little =
adjustment
> for me to get used to a slightly smaller keyboard (and the key word =
here is
> *slightly*), but the skills I learned 40 years ago still carry me =
through
> quite well on those machines. Finger keyboards? My ten-figer skills =
are
> still helpful when I'm trying to thumb-type on a QWERY phone.
>=20
> Another reason why proper typing is so important is that if you can =
type
> fast enough, it's a whole lot easier to do a total brain dump without =
losing
> your train of thought. If you're still looking around for where the =
keys
> are, you're likely to forget what it was you were going to write in =
the
> first place.
>=20
> And it doesn't have to be all that boring or all that intense. I =
suddenly
> fell ill a few weeks ago and had to come up with a plan that anyone =
could
> teach. So I gave my 6th graders, many of whom had abysmal typing =
skills, my
> 2nd grade typing book to work on. We should be done with it in about =
two
> weeks, and they're racing each other to see who finishes first.
>=20
> The lessons don't have to be boring either. Once we got enough keys =
under
> our belt, I was able to make sentences that they found amusing (and =
that
> also raised a few parental eyebrows). The short essays I've had them =
work on
> at the end of each book have tended to be about something of cultural =
or
> personal interest.
>=20
> And that's the other important thing: I look at the time I spent =
teaching
> them how to type as a way to get other "life lessons" taught at the =
same
> time. They think they're learning how to type, but they're really =
learning
> other things that I think are important for a whole human being to =
know.
>=20
> So...do we need to keep teaching keyboarding? My answer is an =
unqualified
> YES.
>=20
> [ 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.
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Gary S. Stager, Ph.D.
Senior Editor & West Coast Bureau Chief
District Administration Magazine
Editor
The Pulse: Education's Place for Debate
21825 Barbara Street
Torrance, CA 90503
(310) 874-8236 Voice
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www.districtadministration.com
[ 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
