12th March 2007

Tools to improve keyboarding skills

posted in edtech |

The ability to type faster than you can write by hand is more important today than ever. I remember as an elementary teacher and later an elementary computer lab teacher / technology integration facilitator using the commercial program Type To Learn from Sunburst Technology, to help students learn better keyboarding skills. Now, however, more FREE options for helping students learn “home row” are available than ever.

Today I learned about TypeFaster Typing Tutor (a free, open-source typing program available for Windows) as well as Dance Mat Typing from the BBC, which is also free but web-based.

What are the best tools you use with students, your own children or others (including for your own skill development) to better keyboard?

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 12th, 2007 at 10:53 pm and is filed under edtech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

There are currently 3 responses to “Tools to improve keyboarding skills”

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  1. 1 On March 13th, 2007, Room 3's Blog said:

    More Keyboarding Links…

    I have discovered some more keyboarding programmes for you to try. You could even use keyboarding practice as a homework task!
    Today I learned about TypeFaster Typing Tutor (a free, open-source typing program available for Windows) as well as Dance Mat…

  2. 2 On March 13th, 2007, Beth said:

    Came by to look at your screencasts for a primer I’m building on screencasting and saw your post.
    Thought you’d enjoy this
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/15557565/

  3. 3 On March 19th, 2007, Educating the Dragon » Blog Archive » So many questions. Are there any real answers? said:

    […] If School 2.0 is all about collaborative working, children directing the learning, teaching and learning for ‘Just in Time’ what does it look like in a matrix. What should I be doing with my Year 3’s? Year 5’s, Year 2’s? I’ve heard from Vicki Davies blog recently that keyboarding isn’t dead. That word-processing at the speed of speech is practically a miraculous gift. Wesley has some software suggestions that might help. Speech recognition software is no where close; currently. Perhaps if it were the learning would be impaired somewhat. I know I have learnt more since being this blog than I have ever done- perhaps.  Don Tapscott talks about the flat work place. That N-Geners prefer a flatter workplace. I wonder what a flat school would look like. Would I truly be a better place for it? Flatter in terms of the students or the staff or both? What would that really look like. Would communication with the school be better or worse? Would we achieve more or less?   […]