The start of a new year always is a goal setting and planning time. We are doing that as young as Kindergarten here in the lab. All classes K-8 are spending time this week and next doing an introduction to our Typing Olympics. Students are evaluating their typing skills and creating a plan to improve them. I have created a page on my Links site dedicated to Olympic Training.
Our youngest students are still working on identifying and locating individual letters and numbers on the keyboard, determining what all the extra "stuff" is for comes later. First through eighth grade are working on using some type of fast finger movement to increase their speed while increasing/maintaining accuracy. Through inquiry and discussion, my older groups have come to understand my expectations are not touch typing memorization as many of us were taught. Our classes are filled with tablet users and mobile phone aficionados; one strategy of typing does not fit all in today's expanding technological market. However, the students are exposed to the "normal" finger placement patterns and will practice that in their tutorial.
As is true with all Olympic Athletes, practice is KEY! How punny (wink wink)
I will not be spending more than 10 minutes during our class periods on training. Students are encouraged to train at home using the above link and come to an after school training session if desired. (dates TBA)
The Olympics will be held the week of March 19th and each grade will participate in a fun, developmentally appropriate competition. Olympians will be rewarded for their efforts and our speediest, most accurate students will enjoy some pomp and circumstance!
Please help me keep my website safe by informing me of any undesirable material. Some of the typing games have pop-up adds on the sides. They are always very "G" here at school but they do populate by browser history- (if you were shopping for trips online there would be travel ads.....). The students are very good about avoiding them all together. Just a reminder for at home use. Please favorite the Live Binder site and do "Like" us on Facebook as well.
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