By Rosie Delacruz, Instructional Technology Specialist
On a recent Friday afternoon, Mr. Macomber’s third grade students did a three - minute typing test on TypingClub.com,
the district’s latest keyboarding program. I walked around the lab to
observe how the students performed. Some were just starting out at 3 WPM
(words per minute); others typed close to 15 WPM. Not bad for starters!
Afterwards, students went to the lesson menu and started lesson one.
One of the best features of this keyboarding program is that it gives
immediate feedback on student performance, offering up to five gold
stars based on speed and accuracy. I ask students to aim for four or
five stars on any given lesson. Should students get less than that, I
encourage them to redo the lesson. Amazingly enough, many students are
eager to repeat a lesson if it means getting more stars!
With a 1:2 Google Chromebook - to - Student ratio in every Grade 3 - 5
classroom, students will be doing more writing and Web - based research
and activities. Having strong keyboarding skills will help them make
the most out of those learning experiences. And that is why I have
chosen developing student - keyboarding skills as my student - learning
goal for this year.
By
giving periodic typing tests and feedback to students on their
technique, I have outlined typing goals for each grade. By the end of
the school year, many third graders should type 10 WPM with 80 percent
accuracy; fourth students, 15 WPM with 80 percent accuracy, and fifth
graders, 20 WPM with 85 percent accuracy.
For many of Mr. Macomber’s students, this particular lab session was
their first time putting their fingers on the home row of a keyboard and
typing text that someone else had written. Mrs. Eid, the classroom -
teaching assistant, shared that she once typed over 125 WPM. “Did she
learn how to do that in one lesson?” I asked. “No,” they all replied.
“It takes lots and lots of practice,” she added.
“So what does it take to be a good keyboardist?” I asked the
students. “Technique, speed and accuracy,” they responded. With that, I
am hoping that all of our students will meet the grade - level typing
goals by the end of the school year.