Do we really need keyboarding skills in a Web 2.0 world?

[Brenda Klockenga]

I just finished attending three days of the four-day Illinois Computing Educators conference this past week in St. Charles, IL. It was outstanding, and I will be posting about my experience there.

One observation I made was that there was not one session of any length on keyboarding. The two major vendors for keyboarding software were in the Exhibit Hall (Bytes of Learning & Sunburst).

I credit my keyboarding speed with much of my personal and business achievements/success. I can get to the 100 WPM range (more when I was younger and not as sleep-deprived)!

I had a very brief, casual conversation about this and I could see I appeared to be an anachronism! So, I did what I always do, GOOGLE! And sure enough, this caught my eye:

Keyboarding: The Hidden Giant of Web 2.0

What really impressed me was statistics instead of just anecdotal stories or personal preferences.

It's not either/or it's both/and. We need all of the digital literacy skills (see ITSE/NETS standards), but we still need to keyboard. Fast. It is a joy and privilege for me to be able to express my thoughts as fast as I think. In fact, these days, I think I type faster than I think!

[Sharon Lynnora Chambers]

Keyboarding. Not my favorite. Since I was the elementary librarian it was suggested that I be assigned to teach keyboarding to third graders. I taught keyboarding on a trial basis and found it boring for me and the students. There were few ways to spice it up. I actually told the superintendent that I would rather die than teach keyboarding. I didn't think it was developmentally appropriate for third graders. After various meetings with the adjoining middle school and the tech teams it was decided to teach keyboarding in 6th grade. For a couple of years they required it for the 6th graders and then made it an elective. At this time I had no input. Most of the students elected not to take it and finally it was dropped. This was a few years ago. Now kids are on their own. They can text, use their apps, do their homework, check their email, and IM their friends all at the same time. I think most middle and high schoolers are way past keyboarding. I suspect keyboarding has gone the way of teaching cursive writing. Doesn't happen anymore.

[Brenda Klockenga]

I start keyboarding in second grade, and it's neither boring or unnecessary. Using a program such as Type to Learn keeps them engaged. Many of my junior high students exceed 50 WPM, and the goal is 40 WPM. Not only do I teach technology, but I have and continue to use my skills in Corporate America. My ability to keyboard at 100 WPM serves me well. Apps, IM, Texting are not way past keyboarding - they don't even compare. I beg to differ about "Doesn't happen anymore" - The ability to compose and create content is limited when one doesn't have good keyboarding skills. By that, I mean it's automatic - you don't look and you don't think about it. Until voice recognition is truly ubiquitous, good keyboarding skills means effciency, effectiveness and higher performance.

[Brenda Klockenga]

One of my guest speakers for Junior High this year is a colleague who has a high-level profession job at SAP. His role as a guest speaker evolved from a casual conversation at the soccer field. He cited the following three factors that helped him succeed, and indeed has led to him being able to take an assignment in Mexico:

The factors that Mr. Peterson identified that have led to his success in his career and ability to serve in the community are three important skills:

1. Foundational Technology Skills – Keyboarding (acquired at SHS), and basic computer skills, particularly Microsoft Windows™ and Office™ (Word™, Excel™, PowerPoint™).
2. Foreign Language Skills – Spanish (four years at SHS), allowing him to travel globally and to recently interview and be selected for a position at SAP in Mexico City. He and his family will move to Mexico at the end of this school year and live there for two years. His children will be able to spend time with their maternal grandparents, who reside in Mexico City.
3. Adapt to Change – The ability and willingness to accept and embrace change. Mr. Peterson shared that while most of what we may learn in technology may be obsolete within a few years, it’s important to learn it and to always keep learning.

[Brenda Klockenga]

What does the research say? There are various viewpoints - I found this one intresting:
Source: WHEN AND HOW SHOULD KEYBOARDING BE TAUGHT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
A Graduate Review Submitted to the Division of Educational Technology Department of Curriculum and Instruction
In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA

Recommendations from the reviewer for keyboarding in the elementary classroom are as follows:
1. Begin introducing the keyboard early to students. Let them become familiar with it.
2. After the students have developed a familiarity with the keyboard, allow them to learn the proper techniques.
3. Begin formal touch-typing instruction in the third grade. First and second graders can work on developing the skill of left hand from right hand.
4. Set a time aside each week for keyboarding instruction, just as would be done for handwriting instruction.
5. Remember to have the students focus on training their fingers to press key the correct keys.
6. Have a keyboarding instructor, or a person who is knowledgeable in the area, train teachers on the subject. This will ensure that all students are learning the same thing at the same age.
With an increasing number of states mandating keyboarding instruction in the elementary, districts will become responsible for teaching this complex psychomotor skill to their students. Depending on the district’s current standards and benchmarks, it is up to each school to review the literature and make an informed choice for its district.

[Brenda Klockenga]

Teaching keyboaridng is analogous to teaching multiplication tables. It might not be interesting to us (boring), but that's not ever the point, it is? It's about a fundamental skill that helps to enable all of the other digital literacy skills, particular in the area of content creation.

[Brenda Klockenga]

This school has put together a great list of resources to consider:
Keyboarding in the 21st Century

[Sharon Lynnora Chambers]

I am so happy to have found a librarian who really enjoys teaching keyboarding and values this skill. This is one of the things that makes our profession so great. We have people who have different skills and passions. This gives our students a wonderful variety of strengths to draw upon as they go through the grades. Congratulations on your dedication to this aspect of education. I am sure your students and parents appreciate your skill and knowledge.