Recommendations
General Keyboarding Recommendations
Saskatchewan Education recognizes the need for quality instruction of keyboarding skills in the elementary grades. The following recommendations should be considered.
- Touch keyboarding is provided in the elementary grades so that students can transfer their keyboarding skills thereby making efficient use of computers in all subject areas. Production aspects of the traditional typewriting courses such as proper formatting of correspondence, tabulations, and manuscripts should not be taught extensively until students reach higher grades.
- Quality instruction in touch keyboarding skills should take place before students are expected to make extensive use of the keyboard or typewriter in language arts, science, mathematics, or any other area of study.
- The skill of touch keyboarding should be integrated across the curriculum and applied whenever students are required to use or have access to the computer/typewriter. Because the skill is to be used in all subject areas, it is recommended that the time required to teach touch keyboarding be taken proportionally from all areas of study.
- Adequate practice time is necessary to make the students comfortable with all aspects of touch keyboarding before integration of the skill across the curriculum.
- During keyboarding instruction, activities should be varied and should be changed frequently
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- Once the formal lessons in touch keyboarding have been completed, weekly review lessons in touch keyboarding are recommended in order to reinforce and maintain the skill.
- A working knowledge of the entire alphabetic keyboard at the third grade level is recommended. A readiness phase is suggested from kindergarten to grade two. Jackson and Berg's study (Cooper, 1988) suggests keyboarding be taught when it is needed; that is, when students begin applications such as keying word lists, creating sentences, entering programs and using word processing software. They concluded that development of correct keyboarding technique should begin in about grade three. Cameron (Cooper, 1988) concurred but suggested, in addition, that students in grade one or kindergarten are capable of adopting proper home finger placement and learning which fingers control and direct action keys.
Note: Although a working knowledge of the entire keyboard is suggested at the third grade level, these guidelines are designed to be flexible enough to allow successful implementation of touch keyboarding at any Elementary Level grade.
- Business educators could be utilized to introduce keyboarding at the Elementary Level. Although elementary classroom teachers recognize the need for touch keyboarding skills, they may need assistance and guidance from a specialist. The assistance to elementary teachers may come in the form of in-service from business educators.
- Proper technique is vital to future success in touch keyboarding. Good keyboarding technique is the foundation for later increases in keyboarding speed and accuracy ability. Technique should be constantly monitored during all phases of the elementary keyboarding program and whenever the skill is used in other areas of study. The teacher should be constantly circulating when students are keyboarding to monitor technique, to offer suggestions for improvement, and to give words of encouragement and praise.
- During the keyboarding component, technique should be stressed as the most important element, then speed, and finally accuracy.
- Formal grading at the Elementary Level is neither desirable nor necessary. If required, a "Complete/Incomplete" designation is recommended rather than assigning a percentage or a letter grade. Continuous observation and assessment of progress is suggested with the primary emphasis on technique and integration of the skill into other areas of study. A certificate may be awarded to each student upon completion of the keyboarding component for each grade. The certificates could be for proficiency or completion. Students should feel positive about themselves and about their keyboarding achievements.
The Keyboarding Teacher
- Ideally, touch keyboarding should be taught by specialists in the field, namely, business educators with assistance from the specialist in the area of educating young students, namely, the classroom teacher. (Kidney, 1985; Schrader, 1987). A merging of expertise results in a team teaching situation that would be beneficial to all concerned. A business educator assigned to a collegiate or high school could assist the elementary school(s) for part of the school day. This team teaching situation could be seen as a permanent arrangement, or it could be viewed as a beginning partnership to allow classroom teachers to gradually become knowledgeable and comfortable in their role as keyboarding instructors.
- When an elementary/business educator partnership is not feasible, it is suggested that elementary educators assigned to instruct their students in the skill of touch keyboarding receive training in the methods and techniques of teaching the subject. Elementary educators should also have the opportunity to learn the skill of touch keyboarding. In order to serve the present staff component, these goals may be accomplished through professional development in the form of in-service sessions utilizing business educators as instructors. It is also recommended that, future elementary teacher training programs include the skill and methodology of teaching touch keyboarding, thus preparing beginning elementary teachers for their role as keyboarding instructors.
- To become competent in the skill of touch keyboarding, the teacher may establish a partnership with community members. Experienced touch typists (parents, volunteers, senior high school students) may be involved as resource personnel.
- Depending upon the staff component in each individual school, the business educator may be available to instruct elementary students in touch keyboarding. For example in K-12 schools, the specialist may be available to instruct in the elementary grades.
- An itinerant or travelling business educator could serve as the keyboarding instructor for several schools.
- The learning of the skill of touch keyboarding may be reinforced and practised using software packages. Software packages keep students' interest levels high and may be particularly suitable for independent practice or remedial work.
Placement/Length of Course
The important thing to remember is that formal keyboarding instruction can begin at any Elementary Level, but students must be given the opportunity to learn and practise touch keyboarding skills before extensive applications on the computer/typewriter keyboard are required in other areas of the curriculum. At the third grade, students are physically capable of successfully learning to touch keyboard just as they are capable of learning to play the piano. At this grade level, the reading skills of the student are developed sufficiently to allow them to follow simple written instructions. Computers, however, will likely be used by students before the third grade, and a readiness phase is suggested as part of kindergarten to grade two.
- Just as the placement of the course should be flexible enough to meet the needs and resources of each individual school, the length of the course should be just as pliant. The ideal situation would be to offer touch keyboarding on a daily basis or every second day in grades three to six inclusive. The periods may be 20 to 30 minutes in length for a total time allotment of 20 - 25 classroom hours per grade level. However, time, equipment, and expertise are only a few of the resources that may limit this access.
Flexibility is the key to the successful implementation of the recommendations in this document. Teachers are encouraged to implement touch keyboarding whenever possible in whatever way possible.
Although the skill of touch keyboarding on the computer can be used in virtually all subject areas, it is most often applied across the curriculum in the area of written communications. Touch keyboarding can enhance or facilitate further development in writing, spelling, and grammar and can be extended to all areas of the curriculum.
Equipment
At the present time, the hardware (computers, disk drives, video display terminals, printers, electronic or electric typewriters) available in our elementary schools is not standardized either by type or by number of stations. One group of grade three students may have two computers available to them for a three month period while another may have access to a computer lab that provides one computer for each student to utilize three times a week over a period of five months. Just as the role of computers as a learning, living, and working tool will undoubtedly expand, the future use and availability of computers in our elementary schools will also grow. The guidelines provided in this document are prepared with the future in mind. Depending upon available resources, some elementary schools will be in a position to adhere strictly to the guidelines given below while others will find it necessary to adapt the guidelines. The following recommendations are offered.
- If purchasing new equipment, schools are encouraged to purchase computers rather than typewriters. Although electronic or electric typewriters would serve the students adequately in learning keyboarding skills, computers and accompanying software have the potential for use in all subject areas. In addition, typewriters may be noisier than computers and may have to be used outside of the home classroom.
- When selecting equipment for a keyboarding course, only computer keyboards, electronic, or electric typewriters should be chosen. Manual typewriters are not advisable as young students may not have the physical strength required to depress the keys with ease and may become frustrated and discouraged.
- Whenever possible, each learner should have access to his/her own computer and keyboard although sharing of keyboards or scheduling for smaller groups of students may be necessary. Laminated paper keyboards and/or "stand alone" keyboards (those not connected with a computer) may also be used to assist the learner in the location and identification of keys and the reinforcement of keyboarding skill. Naturally, the learning of touch keyboarding will be much more relevant if students use keyboards and computers.
- Placement of the keyboards will be determined by the location of power outlets. In order to allow the students a clear view of the teacher, Dennee (1989) suggests a "chevron style" of room arrangement in which the microcomputers are arranged in a "V" shape with the instructor located at the point of the "V." It may be necessary to place a smaller "V" inside the larger one. In this pattern, the teacher has a good view of the student and can monitor progress and technique while the student can see the teacher's demonstrations and the chalkboard more readily. Small students can be hidden behind their computers, and the arrangement of work stations in a "V" will allow the teacher to monitor "eyes on copy" at a glance.
- A master power switch, surge protectors, and power strips are suggested. Air-conditioning and tiled floor as opposed to carpeting may also be considerations when computers are installed.
- Chairs and table tops should be the correct height for elementary students. As a general guide, it is suggested that the student's forearms should be parallel with the slant of the keyboard. With the wide range of developing physical sizes of young students, adjustable furniture is suggested. Adjustable-height chairs will enable each student to sit with fingers comfortably placed on the keys. If adjustable-height chairs are not available, cushions or pillows may be required to raise the student to a comfortable height. Adjustable desks are also preferred, eliminating the need for footrests for those students whose feet do not reach the floor.
Checklist: Furniture and Equipment