There were two courses I insisted that my children had to take before they graduated from high school…keyboarding and driving. Their guidance counselors were frustrated because I took my children out of sequence so they could take keyboarding in their Freshmen year and my kids were angry because they sat in keyboarding classes with Seniors. Now that my kids are adults they have each thanked me for insisting on keyboarding early in their high school careers. If you would like to help your students and children become better typists there are several resources online that will help them improve their accuracy and speed.
TypingWeb is a free Web 2.0 keyboarding course that runs from your web browser, so you will always have the latest features accessible from anywhere. The site features engaging lessons that are designed for novice to professional levels. To keep motivation and interest high students can practice using “headline news” as exercises and interactive typing games.
When you register for a free account TypingWeb tracks and charts all of your statistics based on traditional typing speed and accuracy formulas. You can view this information as detailed graphs to track your progress. After taking a typing test five times students can access a high quality printable typing certificate of completion to showcase their typing skill.
The site also hosts entertaining learning games such as Typing Ghosts, Krazy Keys, and TypeType Revolution, as well as several classic games like Breakout, Tetris, and Frogger to pass the time that could be used to motivate students who need a temporary break from typing. A one time fee can be paid for a premium membership if you find the advertising on the free version distracting.
A year ago I developed and taught a workshop that incorporated numerous keyboarding tips, lessons, and games. Click on the screenshot below to explore the website resources I gathered as part of my Keyboarding Can be Fun workshop:
Hey, Jenn! Our students have fallen in love with Dance Mat Typing, from the BBC. It’s fun, has a logical progression of skills, and keeps them com,ing back to practice! Have you seen it??
Having fun following your blog —
MaryAnn
Thanks for taking time to write. Dance Mat Typing is of my favorite sites too! It’s so colorful and engaging. It’s one of the first sites I recommended on my Keyboarding Can Be Fun site (the link to the site can be found at the bottom of the post…just click on the image.
I’m glad you are enjoying the blog…please feel free to share additional resources as they come to mind. I love it when I hear from educators like yourself! I hope all is going well in Binghamton!
Jen