A new idea

[Nail It Now]

Hi All,

I recently spent 2 weeks downloading and demo-ing 9 popular typing software programs used in elementary schools around the world and one of my findings was that students could easily cheat to progress to the next screen of random letters or to next step in game or animated story as these typing software programs only recognize when correct key is typed, not what finger is used

I had the idea of covering the keys with "glue dots" (removable adhesive dots that you can stick on the keys) and coloring the dots for the bump keys (F and J) that help students position their fingers correctly. What do you think? Teachers and parents wouldn't have to continually monitor children's keyboarding and I know students hate the covers used these days

[Flipp]

Good idea. A bit time consuming, but a good idea.

Which covers are you talking about? I know about the rubberized blank pieces that form-fit over the keyboard, and our elementary computer teacher (I teach the Jr. High) has the kids cover their hands with a dish-rag.

I think I would prefer a shield of some sort, something that still allows them to peek if they really need to, but not easily. ;)

[Flipp]

Also, in the early stages, don't you need them to be able to see the keys, while they're still learning where they are?
I know the glue dots are removable, but it just seems like you'll spend all your prep time peeling off and/or applying dots!

[Nail It Now]

Hi Flipp,

I am not a teacher, but I have my own method for learning the keyboard that involves using quirky association words to memorize the keyboard and never looking at the keys, so it would be a matter of placing 30 glue dots on the alpha keys and leaving them there

I haven't used the covers, but I believe they are called Speedskin. The dish-rag idea is a novel one :)

[Flipp]

Would you be willing to share a bit more about this technique? I'm always looking for better ways to help my students with their keyboarding.

[busbus]

I'm from the dinosaur-age of technology and learned keyboarding through learning how to type.

We learned the keys from the home keys: asdfg and hjkl; - we were taught that the fingers on our left hand sat on the letters asdf and that we moved our index finger to the right, one key, for the letter "g." Our right hand fingers sat on jkl; and that we moved our index finger to the left, one key, for the letter "h." Then we had to practice making patterns of these letters - first one at a time, so you had a line of the same letter then another, and so on. Next were given combinations of letters on the home keys.

From the home keys, we were taught which finger on which hand would be used for the letters above and the letters below each hand when fingers were sitting on the home keys.

When I'm using a typewriter - and I do from time to time, or when I'm word processing, if my fingers are not on the correct home keys, I just know that they are in the wrong place and I correct my placement. It's just so automatics.

I personally don't think that keys need to be covered for students to learn keyboarding. To me, they just need to learn the home keys, practice the home keys and learn where other keys are in relation to the fingers on the home keys and practice some more. Given exercises on hard copies to practice, students' eyes are on the copy and not on their hands. With practice, success and perhaps "time tests", they will become good in keyboarding.

It's very possible that they will become proficient or advance. ;)

[Nail It Now]

Hi Flipp and busbus,

Thank you for your comments. I am sorry, Flip, not to answer your question. I thought this thread had finished

Yes, I would be willing to share my method in return for feedback. Feel free to email me. If you don't have a lot of time, you can actually get a very good idea of how it works in 5 minutes:


Place glue dots on keyboard (colored dots on F and J keys)
Tell the students they have 4 fingers on their left hand and there are 4 home row keys on left side of keyboard (they learn the left side of the keyboard first)
Have the students type asdf 10 times and, at the same time, say aloud "Animals in the Snow Dig for Food" (you will be amazed at how quickly they remember)
Tell the students they have learned the left home row keys and, now, they type the words add as dad fad sad


If you have another 5 minutes, ask the students "what about the letter G in the middle row?". Then, tell them the F finger does double the work and moves over to G. Have the students type asdfg 10 times and, at the same time, say aloud "Animals in the Snow Dig for Food Greedily" and then type the words gad gag gas and sag (for Grades 1-2 students, "Grass" is used instead of "Greedily")

Cheers,
Georgie