There are many problems that arise daily, some are little that are solved within minutes while others are more in-depth and require multiple perspectives. When I read the requirements for this blog I thought of many problems but many of which I am not ready to share with the world in a blog.
One problem that has not been resolved this school year deals with keyboarding. Keyboarding is a very important skill for 21st century learners, especially as they begin to use computers more and more. Our school district has an old outdated scope and sequence for keyboarding that has to be updated. There is also no specific person who is supposed to be teaching keyboarding. Does the responsibility of teaching keyboarding fall on me as a technology teacher? Though, I have never taught it before and have not been provided with any guidelines. Or does it fall on the classroom teachers who may have seen keyboarding instruction in the past but have never had any formal training?
Keyboarding is a skill I want to work with the younger students on because as I have been working with the older students doing projects that require them to type many students still are hunting and pecking. When these students are in high school they will most likely be required to type all their assignments on a computer, and if they do not have the necessary keyboarding skills they will become frustrated with the typing requirements.
There are many people in the school that should be involved with creating a new scope and sequence for keyboarding, along with coming up with a curriculum to teach the students. But as we all know as teachers there are so many things thrown on our plate this days, some get lost in the shuffle. Keyboarding does not hold the same weight as academic concerns or RTI, so it has not been solved. The people who should be involved are the teachers, principals, the director of technology and myself, as the technology teacher.
One reason we have not solved this problem is because there are so many people involved. Everyone is waiting for someone else to come up with a solution they can just go along with. As a new person to the district, I sometimes feel like I should not walk into a new situation and start making big changes. I have made smaller changed within the computer lab but not huge changed that effect the whole school. I have begun to give the students keyboarding assessments to see where the students are even at with typing. I have read many articles about introducing students to keyboarding, which has motivated me to worked more with the first and second graders introducing them to beginning keyboarding skills.
To solve any problem we first have to admit that there is a problem. I know we are lacking a keyboarding curriculum but know we have to create a plan to put a curriculum in place.
Keyboarding Websites-
Keyboarding and Your Child
ISTE Books for Keyboarding
Keyboarding PPT
Keyboarding Activities
Teaching Keyboarding in Elementary
