California Educator

February 2016

Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/635847

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"But learning to type is import- a n t . It w i l l b e n e f it m e i n th e future w h en I 'm at c ol l ege or at work. It's something I need to know." Keyboarding makes a comeback K e y b o a r d i n g i s o n c e a g a i n a p r i o r i t y i n m a n y s c h o o l s . T h a t 's b e c a u s e s t u d e n t s a re taking onlin e assessm ents to measure their knowledge of the Common Core State Standards. Tests include essay questions and performance tasks that are more difficult for those lacking keyboarding skills. S c h o o l s i n S a n Fra n c i s c o , Oakland, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Humboldt County, Fresno and Visalia offer keyboarding classes. But they differ from those their parents took, where a teacher stood at the front calling out "FJFJ." Today's teachers can choose computer programs that gently walk students through the process, showing them exactly where to place their fingers and providing instant feedback. With some programs, keyboarding is a game where students compete against one another. While keyboarding is making a comeback in many schools, it's not happening everywhere. Some CTA members posted on our Facebook page that they wish it was available to prepare students not just for testing, but for the job market. Some shared a selfish reason : It 's easier to read student work that's typed. "Typing is necessary," says Annette Villanueva-Lowe, Hacienda La Puente Teachers Association. "It's a life skill. And all students are expected to use this skill on a national test. The lack of keyboarding skills is just another social inequality." Some schools ask students to learn keyboarding on their own time. Evergreen Teachers Association member Cheryl Connolly says, "We don't have time to teach this, but it's needed, especially due to the Smarter Balanced test. I told my parents at Back to School Night to get their kids on a program." Others believe classroom instruction is needed, because it's too difficult to learn on your own, even for the text-me generation. "I would definitely be interested in seeing how fast my students text compared to typing," muses Irion, Escalon Unified Teachers Association. "It's too bad they can't text on the standardized tests. When it comes to learning keyboarding, most kids have a good attitude and realize it's something they are going to need, especially when they have term papers in high school and college." Jennifer Pierce uses the program Keyboarding Without Tears in her class. "Typing is a life skill. Students are expected to use this skill on a national test. The lack of keyboarding skills is just another social inequality." Annette Villanueva-Lowe Hacienda La Puente Teachers Association 44 cta.org

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