Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/635847
Getting competitive Students race against the clock to see who can type the fastest at Carter High School in Rialto. Actually they are racing against one another and using Nitro Type, a competitive typing game that's being played in LaShon Tilmon's keyboarding class. Tilmon keeps track of who's the fastest and most accurate, and posts the constantly chang- ing winners on the board. Students look up from their work often to cheer and groan at the results. ey are clearly having fun while learn- ing new skills. "It's an adrenaline rush," says Hannah Arre- guin , a freshmen who recently boosted her speed from 30 to 45 WPM. "I like it." Paola Gutierrez, a freshman who types 50 WPM, says the competition has motivated her to try harder. " You get all this excitement and want to win so bad." Tilmon, Rialto Education Association, is a stickler for proper finger placement, correct sitting posture, precise finger key- strokes and shift techniques. "Keyboarding has become a fun- damental prerequisite for academic and professional excellence," says Ti l m o n , w h o a l s o t e a c h e s di g it a l media presentation and Web design. " L earnin g to ke y b o ard ef f i ci ently provides students with a great atten- tion span to confidently complete their work, work smarter and faster, and produce better quality assign- ments — as well as prepare for the 21st century workforce." She is glad to see it becoming more of a priority in schools. " I 've overh eard students t elling t h e i r p e e r s t h a t t h e y w e re g o i n g t o p r a c t i c e k e y b o a r d i n g o v e r t h e w e e k e n d j u s t s o t h e y c a n i n c r e a s e t h e i r s p e e d a n d a c c u r a c y. B u t i t 's m o s t l y t o c o m p e t e a n d b e a t t h e i r p e e r s . T h a t 's f i n e w i t h m e . I c h a l l e n ge my stu d e n t s t o c o m p e t e a ga i n st th e m s e lv e s , the computer and anyone w ho's faster so they ' ll learn this imp or t ant ski l l ." LaShon Tilmon's keyboarding class. 46 cta.org