Schools have worked hard to integrate computers into classrooms and teach students how they work. But do most teachers consider keyboarding to be an art, or just another subject? This question leads us to the five Ws and one H of typing education technology (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How). A lot of teachers think it is easy to teach keyboarding, but there are specific skills and techniques that make keyboarding instruction very different from other subjects.

Who?

When keyboarding classes first started out, teachers who specialized in other courses most likely taught the typing courses. However, they were trained to teach students how to type accurately, quickly, and with the correct techniques. They became keyboarding instructors. This focused education was essential for students that want to further their education. The main students who took the course seriously learned touch typing, but other students preferred the hunt and peck method. Subsequently, the method of hunt and peck seems to be the prevailing technique for many adults, despite its losses in effectiveness. Teachers and students would benefit greatly from improved typing education technology. 

What?

Nowadays, the schools we have may not be able to adequately prepare the students for their future workplace without the provision of skills necessary for the competent usage of computers. 

Regrettably, even though schools have incorporated teaching students how to use a computer for obtaining and production of information, they have neglected to teach the students how to correctly type on the keyboard, accurately and quickly by using the appropriate technique. Due to this, some compelling questions have been raised to the forefront. How do students learn best? When should the students start their learning? Why we should we learn to touch type and how will we know we have made progress?

Students at different ages learn in different ways, and different communities teach typing at different ages. In some districts, fifth- and sixth-grade students learn to type, while others learn as young as third grade. Various combinations of games, tests, and formal education can help students learn to type. Using typing education technology will help the students learn at any developmental stage.

When?

When children first learn to type, in elementary school, they start out in the unfamiliar terrain of QWERTY. They are motivated to use two hands, the left side for the letters on the left and the right hand for the letters on the right. As small children, their hands are not wide enough to reach all the keys with one hand, but as they grow, they will be able to perfect their technique. This may require the teacher to introduce some accommodations so that the student can set a groundwork even as they grow.

The classroom teacher should have the best technique for teaching students keyboarding. This technique comes even before speed and accuracy. Keyboarding is a motor skill, which, like all motor skills, can be developed through repetitive drills. Touch typing is a case of training the fingers to correctly respond to enter the correct key. As a teacher of keyboarding skills, you should not put pressure on the students who are still very young to have attained speed and accuracy. The most important is to teach children the correct technique. When they can achieve the proper way to the key, speed will become automatic with time and lots of use. When the desired speed is attained and lessened up over time, accuracy automatically will come. Correct techniques should be emphasized for children in all age ranges.

Where?

Where do we start to learn this skill? When studying a physical skill, total concentration is essential. When people concentrate well and frequently, information is moved from short-term to long-term memory, eventually bypassing conscious thought. This means that students should practice at home, at school, and at their after-school care – anywhere there is a computer available to them. Once you have a computer, Android tablets or an iPad with an Internet connection, typing can be learned anywhere.

Typing is just like making music; it is broken down into scales so the instrument can be learned, at which point it will be easier to play the instrument. When learning, you have to determine where the keys are located. You need to learn how to strike rhythmically and firmly. Then you learn a combination of letters that is a component of each word, and suddenly you are making music. Learning these components should happen anywhere and everywhere possible, and new technology will make that easier.

Why?

Why should we learn how to touch type? The initial stage of learning keyboarding skills is an opportunity that should not be missed. If we miss the earliest time to develop muscle memory for touch typing, it makes our journey to fast, accurate typing much more difficult later on. Students need to learn how to find the right key at their developmental pace, which may be frustrating sometimes, but it teaches important lessons about self-confidence, building a groundwork, and developing skills. Learning how to touch type improves technique, speed and accuracy, which helps to ensure that you become a productive, effective, efficient adult in your personal life as well as in your workplace. 

How?

How will we know if we have made progress in typing? Improvement in typing comes after a lot of practice. When you decide to learn typing skills, you must try to measure your progress. You should know how many words you can type per minute (speed), your level of accuracy, and how many letters you mistype. This information is necessary because when you have an error, you have to go back to correct it and this slows down typing. Noticing your errors will help you know how you can improve. Eventually, your typing speed will increase, as will your accuracy, and the tests you took along the way will help you realize it. This information is presented by typing education programs and provides a practical way to understand your typing progress. 

Touch typing is an essential part of a young person’s toolkit, and technological advances have made it much easier to learn no matter what age or skill level you are. Using typing education technology will improve your typing ability and will help you understand that progress.