LM_NET: Library Media Networking
- Subject: HIT: AlphaSmart/Dreamwriter & keyboarding
- From: Carla Burmeister <burmclb@WIN.BRIGHT.NET>
- Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 14:48:41 -0500
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Hi everyone,
Thank you to all who replied to my question about using AlphaSmarts or
Dreamwriters for keyboarding instruction in elementary schools. There
seem to be quite a few of us who keep working when everyone else is on
summer vacation. Here is a sample of the replies I received. I also
asked about what grade levels keyboarding is taught in the elementary
schools.
+++++++++++++++
I have tested both the AlphaSmart and the Dreamwriter for the same
reason you are
looking into them. We are now using the original AlphaSmart and will be
purchasing new labs next year. For the younger students I still like the
simplicity of the AlphaSmart. The DreamWriter is a really well designed
machine and contains more functions than the Alpha, but I really thought
that the added functions were reminiscent of the old style of wp and
such. I think we are going to stick with the new version of the
AlphaSmarts for the elementary and the middle school will probably be
going with the dreamwriter.
++++++++++++++
We teach keyboarding beginning with a general introduction in 3rd grade
(no timing), and focus in 4th with a teacher-directed 20 day unit.
(Unfortunately, we're unable to do the 20 days in a row as recommended
because of scheduling difficulties.) In 5th and 6th we follow up using
All the Right Type software. Timed tests begin in 4th, with standards
set
for 4th, 5th, and 6th as to words per minute. (You can look at the
standards at our district website <www.psd.k12.co.us>. We've just begun
with these standards, and most kids are not meeting them at this point.
A big concern is the amount of school time required to teach and learn
keyboarding. I'm investigating the Herzog method of teaching
keyboarding
(I put a post on LM_NET about it in June) and wanting to pilot that next
year (fall 2000). And we are discussing that keyboarding may be like
reading in that if kids don't practice outside of the school day they
probably won't be proficient.
+++++++++++++++++
Every student in our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes has an AlphaSmart
2000 given to them for the year. (We have Title I funds available which
helps!) The students even take them home at night. We have purchased the
KeyWords keyboarding program which AlphaSmart sells. The program comes
on a CD and the lessons are downloaded into the AlphaSmart. We begin our
keyboarding instruction at 3rd grade (it used to be 4th grade until
recently.). We had previously been doing keyboarding in an Apple IIe
lab. Our district has never encouraged the use of programs that
calculated speed. We just encourage students to improve each time on a
two minute test.
-This last year was our first year using the AlphaSmarts. There were
some problems with the keyboarding and here are my observations.
-Teachers did not spend as much time on keyboarding as in past years. It
was
easy for them to say we've run out of time and we'll do it later. If
they had been scheduled into the lab each day they would have
made more of an effort to get there, I believe.
-Only four lines of the file show up on the AlphaSmart screen. It was
easy
for the student to get lost. It was hard to find where they should be.
-It did take time to put in new files each week.
-A new problem has arisen this year. We are getting five new iMacs in
each classroom. The cables (iMates that are needed to send files from
the AlphaSmart to the iMac are expensive and they DO NOT allow files to
be transferred back to the AlphaSmart) so we will need to have older
computers with a CD-Rom drive in each room also in order to put
keyboarding files on the AlphaSmarts.
-Student desks are not always at the right height for good keyboarding
position.
-We even had a teacher give up and bring their students back to the
computer lab for keyboarding. I would rate that teacher, however, as
being uncomfortable with technology.
-One very big plus was that our students could take the AlphaSmarts home
and practice keyboarding there.
The KeyWords program is also set up to be used with lessons printed on
paper. The student would then look at the words typed on the paper and
copy them from there. That would eliminate the problem with downloading
the files but it looked like it would take a ton of money to print out
everything that was needed. It seems to me it was 150 pages or something
like that. Keeping track of all the lessons that way looked like a big
pain to me!
Everything that I've said is so negative,..... . I still feel that this
is a good way to use the AlphaSmarts.
We had previewed DreamWriters also last year. We felt they were more
difficult to use. ...
+++++++++++++++
We have sets of both Alphasmarts and Dreamwriters. Our teachers much
prefer
the Alphasmarts! (from an elementary school)
+++++++++++
My district bought two Dreamwriter labs (30 Dreamwriters in a rolling
cart). We have used them just as you described - keyboarding and
classroom word processing. One was used in a 1-4rth grade building, the
other in 5-8 building, The dreamwriters have a built in keyboarding
program that enables students to practice and take timings on the
prepared lessons. It generates time and errors. One can also do a
timing on material you choose. One can also purchase an accompanying
Almeda Typing program. Our fourth graders used the Almeda system. The
teacher reported they enjoyed the rymes, etc. used to learn the
keyboard. In the seventh grade we used old typing books, and the
accompanying built in typing tests. We've been very happy. We also
used it at the jr. high for word processing. We didn't use it to its
fullest capabilities, because we didn't save documents, just simply
typed and printed. Still in all we are very happy with the
Dreamwriters.
+++++++++++++++++
Our elementary school does just that -- we use the AlphaSmarts to begin
keyboarding. The only difference is that the homeroom prompts are under
the letters "d" and "k" for some reason on the AlphaSmarts instead of
under the "F" and "J". This was our first year to teach keyboard and
the district mandate is to teach it at the third grade level. For this
first year, we also offered it to fourth and fifth grade. I found the
fourth graders the
most adept at picking up the skills. They've already had some band
instrument instruction and so they are used to using their fingers at
diffferent times. They were also still willing to make mistakes and
learn while the fifth graders had to be "perfect" all the time which
slowed them down. We use the program which used to be called "Almena",
I think it is now known as "'Typin Right".
+++++++++++++++++
I have heard from people who've used both that AlphaSmarts have the
advantage in the durability department. Some popular keyboarding
programs for kids are Sunburst's Type to Learn and Type for Fun (and, in
general, Sunburst does a better job than most places w/ creating
software that has had educators in the design process instead of
marketers); there's a list of options geared to special needs kids
(different LDs, sensory issues) at
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/product_list/keyboarding_skills.html
Hope this helps someone else!
Carla L. Burmeister, LMC Specialist
Osseo-Fairchild Middle & High School
burmclb@win.bright.net
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<html>
Hi everyone,
<br>Thank you to all who replied to my question about using AlphaSmarts
or Dreamwriters for keyboarding instruction in elementary schools. There
seem to be quite a few of us who keep working when everyone else is on
summer vacation. Here is a sample of the replies I received. I also
asked about what grade levels keyboarding is taught in the elementary schools.
<p>+++++++++++++++
<br>I have tested both the AlphaSmart and the Dreamwriter for the same
reason you are
<br>looking into them. We are now using the original AlphaSmart and
will be purchasing new labs next year. For the younger students I still
like the simplicity of the AlphaSmart. The DreamWriter is a really well
designed machine and contains more functions than the Alpha, but I really
thought that the added functions were reminiscent of the old style of wp
and such. I think we are going to stick with the new version of the AlphaSmarts
for the elementary and the middle school will probably be going with the
dreamwriter.
<p>++++++++++++++
<br>We teach keyboarding beginning with a general introduction in 3rd grade
<br>(no timing), and focus in 4th with a teacher-directed 20 day unit.
<br>(Unfortunately, we're unable to do the 20 days in a row as recommended
<br>because of scheduling difficulties.) In 5th and 6th we follow
up using
<br>All the Right Type software. Timed tests begin in 4th, with standards
set
<br>for 4th, 5th, and 6th as to words per minute. (You can look at the
<br>standards at our district website <www.psd.k12.co.us>. We've
just begun
<br>with these standards, and most kids are not meeting them at this point.
<p>A big concern is the amount of school time required to teach and learn
<br>keyboarding. I'm investigating the Herzog method of teaching
keyboarding
<br>(I put a post on LM_NET about it in June) and wanting to pilot that
next
<br>year (fall 2000). And we are discussing that keyboarding may
be like
<br>reading in that if kids don't practice outside of the school day they
<br>probably won't be proficient.
<br>+++++++++++++++++
<br>Every student in our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes has an AlphaSmart
2000 given to them for the year. (We have Title I funds available which
helps!) The students even take them home at night. We have purchased the
KeyWords keyboarding program which AlphaSmart sells. The program comes
on a CD and the lessons are downloaded into the AlphaSmart. We begin our
keyboarding instruction at 3rd grade (it used to be 4th grade until recently.).
We had previously been doing keyboarding in an Apple IIe lab. Our district
has never encouraged the use of programs that calculated speed. We just
encourage students to improve each time on a two minute test.
<br>-This last year was our first year using the AlphaSmarts. There were
some problems with the keyboarding and here are my observations.
<br>-Teachers did not spend as much time on keyboarding as in past years.
It was
<br>easy for them to say we've run out of time and we'll do it later. If
they had been scheduled into
the lab each day they would have made more of an effort to get there, I
believe.
<br>-Only four lines of the file show up on the AlphaSmart screen. It was
easy
<br>for the student to get lost. It was hard to find where they should
be.
<br>-It did take time to put in new files each week.
<br>-A new problem has arisen this year. We are getting five new iMacs
in each classroom. The cables (iMates that are needed to send files from
the AlphaSmart to the iMac are expensive and they DO NOT allow files to
be transferred back to the AlphaSmart) so we will need to have older computers
with a CD-Rom drive in each room also in order to put keyboarding files
on the AlphaSmarts.
<br>-Student desks are not always at the right height for good keyboarding
position.
<br>-We even had a teacher give up and bring their students back to the
computer lab for keyboarding. I would rate that teacher, however, as being
uncomfortable with technology.
<br>-One very big plus was that our students could take the AlphaSmarts
home and practice keyboarding there.
<p>The KeyWords program is also set up to be used with lessons printed
on paper. The student would then look at the words typed on the paper
and copy them from there. That would eliminate the problem with downloading
the files but it looked like it would take a ton of money to print out
everything that was needed. It seems to me it was 150 pages or something
like that. Keeping track of all the lessons that way looked like a big
pain to me!
<p>Everything that I've said is so negative,..... . I still feel that this
is a good way to use the AlphaSmarts.
<p>We had previewed DreamWriters also last year. We felt they were more
difficult to use. ...
<br>+++++++++++++++
<br>We have sets of both Alphasmarts and Dreamwriters. Our teachers
much prefer
<br>the Alphasmarts! (from an elementary school)
<br>+++++++++++
<br> My district bought two Dreamwriter labs (30 Dreamwriters in a
rolling cart). We have used them just as you described - keyboarding
and classroom word processing. One was used in a 1-4rth grade building,
the other in 5-8 building, The dreamwriters have a built in keyboarding
program that enables students to practice and take timings on the prepared
lessons. It generates time and errors. One can also do
a timing on material you choose. One can also purchase an accompanying
Almeda Typing program. Our fourth graders used the Almeda system.
The teacher reported they enjoyed the rymes, etc. used to learn the keyboard.
In the seventh grade we used old typing books, and the accompanying built
in typing tests. We've been very happy. We also used it at
the jr. high for word processing. We didn't use it to its fullest
capabilities, because we didn't save documents, just simply typed and printed.
Still in all we are very happy with the Dreamwriters.
<br>+++++++++++++++++
<br>Our elementary school does just that -- we use the AlphaSmarts to begin
keyboarding. The only difference is that the homeroom prompts are
under the letters "d" and "k" for some reason on the AlphaSmarts instead
of under the "F" and "J". This was our first year to teach keyboard
and the district mandate is to teach it at the third grade level.
For this first year, we also offered it to fourth and fifth grade.
I found the fourth graders the
<br>most adept at picking up the skills. They've already had some
band instrument instruction and so they are used to using their fingers
at diffferent times. They were also still willing to make mistakes
and learn while the fifth graders had to be "perfect" all the time which
slowed them down. We use the program which used to be called "Almena",
I think it is now known as "'Typin Right".
<br>+++++++++++++++++
<br>I have heard from people who've used both that AlphaSmarts have the
advantage in the durability department. Some popular keyboarding programs
for kids are Sunburst's Type to Learn and Type for Fun (and, in general,
Sunburst does a better job than most places w/ creating software that has
had educators in the design process instead of marketers); there's a list
of options geared to special needs kids (different LDs, sensory issues)
at
<br><a
href="http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/product_list/keyboarding_skills.html">http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/product_list/keyboarding_skills.html</a>
<p>Hope this helps someone else!
<p>Carla L. Burmeister, LMC Specialist
<br>Osseo-Fairchild Middle & High School
<br>burmclb@win.bright.net
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<br>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
</html>
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