Type to Learn

 Type to Learn 

    I decided for this post I would head back in time to middle school and look at a program called Type to Learn. I wasn’t sure it existed still but I found the website and as it turns out it is still used and on its 5th version. I mostly wanted to see if the technology resource was still around or if it had become obsolete. I had Type to Learn in my 6th-grade educational technology class called keyboarding. The entire class was based around Type to Learn, and learning how to type effectively. Type to Learn is a game-based learning tool to help students K-12 learn keyboard skills. Per the website “Keyboarding is wrapped around a captivating, futuristic world of adventure where students become members of an ancient society to save the world from a major communication breakdown.” I absolutely loved this as a kid, and it made the class period go by so fast. I remember sitting at my computer in class and not looking away because I was so focused on the game. It has been a few years since I have interacted with the program but based on the website the basic features seem to be the same as when I used it. Schools can buy the program as part of their ed-tech curriculum for about $230 a year, or parents can get it on the computer at home for students that are homeschooled or just need extra practice for around $35. The program gets harder as the levels go on, and I never actually beat the game. Some kids finished the program but I never got that far. It focuses on speed, accuracy, and technique. The levels adjust to your accuracy, so if you keep typing the words wrong it will get a little bit easier, and if you are excelling it will continue to get more difficult. The program tracks progress and student achievement in each student’s own personal login. A new feature that was not present in the version I used is the Spanish and ESL support as well as the accommodations for hearing and visually impaired students. The program is compatible with laptops, Ipads, and Chromebooks. I would like to know if schools still use this program in their ed-tech curriculum and if they find it to be an effective enhancement to their program or recommend it. I personally found it to be helpful, and it was a fun way to learn keystrokes and the proper way to type. I have not had the opportunity to go into any educational technology classrooms so it would be interesting to see if they still use this to teach keyboarding, or if there is a new best practice for teaching keyboarding. 

\