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ERIC Number: ED472517
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2000-May
Pages: 194
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Keys at Their Fingertips: A Study Supporting Development of a Resource Package for the Teaching of Touch-Keyboarding Skills in Upper Elementary Classrooms Equipped with Portable Keyboards.
Wiseman, Gay
This master's research project gathered information to be used in the production of curriculum resources to support the teaching of touch-keyboarding in upper elementary classrooms. The project was undertaken on the premise that portable keyboards permit and necessitate a shift in instructional routines to foster student mastery of touch-keyboarding skills before the development of hard-to-break "hunt and peck" habits. Methods used to gather data included: a literature review on elementary level keyboarding instructional methods, a survey of upper elementary teachers to identify the curriculum components they consider most important, and a focus group discussion with keyboarding instruction experts and classroom teachers using portable keyboarding tools with elementary students. These data were used to produce a curriculum package "First Things First: A Teacher's Guide for Integrating Touch-keyboarding Instruction in the Elementary Classroom," including lesson plans, masters for overhead transparencies, worksheets and practice materials, assessment and recordkeeping tools, and a planning guide for integrating keyboarding practice into classroom routines through practical application in writing projects for other school subject areas. The final research component of this study was a pilot case study examining implementation of the curriculum in one elementary school classroom. Findings revealed that teachers who did not personally touch-key could, with preparation, teach skills to elementary grade students. Integrating touch-keyboarding skill development with other subjects was key to finding sufficient time for the program. It was important that instruction and assessment focus on technique. This case study resulted in recommendations for further research and product testing. (Four appendices include data collection and related document and the curriculum materials. Contains 51 references.) (Author/KB)
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Masters Theses; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A