I often question if word processing is used adequately in schools. In my own class, I teach typing skills here and there but mainly use our computer time for more exciting applications. When working on activities other than typing, I don’t check to see if my students are using the “pecking” method or proper typing technique. Am I doing my students a disservice by not demanding they use proper technique at all times? In B.C., there is no separate elementary curriculum for learning with technology so I don’t know if students are ever expected to perfect their typing form. I imagine that bad habits would be too hard to change by the time they take typing classes in high school. Maybe typing should be regarded like writing as students are expected to perfect letter formation in kindergarten and grade one.

I don’t ask my students to type out good copies of projects or assignments because it would take forever due to their lack of keyboard and word processing knowledge. I see students in the upper elementary grades typing their assignments. I wonder if these students simply copy their handwritten good copy to the computer instead of using the advantages of the word processor? Bolton (2001) lists some of these advantages as replacing words (maybe with the thesaurus option) and reorganizing ideas by cutting and pasting. Editing with a word processor is much easier than erasing and rewriting. Should we be using a word processor for typing rough copies at all times?

Using a word processor regularly for stories and essays would be many primary teacher’s worst nightmare. However, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if we made a big effort to teach students how to use it? As it stands now, once a week in the computer lab would not be enough to help my young students make the transition.

Bolter, J.D. (2001). Writing Space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print. Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.