Children should be taught to type in primary school

rebel10

bmarley wrote: »

Yes, I agree typing should be taught in primary school as it is a skill once learned is never forgotten. While children are now much more computer literate especially in relation to finding their way around the internet, more emphasise needs to be placed on using computer packages such as word, spreadsheets. I read recently that primary schools were getting more grants for computers. I think it is wasteful to have couple of computers in each classroom which are barely used (and when they are used it is for playing games etc). Surely it would be better to have a computer room/suite which the whole class can use at the same time, lessons in typing, word processing etc could be taught by teacher who is knowledgeable in this area. There should also be more emphasis on computers in secondary schools..classes lucky to get 1 hour per week and some classes get none. It's such a pity that children are leaving school without the knowledge of being able to type up a c.v.

But they aren't leaving school without the knowledge of being able to type up a C.V. The L.C.V.P. programme in schools requires you to do this, in my school, most students opt for this extra subject as it can gain you more points. Also, as I said before, schools do offer computer classes to secondary school students for every year group, but obviously there is greater emphasis put on computer classes in 4th yr. In mine, the students have to do a power point presentation for each of their subjects. They have to use spreadsheets in order to complete their mini-company tasks. They actually also create short films as well as animation, which they learn skills of editing, filming and post-production techniques. In Art, they use photoshop. Generally, in this day and age, computers comes into almost every subject being taught in secondary schools.

Shenshen

In my experience, typing is something you can learn very fast at any age, when and where you might need it.
Why waste time teaching children to type when they might never use it at all? When they do need it, there's still plenty of time to get to grips with it.
Waste of time.

rebel10

Mercy Seat wrote: »

Wow, I thought kids were taught to type in school.

For some reason I took an interest in it when I was 4 or 5, and was quite a proficient typist by the time I was 6, but our school did computer classes every week, and that involved Typing Tutor. I remember particularly that the voice that read out the letters used to have a kind of funny way of saying 'semi colon'.

I finished primary school in the year 2,000, by the way, just for a timescale there.

And i finished secondary school in 2000, we had regular typing tests, which really paid off for my third level course.

Mercy Seat

rebel10 wrote: »

And i finished secondary school in 2000, we had regular typing tests, which really paid off for my third level course.

Wow, we never got tested on it. It was more of a competitive thing with my class.

Though my typing was a definite asset in college, used to type up people's essays for a small amount of money/food.

TPD

Naikon wrote: »

2: How to properly use the vi/vim text editor

You are pure evil.

Wagon

HeadPig wrote: »

Teaching another language, although obviously useful, would require hours of work every day. Typing could be taught one hour a week for 1 year and that's it. A foreign language would need hours of schooling everyday for years.

Kids can pick up on languages very very quickly. Their brains are like sponges.

But I'm not sure about Chinese being as straightforward. I have a feeling that for all this talk about how we should be prepared to integrate chinese into society, nobody has really thought it through properly. Want to try and make a classroom full of 6 year old kids learn the most difficult language in the world with the current standards we have of teaching foreign languages? Best of luck there.

rebel10

Wagon wrote: »

Kids can pick up on languages very very quickly. Their brains are like sponges.

But I'm not sure about Chinese being as straightforward. I have a feeling that for all this talk about how we should be prepared to integrate chinese into society, nobody has really thought it through properly. Want to try and make a classroom full of 6 year old kids learn the most difficult language in the world with the current standards we have of teaching foreign languages? Best of luck there.

No better time, they will need it in the future

HeadPig

Wagon wrote: »

Kids can pick up on languages very very quickly. Their brains are like sponges.

But I'm not sure about Chinese being as straightforward. I have a feeling that for all this talk about how we should be prepared to integrate chinese into society, nobody has really thought it through properly. Want to try and make a classroom full of 6 year old kids learn the most difficult language in the world with the current standards we have of teaching foreign languages? Best of luck there.

Teaching the teachers alone would be a nightmare.

rebel10

HeadPig wrote: »

Teaching the teachers alone would be a nightmare.

I would imagine you would employ qualified teachers of mandarin:rolleyes:

Fighting Irish

Stupid idea, there should be more hours dedicated to irish and religion!

If anything sexual education needs to be taught fully in schools - maybe not primary but definitely secondary.

As for typing, I thought this was taught in schools? Mavis Beacon FTW. I absolutely loved that car race, where the bugs would splat against the screen.

rebel10

Deleted User wrote: »

If anything sexual education needs to be taught fully in schools - maybe not primary but definitely secondary.

As for typing, I thought this was taught in schools? Mavis Beacon FTW. I absolutely loved that car race, where the bugs would splat against the screen.

Think we have confirmed that typing is taught in schools, secondary schools. I believe that if the child has the intention of going into some course or job that requires a high proficiency in typing, they should probably be doing a course outside of school on top of what is done in school. Most other students have other demands that are far more relevant than typing.

I agree, sex ed needs to be fully taught. It has improved greatly, with the church loosening its grip on the schools. It is taught through both SPHE and biology. However, in SPHE, many of the topics that come up in sex ed are frowned upon by many boards of managements, especially those with a strong Catholic ethos, and so many teachers are bullied into not spending greater time discussing subjects such as contraception. For this to change, the Dept. of Ed need to stand up to religious orders that are still governing schools.

Wagon

rebel10 wrote: »

No better time, they will need it in the future

Right but...that doesn't really answer the question of how to teach them. Only right way to learn a language is to speak it and practice, which isn't something I ever seen in schools. It's more a case of "here's your grammer, here's some words, here's some homework. LEARN IT!" It's useless. So there needs to be a better way of teaching it.

Deleted User wrote: »

If anything sexual education needs to be taught fully in schools - maybe not primary but definitely secondary.

As for typing, I thought this was taught in schools? Mavis Beacon FTW. I absolutely loved that car race, where the bugs would splat against the screen.

that was great craic! what was the fastest you ever got to?

whydoibother?

Being able to type is hugely helpful in college, well at least if you study a subject where you are required to produce essays. I've used it in nearly all my jobs too. If somebody is writing things out by hand when they could be typing, they will waste hours of their day. They would be so much more productive if they could type.

Mandarin is great fun. I'm learning it at the moment as a hobby. It's become apparent that it's going to take me years to become any good at it. I think it would be a good idea to introduce it in primary school, but because of how long it takes for someone brought up with our aphabet to learn it, there would need to be a well coordinated teaching plan, continuing through secondary school, for anyone to get anywhere. Don't abandon Irish in favour of it. I love the fact that we have our own language. Teach the kids both.

rebel10

Wagon wrote: »

Right but...that doesn't really answer the question of how to teach them. Only right way to learn a language is to speak it and practice, which isn't something I ever seen in schools. It's more a case of "here's your grammer, here's some words, here's some homework. LEARN IT!" It's useless. So there needs to be a better way of teaching it.

So what are the oral exams for? I think the Dept. of Ed realise this and there have been talks about putting oral exams on for the jnr. cert. exams also. I think you have a very old fashioned view of how modern languages are taught. I learnt German for my J.C. and French for my L.C. That is 14 years since i have studied German, however, when i went to Frankfurt this summer i was well able to remember my German and converse.

Perhaps Irish needs serious modifications in terms of teaching the language, but I think "fresher" teachers have updated this language in the schools, by and large.

Wagon

Wagon wrote: »

that was great craic! what was the fastest you ever got to?

Jesus, I have no idea. I do have a fairly high typing speed now though, possibly because of it. Here's a video I found. Aaah memories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJJfbqxu-vA

Wagon

rebel10 wrote: »

So what are the oral exams for? I think the Dept. of Ed realise this and there have been talks about putting oral exams on for the jnr. cert. exams also. I think you have a very old fashioned view of how modern languages are taught.

I'm 24 mate. Just the schools i was in were useless. teachers hadn't a clue and i cant remember a word anything and i assumed it was like that in more places.

Damn this thread. I'm supposed to be studying, but now I've been taking typing tests online. My highest was 70, but I can probably get higher.

byhookorbycrook

bmarley wrote: »

. I read recently that primary schools were getting more grants for computers. I think it is wasteful to have couple of computers in each classroom which are barely used (and when they are used it is for playing games etc). Surely it would be better to have a computer room/suite which the whole class can use at the same time, lessons in typing, word processing etc could be taught by teacher who is knowledgeable in this area. .

Where do schools find this magic spare room?
I'm not sure what you mean by "playing games"?Any software I use is educational, eg Wordshark,Numbershark,Star spell, Jolly phonics etc.

rebel10

Wagon wrote: »

I'm 24 mate. Just the schools i was in were useless. teachers hadn't a clue and i cant remember a word anything and i assumed it was like that in more places.

Ya, i'm 29, suppose its a case of if you have an inherent interest in something you will soak it up. I had a very poor French teacher in 5th year, by poor i mean, stuck to the syllabus and didn't offer any other form of teaching us, but in 6th yr the teacher i had was brilliant, she did all she could to promote the subject and i suppose her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. I believe parents have a vital role in encouraging students to practice typing at home and not to take the easy option of letting everything they learn come from schools, because there really aren't enough hours in the day.

Whoop 84 WPM. Gonna aim for 90.

rebel10

Deleted User wrote: »

Whoop 84 WPM. Gonna aim for 90.

Get back to studying!!:mad:

Only when I get 90 WPM. Stupid thread.

Wagon

rebel10 wrote: »

Ya, i'm 29, suppose its a case of if you have an inherent interest in something you will soak it up. I had a very poor French teacher in 5th year, by poor i mean, stuck to the syllabus and didn't offer any other form of teaching us, but in 6th yr the teacher i had was brilliant, she did all she could to promote the subject and i suppose her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. I believe parents have a vital role in encouraging students to practice typing at home and not to take the easy option of letting everything they learn come from schools, because there really aren't enough hours in the day.

Yeah you're right there. Get a few chinese TV channels in and it might help kids :P

anyway, more importantly rebel10, whats your best score on Maevis Beacon Teaches Typing?

HeadPig

rebel10 wrote: »

I would imagine you would employ qualified teachers of mandarin:rolleyes:

Yeah, all 5 of them could teach every primary school kid in the country:rolleyes:

rebel10

HeadPig wrote: »

Yeah, all 5 of them could teach every primary school kid in the country:rolleyes:

http://www.educationireland.ie/about-us/news/602-ucc-students-to-represent-ireland-in-chinese.html
I have a friend studying this course. And just so you know Japanese is also taught in my school at L.C. level. Granted only 5 students this year are doing it, but it is possible.

Holybejaysus

opinion guy wrote: »

Presumably such a program would also prevent made up words.....such as "un-stupid" ?????

Well done there Trigger, that was the joke. I even put in the tongue sticking out to give a big hint... :rolleyes:

Naikon

Deleted User wrote: »

Whoop 84 WPM. Gonna aim for 90.

What test are you using? Keep in mind, speed is lowered when you try ones that involve more than typing short words in a long sentance. Introduce some punctuation, special chars, and I am sure it will go down:pac: 90WPM ain't bad at all though, keep it up.

Son Of A Vidic

rebel10 wrote: »

As would learning Chinese.:rolleyes: They will need it in the future.
There are so many things that we need the kids to be taught, typing isin't really the most important.

Absolutely, the USA is waning and China is rising. Letting them master reading and writing would also take precedence over typing.