Author: Jacqui
How Fast Should Kids Type
I get this question a lot from readers and purchasers of my technology curriculum: How fast should kids type? What about Kindergartners? When are their brains mature enough to understand speed and accuracy?
When I reviewed the literature on this subject, it is all over the place. Some say third grade, some leave it until sixth. I say–decide based on your own set of students. Me, I’ve come to conclusions that fit my particular K-8 students. Their demographics include:
- private school
- parents support emphasis on keyboarding
- most have computers at home; actually, most have their own computer at home
- students are willing to practice keyboarding in class and submit homework that is oriented to keyboarding
Based on this set of students, here’s what I require:
Kindergarten (more…)
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Inspire Kids to Pursue an IT Degree
This is such an important topic! Often kids–and parents–see tech as complicated, daunting, all-math-and-science. Kids think they’re not ‘smart’ enough and maybe, parents think that too! Here are great suggestions for encouraging young participation in a field that is probably the top choice for jobs:
4 Ways to Inspire Kids to Pursue a Degree In Information Technology
In this tech-centric day and age, the demand for science, technology, math, and engineering skills has spiked significantly, and it only seems to increase. This is evident in how an increasing number of schools offer information technology degrees. There isn’t a single day that we don’t interact with technology. However, while the vast majority of people understand how to use technology, far too few want to understand how technology works.
It’s intimidating to delve into the finer details on the functionality of tech. Most people know how to use a social media platform, but show no interest in understanding the coding behind it. How then, can we spark such an interest in our children?
Start With Toys
Playtime eventually evolves into work time, and toys have a powerful influence on a child’s interests, thinking, behavior, and creative expression. Educational toy manufacturers such as Sphero, Kiwi Co., and Sparkfun create toys that help children learn about coding, circuitry, engineering, and many other STEM fields.
Celebrate With Tech
Introduce your child into the culture of science by holding their next birthday at a science center or a discovery museum. Sure, many schools organize field trips to these places, but if you want your child to gain a genuine interest in these things, you need to try to introduce it on a more personal level. It’s much easier to pique a child’s interest when an element of fun is introduced.
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Opportunities prisoners have to study
Education is a passion, both teaching and learning. For those of us who consider ourselves lifelong learners, we understand how learning can make everything feel right even when it’s wrong. What I didn’t think about until Ask a Tech Teacher contributor, Claire Ward, submitted this article was how true this is even for those in prison. She’s written a thoughtful article about the availability of education, books, and learning even for those without access to where you and I typically fulfill our need for knowledge:
What opportunities do prisoners have to study?
The main asset that all prisoners have is time, and while there are only a limited number of options for how they can spend it, studying is one of them.
So what opportunities do inmates have when it comes to training and education, and how does this vary depending on their circumstances and the facility where they are incarcerated?
Historical complexities
While the rehabilitative purpose of being jailed is a comparatively modern idea, prisoners were offered basic forms of education from the 19th century onwards, with campaigners arguing that expanding the horizons of inmates through education was the best way to allow them to successfully re-enter society after release.
It was not until the mid-20th century that college-equivalent courses were provided, and this blossomed in the US until a change in legislation in the 1990s meant that the funding for such schemes was significantly reduced.
Efforts to reinstate Pell Grants for prisoners and allow them to study in a more structured way began in 2015, and it currently seems likely that programs will be reintroduced nationally, thanks to the bipartisan support this initiative has received.
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5 (free) Tech Problem Solving Posters
Every month, we’ll share five themed posters that you can share on your website (with attribution), post on your walls, or simply be inspired.
This month: Problem-solving
–for the entire collection of 65 posters, click here. If this link doesn’t work (we’re redoing the website), visit Ask a Tech Teacher’s Free Posters page or search ‘Posters’ on StructuredLearning.net.
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
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Subscriber Special: More MLK
Every month, subscribers to our newsletter get a free/discounted resource to help their tech teaching.
Free Martin Luther King Day Lesson Plans
- brief summary of the project
- Essential Question
- Big Idea
- Common Core and ISTE alignment
- materials required
- teacher prep required
- step-by-step instructions
- extensions to dig deeper into the subject
- assessment strategies
- sample grading rubric
- sample project
- resources
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Here’s a Preview of February
Here’s a preview of what’s coming up on Ask a Tech Teacher in February:
- Subscriber Special
- 100th Day of School Activities
- World Read Aloud Day
- Free Posters
- Why Kindergartners Must Learn Tech
- Math Word Problems
- Shortkeys
- Great Websites for Remote Teaching
- Websites to Enhance Social Studies
- How Fast Schould Kids Type
- Keyboarding Hints
- College Credit Classes for Your PD
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Classes in Remote Teaching
Through the Midwest Teachers Institute, I offer four college-credit classes that teach how to blend technology with traditional lesson plans. They include all the ebooks, videos, and other resources required so you don’t spend any more than what is required to register for the class. Once you’re signed up, you prepare weekly material, chat with classmates, respond to class Discussion Boards and quizzes, and participate in a weekly video meeting. Everything is online.
Questions? Email me at [email protected]
Here are the the ones I’m currently offering:
MTI 557
Starts May 17, 2021
If students use the internet, they must be familiar with the rights and responsibilities required to be good digital citizens. In this class, you’ll learn what topics to introduce, how to unpack them, and how to make them authentic to student lives.
Topics include:
- copyrights, fair use, public domain
- cyberbullying
- digital commerce
- digital communications
- digital footprint, digital privacy
- digital rights and responsibilities
- digital search/research
- image—how to use them legally
- internet safety
- netiquette
- passwords
- plagiarism
- social media
At the completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Know how to blend digital citizenship into lesson plans that require the Internet
- Be comfortable in your knowledge of all facets of digital citizenship
- Become an advocate of safe, legal, and responsible use of online resources
- Exhibit a positive attitude toward technology that supports learning
- Exhibit leadership in teaching and living as a digital citizen
Assessment is based on involvement, interaction with classmates, and completion of projects so be prepared to be fully-involved and an eager risk-taker. Price includes course registration, college credit, and all necessary materials. To enroll, click the link above, search for MTI 557 and sign up.
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5 (free) Shortkey Posters
Every month, we’ll share themed posters that you can share on your website (with attribution), post on your walls, or simply be inspired.
This month:
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9 Great Websites to Inspire 3rd Graders
Here’s a great list of age-appropriate, safe websites that will inspire third graders whether they’re in your classroom or at home (check here for updates):
- Riding the Wind with Kalani
- Weather Websites
- Wild Weather Adventure
- All About America
- USA Puzzle
- 360o views from around the world
- Computer lab favorites
- How stuff works
- Quick quizzes—how much do you know?
- Thinking Skills–Riddles
- USA Puzzle
- Water Cycle–very visual; good tool for lower grades
- Water cycle–interactive
- Water cycle—label diagram
More resources for third graders
33 Resources for Read Across America Day
Hour of Code Lesson Plans by Grade
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
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Tech Tip #161: Ten Most Important Keyboard Keys
In these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.
Today’s tip: 10 Most Important Keyboard Keys
Category: Keyboarding
As you teach K-5 keyboarding, here are the ten most important keys you want them to learn—a few a year:
Buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.
–Comments are closed but feel free to contact me via Twitter (@askatechteacher).