Typingweb is free online typing tutorial. The website is designed for both educational and personal tutoring. The website is designed around three tabs, and my description will follow the same format.
Teachers can sign-up for a free account through the teacher portal. The account allows teachers to enter the names of students and create classes from this list. The classes can be monitored, and teachers also have the ability to run reports to track student achievement. The reports have several filters: such as a date range, type, and class. The reports can even be exported into a spreadsheet format.
The typing tutorial begins with the most basic skills. The learner can start with the home row keys, or they can immediately skip to intermediate or advanced lessons. Specialty lessons that cover various topics, like headlines, are also offered for free. The premium lessons have to be purchased. Although the lessons are self-paced, each lesson records data such as overall wpm (words-per-minute), overall accuracy rate, lesson accuracy, lesson wpm, and time elapsed. Anyone can practice these skills; no registration is required, but if you want to keep track of the previously mentioned data, you will need to register for the website. A user can also change the language and layout and color of the keyboard. Registration is required to take test or view statistics. A customized lesson is also available for learners. The lesson is intended to review and strength the user's weak letters or skills.
The last part will be mentioned briefly. Users, with a login, can complete certification tests and print them out. These certifications are supposedly official and approved by the Typing Institute of America.
WBI Evaluation
Instructional Aspects1. Objectives clearly stated - 4
2. Objectives appropriately sequenced - 4
3. Instructional strategies appropriate for the objectives - 5
4. Instructional activities/process clearly described - 4
5. Tasks adequate/significant for achieving objectives - 5
6. Resources adequate/significant for achieving objectives - 4
7. Learning achievement adequately evaluated - 5
8. Evaluation criteria clearly expressed - 5
Motivational Aspects
9. Gaining and maintaining learner's attention - 3
10. Relating to learner's interest and goals - 4
11. Building on learner's prior knowledge and foreshadowing what the lesson is about - 5
12. Providing positive feedback and feeling of accomplishment - 3
13. Motivational strategies serve for objectives - 4
Web Design Aspects
14. Navigation clear and easy to access - 4
15. Authorship and date clearly stated - 4
16. Text follows rules of grammar, spelling, and literary composition - 5
17. Use of multimedia (Text, graphic, audio, video, animation, etc.) visually appeal - 3
18. Mechanical aspects (No broken links, misplaced or missing images, etc.) - 4
19. Web design appropriate for objectives - 5
20. Web design appropriate for learner characteristics - 3
Total 83/100
While searching for an appropriate website to evaluate, the business teacher sent out an email about this particular website. Although this is not in my particular subject of expertise, one of the reasons I was very interested was because of my children. My oldest son is in fifth grade, and Common Core went into effect this year for grades 3-8. I have been to enough workshops that I know part of the standards calls for students in some grades to produce typed products. Just this past week, He had to type up a scientific method report. He doesn't know how to type, and won't be officially taught until 8th grade. He manage to complete the assignment with the hunt-and-peck system. I thought this would be a productive tool for him to use at home. The second reason I was interested was that the website could be used as alternate method for teaching typing skills to younger students. This might appeal to schools that have limited resources.
Personally, I like the website. It is very practical and provides solid instruction for a much needed skill. It may not be visually appealing, but one must consider the skill that is taught. Visual interest is important, especially for younger learners. Since the audience for my project is high school students, I will be sure to incorporate elements that make my project visually appealing to my students.
I really like this website! It is useful, practical, and the lessons build on each other. I tried a few of the beginning lessons out, thinking that they would be really easy, and while they were not super difficult, I was surprised by how involved I had to be to complete them. I also love that it is keeping track of how well you do and letting you know right away when you miss a key. Instant feedback!
ReplyDeleteOk, thanks for the recommendation! I just spent half an hour playing fruit ninja. I think I just found a new distraction,lol.
DeleteEven though the design of the site looks simple, it already has lots of calculation behind the scene, the interaction animation of the keyboard entries, and the instant feedback of accuracy, etc.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting part I found was the games that are included in the site, they can be a good motivational tool to encourage the young learners to learn something that takes a lot of practices.
Do you think this would work for younger kids too? Did your 5th grader try it? I have a first grader and a 4th grader...
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing about using this for adults that want to learn how to type, how to type correctly, or just get faster. This would be an easy, non-threatening way, and also private. I was actually thinking of my dad when I was doing one of the practice lessons. He is still a hunter and pecker when it comes to typing, and this might be a good way for him to practice...if he wanted to, that is!
DeleteI teach CBA (Computerized Business Applications) to 9th graders. About 8 out of 16 students try to type with one figure or with two pointer fingers. They start out complaining when I require them to type using the proper fingers (hand position). These 8 students could benefit from the typing website (utilizing it the first 10 minutes of class). I particularly like the immediate feedback and the fact that it shows the proper finger to use to type each letter. I think students would be motivated to increase their wpm each time they use the site.
ReplyDeleteI created a teacher login to see the site from the teacher’s perspective. I like the fact that teachers can either enter individual students, or import a list of students. That’s a nice feature. I can see a CBA teacher, or a teacher with younger students, integrating this into their lessons very easily, utilizing the reporting and tracking features.
DeleteI tried a few of the lessons, and I was impressed with the overall functionality of the website. I was surprised by all of the details. When I first started the lesson, I was a bit distracted by the ads at the middle and side of the page, but that distraction went away once I started the lesson. I read on the website that an ad-free service can be purchased.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a helpful, interactive website. I tried to cheat, but it wasn't as easy as I thought, as the program won't let you get more than two wrong letters in a row. Then, I tried to just watch the fingers and the lit up letters on the keyboard. This method worked but slowed me down quite a bit. However, I can see some students perhaps just relying on those instead of looking at the words above.
Overall, I thought this was a great instructional tool, and I would probably use it with my students or children.
I really like this website! The ads were a little distracting at first, but not too intrusive. I agree with Katharin, students need to learn keyboarding skills much earlier than 8th grade and this is a very nice, free site for teachers and parents to use with their students. The games are engaging, with eye-catching graphics and audio feedback. I also like the fact that students can collect “trophies” to put in their trophy case as they complete lessons.
ReplyDeleteThis is a website I’ll definitely add to my Web 2.0 teacher training!
Fantastic, I can finally learn how to type. Within two minutes, I had created a free account and was involved in the first lesson, Home Keys. I scored a 97% on J’s and F’s. I wanted to go on, but I may have to wait until June of next year when my time frees up.
ReplyDeleteI like the modal windows that open up before each lesson; they clearly state the objectives and demonstrate the keystrokes of the lesson. I found the color pallet of the site to be pleasing and appropriate for the content. It’s a clean design, even with the ads. During my session, ads for IXL Math and Adobe Creative Cloud were being displayed, which are two sites I’ve used for instruction. So, I didn’t find them intrusive, although I could see how someone else might. I like the motivational aspects of the “accuracy meter”, and I felt like I was competing for high marks. Another design element that should urge learners to continue is the red-colored text that shows one’s progress through a course. I want to get out of the red, and I want the progress percentage to be green. Leaving the beginning course with 92% remaining leaves me feeling like I should continue. Good stuff. The sequencing seems appropriate, although I’ve only looked at the lessons. I like how the lessons are packaged under beginner, intermediate, and advanced headings. It seems simple enough for a layperson to follow.
TypingWeb is doing a fair job of enticing the user to purchase an account. There seems to be more under the surface, and I’d like to see what type of skills are involved in the premium lessons.
I had two of my one-fingered typists (students) try the website. They were very competitive with each other. They completed three timed paragraphs and although their time was VERY low, they actually improved each time they typed a paragraph. Their goal was to watch the fingers light up and type the text with the appropriate fingers.
ReplyDeleteOk, had my 4th grade daughter try it. It took her a bit to figure out what she was supposed to do. After the first lesson, she shrugged and said it was interesting to see how fast she typed (2 words/minute). She wanted to see if she could do better with a second attempt. However, she said she was more interested in something that would have an adventure to work through. Or something like the typing game in Webkinz.
ReplyDeleteThe ads on the side while she tried it were for colleges, but I wonder if the ads change?
Embedding links on a classroom websites like this one(http://www.typingweb.com/tutor/lesson/index/id/319/) is a great way to facilitate ongoing practice and learning. A course designer could set up a page with remedial practice sessions for those who are trying to catch up.
ReplyDelete