A typing program that empowers students and teachers in an educational world changed by COVID-19.
Type to Learn is a research-based typing program designed to teach keyboarding proficiency to K-12 students. It is made to align with local, state, and CCSS standards for typing, and can help boost a students’ speed and confidence as they begin to take online tests as part of their education. Because computers are now a cornerstone in most careers and a lot of hobbies, teaching students to type, correctly and efficiently has become an essential part of their educational development.
In the new educational landscape introduced by COVID-19 and the ensuing quarantines, Type to Learn has become a valuable tool for educators adapting to hybrid teaching and remote learning. The versatility of this typing program has enabled teachers in over 15,000 schools to teach their students across a variety of unique formats and situations.
Read on to learn about some of the many features that make Type to Learn work well in any learning environment.
Cloud-Based for Flexible Use
Type to Learn is fully cloud-based and accessible through any device with a modern web browser and internet connection, making it very easy and versatile for teachers and students to use. It can be used in the classroom with teacher supervision, at home as homework assignments, as part of an after school program, and even during winter and summer breaks. A student’s account saves their progress and can be accessed on multiple devices so students can easily switch between using Type to Learn at school and at home.
Type to Learn does not require any advanced technology to run, so simple laptops, Chromebooks, and home computers make the program more accessible than ever. For schools experimenting with hybrid and remote learning, the user-friendly interface makes it easy for students to use at home with parent supervision. Live-support is available for teachers to aid in learning and troubleshooting the program.
Classroom Management
One of the things teachers love about Type to Learn is the self guided typing program. The program uses a pre-test to automatically place students at their correct level and formative assessments to assess a student’s progress and automatically adjust to make sure they are working at the correct level for maximum learning success. All this makes Type to Learn much easier for teachers when managing large groups of students using the program. A teacher can have minimal involvement, or be hands-on with personalized teaching. Type to Learn works well in whichever learning environment the teacher prefers.
A common use in the classroom is to use Type to Learn in a rotation system. One group of students can be using the program, while the teacher is with a separate group working on a different curriculum. The self-guided nature of Type to Learn allows teachers more one-on-one time in other subjects, as well as allowing students to work with the program at home with very little supervision.
The robust Reporting Engine of Type to Learn makes student usage and progress easy to access and report. It allows administrators to view reports for an individual student, a classroom, a school, and even the entire district. These reporting features allow teachers and administrators to easily give out grades and quickly track the progress of their students’ keyboarding skills.
Game-Based Lessons
Type to Learn is designed to maximize student engagement with its game-based learning model. The lessons take place in a captivating, futuristic world of adventure where students become members of an ancient society tasked with saving the world from a major communication breakdown. Many students find this story-based method brings a lot of enjoyment and excitement. They become invested in the story, activities, and uncovering “new information” as they learn the keystrokes and techniques.
When students are emotionally engaged in the program, they are much happier doing their work. This keeps the classroom relatively peaceful and allows teachers to focus on other students and proper instruction rather than managing the students. It also creates positive connections to typing which can increase the likelihood students continue to improve their keyboarding skills.
ELL Support and Special Needs
Type to Learn is proud to include ELL support as one of the program’s core functions. This makes the program accessible to a greater number of students. When the Spanish ESL setting is selected, a student can read the text on buttons, navigation, instructions, reminders, and congratulatory payoffs in Spanish simply by hovering over the text. This can really help Spanish speaking students who are still learning English as they begin learning the essential skill of typing.
Keyboarding proficiency has also been shown to assist students with special needs and developmental delays. Other accessibility settings can assist students who are hearing or visually impaired, while simply learning how to type can help special needs students practice fine motor skills and other important skills such as spelling, grammar, attention span, etc. Many students who struggle with handwriting and expression have found great pride in learning how to type and succeeding in this new ability.
Type to Learn is designed to teach students the essential skill of keyboarding in any learning environment, both in-person and remotely, making it easy on teachers both in and out of the classroom while giving them the choice to provide hands-on teaching or to utilize the self-guided nature of the program. If you’re interested in starting Type to Learn in your classroom, request a quote today! If you’re a parent interested in Type to Learn for your student at home, check out our Type to Learn at Home version of the program.
