Showing 29 results
April 21, 2014
Home row typing practice that has limited appeal
Dance Mat Typing is a keyboarding practice website. The typing lessons are broken down into 12 levels and stages presented with animated characters introducing each lesson. After learning the home row, each stage adds two more keys to practice while reinforcing keys they have already learned. Students can work through the lessons at their own pace. Within each lesson, students can check their progress, but Dance Mat does not test overall typing speed. Visual and audio prompts and support are given throughout each lesson. My elementary age students find the commentary on the website amusing.
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April 5, 2014
Cartoon typing program that is bright and musical for young learners.
The website is not a game. It is a typing program that is geared to the young, beginner typists in grades 1-3. Songs and cartoons fill time between the levels. The songs and cartoons take a great deal of time and do not give the students the level of practice that is really required. Students want to finish a level in one class period, however, for some students that is not possible because of the time it takes for the animations. One could argue that the songs and cartoons help rest the little hands between lines of text. The website could be improved with the addition of individual accounts. The website will sometimes suddenly close during our practice. When that happens if a student is in the middle of a level, they have to begin that level again, they cannot just go back to where they left off. Therefore, they have to wait through all of the songs again. Overall, I do believe it is a good place to start to encourage good habits and not make students focused on speed too early. This is a good place for students to start to build their skills.
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March 4, 2014
Even though I dislike typing practice, most kids love it!
Let me just preface this by saying that I do not enjoy typing practice. In fact, I don't know if it is even worth it. If we are to envision the future of technological communication, do we even really believe that the keyboard will not become obsolete? That being said, I don't think that typing practice is a worthy use of classroom tech time. However, some teacher demand it and push for it. If I am going to make them happy, I mind as well have the kids enjoy it. I have tried many different typing practice resources: Type to Learn, Typing Web, Typing Ninja, etc. Dance Mat is the one that kids like.
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February 6, 2014
easy and exciting for younger children
grade 2 students enjoy coming to the computer lab each week to advance to the next level of keyboarding
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November 8, 2013
Great site to get Kindergarten to 2nd grade started on keyboarding.
After three years of teaching keyboarding this program has been the most adaptable with my kindergarteners. It was a good review for my first graders. I used it with my 4th and 5th as a fun review.
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November 3, 2013
Great for those just getting started with typing.
Though Dance Mat Typing is great for beginning typers, my 4th graders got bored with it quick! I would certainly say younger students would benefit best from this game. Thought my students use it in computer lab, I just think it is a little young for them.
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October 28, 2013
Begin your keyboarding experience here
Dance Mat Typing is keyboarding program from the BBC. There is no setup at all required. Students simply choose a level and practice. There is plenty of support provided that encouraged students to learn proper fingering technique.
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October 28, 2013
This is a good website to use with younger students just starting out on the keyboard.
With technology changing so much, the keyboard is becoming more and more obsolete. With all of the new touch screen devices, students still have to know where to find the letters on the keyboard. I think this a good introduction to younger students to learn the keyboard. I personally feel the home row and tracking words per minute aren't as important as it was 10 years ago.
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