While formal keyboard classes have been on a decline in many curriculums, they've seen a recent uprising as preparation for computer-based Common Core exams begins to require early knowledge of computer and typing literacy.
"This spring, many elementary and high schools around the country will take their first Common Core-aligned tests, which often are on computers and require students to type out words and sentences in their responses," reported Caroline Porter for The Wall Street Journal.
Students as young as kindergarten through fourth grade are beginning to engage in typing classes that combine math, science, engineering and the arts. They are necessary for poorer students who may not have grown up with easy access to a computer.
"Major testing providers nationwide have said the move to online exams can be cheaper faster and more in line with modern-day skills," reports Porter. "But there are concerns that computer-based testing will create a digital divide between wealthy and poorer schools."
This shift in early-learning priorities brings up the issue of access to computers, and the amount of computer technology found in schools. As the shift to teaching keyboarding switches to elementary rather than middle school, schools with less dedicated funding toward computer technology are slipping behind.
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By Samantha DiMauro, Education World Contributor
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