Category Archives: droid

End of keyboards and typing class?

This app is not new, but it is new to me. I just got the free download for Swype on my Droid. Now I do not even have a plan for texting because my fingers are so big that I never text. It is difficult for me to just type tweets on my phone. So when I tried this I thought it was great. It does not require precision, but works great! Check out the video to see how it works:

Now my thoughts quickly returned to my senior year in high school when I took one semester of typing class. I learned the basics and could only type around 25 words/minute. It was a year long class but I dropped it second semester to take weightlifting instead. My typing teacher was not happy with me, but I figured I could always practice more on my own time. Turns out maybe I won’t need typing skills at all soon.

I know typing is now taught in elementary schools, but will we get to a point where traditional keyboards are obsolete? With the love being given to the Ipad how long is it before all keyboards are virtual, and programs like Swype are so much better than typing. Of course what I need is a reliable speech to text app.

So are we wasting time in elementary school teaching typing? Schools of course will be the last to notice as they are still worried about teaching cursive.

New Year’s …

I didn’t say “New Year’s Resolution” because I have not done them for years. One day is not necessarily  more significant than any other to have goals or start something new. But this weekend three things happened that are significant to me and represent change. First, we canceled our subscription to the local paper. Long overdue since I have been reading it on-line for over a year, but my wife likes the coupons and ads. It is a good “paperless” movement in my personal life. By the way why do we still have a government-run post office? Why not email everything and use on-line billing? Oh that’s right, then how would I get all my junk mail?

Second I got a droid. The pic shows my old phone so this is my first smartphone. I love it so far and have been playing with all the apps. You can expect to see more pics from me on Twitter.  I definitely see smartphones as computer alternatives in a few years. First I think almost all phones will be smartphones in a few years and more and more students will own them. We will have computers in every room in the students pockets at least at the secondary level. I find this exciting, not frightening.

Last I have to advertise the best new blog I have found: Adventures in Pencil Integration . This blog is over one hundred years old, but still relevant to today. It is humorous satire that cuts right through many issues in ed-tech today. Highly recommend that you add this one to your favorite Reader.