I have been part of numerous conversations lately about using iPads in the classroom. Last week, I listened to a group of teachers express their concerns about the touch screen keyboard. They worried that students wouldn’t use proper home-keys. Personally, I really like the iPad for meetings and note taking because it is less obtrusive than my laptop and it’s faster than handwriting. My colleagues were not as easily convinced.
Though I do not personally own an iPad, I have been borrowing one for about a year and loved my iPod touch (until I replaced it with an iPhone – yes, I am a Mac Person). However, the typing question was a good one, so this blog post is a test. I’m typing it on my iPhone while waiting for a software update on my laptop. So far, it has not taken too much longer than if I had typed it on the regular QWERTY keyboard.
Personally, I don’t think the students will care about the touch-screen, nor do I think we still need to force rigid home-key positions. Looks like with a little practice on iText, the World Record Texting Speed App, they should be fine.
Note: I will admit that I wrote the last two sentences of this post on my laptop. I saved the Draft from my phone, made some edits, and finished this off.