On the retention of institutional habits

[barbarienne]

When I was five years old, during the first time that bell-bottoms were in fashion, I decided to play on my parents' typewriter. They had an electric typewriter of good quality, but I don't recall what sort. (I do recall that it was blue and white.) I don't know why they had it, because I don't think my mother ever used it, and my dad couldn't type

Comments

[ddrpolaris]

When I was in the latter part of elementary school in the 90's, there was a several week unit that went over typing skills every year as part of computer education. In High School in the late 90's early 00's, there was also still a typing class, but it was an optional elective. Not sure about now.

[kouaidou]

They still had typing classes when I was in high school. This was, admittedly, 10 years ago (and it was an optional elective by that time, in keeping with what ddrpolaris mentioned), but it was still at the age when you would expect kids to have computers at home.

Even as someone who grew up with computers (my dad was a computer programmer so I've never known a life without them), that class was invaluable to me. Sure, I could peck at the keys well enough before then and get things typed out, but thanks to receiving proper instruction in the home row, etc, I now regularly type in the 100 WPM range.

(Cute story: about a year ago I was tutoring a Pakistani family in English. I also helped them get a laptop and showed them a little bit about how to use it. Any time I would type anything on the keyboard, the little kids would all gasp in amazement and start making typing motions with their fingers. I can only hope I inspired someone.)

[kittentikka]

When I was a smaller curry, barely a kittencake, there were already no typing lessons in my (British, private ed) school. Instead we had time in our Computer-based part of the timetable in which we could learn to type. Mavis Beacon Trach Touch Typing, plus an online RPG habit, got me up to about 50wpm. However, I cannot imagine that school having had typewriters, but they might have had typing lessons before I arrived.

I remember flares the nth time, not the first.

[wuwt]

Yep - they still teach typing - it is called "keyboarding" or "computers" and the kids start early using computers - 1st grade (at least in SoCal)