The Redeemer School, Blackburn, Lancashire
I first came across Keyboard Crazy at the BETT show in 2000, the largest ICT exhibition in Europe when I was an elearning consultant for Blackburn with Darwen LEA. My role was to look for ways, methods, technologies and innovations where ICT can be used to improve learning and teaching.
At the BETT show there were multi million pound technologies on display everywhere. I remember going past an extremely busy stand where two gentlemen with the broadest liverpudlian accents were daring people to take the boards away and try them out with the proviso, if they work pay for them, if they don't give them back. I took a board back to the LEA and began using it with the schools there.
I think it would be fair to say that initially it was looked upon as a way of improving / remembering the keys on a qwerty keyboard, which would, over time lead to an improvement in typing speed. However, as the boards got used more effectively and efficiently it became more apparent that the boards could do much more than key positioning. Our schools found many varied ways that the boards can be used t enhance Literacy lessons.
- Spellings
- Dictionary Words
- Sentence Structure
- Opposites
- Plurals
- Phonemes
. and so much more.
Keyboard crazy can be used individually, in groups and in a more competitive nature, one against another. A huge advantage being that Keyboard Crazy can and is used from Foundation Stage o Year 6 and beyond.
A huge reason for using Keyboard Crazy in class is the enjoyment factor that the children get from the boards.
Spellings at times can become quite tiresome for some of the children. However through using Keyboard Crazy children have the opportunity to complete a large number of spellings within the timescale set and at the end of the day in a vibrant and enjoyable atmosphere.
For our school, one of our aims has been to develop ICT throughout the school, both as a discrete subject and as a tool to enhance learning and teaching across the whole curriculum. From September 06 we will have a brand new state of the art school where ICT will play an integral part in the development of the school, because we believe that ICT has a huge impact to learning and teaching. A both a class teacher and elearning Consultant for the LEA I have found that people struggle with ICT when typing becomes the main issue.
I do believe and I have found that children who have and do use Keyboard Crazy are able to use a computer, PC or laptop more confidently and more efficiently simply because of the speed in which they are able to use a keyboard.
Crazy Tables, again are a great way for children to learn their times tables.
Tables are really important for children if they are to succeed in Numeracy. Children tables ability affect all four operations, +,-,x and ÷.
Initially children individually place the keys to the tables in the correct order. Then as they improve you ca introduce a competition, both children have a set of keys, the winner being the child who places the most keys on the table.
As a school we have found that children really do learn their times tables, but above all it is FUN!!
We recently ran a very successful Family Literacy course. This ran for 10 weeks where parents and family members of children in school came along to see how Literacy was taught to the children. In one session Keyboard Crazy came along to demonstrate ways in which Keyboard Crazy is used in the Literacy hour.
It would be fair to say that it was one of the most entertaining and effective educational sessions we ran. From the session, parents and family members informed us that they wanted to borrow keyboards and crazy tables over weekends to support the children's learning at home.
In an age where the primary curriculum is changing in such a dramatic way with the introduction of the primary strategy I feel that Keyboard Crazy and Crazy tables do effectively fit the remit expected - 'Excellence and Enjoyment.'
Mark Power
Deputy Headteacher
