FCPS - typing?

[Anonymous]

Ds took computer solutions in 7th grade.... learned PowerPoint, excel, typing (using online program) etc. Dd learned to use s Google version of PowerPoint the following year in 3rd grade. She also types well enough, but not too proficiently. Of course they both type well with their thumbs.

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid - typing was taught in middle school.

[Anonymous]

It's not called typing anymore, it's called keyboarding. Some privates teach it. The most valuable course I took in public high school long ago was typing - it got me through exams in college and in grad school. I had to search to find a speed typing class (summer) for both of my kids. It was at Landon. They both now speedtype and have done well on exams and papers as a result.

[Anonymous]

So you're seriously telling me they don't teach handwriting, cursive, or typing/keyboarding/whatever? How are these kids supposed to effectively communicate their ideas? Or take essay tests, write papers, etc.?

I can teach my child how to type on a computer, and I will, but after already using Handwriting without Tears - both their printing and cursive courses and also basically teaching him how to read, I'm really wondering what the heck these "awesome" FFX county schools are doing. And don't get me started on spelling.

And, seriously, what about the many, many kids who don't have parents with the time, resources, or money to fill in these enormous gaps? Writing is a basic skill, isn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you're seriously telling me they don't teach handwriting, cursive, or typing/keyboarding/whatever? How are these kids supposed to effectively communicate their ideas? Or take essay tests, write papers, etc.?

I can teach my child how to type on a computer, and I will, but after already using Handwriting without Tears - both their printing and cursive courses and also basically teaching him how to read, I'm really wondering what the heck these "awesome" FFX county schools are doing. And don't get me started on spelling.

And, seriously, what about the many, many kids who don't have parents with the time, resources, or money to fill in these enormous gaps? Writing is a basic skill, isn't it?

To your first question: yes. That is true.

To all the rest of your comments -- yep... welcome to the club! The ARE doing things in school, but I feel that they have gone too far away from some of the basics. You have to be involved enough to make sure your kids get that on their own time (summers). What's even worse is that if/when you do teach your kid cursive, the teacher won't expect them to use it and therefore they won't. It doesn't help that much for you to teach them if the message they get at school is "doesn't matter!" Your kid won't use it, and then s/he will lose the skill.

I grew up Catholic, but don't believe in it anymore. However, one thing that Catholic school does better than public school is give kids a strong foundation in things like writing, spelling, self-control, politeness, writing essays, etc. On the other hand, my friends who sent their kids to Catholic school (and have recently move them over to public in 9th and 6th grade) say that they wanted the greater rigor of math, foreign lang., science that public school offers. So, nothing is perfect, but I think Catholic school does a good job in the first 4-5 yrs of elementary school, and then public school has more to offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was a kid - typing was taught in middle school.

When I was in middle school, it was the 1970's.

[Anonymous]

Not only is the lack of time available a barrier to explicitly teaching keyboarding, but we also have a scarcity of computers available. If we were 1:1 it might be easier, but it would still be difficult to allot available instructional time.

I teach middle elementary grades.

[Anonymous]

School is too busy being everything for everybody so now it’s no good for anybody. Seriously, school is too busy with sex ed and transgender inclusion stuff to teach helpful skills. Parents, you have to speak up and stop the left social warriors from taking over. Basics are being left out for bullshit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School is too busy being everything for everybody so now it’s no good for anybody. Seriously, school is too busy with sex ed and transgender inclusion stuff to teach helpful skills. Parents, you have to speak up and stop the left social warriors from taking over. Basics are being left out for bullshit!

Sex ed (i.e. family life education) and "transgender inclusion stuff" is NOT the reason schools don't have time to teach basic skills like spelling, typing, hand writing, expository writing, etc. FLE is only a few days in 4th grade, a week in 5th grade and 6th grade.

The skills mentioned above should be taught in first/second/third grade and up.

You expose yourself as being out-of-the-norm when you make such ridiculous statements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School is too busy being everything for everybody so now it’s no good for anybody. Seriously, school is too busy with sex ed and transgender inclusion stuff to teach helpful skills. Parents, you have to speak up and stop the left social warriors from taking over. Basics are being left out for bullshit!

Sex ed (i.e. family life education) and "transgender inclusion stuff" is NOT the reason schools don't have time to teach basic skills like spelling, typing, hand writing, expository writing, etc. FLE is only a few days in 4th grade, a week in 5th grade and 6th grade.

The skills mentioned above should be taught in first/second/third grade and up.

You expose yourself as being out-of-the-norm when you make such ridiculous statements.

It is kind of true though that the school board is only listening to a handful of parents and these parents do not seem to be interested in academics.

[Anonymous]

Is the school board responsible for curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the school board responsible for curriculum?

Yes. Of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the school board responsible for curriculum?

Yes. Of course.

More accurately our state government and state board of education is responsible for creating minimum standards and the school board both carries out those standards in terms of approving a curriculum and deciding anything else they want to teach with reliance from the administration within FCPS.

[Anonymous]

So I looked at found the curriculum. For second grade it says "maintain legible printing and begin to make the transition to cursive". I know this was not addressed AT ALL. I'm saying this admitting that we really loved the second grade teacher (and the whole team). So what gives? Is the curriculum just a suggestion? Who follows through to make sure the curriculum is used? If no one does, what's the point.

3rd grade says "write legibly in cursive" as point 8 of language arts/english. But I know from past parents of 3rd graders at our school that cursive is not taught.

Again, what gives?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I looked at found the curriculum. For second grade it says "maintain legible printing and begin to make the transition to cursive". I know this was not addressed AT ALL. I'm saying this admitting that we really loved the second grade teacher (and the whole team). So what gives? Is the curriculum just a suggestion? Who follows through to make sure the curriculum is used? If no one does, what's the point.

3rd grade says "write legibly in cursive" as point 8 of language arts/english. But I know from past parents of 3rd graders at our school that cursive is not taught.

Again, what gives?

If it isn't on the SOL test, then yes it is a suggestion. 8th grade writing test isn't until 8th grade now. This is what comes of people arguing against testing.