For academic pricing and site licenses please call 866-200-8881.
Give Students an Academic Advantage by Teaching Them to Type
Keyboard Town PALS method saves schools time and money. A school’s precious time is not wasted on endless drills, teaching the mechanics of typing year after year. Instead, after one hour of stress-free instruction your students will know the location of the letters and keys and will be free to use the computer efficiently and a teacher’s time will be spent more productively. Here are some resources.
Unfortunately, many of the typing programs on the market today are based on the old stenographic method that depends on repetition to teach and is very nerve racking for young children as it is not an age appropriate method. The drill and kill method requires kids to spend hours and hours on meaningless drills, boring exercises and endless games. Why use yesterday’s methods to prepare today’s child for tomorrow’s world?
Keyboard Town PALS is different because it utilizes the PALS system of association, puppets, music and humor to teach the location of 30 letters and symbols on a QWERTY keyboard. Watch a video describing the PALS method. The program successfully creates a fun and relaxed learning environment. KTP is a stress-free zone! The tutorial consists of two 1/2 hour lessons or 8 mini chapters, 6-7 minutes each. With no delete and backspace functions, children focus on learning and develop self-confidence and self-esteem through success. KTP is appropriate for grades first and up.
Our video was co-produced by past crew members of the Emmy award winning, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Our primary puppet voice actor, Jeff Bergman, is the voice actor of the Looney Tunes cartoon characters and the Hanna Barbera characters.
The Keyboard Town PALS, “Learn To Type” software is produced in 3 versions;English, Spanish and French. The 3 versions all teach kids to type in Englishand compatible with Windows and Mac computers and requires flash player 8 or later and available in a web based format which requires a broadband internet connection and a browser with the latest Adobe Flash player installed. The software has three companion products; an Instruction Coloring Book, a Concentration-Matching Card Game and a set of alphabet letters and puppet Stickers. These products help to cement the learning viewed in the video.If you would like to see the Learn to Type program in either of the English, Spanish or French versions, we can give you free web access for a limited period of time. Please call 1-866-200-8881 or email address donna@keyboardtownpals.com.
Attention All NYC Public and Non-public schools
Keyboard Town PALS products are listed under Learn To Type in the SHOPDOE Online Catalog and is NYSSL approved.
Benefits of TLS
- NYSSL approved
- Average discount of 40% of list price
- Offer comprehensive and carefully reviewed learning software
- Offer a dedicated technology support team (718) 935 3205
- Supply the software through the current procurement website; FAMIS portal
- Offer comprehensive professional development programs
What is TLS
-Technical Learning Solution (TLS) is a new Department of Education initiative.
-The DOE has purchased instructional software up front and is now distributing
it back to schools at discounted pricing (average discount of 40%).
-The TLS is collaboration between the Division of Contracts and Purchasing (DCP); the Division of Instruction and Information Technology (DIIT); the Division of Teaching and Learning; and the Division of Office of Instructional Technology (OIT).
-By leveraging the core capability of the four divisions TLS can offer selected educational software to all NYC public and non-public schools at deep discount.
School Standards
EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE STANDARDS
- Ease of Use For Elementary School Students.
- Skills needed to operate the program are in range of the child
- Children can use the program independently
- Reading ability is not prerequisite to using the program
- Graphics make sense to the intended user
- It is easy to get in or out of any activity at any point
- Getting to the first menu is quick and easy
- Controls are responsive to the touch
- Written materials are helpful
- Instructions can be reviewed on the screen, if necessary Mistakes are not counted
- Icons are large and easy to select with a moving cursor
- Installation procedure is straightforward and easy to do
- Childproof
- The child has control over the rate of display
- The child has control over exiting at any time
- The child has control over the order of the display
- This program would operate smoothly in a home or classroom setting
EDUCATIONAL GOALS
- Offers a good presentation of one or more content areas
- Graphics do not detract from the program’s educational intentions
- Speech is used
- The presentation is novel
- Good challenge range
- Feedback reinforces content (embedded reinforcements are used)
- Program elements match direct experiences
- Content is free from gender bias
- Content is free from ethnic bias
- The program comes with strategies to extend the learning
- There is a sufficient amount of content
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE
- The program is enjoyable to use
- Graphics are meaningful and enjoyed by children
- This program is appealing to a wide audience
- Children return to this program time after time
- Random generation techniques are employed in the design
- Speech and sounds are meaningful to children
- Challenge is fluid
- The program is responsive to a child’s actions
- The theme of the program is meaningful to children
DESIGN FEATURES
- The program has speech capacity
- Has printing capacity
- Sound can be toggled or adjusted
- Teacher options are easy to find and use
Will states spend precious school time trying to teach keyboarding to elementary school students using the wrong method? Will they choose tedious, boring, endless typing drill programs? Programs that are not age appropriate? Programs that are 90 years old? Or will they choose the newest method that is light year’s ahead of traditional typing programs? A method that is designed for the 21st century child. But most importantly saves schools time and money. Keyboard Town PALS CD-ROM puppet show gets kids typing in an hour and then they begin writing creatively. Some kids will print, some will use cursive writing and most will be typing. Let’s not waste their time and subject them to old fashion typing methods.
Take the challenge and test on a 7 or 8 year old child, The Keyboard Town PALS, Learn To Type mind memory approach. I predict that the term” rapidly” will to be an accurate description for this program but you will no longer feel it to be appropriate to use when referring to other methods. Being a stress-free zone will be immediately apparent. The one hour video has deactivated the delete and backspace buttons. Children relax as they realize that their “mistakes” scroll off the screen are are not counted or graded. They just keep moving on and are self-motivated to learn! Children want to watch the program over an over again and become eager participants. There are no timed-speed tests with this approach because that will allow for only one child in a class to be the winner and is not good for building self-esteem.
Children are using technology and if not taught correct technique they will hunt and peck. Try getting a 6th grader to stop the bad habit of hunting and pecking and learn proper technique. Teach elementary school students how to use a keyboard so that they are free to develop their inner-creative voice.
BENEFITS THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS
- PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- PRIVATE SCHOOLS
- PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
- CHARTER SCHOOLS
- MAGNET SCHOOLS
- BILINGUAL SCHOOLS
- AMERICAN SCHOOLS ABROAD
- US ARMY-BASED SCHOOLS
- DISTANCE LEARNING-CYBER SCHOOLS
FOR THE FOLLOWING EDUCATORS
- Superintendents
- Principals
- Tech Directors
- Curriculum Coordinators
- Classroom Teachers
- Special Education Teachers
- Preschool Directors
- Preschool Teachers
- Therapist
- PTA President
- School Board Members
- After School Programs
- Enrichment Programs