Students need to learn how to type. After weeks of prepping for a research paper—choosing topics, gathering sources, and writing outlines—it was finally time for my 9th graders to type their first drafts. To my shock, over half the class opened Google Docs on their phones instead of using their laptops. When I asked why, nearly all replied, “I can text faster than I type. It’s easier.” My arguments about them needing to see the whole document or managing citations made no impact—they were set on using their phones.
In 2000, nearly 44% of graduating high school seniors had taken a keyboarding course. By 2019, the number dropped to 2.9%.