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typewriters?
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| sarahfaction |
Posted on February 04 2012 04:19 AM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 13
Joined: 2012-01-19
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It just occurred to me that typing was another one of those things I really struggled to learn. I had a hard time shifting over from handwriting to a keyboard. I went through the first year of college handwriting the beginning pages of papers and then busting out the typewriter and whiteout to get them in a form a professor would accept. Flunked the damn typing test to take higher level journalism classes. Four times. Begged the professor to give me a passing grade after Fail #4.
He had me write my own obit in one draft on the spot, which was a bit worrisome on several levels, but he let me do it in handwriting. He read it, shook his head and said "You can write. You just passed the typing test."
I burst into tears and promised to practice over the summer. Now I'm a keyboarding fool and I love me some cut and paste, can't even really write by hand any more. Funny how our brains sometimes don't talk to the rest of our bodies the same way as most people's.
Edited by sarahfaction on February 04 2012 04:19 AM |
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| CheshireKat |
Posted on February 04 2012 05:19 AM
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Member
Location: United States
Posts: 1860
Joined: 2008-11-14
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Maybe it was because I was part of the late 80s/early 90s generation that was raised on computers, but I've never had a problem with typing. The last time I took a typing test, my correct WPM speed was over 130 wpm. I think it's just because I do it so much for work and school, it's natural to me now. It's actually harder for me to hand write legibly than it is to type quickly. I'm glady ou were finally able to pass your typing test though!
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." - Eric Hoffer |
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| justfoundout |
Posted on February 06 2012 04:36 PM
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Member
Location: Texas USA
Posts: 6101
Joined: 2008-05-25
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2/6/12
Sarah,
Typing came hard to me, too. I took typing my senior year in High School. I'm an older female, so back then, we were still using manual typewriters. You couldn't just 'back up' and erase anything. Fixing my errors wore me out. I did pass the class. Got an A or a B,... don't remember now. But for the effort that I put into it, I should have been typing much faster than I could type. 'Speed and accuracy' isn't my thing. As an adult, I passed a 40 wpm test and got a customer service job. After 10 years of customer service, typing while talking, my typing still only rose to 45 - 50 wpm,... depending on the difficulty of the typing test I'm given. Some of my typing days are better than others. - jus' |
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| heathermomster |
Posted on February 06 2012 06:14 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 217
Joined: 2010-09-08
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I recently met a Mom who taught her child to type on a Dvorak keyboard because the QWERTY was too hard. DS learned on a QWERTY, and I only stressed accuracy. Typing tests can be extremely stressful due to the timed element. DS never had success learning to type until I homeschooled him. In fact, DS took a bit of deprogramming because of his lack of success at typing in school. He's great now, and I still only stress accuracy.
Edited by heathermomster on February 06 2012 06:15 PM |
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| toastydeath |
Posted on February 07 2012 12:56 AM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 119
Joined: 2008-10-22
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There are few studies I've found on typing speed, and they indicate a majority of the population physically cannot move past 50-60 wpm, regardless of training or practice. I believe the 75th percentile was 60 wpm, after extensive training.
There seems to be a neuromotor limitation on how fast most individuals can type; it becomes physically impossible to move one's fingers past that speed at ANY accuracy; even hitting the wrong keys.
I've always felt graded/school typing tests were unusually cruel in light of this information, despite being a fast typist myself. |
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| CheshireKat |
Posted on February 07 2012 05:00 PM
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Member
Location: United States
Posts: 1860
Joined: 2008-11-14
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Toasty, that is really interesting, and actually makes a lot of sense. My mom types about 115 wpm correctly, she's always been an extremely fast typist, but she always attributed it to having lots of practice. So when I got up to 135 on my last typing test, I just assumed it was the same reason - lots of practice. But then Jus brings up the good point of having been typing for years and never getting past a certain "set" point for typing. So that actually makes a lot of sense, to me, that people would have a neuromotor limit on how fast they can type, no matter how much they practice.
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." - Eric Hoffer |
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| squeakymonster |
Posted on February 08 2012 04:03 AM
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Member
Location: Munising, MI, USA
Posts: 787
Joined: 2010-10-09
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As a young adult, I still sometimes have issues with typing. I was the last to learn how in elementary school (my teacher gave up on me and typed up my work for me...), I was the slowest in middle school, and in high school, unless it *had* to be typed, I was just as happy to hand-write it. I think part of it was, my family is very low income, especially when I was growing up. I didn't have a computer, nor did I have access to one. It wasn't until I started up community college that I was able to be exposed to a computer often enough to improve my accuracy. Compared to other people my age, I'm slow. Compared to older people, I'm quite fast. It just depends on how you look at it. A few years ago, I didn't do forums, I didn't know how. Social media was a concept that made no sense to me, and I for sure didn't do e-mail. Now, I can't imagine my life without these things. However, I do remember my kindergarten teacher letting us play with a type-writer. Yes, one of the old-fashion, you don't have a "delete" button type-writers. Somewhere, I think my grandma still has some of the stuff I typed back then.
I'm NOT lost, I'm just taking the scenic rout! |
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| Ladyhawke |
Posted on February 10 2012 07:47 PM
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Member
Location: Canada
Posts: 144
Joined: 2011-11-18
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Toastydeath you are my new best friend! 
I never heard of those studies you mention in your post, but it sure explains why after years and years of typing I've never gotten past 60 WPM. In my line of work, fast typing is coveted, and I've been passed over for job opportunities because someone else could type over 100 WPM.
After reading your post though, I definitely feel so much better now that I know it's not my fault and that I fall within the normal range of people with my typing speed. Thank you for posting that. 
Ladyhawke
Algebra? When I learn decimals and fractions, you're welcome to try teaching me, but unless you have the patience of a saint and are very long-lived, good luck with that... |
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| Kathy |
Posted on February 11 2012 12:37 AM
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Member
Location: Bribie Island Queensland Australia
Posts: 406
Joined: 2005-04-03
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Hey Anyone remember the Olivetti type writer? Big clunker of a machine - always a strange puce green colour, not electric and no correcting tape-LOL! I remember putting in ink tape - good grief!!
OK if anyone is asking I never used a quill pen!! I'm not that old!! just taught how to type in country TAFE. Oh and we also had to type to music and yes guess who ended up typing the words to the song instead of what was in front of me. I can't forget the music to "The yellow rose of texas" ever!! and yes I ended up failing test after test - (who ever thought that was a great idea!)!
Albert Einstein said: "Many of the things you can count, don't count. Many of the things you can't count, really count!." |
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| Ladyhawke |
Posted on February 11 2012 02:26 AM
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Member
Location: Canada
Posts: 144
Joined: 2011-11-18
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Kathy wrote:
Hey Anyone remember the Olivetti type writer? Big clunker of a machine - always a strange puce green colour, not electric and no correcting tape-LOL! I remember putting in ink tape - good grief!!
OK if anyone is asking I never used a quill pen!! I'm not that old!! just taught how to type in country TAFE. Oh and we also had to type to music and yes guess who ended up typing the words to the song instead of what was in front of me. I can't forget the music to "The yellow rose of texas" ever!! and yes I ended up failing test after test - (who ever thought that was a great idea!)! Too funny!!
Off topic a bit, but you reminded me that when my youngest daughter was about 7 yrs old or so, she asked me if telephones were invented yet when I was young.
Algebra? When I learn decimals and fractions, you're welcome to try teaching me, but unless you have the patience of a saint and are very long-lived, good luck with that... |
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| Mohinga |
Posted on February 11 2012 09:03 AM
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Member
Location: Denmark
Posts: 319
Joined: 2009-03-10
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I spent almost a year trying to learn how to type and I never got further than the first few pages - a complete waste of time.
It didn't help matters that we were taught by a teacher who disliked me because my parents dared to question her ability to teach.
I took typing classes a few years later and the same thing happened, so I decided that typing was probably not my thing.
Ironically, I was a secretary for something like ten years and did lots of typing, but I had to develop my own "system" to manage..
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it |
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| justfoundout |
Posted on February 11 2012 06:47 PM
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Member
Location: Texas USA
Posts: 6101
Joined: 2008-05-25
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2/11/12
That's such a funny story, Kathy. Loved it. (Of course, I'm prejudiced because you typed the words to the Yellow Rose of Texas. ;))
Hi Mohinga,... Mohinguita. Where have you been hiding yourself? I think that whenever we take a class where the teacher is hostile to us, that's something that takes a lot of 'overcoming' to be able to later excel at that subject. - jus' |
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| Mohinga |
Posted on February 12 2012 01:45 PM
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Member
Location: Denmark
Posts: 319
Joined: 2009-03-10
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Hi Jus!
I'm living in the suburbs, far away from Internet connections, waiting for a miracle or two to happen :-)
Son and I are adjusting to his new life as a school boy, fresh air, plenty of nature just around the corner and getting to know people again.
Onvce a week I come back to the old house, check out what's happened and spend a great deal of time trying to get access to the computer - son and husband always seem to win though...
As for typing, I've learned the key pattern for most words and when I have to type in a different language that Danish, it's not easy at all...
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it |
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| justfoundout |
Posted on February 13 2012 05:54 PM
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Member
Location: Texas USA
Posts: 6101
Joined: 2008-05-25
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2/13/12
Thanks for that update, Mohinga. I hope that you are getting the most out of that suburban house and all the nature. I decided to disconnect my home internet service two weeks ago,... just too expensive. Now, I'm going to try to get some minimal service on my mobile phone.
As to typing in another language,... yes, I'm having to do papers in Spanish now,... essays and analytical papers, in MLA format. And, ooooh, what a nuisance all the little accents and tildes are for writing in Spanish. I'll brag on myself though. I got a perfect score on my Spanish grammar and writing. The teacher told me that I'd gotten the only perfect score on that in my class on that particular paper. However, I got a B on the paper. Part of my 'content' wasn't what she'd wanted. College is hard, girl,... not for the faint of heart.
ABOUT our typing,... changing gears here,... I've been mulling over my typing experiences and thought of another point of interest. A couple of times I've scored 55wpm on a typing test, but these were for typing legal documents. I realize that in typing legal documents, the wording is more predictable. Phrases are preset and don't vary. That's when I realized that none of the tests I've ever been given were for timing how fast I write when I'm not copying a script. They don't say, "Here. Type something that you are interested in and we'll then count your words, your errors, and give you a wpm score." I think that I type much faster when the words come out of my own head and when I don't have to be copying someone else's words. - jus' |
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