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Can you type without looking at the keyboard?
- Thread starter Vex
- Start date
My middle school had a typing class, which I presumed helped - but also like, I work on keyboard 8+ hours every day, if I couldn't things would not be going well.
Yup got a lot of practice as a kid
In high school I was a WPM maniac - could type internet addresses in the blink of an eye.
In high school I was a WPM maniac - could type internet addresses in the blink of an eye.
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I can type without looking when using a regular keyboard but I struggle switching over to the keyboard on my Macbook.
Sort of. I can do words well enough, but everything else I have to look. Typing classes were not a thing anymore during my time in school, so I never learned properly, and it's only been a year or so since I've deliberately tried to learn.
I was pretty fortunate to go to a progressive elementary school in the realm of technology... back in... OH... 1990.
I had a teacher that was pretty strict in typing class, and they used to put these cardboard boxes over our hands so we couldn't see and it forced us to learn the keyboard. I used to curse Mr. Patterson with all my heart, BUT... he made it so that I haven't looked at the keyboard once while typing this.
In fact, if I look at the keyboard, I'm actually way slower and way less accurate.
I had a teacher that was pretty strict in typing class, and they used to put these cardboard boxes over our hands so we couldn't see and it forced us to learn the keyboard. I used to curse Mr. Patterson with all my heart, BUT... he made it so that I haven't looked at the keyboard once while typing this.
In fact, if I look at the keyboard, I'm actually way slower and way less accurate.
I mean, maybe? I'm trying it right now and yeah, sure, I think I'm probabbly at 100% accuracu, except maybe for that percent sign.
[I was not.]
Normally, I glance between the keyboard and screen constantly while typing, which isn't really any slower as far as I can tell.
[I was not.]
Normally, I glance between the keyboard and screen constantly while typing, which isn't really any slower as far as I can tell.
Yep.
Had a class in 8th grade called Computer Discovery (part of a series; you took Career Discovery in 7th grade and Technology Discovery in 9th grade). Typing was a core part of CD. We used keyboard covers and everything so looking was only useful for setting your hands.
Had a class in 8th grade called Computer Discovery (part of a series; you took Career Discovery in 7th grade and Technology Discovery in 9th grade). Typing was a core part of CD. We used keyboard covers and everything so looking was only useful for setting your hands.
I took a typing class in 9th grade. Teacher covered all of the letters up and we went through a workbook through the semester. Probably the most important class I ever took.
Yes, but sometimes I lose my place so I have to look down to get back on track.
I also have an extremely strange typing stance that is certainly not conventional, lol.
I also have an extremely strange typing stance that is certainly not conventional, lol.
Yep. I learned it during my freshman year of highschool. One whole semester was dedicated to learning it and the other semester was sex Ed.
typing class in middle school with programs that I recall functioned like wpm tests. We'd have something to cover over our hands.
As I went to type this message, I looked down at the keyboard to put my index fingers on F and J.
That's basically the only time I look down at my keyboard in the typing process, unless I horrifically misspell something and I have to readjust my hands.
That's basically the only time I look down at my keyboard in the typing process, unless I horrifically misspell something and I have to readjust my hands.
Yes. I miss physical keyboards on phones because it allowed you to rest your thumbs on the keys and you didn't need to look at them. As far as learning how to type. I mostly learned from PC typing games in the 90's- and just forcing myself to not look at the keys. I think it's easier to learn when you're younger. My dad pecks at the keys with his middle fingers.
If you want a fun word to type, try typing resetera on a Colemak board. Pretty much perfect alternating home row presses.
Legitimately one of my favourites.
Legitimately one of my favourites.
I can kinda half do it but I'm not quite accurate enough so I look some of the time. Also my typing technique is a 6 finger mess I just ended up with from lots of typing over the years as I never learned how to do it properly. Still a million times faster than my typing on a touchscreen though.
Edit: Oh yeah I did try learning with Mavis Beacon for a little while but trying to break my habits felt overwhelming and I gave up.
Edit: Oh yeah I did try learning with Mavis Beacon for a little while but trying to break my habits felt overwhelming and I gave up.
Yes. Taught myself to type quickly with two fingers, then did an optional class at school to learn typing using some app on Amstrad computers. Started out slower than two fingers, ended up quicker. At which point I wrote a typing tutor for the BBC Micro so I could continue practicing at home. :)
Yup. Computer class in elementary school was purely learning how to type and not actually how to use computers otherwise. I think we had Quark or something? Mascot was this cartoon fuzzball I think. We were also graded on accuracy after typing out sentences with a word processor window hidden. I can type now but still not great on wpm though.
A few years ago we had a high school intern working in our office, helping us out with literature searches and writing up summaries. We wondered why it was taking her so long and it turned out she didn't know how to type. That blew my mind at the time, but I guess it kind of makes sense if most of their actual typing is on a mobile device or something. I hope she figured it out by the time she wrote her college admissions essays.
A few years ago we had a high school intern working in our office, helping us out with literature searches and writing up summaries. We wondered why it was taking her so long and it turned out she didn't know how to type. That blew my mind at the time, but I guess it kind of makes sense if most of their actual typing is on a mobile device or something. I hope she figured it out by the time she wrote her college admissions essays.
Yeah. My junior high school had a touch typing series of courses you could take. Plus, I spent a large portion of my teens on the computer playing online games, chatting on AIM, etc.
I don't think I'm as good of a typist as I used to be (lots of typos, these days) but I really only ever look down at the keyboard when needing to use certain symbols.
I don't think I'm as good of a typist as I used to be (lots of typos, these days) but I really only ever look down at the keyboard when needing to use certain symbols.
Yeah. I wasn't taught to type, we just used computers a couple of times a week at school and at a certain point I noticed I didn't need to look at the keyboard. My typing technique probably isn't very good but I type quickly at this point so meh.
Sadly, no I have to glance down. I can type decently quickly overall, but I feel like being able to eliminate having to glance down would be a game changer.
Yeah, I can. I don't use the home row though because I basically self-taught myself how to type thanks to pretty much unrestricted access to the computer starting at age 5 (I even had my own PC) and, by the time school actually tried to teach me the 'proper' way to type (which is when I was 11 years old in the 6th grade), my method of typing was too ingrained into me in order to change.
And trust me, I tried to learn home row (if only because my teacher would come around and adjust your hands if you weren't using it) but I just genuinely can't do it. Luckily none of my computer classes after 6th grade gave two shits how you typed. Pretty sure I type around 90-95 WPM either way.
Think the only times I actually look at the keyboard to type are if I'm entering a password tbh.
And trust me, I tried to learn home row (if only because my teacher would come around and adjust your hands if you weren't using it) but I just genuinely can't do it. Luckily none of my computer classes after 6th grade gave two shits how you typed. Pretty sure I type around 90-95 WPM either way.
Think the only times I actually look at the keyboard to type are if I'm entering a password tbh.
I did a typing class in middle school then immediately discovered Ultima Online and spent years playing a social MMO where you had to type to everyone. That made my typing skills pretty solid, so I can easily type without looking.
Yes, I can type without looking.
I use a revised version of the hunt-and-peck method, where I don't have to hunt, just peck. But I've been typing for about 35 years so that just sort of happened.
I use a revised version of the hunt-and-peck method, where I don't have to hunt, just peck. But I've been typing for about 35 years so that just sort of happened.
For a standard computer keyboard, yes. If I can get a good rhythm going, I can get up to a peak of 50 WPM. I had a class in middle school where I was taught how to type, and as it turned out I had a knack for it, so that class was an easy A. That was almost 30 years ago, when the schools around here first got computers with Windows 3.1 on them.
For a mobile, since the screen is so tiny and there's no physical keys I do have to look at the screen to type. I'm glad predictive text/autocomplete is a thing, because I'm nowhere near as fast when texting. When I actually have to type something for real, such as making this post, I always do so on desktop. I'm just far more adept with a regular keyboard than I am with a touchscreen.
For a mobile, since the screen is so tiny and there's no physical keys I do have to look at the screen to type. I'm glad predictive text/autocomplete is a thing, because I'm nowhere near as fast when texting. When I actually have to type something for real, such as making this post, I always do so on desktop. I'm just far more adept with a regular keyboard than I am with a touchscreen.
