Dvorak keyboard layout

[PeterPan]

Did I mention I switched my dd over to this? I did a couple months ago, right at the start of the school year, and the results have been ASTONISHING. She really bucked it, and even dh thought I was CRAZY. Well she is now typing double her previous speed, and she's doing it right, by touch, not pecking!

 

The highest she had ever gotten before was 8-9 wpm, and that was despite on/off use of Typing Instructor for several years. I think it was the bilaterality, the crossing of the midline, that was hanging her up. It had gotten so bad for her that she had resorted to pecking. So I set her up with her own account on the computer where she can ONLY work using the Dvorak keyboard layout. She did some lessons on Mavis Beacon to learn it, but mainly it was just her wanting to be able to type (with her new email, blah blah) that motivated her. The letters aren't on the keyboard, so she's totally using her visualization and VSL skills.

 

She was on the computer before, so it's not that. She was pecking and satisfied with her pecking rate, which is why she resisted the change. But now she's sitting, actually TYPING, at an adjusted rate of 15-17 wpm. It's slightly higher but they adjust it down for errors. I just think that's FABULOUS. So now I've made her an offer she can't refuse, hehe. I told her I'll pay her $1 per wpm any month she can demonstrate a significant (at least 3-4 wpm) increase from the previous month. I told her the goal is 35 by the end of the year, which is age-appropriate for a 7th grader.

 

So that just wows me that it's actually WORKING, that I was RIGHT, and that this change, which I took considerable flak over, was actually worth it. It means she'll run counter-stream all her life and need macs (to be easy to toggle back and forth the keyboard preference). But at least, as a dyslexic, she'll be a functional typist. I hope.

 

So there you go. I was pretty excited to find all this out last night. I guess check back in May and we'll see if she hit it. :)

[nono]

Another nugget from you that I will tuck away....I had forgotten these existed!

 

:)

[PeterPan]

Yup, I don't know how you do it in Windows but for a mac it's a very simple change in system preferences. Even dd is finally admitting how well it's working out for her. If your dc has any issues with fine motor or crossing the midline, it might make a big difference.

[nono]

In a former life I was a Windows specialist, and Dvorak is definitely supported.

 

Interestingly, while looking the layouts up this morning, the original Dvorak, with the numbers out of "order," looks like something that would completely work for my dd, and I believe I can remap via Windows* her keyboard that way.

 

*Vague recollection of being able to do whatever I want via an applet to map the keys...must relearn!

[PeterPan]

Hmmm, I don't know if the numbers are out of order in the layout we're using. I don't *think* they are, but I never asked. The mac comes with multiple Dvorak layout options. This particular one retains the Command-QWERTY keystrokes they were used to. So if you want to command-T for a new tab in the browser or Command+ to blow up the screen size, those keystrokes still work. Since I use her side sometimes (to look at something she's showing me, etc.), that's a nice feature.

 

On the Apple it's a really simple toggle. You can even put it in the bar at the top of the screen and switch without changing user accounts. I just wanted to set it up as a separate account to REQUIRE her to use it. It wasn't a fun change, and I knew she wouldn't stick with it if she could back out. :)

 

Just checked. The numbers on her Dvorak are the same. Or at least 123 are. Should have checked further, lol.

[nono]

Check this one out:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KB_DSKtypewriter.svg

 

The way those numbers are laid out is like a map to my dd's thinking process!

 

 

BTW, I always thought QWERTY was archaic. How funny that I totally forgot about alternates...I became assimilated!

[PeterPan]

Well that's utterly fascinating! The changed order of the numbers makes sense, but at this point, having gotten her to accept one huge change, I don't know if I could get her to accept another. And probably she's better off with the visual crutch of the numbers matching up. But it's definitely interesting. Makes me wonder which of the Dvorak options on the mac would have had that.

[nono]

Well, both Mac and Windows would have the ANSI standard which came out many moons ago, with the first personal computers. And I think ANSI was always 1-9 in order. That layout says it was the one promulgated by Dvorak...so some time previous to PCs and the ANSI standard, but it's in wikipedia, so take that with a grain of salt. ;)

 

And, I also wonder, given that number layout, where would 9 go now? Would it go back in order to the far left? Now that we're out of the 20th century?

[PeterPan]

Well the 9 on what you posted is in the middle. It took me a minute to catch onto what he was doing, but I really like it. Thing is, for practical purposes, I think it would be tricky to have to remember all those less-used symbols. Probably easier for those less-used keys to stay the same when you're using a QWERTY-labeled keyboard to type Dvorak.