Word Processing

I was really surprised to read about the debate over word processing in the classroom.  I think it's a very important skill for children to learn at an early age.  With more and more practice children will become automatic at typing and will be more comfortable with programs such as Microsoft Word.  This will save them lots of time and frustration in the future, such as in college when papers are required to be typed and formatted in certain ways.  I have friends who spend hours simply on formatting their papers because it wasn't ever explicitly taught to them.  This time could be better spent learning the material in depth.  It's also a skill that's valued by society.  I know the parents of my students not only expect written work, but work that's been typed as well.  Our school system even required us to take a test on our knowledge of Microsoft Word and then offered online classes specifically targeting your areas of weakness.

I can see other people's viewpoint on this though.  At what age do we really need to start teaching word processing skills?  How proficient should children's manuscript and cursive be before they begin word processing?  Should the skills be taught in isolation or integrated? How proficient are the teachers and are they offered professional development? These are questions that I don't have exact answers for, but should be taken into consideration when planning lessons that may require word processing.  Regardless of the concerns, word processing is a skill students must learn to be successful in the world they will grow up in (They even need it to text message their friends!).  As teachers we must integrate it into our classroom, as it is our obligation to prepare our students for the next chapter of their life to the best of our abilities.