Category: Case Studies

Greensboro Day School have been using KAZ for several years. 100% of students, grades 4-12, use laptops throughout the curriculum.

Q. How did you hear about KAZ? 

A. A former colleague recommended it.

Q. How important do you think the skill of touch typing is for students in today’s world? 

A. I think being able to type relatively quickly and accurately is very important to succeed in school and business.

Q. How have you implemented KAZ into your time table/learning? 

A. I dedicate several lesson sessions to teaching the students how to use KAZ, then monitor their progress. I assign independent practice based on their WPM and Accuracy scores from Speedbuilder tests. 

Q. What do you think of KAZ’s admin panel and recording of student progress? 

A. I like being able to see their latest WPM/Accuracy, though I wish it would qualify if the Speedbuilder taken was a “just the a-z” or “and the rest” keys. 

KAZ:We are looking into this.

Q. KAZ offering both a mainstream and SEN/Dyslexia edition in their school license – has this helped? 

A. I have only had one student with dyslexia that I used the program with. I appreciated having the option for that student.

Q. How efficient has KAZ been and are the children enjoying it?
A. I would rate it more efficient than fun. Some of the students really like typing and some don’t – I don’t think it is KAZ, I think it is typing in general for the students that don’t really enjoy it. 

Q. Is the fact that KAZ online can be used at school and at home a positive feature and why? 

A. This is a very positive feature and one of the reasons I have stuck with KAZ as I can assign portions of it for homework/independent practice and students may go at their own pace. 

Q. What do you think of KAZ? 

A. I really like KAZ and will keep using it because the method works (my students almost across the board see gains) and it is flexible enough for me to assign it they way I need to for my students. 

Greensboro Day School develops the intellectual, ethical, and interpersonal foundations students need to become constructive contributors to the world.

#1 Best Private High School in Guilford County

Give YOUR students a head start – teach them to type.

Zenon Texeira, director of thisisopus.com, a well renowned, exclusive high end book publishing house commented, “I was shocked when I used your  ROI calculator. We spend thousands on staff training. The cost savings gained for just one member of staff will pay for other training!”

His company, Opus, primarily specialises in high end book publications and has an impressive array of exclusive and limited edition books. 

‘At OPUS, our mission is to produce definitive publications, featuring the finest writers, stunning images, displayed on an epic scale and presented in a beautifully-designed, luxury format…. The use of special colour processes, the highest grade paper stocks, and painstaking attention to detail in reproduction of pictures combine to ensure an unparalleled visual feast. Individually hand-bound and designed to stand the test of time, available in strictly limited edition print runs worldwide and personally signed by legends, every Opus is a collectors item, offering investment potential and pleasure for generations to come.’ 

Zenon continues, “For large format and high end publications, accurate data input is vital and with all the intricacies of language and grammar, even more so. Our product is aimed at the high end market and our clients expect the best. Each stage of product development, from design through to production is verified and signed off. Each is as important as the other and if we can input our data faster and more accurately, make our IT and technicians more efficient, then this all contributes to a superior product and a much quicker delivery time. Our books can take several months to produce, so time management is crucial for successfully meeting deadlines and delivery. 

The majority of us can all type, especially the designers but what is amazing is how quickly and easily bad habits creep in. It is now company policy to allocate a couple of hours each year in our training days, for a refresher on KAZ.

For a full view of the Opus catalogue: thisisopus.com

How KAZ’s Mainstream and Neurodiverse typing tutor is being used in Schools around the world.

“In today’s world of technology, the life skill of touch typing is a crucial 21st century skill”, says Alan Tsui, Academic Enrichment Programmed Leader at Willow Brook Primary School Academy in East London. He has taken his school from in Special Measures to one of the top performing schools in London, for the school year 2018/19, as recognised by the Mayor of London.

How did you hear about KAZ?

I first encountered KAZ-Type in 2014 when working at a very prestigious Independent Preparatory School based in Central London. The Head Teacher asked me to manage the school’s subscription as part of its computing curriculum. The children I was working with at the time were very enthused by it, especially being able to challenge each other with their typing speeds. Many were also partly motivated by the fact that I had set them a personal challenge to exceed my typing speed. At every school I have worked at since then, I have always managed to persuade my senior colleagues to allow me to subscribe to KAZ. Given the subscription rates, it is incredible value.

How important do you think the skill of touch typing is for students in today’s world? 

Keyboard skills are an absolutely critical twenty-first century skill. I often tell the children I work with and fellow educators I meet that I was of the generation when computers first became a feature of the learning landscape in the early 1980s. My Dad was very sceptical at the time but nevertheless supported my decision to elect to study a subject called ‘Business Studies’ when I was at secondary school. ‘Business Studies’ then included learning how to touch-type on a manual typewriter. So at the age of 16, I was already able to achieve a speed of around 20 wpm. As computers have become ubiquitous in the world of work, having keyboard skills is a central, if not key element of digital literacy.

How have you implemented KAZ into your time table/learning? 

Since 2014, for primary schools in England, the computing curriculum can be segmented into three main components – programming or coding, information technology and digital literacy.  KAZ is very much part of the digital literacy scheme of works that I teach. The school I  currently work for – Willow Brook Primary School Academy in East London, is an amazing school, where my senior colleagues have a ‘can-do and want to’ attitude. So when I asked to upgrade all the computer equipment at the school back in 2016, they agreed. So now we have one Internet connected laptop or netbook for every three children to share. This means that in every classroom for every lesson, when children have completed the tasks expected for that session, they can be practising KAZ. For the very youngest learners, this has had a very positive impact on their reading and writing skills, to the point that Willow Brook was recognised by the Mayor of London as being one of the top performing schools in London in school year 2018/19 (source:https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/education-and-youth/schools-success/schools-success-profiles/willow-brook-primary-201819). Beyond the school timetable, Willow Brook also offers a wide programme of after school clubs which are free to all families to take up. Using KAZ as part of the after school club offer meant that I was hosting or facilitating after school club meetings held on Friday afternoons, which were always so well attended and over-subscribed, we had to hold two groups. 

What do you think of KAZ’s admin panel and recording of student progress?

The KAZ Administrator panel and student progress display is absolutely fantastic. The children I work with are always thrilled to see their scores displayed in a way that is easy to understand and rank their performances. Some children get a little bit anxious when they realise that their performance might not be improving as they would like – so the feature that maintains a display or record of their personal best encourages them to know that they are doing well.

KAZ offering both a mainstream and SEN/Dyslexia edition in their school license – has this helped?

I only saw the SEN/Dyslexia edition for the first time at BETT 2019 but am delighted with its release. The children I’ve offered access to the SEN/Dyslexia edition to have really enjoyed using it. The fact that it operates on the same platform means that lessons when everybody in a class or after-school club meeting is practising KAZ is very inclusive.

Is the fact that KAZ online can be used at school and at home a positive feature and why?

Every learner being able to access KAZ from any internet connected laptop or computer anywhere means that schools which have a subscription have a very efficient means of setting homework, which many parents actively support…to the point that some families have even asked if they can be given individual access to practice and perfect their keyboard skills!

What do you think of KAZ?

It is the best piece of on-line learning that I have ever seen and had the privilege of using since I started using the Internet in 1997.

Lillian Herridge, mother, was asked by ‘Bizziebaby’ to review KAZ Typing Tutor’s junior edition. Lillian thought getting her two girls, Amy and Lucile, aged 8 and 10 to try out KAZ, would be the perfect opportunity to teach them to touch type correctly! 

In today’s world, do you think children are familiar with a computer from an early age?

“Yes, they are computer savvy from an early age. My 2 daughters are always on the computer, writing and preparing tasks for school but using just two  fingers!”

What did you think of the course?

“The set up and process of organising everything online was easy for my daughters. The programme offers a ‘getting started’ section, then they would just go through each stage. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow. It took them both through each step and explained everything clearly. The whole programme outlined how to begin and how to position your fingers on the keyboard. It started them off with simple exercises and they could take their time at each stage. A really good programme which allows each child to learn at the pace that suits them, which is so important. You could also opt for sound, which made it easier for the girls to follow. You can also obtain a review of your progress. My daughters did not encounter any problems using this online programme.”   

Has it made a difference to their typing? 

“I have seen a real difference in their typing skills, which will make it easier and quicker for both my daughters to prepare various essays etc. for themselves or school work. It has also increased their confidence on the keyboard and they no longer use just 2 fingers. Now they have this to work with, I know their typing skills will continue to improve. Results are great!”

What do you think of the price?

“It is certainly really good value – excellent value for money and I am surprised this is not in more schools. A great product which is child friendly and easy to follow.”

What do you think of the KAZ website?

“Easy to use and navigate.”

What do you think of KAZ and would you recommend it?

“A great product and I would highly recommend it. For anyone who wants to help children learn how to type with confidence, this is a good investment. My girls loved it!” 

 Mainstream Typing Tutor

I needed to learn to type!

“I spend a lot of time at my computer and realised that I really needed to improve my work rate. I’m self-employed and in a ‘light-bulb’ moment decided that I really needed to learn to type – realising that the less time I wasted, typing with two fingers, the more work I could actually get done.” 

How did you hear about KAZ?

I searched the internet but actually spent more time searching for the right product, than it actually took me to learn to type with KAZ! 

I had tried a free typing tutor in the past and another paid one my friend used, which seemed really good, with lots of videos but I just got fed up and frustrated. It looked good online but it just didn’t do the job. I spent hours on the course but.. .

After speaking to my brother, who used KAZ at Uni and can now type, I looked KAZ up, read the testimonials and thought… 90 minutes? I’ll prove that wrong… but I can’t believe it actually worked! 

How important do you think the skill of touch typing is?

If only I’d learned at school 🙁

What do you think of KAZ’s user interface?

Easy to use and simple to navigate. I guess it needs to be if you’re going to learn quickly or in 90 minutes.

KAZ offering both a mainstream and SEN/Dyslexia editions – did this help?

I only needed the mainstream version but I like the fact that they care.

What do you think of KAZ?

Really impressed with the price – cheaper than the bunch of flowers that I bought my girlfriend. (Haha!) Also, my fingers now just seem to go to the right keys without me even thinking about it. Definitely the best decision I made this year.