Learning CW (Continuous Wave) which is Morse Code...

[WB9YBM]

Try one method and if that doesn't work, try another and another until one "clicks" if one method is not working, try another! And I am not talking about just Koch and Farnsworth. I am talking about E, I, S, H, 5 versus A, B, C... and 1, 2, 3... versus character speed versus character spacing versus straight code QSOs versus games. Try anything and everything! I can almost guarantee that if the student is willing to put out the effort, something out there will click with them and they will learn Morse Code. There is a reason people have made so many different "paths" for folks to learn Morse Code.

I think the same can be said learning almost anything. I wish more teachers that I had in school would've had the patience to try different learning paths like you're talking about--a lot of students would do much better, maybe even get encouraged to go further in college!

 

[K4EET]

<snip> I wish more teachers that I had in school would've had the patience to try different learning paths like you're talking about--a lot of students would do much better, ... <snip>

I actually learned this principle from my junior high 9th grade science teacher, my high school 12th grade physics teacher and 12th grade electricity lab teacher. All three teachers would alter their teaching path either during class or after school if needed for a student or students to grasp a concept. After school sessions were rarely required because these three teachers knew how to teach. I have never forgotten this teaching principle. At one point in my professional career after obtaining a Masters Degree in Engineering, I had discussed the possibility with a university of getting my Doctorate (PhD) and working for the university in a tenure-track position.

I didn't take that path but I have used different learning paths with students in my many years of teaching Morse Code in a one-on-one setting. I don't know for sure how many students are still using CW as a mode of communications but I would guess that the percentage is fairly high. CW is great to use when signals are weak since listening for a tone is easier than listening for spoken words. Anybody that I elmered in CW communications could carry on a QSO at 15 WPM by the time they were "graduated." I also co-taught in the CWops CW Academy for a season as well.

Of course all of these Morse Code lesson paths are free, including many of the programs that you will find on the Internet.

I apologize that I digressed from the original response but I wanted to speak to everyone reading this thread. Perhaps I should make a post with many of the Morse Code learning software that I have installed here for reference which perhaps could also eventually be made into a Wiki. Another idea would be for anyone that has used any of the software applications available on the Internet to learn CW or to increase your CW speed, perhaps those folks would be willing to make a brief review post in this thread on the software application that they used. With that, I'll go into receive mode...

To everyone from a retired engineer and pastor, have a very Merry CHRISTmas and a super fantastic New Year!

73, Dave K4EET