Touch typing courses focus on writing English prose. Programming requires a far greater range of ability with all the punctuation and special symbols. Then you have all the function and special keys too.
I wouldn't be too hung up on how it is taught. Once you learn the essentials and can type a sentence or so without looking, then you'll be fine. Personally, I just watch the screen and correct and make slight hand position adjustments without looking down at the keyboard. The fun trick is when somebody walks up to my desk to ask a question, and I continue typing whilst engaging in their conversation. It is sort of a file-write-flush for me, to capture whatever was on my mind when I was interrupted.
I wouldn't be too hung up on how it is taught. Once you learn the essentials and can type a sentence or so without looking, then you'll be fine. Personally, I just watch the screen and correct and make slight hand position adjustments without looking down at the keyboard. The fun trick is when somebody walks up to my desk to ask a question, and I continue typing whilst engaging in their conversation. It is sort of a file-write-flush for me, to capture whatever was on my mind when I was interrupted.