Dear Parents and Students: 

Welcome back to school. I am so excited to be back at All Saints’ this year. It promises to be a great one with lots of fun and learning in the lab. Please see the outline below of the computer curriculum for specifics about what we will be doing at each grade level and expectations for students in terms of grades and supplies.

4K and 5K

Our 4K and 5K students will spend the majority of the school year learning how to use computer hardware and software. Students will engage in individual and group activities designed to teach the various mouse functions, opening and closing software programs, accessing menus, moving from one screen to another, and even using the Internet to find a wealth of free and low-cost educational games and seasonal activities. During the fourth quarter of this year, 5K students will be introduced to home keys to begin developing keyboarding skills. Students in 4K and 5K do not receive grades in computer lab.

1st and 2nd Grades

Students in our 1st and 2nd grade classes will focus heavily on developing keyboarding skills. We will use SpongeBob Squarepants Typing at this level because it provides fun reinforcement games that both motivate students to do their best and reward them for accomplishments in a format that provides additional keyboarding practice. First-graders will not use Speedskins since they will be learning new keys all year long. Second-graders will be using Speedskins for the first time to keep them focused on using correct fingering and keeping their eyes on the text and to discourage hunting and pecking.

Keyboarding goals for first grade will start at three words per minute. Second grade students will begin the year with a goal of six words per minute. By the end of the year, these goals will increase by several words per minute depending upon the average progress for each group. All students have an accuracy goal of at least 90 percent. To keep parents apprised of student progress, I will periodically send home student certificates or progress reports in students’ weekly folders. Grades are based on how well students meet their keyboarding goals, as well as on attitude, effort, and graded projects (mostly MS Word projects in 1st and 2nd grade). Specials classes at All Saints’ use the E, G, S, N, and U grading scale (see Parent Handbook for complete description). First grade students will not be doing graded projects until close to the end of the year (when they will have had time to develop some basic keyboarding skills). However, they will engage in a variety of activities using software and the Internet to develop computer skills while having lots of fun.

3rd Grade—6th Grade

Students in third through sixth grade will use Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing for their keyboarding program. It is individualized, thus it can introduce letters at a pace appropriate for the particular student.  Mavis Beacon continually assesses student needs and modifies subsequent lessons to address these needs. This program also uses more age-appropriate games to reinforce new skills, which students really seem to enjoy. Students will continue to use Speedskins to discourage reverting to “hunting and pecking.”

Grades are based on keyboarding (40%), projects (MS Office; 20%), quizzes (20%) and attitude and effort (10% each). Quizzes cover computer terminology, techniques (using operating systems, browsers, software), and keyboard shortcuts. Accuracy is expected to be at least 90% throughout the year, and the words-per-minute goals for first quarter are as follows.

3rd Grade: 9 wpm 4th Grade: 10 wpm

5th Grade: 13 wpm 6th Grade: 15 wpm

To keep parents apprised of student progress, I will periodically send home Mavis Beacon progress reports in students’ weekly folders. Since students have computer lab only one each week, home practice is essential in developing strong keyboarding skills. Students who practice at home regularly are the ones who consistently meet and exceed classroom goals. Encouraging children to use these skills whenever they are on their home computers also helps support growth in this area.

In addition to learning how to use resources on the Internet, students will learn to use Microsoft Office programs (beginning with Word in third grade, adding Excel in later grades, and adding Powerpoint and Publisher in sixth grade). Through graded projects using this and other software and the XP operating system, students will learn how to perform a wide variety of computer and software tasks, i.e., working with folders, saving files, setting margins, copying and pasting text, merging cells in a worksheet, inserting graphics, using flash drives, and toggling between open programs.

Supplies

Each student (excluding kindergarten) needs to bring a two-pocket folder, paper, and pencil to class each week. Class notes should be kept in this folder all year long (not removed after quarterly quizzes since each quiz will contain material that is a review of previous information). We will provide flash drives for students in second through sixth grade, and these will be kept at school for use this year and in subsequent years. Sixth-graders will take their flash drives home to keep at the end of the year.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have at any time throughout the year. I will make myself available before and after school for older students who need additional support on computer skills, when they have missed classes due to illness and need help with the curriculum they missed or to finish projects, or for those who need help preparing for quarterly quizzes. I look forward to working with you and your child.

Mrs. Goodell