Dear Parents and Students:  

This year brings many changes to the computer lab. Over the summer, we replaced all school computers and are now using the Windows 7 operating system and Office 2010 suite. This will give students the opportunity to expand their technology skills with the latest software available and will change the computer curriculum in many ways. Please see the curriculum outline below 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. Now that students have mastered the home row, they will use Speedskins for the last half of the school year. This encourages them to look at the screen and at the transparent hands that are part of their software program. 

Keyboarding goals for first grade will be six words per minute for the third quarter of the year (to receive an "S" for the keyboarding portion of their grades). Second grade students will be required to type eight words per minute for an "S" in keyboarding this quarter. 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 Word and Internet projects in 1st and 2nd grade). Specials classes at All Saints’ use the E, S+, S, S-, and U grading scale (see Parent Handbook for complete description). First grade students has begun doing graded projects this quarterr. 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 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 (Windows 7 skills and Office 2010 projects; 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 an "S" for third quarter are as follows.

3rd Grade: 11 wpm                                 4th Grade: 12 wpm

5th Grade: 16 wpm                                 6th Grade: 19 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 Office 2010 programs (beginning with Word in third grade, adding Excel in fourth grade, and adding PowerPoint in sixth grade). Through graded projects using this and other software and the Windows 7 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, using simple formulas, working with graphics, using flash drives, and toggling between open programs.

Supplies

Every student needs to bring a flash drive to the first computer class. I would prefer similarity and durability in these so requested Kingston, 2 GB. Kingston is very forgiving (doesn't require procedures to be performed before it is safely removed). I also have asked for a style that is not retractable. Students will use these flash drives throughout all their years at All Saints', and the retractable style tends to lose its locking capability quickly (especially if students push the button forward and back repeatedly, an activity that some students seem to find irresistible). Of course, if they break or become lose and can no longer be used, they will need to be replaced, so this is an effort to save you money and to protect student data. Each student (excluding kindergarten and first grade) 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 to be removed after quarterly quizzes since each quiz will contain material that is a review of previous information).

Developing Good Keyboarding Skills
Keyboarding is a difficult skill, especially in the beginning. Students have a tendency to want to invent their own systems for pressing keys, but doing so only limits the level of speed and accuracy they will eventually be able to achieve. Once a bad habit is developed, it is very difficult to break. Common examples are using the thumb to press the keys on the bottom row above the space bar. Most children think it's more practical to use a thumb to press the "c" or the period rather than to lift the index finger up and use the middle finger (in the case of the "c") or the index finger and middle finger of the right hand and use the ring finger to press the period. Doing so, however, requires that a person rotate his hand, taking it off the space bar (where it should continually rest) and causing home-row fingers to leave their positions. Trying to get fingers back on the home row keys properly almost always requires looking. If a child stops to look, it negatively impacts his or her speed. If a child guesses and does so incorrectly, it negatively impacts his or her accuracy. In the lab, I stress going slowly and using only the right fingers for the right keys at all times. They develop strength (think of all the periods we type in any given message, and we use one of our weakest fingers to do so) and automaticity by using that approach.

Many children do need additional home practice. It is important, especially for first and second graders, that this practice be surpervised at least until you ascertain your child's inclination to "improvise" instead of doing what he or she has learned in the lab.

In first grade, all the keys are new and fingers are small, so they need to look when they learn new keys. It is important to emphasize looking but not taking fingers off home-row keys except to press the upper and lower row keys. Then they should put their fingers back in their home-row key positions.

In previous years, second-grade students began using SpeedSkins (available at speedskins.com). This is a thin membrane that is molded to fit over the keyboard to cover up the letters on the keys. This not only ends "hunting and pecking" but also helps students because it has a raised bump on the "f" key and the"j" key to help students find their way back to home-row keys when they have moved their fingers (for example, to reach the "y" or "b"). These skins were a bit tight for some of our new keyboards and were causing the space bar to get stuck, so we had to discontinue their use beginning in third grade (not possible to erase a bad Mavis Beacon score when this happens). I still highly recommend them for home use where an occasional occurrence like this doesn't matter. 

There are many good keyboarding programs available. We use Mavis Beacon in the lab for 3rd through 6th grade and SpongeBob Squarepants Typing in 1st and 2nd grades. Both programs are leveled and have reinforcement games that provide a diversion from straight typing while reinforcing the letters the child has been working to master. There are also free keyboarding programs available on the Internet. They offer less frills but are still functional as a supplement to what we do in the lab.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/cjh/appliedtech/Business/Keyboarding/d1homerow.html

Finally, since I hear from parents all the time that they don't know how to type and can't help their children, be aware that our school store still sells the color-coded tag board keyboards (each key is color-coded to the home-row key/finger that the student should use to press it, i.e., "f" is the red home row key and is controlled by the left index finger). They are not on a shelf in the store, so you will need to ask for one. I am also maintaining a supply of them in the lab for those of you who would prefer sending $2 to school with your child and having them get this from me. If you are not a skilled typist, and your child's keyboarding reports indicate an area of need, I highly recommend getting one for home use and helping your child use it properly. 

Sitting up straight and in a comfortable position with relaxed hands and wrists always affects not only rate and accuracy but also the student's ability to practice for any length of time without hands and fingers hurting. Practice on a laptop keyboard is not recommended until the child masters the standard-sized QWERTY keyboard typically used with a PC.

Please don't hesitate to call me with any questions or concerns. I am always available to provide individual assistance and opportunities to practice before and after school if you let me know a day in advance.

Mrs. Goodell

Click on the camera above to view Computer Lab photos.