Vocab Quiz #1; learn B and Y

We will take the first few minutes to review for the vocab quiz.  After looking over the words on your wikispaces page we will go to Classmarker to take the quiz.  You shouldn't be on Classmarker until I tell you to go there!

Once you are completed with the quiz you will need to open Microsoft Word and turn to page 11.  You need to type lines 1-10 in section 5C.

Once we get done with section 5C we will move to page 12 and learn the B (L1) and the Y (R1).

Right shift key and W

Today we will add the Right shift key and the W to what we have already learned on the keyboard.

After learning these new keys we will go to a website and do a little practice from there.

Vocabulary, technique, and new keys

With the long layoff, we have several things we need to cover.

1. Vocabulary - we will still have our regularly scheduled vocab quiz this Friday.  In order to keep things on track we have to stay with our original schedule for quizzes.  However, I will add an additional day for those who still have not posted their definitions.  This means that for those of you who have not completed this it MUST! get done by tonight.
2. Technique - we will have a technique grade again this week, even though it is a short week.  One thing regarding technique grades - if you miss the majority of a week when we have technique I will take the next technique grade we have and double it.
3. Our main priority continues to be to learn the keyboard.  We will add in some other things as we go, but until we learn all of the keys learning and practicing will be the major emphasis of things in class.

Today we will review the keys we have learned and add in the U (R1) and the C (L2).

Wikispaces account; Learn Left Shift key and period

Today we will cover how to use your Wikispaces account.  This will be how you post your vocab definitions online.  Any online wiki allows users to change the content of the website; for our class wiki the only people who can change the content are the people in the class - no one else will have access to the wiki.  It is for this reason that using Wikipedia should be used with caution - you can never be sure that the person who edited the website is an expert in the area they posted about online.

After covering how to use the Wikispaces website we will learn the Left Shift key (L4) and the period (R3).

Vocabulary; Google reminders; new seating chart; Learn Left Shift Key and period

At the beginning of the hour we will move to our new seats.

Once at your new seats you can log into your Google account.  We are going to look at how the vocabulary for class works.  This involves using information that is on the class blog and setting up reminders in your Google account (I'll show you how to do this today).  We have our first vocab quiz next week, so some of you will need to get definitions right away.  The only thing we won't be able to go over today is how to use Wikispaces, the website we will use to post definitions on.  We will cover how to do that tomorrow.

After going through the vocabulary information we will learn 2 new keys; however, today's keys are not letters.  Instead we will learn the Left Shift key (L4) and the period (R3).

Learn the N & G

Today is going to be pretty basic.  We'll review all of the keys we've learned so far, and then we'll add two new keys to the mix - the N (R1) and the G (L1).

Review all keys learned

Today we are going to take the short time we have and review.  We are going to use a couple of different websites today to break up the monotony and get out of using the book.  Let's start with this website:

Lesson 1

Once you get done with Lesson 1 go on to Lessons 2 and 3.

After completing those you will need to go this next website to practice:

Sense-Lang.org

On that website you can complete any of the lessons from Lessons 1 - 5.

Free Typing Games

You can work on Lessons 1 - 4, 10, and 15 on this website.

Review all keys learned; Learn O and T

We are going to do much like yesterday…review the keys that we have learned so far.  However, today we are going to use a different method for review as part of what we do in class.  This should help to break up the monotony.

Additionally we will be learning the O (R3) and the T (L1) today.  Believe or not after today you will have already learned 50% of the letters on the keyboard!


techniquesheet

Review keys; learn the I and the R

After spending much of our time with Google yesterday, today we are going to head back to the book and Word to review and learn 2 new keys.  The 2 keys we are going to learn today are the I (R2) and the R (L1).

Don't forget the 10 Facts About Me assignment is due Friday.  That means that you can turn it in any time on Friday (so 11:50 PM is still Friday…but I don't recommend staying up or waiting until then to complete the assignment).  When you send an email there is a time stamp on it, so I'll be able to tell if you sent the assignment by Friday.

First assignment

Today you are going to receive your first assignment.  But, before getting it we are going to make a small change to your Google account.  Additionally, we are going to add a contact in your Gmail as well.  So, let's sign in to your Google account and I'll show you how you can add a signature to your account and how to add a contact.

The purpose of the signature, in terms of an email account, is that you can automatically add your signature to every outgoing email message that you send.  This is useful because you should always include your name at the end of every email.

Here is how you create a contact in Gmail:

1. Click on "Gmail" in the top left.
2. Choose "Contacts"
3. Click on "New Contact"
4. Fill in appropriate information
5. My school email address is dpardoe@dist228.org

After including your signature in your email we are going to talk about your first assignment.  The name of the assignment is "10 things about me".  You will need to send to me by Friday 10 facts about yourself (this is a homework assignment - you will not be allowed to complete this during class).  However, the 10 facts are going to be a little unique.  I'll explain this part in class - here's an example of what you would need to include:

1 - I have 1 sister
2 - I have golfed at the John Deere TPC twice
3 - I have 3 kids
4 - 4 is my favorite number
5 - I have been to a Chicago Bears game 5 times
6 - I started playing the piano at age 6
7 - The address of the house I am currently living in is 707
8 - I have been to Lake of the Ozarks 8 times
9 - The zip code of the town I grew up in is 80759
10 - One of the cars I own is a 2010 Toyota Highlander

When you send me your email you will need to make sure that you include the 5 parts to a correct email.  They are listed here:

1. Email address
1. Username (what comes before the @ symbol)
2. the @ symbol
3. email server (gmail or yahoo, for example)
4. the period
5. the top level domain (.com, .net, .org)
2. Subject line
1. explains to the reader of the email what the email is about
2. not typed in all caps
3. Greeting
1. include the name of the person you are sending the email to
2. depending on your relationship with the individual, it may be "Dear Mr. Smith" or you might enter "James"
4. Body
1. Write in complete sentences
2. if you want your email to be professional, avoid texting language (LOL, OMG, etc.)
3. spell check!!
5. Signature
1. create a signature using features in Google (done!)
2. eliminates having to remember to type your name at the bottom

Review home row; Learn H and E

We will spend the beginning of the hour reviewing the home row.  After reviewing we will then add 2 new keys - the H and the E.

What we are using is called a QWERTY keyboard (you should be able to find where QWERTY is on the keyboard); there is another keyboard called the DVORAK keyboard, but it is very uncommon (designed in the early 1900's; see image below).  The QWERTY keyboard has been in existence since 1870, but didn't become really popular until about 15 years later.  Ever since that time, however, it has been the standard for keyboard layouts.

The purpose of the QWERTY keyboard's layout is to avoid having keys stick together as they were being typed - the idea was to have a layout in which you alternated using your hands often while typing - this helped to eliminate having the typewriter arms get stuck.  The DVORAK keyboard's purpose was to have the most commonly used keys on the home row - thus your fingers moved less while typing, but the problem was that the keys got stuck more often.
 

Just a few things to keep in mind as you are keying:

1. When keying your forearms should not be resting on your thighs.  Remember that your fingers are the only "things" touching anything - everything else on your lower arm should not be touching the keyboard, countertop, or anything else.
2. If you keep your keyboard at the edge of the countertop you will avoid having issues with #1 above.  This will also be a benefit when it comes to the technique sheet and grading.
3. The speed skins will move slightly as you are typing - I understand your frustration in this regard, but do the best that you can.
4. In order to be able to key at a proficient level you need to fight through the urge to constantly look at your keyboard (that's part of why we have the speed skins).  This will probably be a "weird sensation" - you are used to using your visual senses to help you accomplish what you do on a daily basis.  However, we want to get to a point where looking at your keyboard is not necessary.

Learning the home row on the keyboard

Today we are going to start with learning the keyboard and how to key correctly.  You should know that you will be learning the touch typing method - that means that you will be learning to key without looking at the keyboard.  That is why we use the speed skins - they are to be on your keyboard at all times throughout the entire semester.

The biggest factor in learning to key successfully is to first concentrate on technique (we will cover what you need to do correctly in terms of technique today in class).  Most people want to type fast right away - I think that's human nature, but it just doesn't work that way.  Being able to type efficiently and at a fast pace takes a bunch of practice.

Our concentration as we begin to learn the keyboard will be on technique - speed will come later.  It is important that you concentrate on doing things right first, and usually that means at a slow pace as you begin, rather than worry about your speed.

Finish Computer Lab Policy; classroom procedures

We will start today by completing our discussion of the computer lab policy.  Once we have completed that we will talk a little bit about the procedures for the classroom.  They include:

• printer
• restroom passes
• speed skins
• Check website daily
• remember…this is not an arcade!

If there is still time we will start with learning the keyboard.

Welcome to 2nd Semester!

Today we start on a new semester…and for you in here a new class - Computer Applications.  There are many things you will learn in here - how to key correctly, how to use Microsoft Word, definitions of terms, how to create your own website, and many other things.

I have one classroom rule, and that is RESPECT!  When you stop to think about it, that covers a lot of territory.  If you can keep that one thought in mind when you make a decision in my room you will have no problems.

We are going to begin by going over the Computer Lab Network Policy.  This is something you have all agreed to (even though you didn't know it), and so you are therefore required to follow the rules that are contained within the policy.  Here is the policy.