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Keyboard and Mouse

6th Grade Keyboarding Syllabus

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Instructor:Mr. Colby     Prerequisite:None     Length: 40 weeks, every other day     

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Software Used: Type to Learn & Type for Fun (Sunburst) / Microsoft Office: Word, PowerPoint/Google Slides, Google Chrome, Pivot animation software, additions as needed

 

Course Description:  This course is designed to develop correct letter, finger, and symbol “touch” keyboarding techniques.  Additionally, students will be exposed to and become competent in the use of word processing and presentation software.  Because the course is especially developed for 6th grade students, the content of the material used in the course relates to the interests, experiences and reading abilities of the learners at this age level.

 

Course Outline:

 

Proper keyboard fingering and posture (Sunburst Software)

  1. Homerow Position

  2. Body Posture

  3. Index Fingers

  4. Ring Fingers

  5. Middle Fingers

  6. Pinkies

    • Total Unit Time: 4 to 6 weeks, dependent on initial skill 

      level of student group.

 

Using the Internet

  1. Utilizing search engines

  2. Incorporating images from the Internet in school projects

  3. Internet Explorer Tools

  4. Chat room operation, safety, etiquette

    • Total Unit Time: 3 to 4 weeks

 

Word Processing 

  1. Document formatting and printing

  2. Using and formatting tables

  3. Formatting business letters (block and modified block)

  4. Punctuation

  5. Using and formatting graphics in documents

    • Total Unit Time: 6 to 8 weeks

 

Creating Presentations Using current presentation software

  1. Basic overview of PowerPoint

  2. Creating tables

  3. Utilizing buttons and links

  4. Inserting animations and other graphic media                 

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Pivot Animator

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  1. Pivot Animator is designed to be a user friendly way of creating 2D stick-man and sprite animations. The basic concept is that objects can be easily moved and positioned by dragging handles. An animation is made up of key frames added to the time-line, which are shown at the top of the screen. Frames can be automatically created between the key frames to speed up the process (inbetweening). This makes Pivot very easy to use and gives the animator full control over figure movement.

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Specific Instructional Activities:  Introductory activities will include: “touch” keyboarding lessons, followed by drills (poems, strange facts, letters, Madlibs) to develop speed and accuracy.  As students improve they will move onto word processing activities which include: creating a Christmas wish-list which includes a description, a current price, and a picture of each item (proper formatting of each item required),  drafting a letter (in block format) to a celebrity of their choice, and composing an original Madlib.  After a basic overview of PowerPoint, the culmination of the course will be a Jeopardy Game presentation assignment.  Students will spend three weeks compiling facts and trivia, creating answers and questions (in Jeopardy format), and designing their game which will incorporate: graphics, tables, and buttons and links.  Throughout the course, the Internet will be explored and various elements of it will be used.

 

Evaluation:  Methods of evaluation may include:

  1. Rubrics, built-in tests/quizzes in Type to Learn software.

  1. Online Quizzes- requiring students to show knowledge of programs used in class, the names and use of punctuation and symbol keys, proper letter format, etc.

  2. Timed Drills- students are generally required to improve their time over the duration of the course 

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Standards Alignments

 

Type to Learn Cloud aligns with Keyboarding and Technology standards in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Ontario, Canada. Type to Learn Cloud also meets the ISTE 2016 National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S):

 

1. Empowered Learner Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

 

Students:

 

a. articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.

 

b. build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.

 

c. use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

 

d. understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.

 

4. Innovative Designer Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

 

Students:

 

a. know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.

 

b. select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.

 

c. develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.

 

d. exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open- ended problems.


Syllabus Change
 

While every attempt has been made to prepare this syllabus and class schedule in final form, it will be Mr. Colby's prerogative to make any changes as may be deemed necessary in order to meet the learning outcomes of the course. Students will be notified of any change.

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