Showing posts with label 1st. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1st. Show all posts

1st full week learning new keys

Saturday, May 7, 2016

THIS WEEK:

Learn the following keys on the keyboard - H, E, I, R, O, T
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Technique grade sheet

TODAY:
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 1900s; see image below).  The QWERTY keyboard has been in existence since 1870, but didnt 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 keyboards 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 keyboards 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 (thats 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.
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End of 1st Quarter

Monday, May 2, 2016

As we have talked about all week, today is the last day of the Quarter.  Make it a good one!!

We will review for the quiz at the beginning of class, and then when I let you know you can go to Classmarker and take the quiz.

Once you have completed the quiz, if you have any missing assignments you are to work on whatever is missing.  If you do not have any missing assignments and you are "behind" with the speed test tournament, then Im going to have you compete today to try and catch up so that we have everyone in the same spot.  This means many of you will not be competing in the tournament today - I just want to get everyone in the same place since we had several people last week that were absent when we did this.

If you have everything done then you are welcome to go to the practice websites after the vocab quiz.
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