Computer Skills Development Program
History & Description, Page1
Our students continue to make advancements in the following areas:
•E-Mail- using Yahoo
•Internet research- using Google
•Creating document- using Microsoft Word
•Creating banners, cards and brochures- with Microsoft Publisher
•Keyboarding- using KP Typing Pro
•Improve Math and Reading skills- with www.primarygames.com
The Our Lady of the Wayside Computer Skills Development Program students are progressing at an excellent pace. What is striking about the program is the increased level of independence and confidence that they have achieved.
Robert Knight exemplifies the development that some of our students have made. He has been with the Computer Skills Development Program since its inception in August of 2001. At that time, because of Robert’s work schedule, his and Peter Iaffaldano’s classes were held on their kitchen table at the Fairview Park Home with a laptop computer. Robert was very interested in writing short stories. During the week, he would write them by hand on his legal pad. Robert wanted to reproduce his work on the computer but he would get frustrated because the keyboard was not in alphabetical order. I left an old keyboard with him so he could practice during the week.
After a month, I showed him how to use keyboarding software called KP Typing Tutor. This self-paced program has sentence exercises at the top of the screen and a simulated keyboard at the bottom. It gives the student immediate feedback in determining their words-per-minute with visual and audio prompts.
Robert’s keyboarding skills have improved dramatically. Now, he arrives to class with his story notes, logs on to the computer, opens Microsoft Word and begins typing. We add a title with WordArt, save it into his folder and print the document. Robert and the Computer Skills Development Program have come a long way.
Some of the activities that our students work on each week include:
· Producing documents using Microsoft Word. For example:
~Short stories
~Poems
~“To Do” lists
~Sports and entrainment biographies
~Recipes
· Improving typing skills with KP Typing Tutor
· Creating card and banners with Microsoft Publisher
· Sending and Receiving e-mail using Yahoo
· Using MapQuest to find directions from their homes to weekly activities
· Searching the Internet with Google
· Creating pictures with the Magic 3-d Coloring Book
· Opening “Favorites” to visit web sites such as:
www.realtor.com
www.allrecipes.com
www.mlb.com
www.poems.com
www.aplusmath.com
www.eduplace.com
·Editing photos with Kodak Imaging