ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION



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Computer Classes

Computer Keyboard

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Skills

Jackson District Library

244 W. Michigan

Jackson, MI 49201

517-788-4088



2007

OBJECTIVES:

Participants will

• Become more familiar with the use and function of the computer keyboard

• Have a list of online programs to use for keyboard practice

• Become more comfortable with the use of the keyboard.

The keyboard: general points

The keyboard diagram on page 4 illustrates the type of keyboard found on a Windows pc: the keyboards of other types of computer are slightly different, but have the same basic keys.

Different applications

A word processor, a spreadsheet, a computer terminal program - all these are different "applications" (i.e. programs). The keys on a keyboard may behave differently, depending on the application being used.

Default

The word "default" means, "what you get if you don't ask for something different.” This word is used a lot in computing in such phrases as "the default setting is…”

Auto-repeat

If you hold down any key for longer than about half a second, it will start repeatingggggggggg

Auto-repeat is a nuisance - not to say dangerous - if you accidentally leave something on the keyboard, like a book. This causes a stream of characters to be sent to the computer; we have seen essays destroyed by a user resting a hand on the keyboard whilst talking to a friend.

See also Typing Technique, later.

Insertion

Generally, when you are typing text or data into a document, the new characters are inserted, rather than over-typing any text, which is already there. You can change this by using the settings in the program (for example Tools - Options - Edit in the word processor Microsoft Word). Keyboards have an Insert key (see diagram), which is one of the "toggle" keys (see next section). This key can conflict with software settings (like Word's setting).

Toggle keys

Press a toggle key once, and it switches on a certain effect. Press the same key once again, and the effect is then switched off. The most used toggle keys are Caps Lock, Insertion and Num Lock (see the diagram).

Food and drink

Do not eat or drink when typing - take a proper break instead. Crumbs, drinks, greasy or sticky fingers are all enemies of keyboard and mouse.

Ctrl-Alt-Del

This strange combination of keys has been the PC user's friend from the earliest days. While pressing down Ctrl and Alt with two fingers of your left hand, tap the Del key at the right hand side of the keyboard. In modern Windows systems, this brings up the Task Manager dialogue. This allows you to display a list of the Tasks currently active and to "End the Task" for anything, that has stopped responding. This can prove very useful at times.

A typical PC (Windows) keyboard

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1. Main Alphanumeric Keyboard

Here you will find all the letters of the alphabet, and all the numeric keys. In addition, there are over 30 “non-alphanumeric” characters, like punctuation marks (;:,.({! Etc) and special symbols (@ % $ & etc)

2. Escape Key

Sends a real put invisible, character to the computer, It usually signifies that you want to escape from what the computer is doing – but don’t use Esc unless you are instructed to do so by your documentation or by information from the computer screen you are doing on the

3. Function Keys

There are usually twelve of these marked F1 up to F12. Do not use them unless instructed by your documentation. These keys have different functions in different applications. The F1 is almost always a help key

4. Print Screen (PrtScr) etc

Again, these have special functions; don’t use them unless instructed by your documentation

5. Indicator lights

Indicate that the names special key has been pressed. If strange things start o happen when you are typing, check these lights – you may have pressed a special key by accident; they are all “toggle keys” so press the key again to turn it off.

6. Numeric keypad

Most keyboards are divided into three or four groups of keys. The largest group is the main key board; at the right is a smaller group usually containing about 18 keys - the numeric keypad. This is used when typing large amounts of numeric data.

To type numbers using the numeric keypad you have to press the key marked Num Lock (which usually switches on a small light). On most keyboards, when Num Lock is not pressed, the keys duplicate other characters - for example the arrow keys.

When Num Lock is not pressed, the keys on this keyboard (illustrated) duplicate the arrow keys; four have the words Pg Up, Pg On, Home and End these are also cursor control keys, for use with software like word processors, databases, spreadsheets, etc. /is the symbol for arithmetic division, and * is the symbol for multiplication. Ins is the Insertion key, another toggle key (see Insertion earlier).

Del is used to delete characters; (see also no. 14 Backspace.)

7. Arrow Keys

The four keys marked with arrows move a pointer on the computer screen, which is called a "cursor". When you are typing commands, or when word-processing, etc., the cursor shows where typing will commence if you press a character key. You can move the cursor with the arrow keys, or by using the mouse

8. Shift Keys

There is a Shift key at each side of the main keyboard. If you hold down either Shift key and tap another key, it produces an "upper case" character - a capital letter, or the upper characters on the key. However pressing it down alone does nothing.

For example Shift and A produces a capital letter "A" instead of the normal lower case "a.” Shift-5 produces the character "%.”

9. Enter key

Either of these is used to send a command to the

computer when you have finished typing it. Or (when using a word processor) either key starts a new paragraph.

10. Space bar

Produces the "space" character. This is a real, distinct character- it is not simply a "blank'"

(When word processing you should use the Tab key, or paragraph formatting, to create large areas of space - don't hold down the Space bar.)

11. Ctrl, Windows and Alt keys

▪ One on each side of the keyboard, for convenience

▪ By itself, the windows or Ctrl (Control) key does nothing. But when you tap another key, or click the mouse, while holding down the key. This produces a different effect than normal

▪ The Alt key is different again: rather than like Caps Lock, it is a kind of toggle key, and prefixes the next key you press, thus changing its action Alt is used a lot in windows.

Documentation tells you when to use all these special keys.

Note: Documentation sometimes uses the “^” character to mean the Ctrl key. Thus “press^C” means hold down the Ctrl key and tap the C key”; it does not mean press the “^” character (shift-6 and then the C) This is an ancient computing convention.

12. Caps lock (toggle key)

Press this once to make all letters appear in capitals; it has no effect on non-letter keys. Press again to turn off the effect.

13. Tab key

Used to “tabulate” date or text, and also to skip from field to field in spreadsheets, etc. You can change tab settings to what you want. An extremely useful key

14. Backspace key

Use to delete a character by “backspacing” over it- or several, if you hold it down. This is often used instead of the Del key (which deletes “forward”).

15. Special key pad

There are many special keys on a computer keyboard. Usually, you can ignore most of them – if you need them, your instructions will tell you how to use them. However, there are some special keys, which you always need and these are described later. These keys are duplicated on the numeric keypad (see No.6).

Similar-looking characters

When people used typewriters it was quite common to use one character in place of another - some typewriters did not have a complete character set. For example, if your typewriter had no number one, you might have used the letter "l.”

Don't substitute characters on a computer! Here are some similar-looking characters:

Number zero "0" Letter “o” or “O”

Number one "1" Letter “l”

Number “2” Letter “z” or “Z”

Underline “_” Hyphen (minus sign) “-“

Semicolon “;” Colon”:”

Back slash “\” Forward Slash “/”

Single quotation mark (These two appear on

Double quotation mark the same key)

Typing technique

When typing, tap the keys, don't press them or hit them hard.

Remember the auto-repeat feature; think of the damage that could be caused by accidentally holding down, for example, the Esc, or the Enter, or the Backspace keys! Keep books away from the keyboard.

Free online resources:

(this shows the keyboard layout and gives some “silent practice” on which fingers type which keys.





scroll down - click on Typer Shark

wait for it to load and click where it says to click here to continue with Typer

Shark Basics

Click desired level- start with easy.

Type the words that appear on the sharks.

This one needs to be downloaded to your computer. You can download it from this site.



1. Read the following tips carefully and observe them while learning to touch-type with the TACTUS Keyboard.

2. Print this page and have it available while you learn.

3. Tap the keys with a regular cadence as if you had a metronome beating the time, using a slow, deliberate pace. You may find that your speed will decrease at first but will increase again as you learn the location of keys.

4. Always rest your fingers on the home keys. If you need to move the hand, for instance to operate the mouse, return the fingers to their home position before tapping another key.

5. Use the index fingers as "pivots" for other fingers. For instance, if you need to type the letter "P,” use the right index as a pivot and, keeping the index finger on its home position on the key J, turn your right hand gently upwards, until the right little finger reaches the key P.

6. Always keep your hands suspended above the keys, roughly parallel to the keys.

7. Do not rest your palms on the palm rest. Rest your palms on the palm rest only when you are not typing (when you are examining your work or thinking or entering numbers with the numerical keypad, etc.).

8. Say the letters aloud as you type each key. For instance, if you are tapping the key 0, say "0.” This will assist you in memorizing where the keys are located.

9. Type "letters" not "words,” that is, spell aloud the word as you type each letter. For instance if you need to type the word "house", say aloud h-o-u-s-e as you type each letter. As you become more expert, you will type words rather than letters.

10. Always use the correct finger to type a key. This will allow a "linkage" to be formed between each finger and the keys it controls.

11. II

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Patron Workshop Evaluation Form

|Workshop Title | | |Date | |

|Held at | | |Instructor | |

Please rate each question below by circling the desired response- 1 being the least favorable and 5 being the most favorable.

|1. |The material was presented clearly and understandably. 1 2 3 4 5 |

|2. |The objectives of the workshop were clearly stated. 1 2 3 4 5 |

|3. |The workshop met the stated objectives. 1 2 3 4 5 |

|4. |The handouts were helpful and informative. 1 2 3 4 5 |

|5. |How did you learn about this program? |

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|Which branch(es) do you normally use | |

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