A Holiday Card in KidPix

Create a holiday card in KidPix and reinforce early writing skills while teaching mouse skills, toolbars and tool use:

Big List of Student-Friendly Websites

I’ve just finished it. Tell me what you think. Add a comment with any sites I’ve left out:

Great Websites for Kids–Click here

Kindergarten through Fifth Grade

Keyboarding Could Give Early Warning of Dementia

I never would have guessed…

Keyboard style could give early warning of dementia

26 August 2009

EVERY generation has some form of relationship with the internet, but for the older members of society, boosted computer use may have a surprise benefit: it could provide a warning that they may be experiencing the subtle early signs of dementia.

Lisa Vizer and colleagues at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, say the first signs of age-related cognitive problems, or a degenerative condition like Alzheimer’s, might be detectable using software that monitors telltale variations in an individual’s typing patterns. The researchers say that warnings of a possible cognitive dysfunction could improve diagnosis and treatments in time to minimise or delay serious impairment (International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2009.07.005).

But how to do it? The UMBC team knew that an individual’s typing rhythm is distinctive and reasonably stable over time, but that it can change when we are under temporary stress. They wanted to find out if the mental stress of a cognitive or physical condition would also be detectable.

An individual’s typing rhythm is distinctive and reasonably stable over time

So they hired 24 volunteers with an average of 12 years’ experience of typing. After having them perform a number of keyboard exercises, such as writing emails on any topic they liked, they undertook either mental mathematics tasks to stress them cognitively, or intense physical exercise to stress them physically.

Subjects then retook the keyboard tests and their performances were compared by looking at factors such as how long each keystroke took, word lengths and vocabulary used. It turned out that cognitive stress led to more changes in keystroke characteristics, and physical stress more linguistic ones. For instance, those cognitively stressed made increased use of the “caps lock” key and less use of the backspace key.

If the monitoring software should detect a typing pattern which indicates deterioration over a long period, says Vizer, it may suggest to the user to consider seeing a doctor.

Lynsey Roberts of the Alzheimer’s Society in London urges caution, however: “While it is really important to find new ways to diagnose dementia early, this group has not yet found a direct link to dementia.”

The researchers are now pressing ahead with a new battery of tests on 80 elderly volunteers.

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4 FREE Online Keyboarding Programs for K, 1

Many of the programs I recommended in my post Time to Start Keyboarding required nominal reading–maybe more than new readers in kindergarten and first grade can accomplish. Since then, several friends have told me about some sites they use with their beginning keyboarders that they’ve had great results with. I thought I’d share:

1. Key Seeker
2. Big Brown Bear Keyboarding
3. Keyboard Climber
4. Super Hyper Spider Typer

Get Rid of Computer Fear

Awkward, but worth it

How? Keyboard shortcuts. Make a list of them. Put them by the computer. It won’t take your child long to remember them, and I’ve found over the years that kids love them–a lot more than using the mouse to find the button that does…. To be able to push Ctrl+Z and have their entire document reappear (after they’ve accidentally deleted it) is a WOW. From that point, I’ve got them, as long as I keep dribbling out the keyboard shortcuts.

Here are some of the favorites:

• Alt+F4–to exit a program. I start this in kindergarten because they can’t read the words for ’stop’, ‘close’, ‘exit’
• Shift+Alt+D–add the date. this is a favorite because they don’t even have to know the date to add it.
• Ctrl+Z–saves a myriad of problems. Parents tell me they love it, too
• Windows key–brings up the Start button when it (accidentally) gets deleted
• : + ) –the smiley face. Word turns it into an image. There are a bunch like this and kids love every one of them

Yes, some feel like the Vulcan nerve pinch, but you get used to them.

MS Word for Grades 2-5

It’s all in the sophistication. Second graders do less and not quite as well. Fifth graders do a lot, much better. This uses MS Word, takes about thirty minutes:

• If this is the first time your child is seeing MS Word, review the parts–toolbars, menu bar, canvas, most common keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+P for print, Ctrl+S for save, Ctrl+Z for undo).
  

  Sample MS Doc--2nd Grade

• Add a heading (name and date–use Shift+Alt+D for the date). Default is left-aligned, Times New Roman, size 12. Leave those as they are. We’ll play with them later.
• Push enter twice and write a story, a letter–whatever is a good topic for summer. A couple of sentences for second grade is fine, but 5-10 for fifth grade.
• Check spelling with the little red squiggly lines. Right click and clear them by selecting the correct spelling.
• Check grammar with the green squiggles. These require adjudication. I find them wrong about 50% of the time
• Pick five words (less for second grade) and change the font size from 12. Pick words that would benefit by a larger appearance–like the words Christmas or Bump in the samples–you get the idea.
• Pick five words (again, less for younger children) and change the font color from black. Pick a color that goes with the word
• One more time–change the font look of five words from Times New Roman–to comic sans, chiller, etc. Have it match the message of the word
• Decide what title fits the story (see sample: Halloween Story). Click in the double enter we left under the heading. Insert WordArt (insert-picture-wordart). Change its text and colors to fit the story/letter. Center with the center tool
  

  Sample MS Word doc--5th Grade

• Add a border (format-borders and shading). Most kids like the art borders.
• Go to print-preview and make sure everything is on one page. If not, help them adjust sizes so it is.
• Older children can add pictures. Click where you want the picture to go and use MS Word clipart. Resize so it fits well using the corner handles–the black dots that surround the image.
• Have older children add a footer, even though this is only one page. Footers are great for almost all documents.
• Have older children add a watermark. Picture or text–they love them both.

You’re done. Print and enjoy!

Let’s Review… Tech Essentials

Before starting on computer projects for kids, you have to go over the essentials. Here’s where we did this:

1. Shake hands with the computer
2. Use an internet Start Page
3. Using the Internet
4. Practice keyboarding
5. Solving Basic Tech Problems
6. Top Ten Vocabulary
7. 5 FREE Computer Essential Programs

Review these. We start tomorrow!

5 Great FREE Programs for Kids

When I started as a tech teacher, I pushed my administration for lots of software. I wanted a different one for each theme–human body, space, math. Now, they’re all on the internet–for FREE–which means we can use our tech budget for doc scanners, Dragon Speak… Wait–we have no budget. Good thing I’m addicted to FREE.

FREE online drawing program

Here’s my list of the most useful FREE programs:

1. Google Earth. Absolutely Number One and the dot on the exclamation point. We use it starting in Kindergarten to find their homes (with lots of parent help). We also take the included sightseeing world tour, which kindergartners can maneuver by themselves. As kids grow up, I add specific locations that correlate to their classroom lessons, a tour of California missions, measuring distances with the ruler, adding facts about Wonders of the World, creating their own tour with overlays. All doable by fifth grade and all FREE. I’ve uploaded some of my lesson plans to Scribd.com (search ‘learn google earth’). If you can’t find it, comment here and I’ll upload them to the this blog.
2. Celestia. I can’t believe how many people don’t know about this program. It’s graphics are amazing, detail and facts unlimited, with lots of add-ons (for FREE) that allow you to customize it to your needs. It, like Google Earth, has a tour function, which makes it available to all grades.
3. Tux Paint–as good as KidPix and it’s a FREE download. Compatible with all systems. Check the picture in this blog, drawn in TuxPaint. Looks just like KidPix, doesn’t it?
4. Typing Web–a graduated keyboard program which keeps track of your child’s improvement. Not as many ads as others. For more keyboarding programs, read my  Time to Start Keyboarding blog.
5. Starfall. Hands down, the most popular reading program for kids. When given a choice, my students often choose this sight over any other. Don’t be afraid to send younger kids to the art galleries and music on the ‘It’s Fun to Read’ section

There are so many more which I’ll cover in future posts. Try these first. You won’t be disappointed.

World’s Fastest Typist

If you love the topic of ‘keyboarding’, here’s a youtube you’ll love: