CLASS DESCRIPTION

Developing practical software skills in word processing, page layout, spreadsheets, document management and file sharing are essential in today’s workplace. Not only are these software skills important, creating proper emails and Googling to solve problems, are equally important. This knowledge will not only help you in the office, it will help you in college and professional life. The first ten minutes of class will be a typing challenge. Get to the office on time, and get to it because there will be prizes! Next we will create fictitious companies and solve problems. For example we will: hire and interview a new employee, budget and plan a party, create travel and expense reports, manage inventory, payroll, budgets, look at financial reports and create a written summary or presentation for a client or manager. Students will have data entry jobs, emails, Google research and documents to send to their manager before the day is over or it will reflect poorly on their annual review and ultimately their raise. Students will need a laptop running office software. All students will need a Gmail account and Google Docs/Sheets/Slides and you can use your laptop software as well for Windows Word/Excel/Powerpoint or Apple Pages/Numbers/Keynote. A link to the typing program and typing games will be provided.

TYPING GOALS - TYPSEY.COM

Students will receive a login to Typsey.com This is the program we will be using to learn to type. There are resources and lessons students may wish to explore at home. Some of our class assignments will come from here.

***If you would like to use Typsey for a sibling or a friend they can join our 23/24 school group account for $20 paid directly to me. Students not in one of my classes will have their names begin with “Eagle” to differentiate them from students in class.

• Execute typing tasks with proper strategy and form
• Effectively order, visualize, and execute long and short string phrases and sentences with proper keyboard habits
• Enhance your current understanding of keyboard best practices and use cases
• Have an average and age appropriate typing rate of 30WPM with 90% accuracy
• <<< Go to the Chat group "Typsey Eagles" for questions and answers about using Typsey.

Google Accounts

We will be using Google Drive, so you will need a Google account. You have one if you have a Gmail email. But you can create a Google account without using a gmail.com address too.

To create a Google Account linked to your non-Gmail address:

1. Access the following page: Create your Google Account.
2. Enter your non-Gmail address and details, then click Next. ...
3. Enter the verification code into the Verify your email address pop-up and click Verify.
4. Enter your personal information and click Next.

OFFICE SOFTWARE

In addition to accessing Google Drive, students can use Google Sheets/Pages/Slides as their primary office software, or they can use Apple Pages/Numbers/Keynote or students can use Microsoft Office/Excel/Powerpoint. No matter which one students decide to use it would be a good idea to make sure you can access these programs before you come to class. Make sure they are downloaded if need be and make sure that your internet browser is up to date as well since many of these programs will require us to be online.

THE OFFICE and LAPTOPS, CHROMEBOOKS, IPADS & TECH SUPPORT

I will be teaching using the desktop version of Google Drive and office programs from my laptop. I know all of these computers and laptops are expensive and if you prefer, I believe it will be ok to use an iPad with a keyboard or Microsoft Surface or Chromebook that you may already have at home. That said, I am sure you can understand that I will not be able to fully support every device that each student has in class. If they are struggling with their device or if students are not using a standard laptop and they have software issues, they will need to see me after class to resolve. There are so many nuances in these programs across devices from desktop to tablet that I may not anticipate. To that avail, I am trying to avoid too much tech support during class time by asking students to use the laptop version of office software and Google Drive.

Outside of class time, I will be available to help with your computer troubles etc. My computers give me grief all the time, and I will do my best to support students technical issues outside of class time in order to benefit the most students during class time. Thank you for understanding.

LOGINS

Please keep your logins and passwords in a safe place that is easy to access during class in case you need it. There are user accounts you have to maintain for your Mellow Yellow Education account, your Adobe account, and your Google account, which may or may not be the same as your Email account.

GRADES

This class is not graded. Assignments are given. All student work is reviewed in class and feedback is given. Your student is an A student if they are attending my class. I teach to the student, not a curriculum per se. Software skills shouldn't be rushed. I circle back to all the students and check in on their work. If you choose to keep student grades and formally count this for a credit towards core or extra curricular, then documenting can be as easy as checking off approximately 150 calendar days that your child worked in this subject for a full credit. Keep at least two pieces of work, from the beginning and end of the course for portfolio review and/or your records. This can be a simple screenshot, or a picture, or even some notes or drawings. If you need an accompanying ISBN number that goes with the topics taught in this class and is also high school level check out these titles. Please contact me with any questions or if you want more individual feedback on your student and assignments.