Introduction to keyboarding

Objectives Define and apply ergonomics. Position fingers on the keyboard. Begin typing letters without looking at the keyboard. Learning how to type is like learning to play an instrument. It takes learning how to properly type one key at a time with the correct posture, and it takes a lot of time, practice, and patience.

Ergonomics Ergonomics, in general, is the study of the physical strain of the workplace on the human body.

Ergonomics In context with keyboarding, ergonomics reminds people to take care of their posture, hand and wrist placement, legs and feet, and the head.

Ergonomics Things to remember: “HEAD. This should be erect. If you tilt your head forwards it puts strain on your neck. So does watching your fingers. A poor head position can result in headaches. “SHOULDERS. These should be relaxed. “ELBOWS. Keep them close to your body” (Dobson 3). Dobson, A. (2009). Touch typing in ten hours: Spend a few hours now and gain a valuable skill for life (3rd Revised edition ed.). Akron: How To Books Ltd.

Ergonomics “FINGERS. Curve your fingers, but not unnaturally so. You may need to raise your fingers more if you are using a laptop computer rather than a traditional keyboard…. “WRISTS. Your wrists should be flat. Aim for a straight line from the knuckles of your middle fingers to your elbows. “FEET. Keep your feet flat on the floor and do not cross your legs” (Dobson 3). Dobson, A. (2009). Touch typing in ten hours: Spend a few hours now and gain a valuable skill for life (3rd Revised edition ed.). Akron: How To Books Ltd.

Ergonomics Picture retrieved from Wikimedia Commons, 10/19/2010.

Ergonomics For more information about ergonomics and for tips to safely use computers, visit the following websites. 1) 2) puterworkstations/index.htmlhttp:// puterworkstations/index.html

QWERTY QWERTY is the name of the layout of the keys on the keyboard. The QWERTY keyboard gets its name from the first 6 letter keys.

Finger Positions Your fingers always begin on the HOME ROW and SPACE BAR. The home row consists of the keys A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, ; and “. Left HandRight Hand PinkyA; RingSL MiddleDK PointerFJ ThumbSpace Bar

Finger Positions Diagram retrieved from 10/19/2010www.keyboardingresearch.org Pinky: pinkBlue: Left Hand Ring: orangeRed: Right Hand Middle: green Pointer: yellow

Shift Key v. Caps Lock Shift KeyCaps Lock The shift key is pressed: To make one letter at a time capital To use the symbols located on the top of the keys To use the symbols located over the numbers. Tip: If you are typing the capital letter or symbol with your left hand, use the right shift key, and vice versa. Pressing the “caps lock” key will make all the letters you type capital, until you press it again to turn it off. The light under the “A” on your keyboard will be lit when “Caps Lock” is turned on.

Some advice for beginners Don’t worry about all the letters, numbers, and symbols on the keyboard right now. Focus on getting your fingers comfortable on the home row and not looking down while stroking, or typing, the keys. Once you are comfortable and confident with these, then branch out by adding one or two keys at a time. Speed will come with practice.

Practice Makes Perfect! (Beginner’s Exercise) 1. Let’s practice placing our fingers over the correct keys on the Home Row. 2.Let’s practice typing the letters. Let’s go to lessons.org/lesson_1.html. lessons.org/lesson_1.html 2.This is a great place to practice. The exercise down at the bottom changes each time you go to the site. 3.Make sure that you type it correct before you move on!!! At the end, it will tell you how many mistakes you made and how many seconds it took. 3. Don’t forget about Ergonomics!!!

For more practice… Click on “Free typing lessons,” or, if brave, choose “Free typing games.” To start, click on “Lesson 1.” There are several exercises to practice in this lesson that help you get familiar with the home row. This helps measure your accuracy and words per minute (speed). Choose Typing Games, then click on “Balloon” or “Paratrooper Sheep” for one letter at a time practice. Find the Keyboarding Games.