keyboarding

About Computer Lab

Keyboarding is a very important part of the fifth grade technology lab curriculum. Fifth grade students come to keyboarding class opposite their music classes. Choir students are in keyboarding 3 times a week, and band students are in keyboarding 2 times a week.

Keyboarding is taught using MultiMedia's MicroType program. Students progress at their own rate of speed through each lesson. There are quarterly goals set for the students: by the end of the first quarter, all students should be finished with Lesson 6. Beginning with Lesson 4 all students take a 3-minute timed writing at the end of every lesson. Students receive a letter grade in keyboarding. If you want to track your child's progress in Keyboarding, log on to PowerSchool Parents.

Grading

Students are graded once a week on keyboarding technique (posture, arm and hand position, key stroking, and on task).

Students are also graded on timed writings beginning with Lesson 4. Each quarter the gwam (gross words a minute) increases and points are taken off for errors and using the backspace key. All timed writings are graded with the gwam as a starting point.

Beginning with quarter 4, students will also be graded on individual lessons. The average speed on the "Build Skill" portion of the lesson and the average speed on the "Commander Key Game" will be averaged together and a grade earned based on the average gwam. For example, a student may get an average gwam of 29 on the "Build Skill" portion and an average gwam of 35 on the "Commander Key Game". When you average 29 and 35, it comes out to 32 gwam which would be a 96% or an "A".

Below is a chart for each quarter gwam percentages.

Quarter 1
GWAM	%
9 or more	100
8	95
7	90
6	89
5	85
4	79
3	69
2	65
1	60

Quarter 2
GWAM	%
17 or more	100
16	98
15	96
14	94
13	92
12	89
11	87
10	85
9	83
8	81
7	75
6	69
5	67
4	65
3	63
2	61

Quarter 3
	%
26 or more	100
25	98
24	96
23	95
22	94
21	93
20	92
19	91
18	89
17	87
16	86
15	85
14	84
13	83
12	82
11	75
10	69
9	67
8	65
7	63
6	61

Points are taken off the GWAM for number of errors and number of times the backspace key was used.

Number of Errors	Points Taken Off
0-5	-0
6-10	-5
11-15	-10
16-20	-15
21-25	-20
26-30	-25
31-35	-30
36-40	-35
41-45	-40
46-50	-45
51-55	-50
56-60	-55
61-65	-60
66-70	-65
71-75	-70
76-80	-75
81-85	-80
86-90	-85
91-95	-90
96-100	-95

Number of times the backspace key was used	Points taken off
0-24	-0
25-49	-20
50-99	-50

Quarter 4
GWAM	%
35 or more	100
34	98
33	97
32	96
31	95
30	94
29	93
28	92
27	91
26	90
25	89
24	88
23	87
22	86
21	85
20	84
19	83
18	82
17	81
16	80
15	75
14	69
13	67
12	65
11	64
10	62
9	61

Graphics from:

Kerry's Kollectables

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