Keyboarding & Computer Applications
8th Grade Keyboarding & Computer Applications

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Keyboarding Practice

30 Day Cycle - 2 Periods

Students in 8th grade will be continuing to refine their keyboarding skills.  Every week they will be testing on speed and accuracy by taking a Timed Writing.  For extra keyboarding practice at home, click on the link above entitled Keyboarding Practice.  This year's goal is 35 GWAM or faster and 100% accuracy.

This year in computer applications we will be covering Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft PowerPoint skills through a program called Real Journeys.

Microsoft Publisher:  In this unit, students will take on the role of desktop publishers who work for a company called Technology Treasures.  Using their publishing skills, they create attractive promotional materials to assist this organization that collects and redistributes used computers.  At the end of this unit, students will be developing there own Logo Design for an organization that they establish.  In addition, they will also have to create a flier promoting their organization using the skills learned throughout the Publisher Unit.

Students learn these basic desktop publishing skills:

  • create text & graphics frames 
  • enter text & add images
  •  align objects
  • resize & reposition objects
  • rotate text
  • layer objects
  • add captions
  • place objects in the background

In addition, students are introduced to the computer and its components to better understand the contents of the promotional materials.

 

Microsoft PowerPoint:  In this unit, students take on the role of students who want to persuade the school administration to allow them to assemble a time capsule so future generations can learn about life today.  They will create a multimedia presentation and discover the different media elements as they identify the purpose of the time capsule, explain how the time capsule will be funded, describe items to be included and name possible locations for the time capsule to be stored.  In addition, they will explore the Internet to locate and download appropriate images for the presentation.

Students learn these basic multimedia presentation skills:

  • create a slide
  • add text & sound
  • insert images
  • change background color
  • animate text or images
  • add hot spots or buttons
  • play presentation
  • add transitions to presentation
  • use master slide
  • add video file
  • change animation timing
  • synchronize movement and sound
  • create branching slides

In addition, students will be working in Paint and Microsoft Excel to aid them in completing the presentation.

At the end of the publisher unit, the students will be asked to come up with an organization that they would be interested in and of which to be owner.  They will then be asked to independently use their desktop publishing skills to create a unique and creative logo design for that organization.  Also, they will create a flier promoting the organization.  Students will present this organization to the class.

If time permits, students will create a multimedia presentation on this same organization using the skills that they have learned in PowerPoint and again present to the class at the end of the cycle.

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