Nonfiction

The Essential Guide to Keyboarding for K-8

in 45 minutes a week

A keyboard curriculum for K-8 that can be taught in 45 minutes a week–15 minutes in class and 30 minutes at home. Drill, games, quizzes–kids love it

You may think it impossible to find an effective keyboard curriculum for the skimpy forty-five minutes a week you can devote to keyboarding. You teach what you can, but it always seems to be the same lessons—hands on home row, good posture, eyes on copy. You wonder if it’s making a difference, or if it matters.

Yes, it does and there is a way. It requires a plan, faithfully executed, with your eye relentlessly on the goal, but if you commit, it works.

In this book, The Essential Guide to Teaching Keyboarding in 45 Minutes a Week: a K-8 Curriculum, I’ll share a unique keyboarding curriculum for K-8 that I’ve seen work on thousands of students.

The book includes:

A summary of the literature
Answers to questions like ‘Can youngers learn to keyboard—and should they?’
Importance of the teacher

The K-8 curriculum includes a lot more variety than keyboard exercises on installed software. Here’s a rundown of pieces used:

Keyboarding software (yes, you do need repetition)
Online keyboarding websites
Age-appropriate use of hand covers
Quarterly speed/accuracy quizzes
Quarterly blank keyboarding quizzes
Monthly homework
Wall charts to support learning and display evidence of success
Grading based on student improvement, not conformity to class norms
A Scope and Sequence of keyboarding skills by grade

You’ll learn practical strategies on how to blend these pieces, each added at the right time, to teach the keyboarding skills required for today’s classroom. Each lesson includes:

Overview
Objectives and steps
Best Practices
Extensions
Trouble-shooting
Where to get help

Note to readers: Color shown in the sample image gallery are included in PDF version only.

Available in print and digital from:

Teachers Pay Teachers (ebook)

Structured Learning (print and digital)

Ultimate Guide to Keyboarding–2 volumes

K-5

6 grades 238 pages, 7 unique assessments, 5 templates, over 100 images.

Common Core-compliant, the Ultimate Guide to Keyboarding: K-5 prepares students for the demands of a tech-infused classroom. It is designed to be taught in the computer lab or as a shared responsibility–multiple teachers reinforce keyboarding skills. Here’s what you get:..

a comprehensive approach to teaching keyboarding–lots of detail, numerous illustrations so it’s easily understood even by teachers who don’t teach tech for a living. Rich in detail so everyone can understand it.
supports Common Core needs in the form of yearly testing and Standards requirements for a tech-infused classroom
detailed timeline of what to introduce when. Starts weekly and moves to monthly as teachers become more comfortable with how to integrate keyboarding into their classroom
can be used with or without optional student workbooks and videos. All three products are fully aligned so students and teacher are at the same point any moment in time.

Middle school

3 grades 73 pages, 7 unique assessments, 5 templates, 40 images. Common Core-compliant, the Ultimate Guide to Keyboarding in the Classroom: Middle School (digital delivery only) prepares students for the demands of a tech-infused classroom. It is designed to be taught in the computer lab or as a shared responsibility–multiple teachers reinforce keyboarding skills. Here’s what you get:..

a comprehensive approach to teaching keyboarding–lots of detail, numerous illustrations so it’s easily understood even by teachers who don’t teach tech for a living. Rich in detail so everyone can understand it.
supports Common Core needs in the form of yearly testing and Standards requirements for a tech-infused classroom
detailed timeline of what to introduce when. Starts weekly and moves to monthly as teachers become more comfortable with how to integrate keyboarding into their classroom
can be used with or without optional student workbooks and videos. All three products are fully aligned so students and teacher are at the same point any moment in time.

Available:

Student workbooks for Keyboarding

Support Ultimate Guide to Keyboarding

7 grade-level student keyboard workbooks (kindergarten through Middle School) to accompany teacher two-volume Ultimate Guide to Keyboarding. One for each grade K-Middle School, delivered digitally, to enable students to self-pace, self-manage their year-long keyboarding journey from wherever they are.

Each is about 80 pages long with 40-50 illustrations.

Includes:

Why learn keyboarding?
formative and summative assessments
domain-specific vocabulary
relevant problem solving
required digital citizenship overview
Embedded links available so students can simply click and go—no searching for the site, typing in addresses, trying to remember the site address
Samples of projects at student fingertips so wherever they’re practicing, they have an example and directions
Background material right there. If student wants to remember what they did a week–a month–ago, it’s right there.
Workbook goes with the student. It’s licensed to them through the school. If they’re in the library, the classroom, the soccer field, they can practice. Even at home.

These workbooks encourage independence in student keyboarding learning and require only nominal direction from a teacher, homeschooling parent, or another adult. These are perfect if keyboarding is taught across classes at your school—not in the tech lab–or taught in a home environment.

Not available individually–only available as a room, site or District license.

Common Core lesson plan books

Themed to the strands–language, math, reading, writing, speaking/listening

Common Core–Lesson Plans organized by strand: How to Achieve Common Core with Tech is a five-book series that focuses on using technology to meet Common Core standards in Language, Writing, Reading, Speaking/Listening, and Math.

Throughout the 150+-page Common Core roadmap to educational reform, it’s clear the 21^st Century learner requires technologic proficiency—digital dexterity to fuel the ‘college and career’ engine. One example: Common Core assessments will be completed online—only possible if students use technology as comfortably as paper and pencil to demonstrate knowledge. To accomplish this requires a seamless integration of technology into classroom curricula.

This series makes that happen. You see how to use computers, websites, tablets, graphic art, infographics, web widgets to scaffold what you already teach–easy-to-understand tech tools, no more complicated than the iPads and manipulatives you already use.

Each lesson includes

Common Core standards addressed
NETS-S Standards addressed
Vocabulary used
Time Required
Grade level recommended and suggested background
Essential Question
Big Idea
Materials required and teacher preparation
Step-by-step directions
Help with tech problems
Extensions—how to differentiate and dig deeper

Available in digital only:

33 Common Core Lesson Plans

This book is for classroom teachers, technology integration specialists and lab professionals, as a resource for aligning their technology program with the Common Core State Standards now implemented in states across the country. You will find it a foundational tool for scaffolding technology into the areas of math, language, reading, writing, speaking and listening. Overall, these lesson plans provide authentic approaches to student-centered learning, asking the student to be a risk-taker in his/her educational goals and the teacher to act as guide. It can be used as a resource book, to provide exciting new lessons that seamlessly blend technology with curriculum and involve the many new tools available to enrich educational experiences, or as a road map, plotting the vertical planning and differentiated instruction fundamental to CCSS goals.

Lessons are divided by grade level. Each includes: 1) Common Core State Standard alignment, 2) Essential Question the Big Idea, 3) Overview, 4) Objectives and Steps, 5) Sample (where appropriate), 6) and additional grade levels suitable for the lesson.

There are thirty-three lessons, five-six per grade level, covering topics such as:

audio stories

blogging

brainstorming

collaborative writing

how-to directions

creative book review

digital storytelling

essential ingredients to stories

explore the world

parts of a whole

write stories in comics

estimate, visualize, verify

arrays

GE Literary Tour

GE research

math

online communication tools

practice letters and words online

research–source authenticity

shapes are everywhere

timelines

word recognition

Each includes:

The Common Core State Standard alignment

The Essential Question—the Big Idea

An Overview

Objectives and Steps

A Sample (where appropriate)

Links to related websites and material (where applicable)

Additional grade levels suitable for the lesson

Available in print and digital from:

Teachers Pay Teachers (ebooks–the complete K-5 book or bundles of grade-level lesson plans)

Structured Learning (print and digital–entire book or grade-level bundles)

K-8 Digital Citizenship Curriculum

9 grade levels

17 topics

46 lessons

46 projects

A year-long curriculum that covers everything you need to discuss on internet safety and efficiency.

Topics include:

cyberbullying
digital citizenship
digital commerce
digital communications
digital footprint
digital law
digital privacy
digital rights and responsibilities
digital search/research
fair use/public domain
image copyrights
internet safety
netiquette
plagiarism
passwords
social media
stranger danger

Each grade level includes 3-8 lessons, 3-8 projects, and a full year of instruction in non-sequential order that fits nicely into your school schedule or current technology curriculum. It can take the entire 45-minute class if you have time or multiple pieces of various classes.

Available in print and digital from:

Publisher’s website (print and digital)

Single Lesson Plans

on popular tech ed topics

For K-8

Each 5-15 pages long

Previews available on Publisher’s website

Topics include:

14 Non-writing Options to Teach Writing
15 Digital Tools in 15 Days
25 Digital Tools in the Classroom
Blogging in class
Brainstorming and Mindmapping in class
Bridge Building
Debate in class
Digital book reports
Digital note-taking
Digital quick stories
Digital quick writes
Digital timelines
Gamify your class
Genius Hour in your class
Google Apps
Human Body
Image Copyright Do’s and Don’ts
Infographics 101
Internet search/research
Keyboarding and the Scientific Method
Khan Academy in class
Martin Luther King
Presentations in the classroom
Robotics 101
Screencasts and Screenshots
Symbols, Tools, and Toolbars
Tech in Service learning
Twitter in class
Write an Ebook during class

Available in digital from:

Themed PDF Bundles

For K-12

Each 5-15 pages long

Preview available on Publisher’s website

Topics include STEM, Hour of Code, specific software, writing, keyboarding, Google Earth, Common Core, art, science, and more.

What’s included in each bundle:

Four to eight technology-specific step-by-step lessons, including reproducibles, grading rubrics, sample projects, extensions for advanced students and troubleshooting tips.
Next-day delivery via email in the universally-readable .pdf format
How projects integrate technology into your curriculum whether you’re the classroom teacher, the lab teacher or home-schooling your child
A summary of each project, suggested grade level and prior knowledge, time required, software required, and projects that should be completed prior to this one
A summary of which higher-order thinking skills and which NETS-S technology-specific skills are covered

Available in digital from:

Publisher’s website

K8 Hour of Code Bundle

For K-12

55 pages

Preview available on Publisher’s website

Age-appropriate lesson plans that scaffold on each other for your Hour of Code coding/programming activities.

What’s included in each bundle:

30 K-8 coding activities, organized by grade
138 images
aligned with ISTE and Common Core
lots of options to differentiate for student needs

Each lesson includes:

problem solving
assessment strategies
Essential Question and Big Idea
teacher prep
domain-specific vocabulary
step-by-step instructions

Available in digital from:

55 TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS FOR THE DIGITAL CLASSROOM

Everything you need to integrate computers into K-8 classes

Volume I and II

The all-in-one K-8 toolkit for the lab specialist, classroom teacher and homeschooler, with a years-worth of simple-to-follow projects. Integrate technology into language arts, geography, history, problem solving, research skills, and science lesson plans and units of inquiry using teacher resources that meet NETS-S national guidelines and many state standards. The fifty-five projects are categorized by subject, program (software), and skill (grade) level. Each project includes standards met in three areas (higher-order thinking, technology-specific, and NETS-S), software required, time involved, suggested experience level, subject area supported, tech jargon, step-by-step lessons, extensions for deeper exploration, troubleshooting tips and project examples including reproducibles. Tech programs used are KidPix, all MS productivity software, Google Earth, typing software and online sites, email, Web 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, internet start pages, social bookmarking and photo storage), Photoshop and Celestia. Also included is an Appendix of over 200 age-appropriate child-friendly websites. Skills taught include collaboration, communication, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, creativity, digital citizenship, information fluency, presentation, and technology concepts. In short, it’s everything you’d need to successfully integrate technology into the twenty-first century classroom.

Available in digital format from:

169 Real-World Way to Put Tech into Your Classroom

Read. Set. Good to go.

169 Real-World Ways to Put Tech Into Your Class Now (expected publication date: August 2016) provides 1) an overview of the tech topics most important to your teaching, and 2) practical strategies to address common classroom tech problems. Each tip is less than a page long–many only a third of a page. The goal: Give you what you need to know without a long learning curve. Topics include iPads, Chromebooks, assessment, differentiation, social media, security, writing, and more.

Here’s a preview. Here are the top three solutions to any tech problem you encounter in your classroom:

… reboot, restart …

… close, reopen …

Google it!

Available digitally from:

65 Posters for Your Classroom

This set of sixty-five posters is a varied collection you can use to share critical issues dealing with technology and education.

Posters 1 – 8 Problem-solving, critical thinking

Posters 9 – 10 Mouse Skills

Poster 11 – 12 Computer position

Poster 13 – 16 Digital devices

Poster 17 Tech in Ed

Poster 18 – 27 Keyboarding

Posters 28 – 31 Reading

Posters 32 – 35 Writing

Posters 36 – 38 Tomorrow’s education

Poster 39 Flipped Classroom

Poster 40 Digital Student

Poster 41 – 44 Saving on Computers

Posters 45 – 48 Digital Citizenship

Posters 49 – 53 Digital Search and Research

Posters 54 – 57 Tech Skills

Posters 58 – 62 Inspiration

Posters 63 – 65 Tech Lab

Available digitally from:

Publisher

16 Holiday Projects

for Kindergarten-Eighth

A 45-epage student-tested collection of 16 holiday-themed projects for kindergarten through eighth grade using Word, Excel, Publisher, KidPix, TuxPaint, Web 2.0 tools and more. They’re from the team of Ask a Tech Teacher technology teachers, designed to to be fun, festive, while teaching important tech skills. Use them for any holiday. They’ll fill your year with pictures, calendars, wallpaper that kids will love making and want to give to family as gifts.Free if you buy 3 SL books

Available digitally from: