Lecture 2: Introduction to Keyboarding (BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE)

Republic of the Philippines BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE Taculing Road, Bacolod City, 6100 Bachelor of Science in Office Administration...

Republic of the Philippines BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE Taculing Road, Bacolod City, 6100 Bachelor of Science in Office Administration 1st Semester A.Y. 2024 Introduction to Computer with word processing and Keyboarding (Enhancement Usage of PC & Internet) INSTRUCTOR: ANDREW Q. LACHICA, MTM Lesson 2 PROPER KEYBOARDING FINGER PLACEMENT Lesson 2 I. INTRODUCTION This lesson presents the review of proper finger placement. Emphasis is placed on developing correct keyboarding techniques and proper key stroking you have previously learned. II. OVERVIEW Lesson 2 is an intensive review of all letters and numbers of the keyboard as well as the finger placement you have previously learned. This Lesson provides a variety of purposeful drill intended to recall, reconstruct and refine student’s manipulative operations of the keyboard particularly in keyboarding finger placement. There are also substantial exercises for remedial purposes to reinforce the keyboarding mastery and accelerate typing speed. Sentence timed writings are also provided for the development of accuracy and speed. These timed writings are of graduated intensity - starting from very easy materials to difficult ones. III. OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: a. recall, reconstruct, and refine manipulative operations. b. identify weaknesses and strengths of skills already learned. c. reinforce keyboard mastery and accelerate speed. d. find out base speed and measure progress. IV. ACTIVITY A. Draw a computer keyboard and label each key according to its specific function/use. V. TOPIC DISCUSSION REVIEW OF PROPER KEYBOARDING FINGER PLACEMENT Each finger rests on a particular key in the home row of the keyboard when not typing, in order to  Republic of the Philippines BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE Taculing Road, Bacolod City, 6100 Bachelor of Science in Office Administration 1st Semester A.Y. 2024 keep "grounded" and oriented at all times. The home keys (ASDF JKL; ) are outlined in yellow on the above diagram. The thumbs remain in the air, or very gently in contact with the keys below. Each finger is responsible for a vertical column of keys, which you can think of as a "home column". The column is not straight up and down, but rather slopes up to the left. Both index fingers are responsible for an additional column, the one next to their home columns towards the middle of the keyboard. The thumbs are used for the space bar, and depending on the shape of your keyboard can also be used for the "command" (Apple computers) or "Windows" (PCs) key. The left-hand pinky is also responsible for all the keys to the left of its home column, including the left shift key, caps lock, tab, tilde, escape and others. The right-hand pinky is a real workhorse, covering everything to the right of its home column. Take a look - there's a lot of stuff there! FINGERS IN POSITION, HANDS READY. The position of the hands is much the same as it was when the method was developed back in the 1880s for use with a typewriter. In fact, the modern-day keyboard layout, commonly known as QWERTY, hasn’t changed much over the years. Perhaps the most relevant difference for typists was the addition of the delete key with the advent of the computer! Start with the home row. At rest, the fingers sit on the home row keys. If you’re not sure which ones these are, look two lines up from the spacebar on your keyboard and you’ll see them starting with ASDF on the left. The fingers of each hand should sit on four keys each. The left-hand pinky finger starts things off on the “A” key, the ring finger sits on the “S” key, the middle finger takes the “D” and the index the “F”.  Republic of the Philippines BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE Taculing Road, Bacolod City, 6100 Bachelor of Science in Office Administration 1st Semester A.Y. 2024 Thumbs don’t have a row and typically hover over the spacebar which can be hit with either hand, depending on the typist’s preference. When it comes to the right hand, the index starts off on the “J” key and the fingers fall in line across the “K,” “L” and “;” to complete the row. WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN TYPING? When you learn touch-typing, you’re giving yourself an advantage over individuals who “hunt-and-peck” because you will be faster in every activity that involves using a computer—from emails, to Google queries and even academic essays; you’ll be saving a ton of time! Typing can also improve the quality of your work, as thoughts flow freely through the fingertips and onto the screen, without the interruption of searching the keyboard for the right keys. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? Basic finger positioning is fairly straightforward to master, but it can take some time to get used to reaching all of the keys. How long does it take to learn? It all depends on the individual. Don’t be worried if the going is slow initially. It’s important to learn each key properly before moving on to cover more material. Following the TTRS method of teaching this skill, the average person who has no learning differences or difficulties can expect to cover the fingering on the keyboard in about three to five hours. After that, it’s a question of building up speed and accuracy through practice. The Ideal Typing Posture According to Cornwell University and the University of British Columbia, the ideal typing posture is such that the keyboard is below your elbow height when seated, with your wrists straight and not planted on the surface of the desk. Here are the key steps to achieve the most ergonomic and comfortable typing position: Place keyboard just below elbow level Elbows should be in an open angle (90 –110 degrees). This relaxes your forearms and shoulders. Keyboard should be flat on the desk, or sloping gently away from you (negative tilt). A keyboard tray or ergonomic keyboard can be used to achieve a negative tilt in your keyboard. Keep your wrists straight, neither flexed upwards or downwards Resist resting your wrists on the desk, which puts pressure on your tendons and cuts off blood circulation Keep both feet flat on the floor. Use a foot stool if needed. If you use a wrist pad, push it flush against the keyboard, and only use it to support your palms (not wrists) when resting.  Republic of the Philippines BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE Taculing Road, Bacolod City, 6100 Bachelor of Science in Office Administration 1st Semester A.Y. 2024 Good Sitting Posture When Typing Sitting in the right posture also boosts your respiratory system. The American Council on Exercise explains that a poor posture compresses your thoracic region, thus preventing the diaphragm from opening up fully. The result? Low oxygen intake and decreased energy levels. The right sitting position entails: Resting your back against the chair for maximum support. If the chair does not provide adequate support, consider using a lumbar pillow. Resting your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest. The idea is to have your thighs parallel to the seat pan so that your legs form a 90-degree angle at your knees. Looking straight ahead without leaning forward. According to WebMD, bending forward exerts too much pressure on your discs. To avoid this hunchback posture, you should position the top of your monitor so that it’s level or slightly below your horizontal eye level. Positioning your knees at the same level or slightly lower than your hips. Relaxing your shoulders. The Word on Wrist Pads- Good or Bad? There’s a lot debate surrounding the use of wrist pads by typists. Proponents of this accessory claim that it really helps to relieve fatigue in the forearms. Some argue however that wrist pads put too much pressure on the tendons found on the underside of the wrist. Even though most people use wrist pads and palm rests interchangeably, these accessories are actually much better ergonomically when used as the later- to support your palms – according to ergonomists. Furthermore, they should only be used to rest your palms when you’re not typing. In other words, wrist pads are fine, but keep in mind the following best practices: Move the wrist pad flush against your keyboard and use it to cushion your palms, not your wrists. This reduces the likelihood of a wrist extension and restriction of blood flow to the wrists. When typing, your hands should be hovering just above and not actually resting on the wrist pad. Wrist. should be in a neutrally straight position, so you can draw a straight line from the hand to the wrist. Use the wrist pad only in between typing breaks and occasionally as needed. Common Improper Typing Postures You may be typing in a poor posture and not even be aware of it. Here are 3 common scenarios: Wrist Extension: Bad: The most common problem typing posture, this occurs when your keyboard is higher than your wrists, requiring you to hyper extend your wrists to press the keys.  Republic of the Philippines BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE Taculing Road, Bacolod City, 6100 Bachelor of Science in Office Administration 1st Semester A.Y. 2024 How to Fix: Lower your seat and raise your wrists up so your wrists and keyboard are on the same plane. Maintain a straight, neutral wrist as you type. Closed Elbows and Shrugged Shoulders: Bad: This occurs when your chair is too low or the keyboard is too close to your body, resulting in closed elbows, shrugged shoulders and wrists flexion. How to Fix: Raise your seat height so your elbows are at an open 90–110-degree angle, and pull back your seat if necessary. Relax your shoulders and make sure they are externally rotated, forming an upside down “V” shape with the keyboard. Consider a split keyboard if needed to achieve that angle. Arm Extension: Bad: This occurs when the keyboard is too far away from you, resulting in your arms hyper extending to reach it. How to Fix: Bring the keyboard closer to you so your elbows are at a maximum 110 degrees angle. Other Ergonomic Typing Tips Practice to type lightly. You don’t have to abuse your keyboard to register a keystroke. Some people feel like if they’re not pounding those keys, then the keystrokes won’t get registered. But this is not true. Typing in a heavy- handed manner causes you to expend unnecessary effort; hence, fatiguing your fingers. It’s also annoying to those who have to listen to you type. Practice to type lightly and with the minimal amount of force required to register a key. Rest Your Fingers on the Home Keys. The position of your fingers as you type is just as important as the position of your wrists and palms. Ideally, each of your fingers should be resting on a specific key in the hom e row of the keyboard. The home keys on a standard QWERTY keyboard layout are A,S,D,F and J,K,L, ;. The thumbs should be resting on the space bar. THE IMPORTANCE OF ERGONOMICS Typing ergonomics is the science of preventing common workplace injuries by using proper posture and stretching techniques when at the computer. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Tendinitis are common injuries developed in the workplace. These occur when muscles, tendons, and nerves of our bodies are strained by repetitive traumatic motion. If your body remains in the same position for several hours a day, or if you’re using the same set of muscles to repeat a task for hours at a time, you may begin to feel discomfort or pain. This is when you would become susceptible to these sorts of injuries. Typing Web suggests a few simple adjustments in your work habits and workstations that can help prevent these types of injuries from happening. Make sure your equipment is set up properly  Republic of the Philippines BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE Taculing Road, Bacolod City, 6100 Bachelor of Science in Office Administration 1st Semester A.Y. 2024 Seat: You should adjust the height of your seat so that your feet are resting comfortably on the floor or on a footrest. Your knees should be bent at a ninety-degree angle (or slightly greater) and your thighs should be parallel to the floor. There should be a two-to-four-inch gap between the edge of the seat and the back of your knees. Monitor: The top of your monitor should be at eye level (or slightly below). It should be 16 to 28 inches away from the tip of your nose. Make sure you maintain an upright head posture with your chin tucked in. Keyboard and Mouse: Your hands should be level with your elbows (or slightly lower) and your hands and forearms should form a straight line. Keep your shoulders relaxed with your elbows hanging close to your sides. An ergonomic keyboard is a very good way to protect your wrists from injury Quick Tips to Stay Safe Avoid pounding on your keys; do not exert more force than is necessary. Evaluate your posture while you use your computer at home or at work. Take short breaks every thirty minutes and move around. Make stretching a part of your daily routine before and after using the computer. Computer Stretches Eyes: Close your eyes tightly and then open them widely and repeat several times. Take your eyes off of the monitor and refocus them on an object thirty feet away. Hands: Spread your fingers as far apart as you can for ten seconds and then make a tight fist and hold it and repeat. Neck: Slowly turn your head to the side and hold for ten seconds, then turn to the other side and hold. Slowly tilt your head to the side and hold it for ten seconds, then slowly tilt to the other side and hold. Repeat. Shoulders: Slowly shrug shoulders in a circular forward motion, then reverse the motion in a backwards motion and repeat. Spread your arms apart and make slow circles forward and then backwards. What is a musculoskeletal disorder? Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are conditions that affect your body’s muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. MSDs can develop over time or can occur immediately due to overload. Keyboarding Finger Chart