Week 8, Keyboarding

Hello and Welcome to our Keyboarding Class BLOG.  It's now official--we are at the half-way mark in our class.  This is Week 8 of a 16-week class.  So if you haven't turned in all the assignments up through Week 7, you are behind in the class.  This means you may not finish unless you get all the assignments current.  And for those of you who are working ahead, the end is in sight!


I woke up to another generous dusting of snow this morning in El Paso.  So it's on the way to MS also.  Maybe it won't mean another snow day! I know many of you already have to go to school much beyond the normal start of summer vacation.  


Capitalization  Rules
Here are some important rules for you to consider in your assignments for this week.  The emails you write will be checked very closely for correct punctuation as well as for proper grammar.  Double check your assignments before you submit them so you can get full credit for your work.

Capitalize This:	Example
The first word of every sentence.	It is very important to follow the correct grammar rules.
The first-person pronoun, I.	I am going to Mississippi in March.
The first, last, and important words in a title.	"Important words" usually do not include articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions.
Proper nouns	Mrs. McKee talked with  Mr. White, the high school principal.
Specific persons and things	Barack Obama, the White House, Mini BMW  Motor Company.
An official title when it precedes a name or when used elsewhere if it is a title of high distinction.	Tell Uncle Joel to call the Senator from Florida.
Specific geographical locations	Gulfport, Mississippi, Africa, Forest Park Zoo, Lake Erie, the Northeast, the Southwest.
However, we do not capitalize directions or locations that aren't being used as names	This is the north side of the city; we're heading south this winter.
Names of newspapers and journals	Do not, however, capitalize the word the, even when it is part of the newspaper's title: the Orlando Sentinel
Days of the week, months, holidays	Do not, however, capitalize the names of seasons (spring, summer, fall, autumn, winter). "Next winter, we're traveling south; by spring, we'll be back up north."
Historical events	World War I, the Renaissance, the Crusades
Names of organizations and companies	Chamber of Commerce, General Motors, Girl Scouts
Races, nationalities, languages	Swedes, Swedish, African American, Jewish, French, Native American. (Most writers do not capitalize whites, blacks.)
Names of religions and religious terms	God, Christ, Allah, Buddha, Christianity, Christians, Judaism, Jews, Islam, Muslims
Names of courses	Economics, Biology 101. (However, we would write: "I'm taking a course in biology this summer.")
Brand names	Tide, Maytag, Chevrolet, Monopoly
Names of relationships only when they are a part of or a substitute for a person's name.	(Often this means that when there is modifier, such as a possessive pronoun, in front of such a word, we do not capitalize it.) Let's go visit Grandmother today. Let's go visit my grandmother today. I remember Uncle Arthur. I remember my Uncle Arthur. My uncle is unforgettable.

Punctuation and Spacing Rules
(Source:  joblack59.com, 12.20.2009)

, Space once after a comma.

: Space once after a colon. 

- Do not space before or after a hyphen.

: Space twice after a colon.

.?! Space twice after punctuation at the end of a sentence.

. Space once after periods used with titles or initials.

( ) Do not space after opening parenthesis; space once after closing parenthesis.

# Do not space between the # sign and the quantity following it.

(The # before a number means number; the # sign following a number means pounds.)

& Space once before and after the ampersand.

$ Do not space between $ and amount.

 @ Space once before and after @ except in email addresses.

% Do not space between % and number that follows. 

 / Do not space before or after forward slash.

Reminders for this week's assignments

Follow the lesson task instructions carefully.

Use the form in the lesson to complete your emails; complete all sections.

Use proper punctuation and spacing.

Double check your grammar and spelling.

To start a paragraph, use Tab (do not space 5 times).

Space twice after punctuation at the end of a sentence. 

REVISED GRADING RUBRIC for Timed Writings.

Grading Rubric
GWAM (Gross Words A Minute)	Grade
You must complete all sections of each lesson and meet keying speeds and accuracy on the Lesson Report section as outlined below.
30+ Average GWAM with at least 85% accuracy	100
25-29 Average GWAM with at least 85% accuracy	85
20-24 Average GWAM with at least 85% accuracy	75
15-19 Average GWAM with at least 85% accuracy	65
Attempts under 14 GWAM or less than 85% accuracy	40

*Points awarded based on quality of work