Dear 6th Grade Students– Many of you had questions in class yesterday about exactly what to do for your typing practice homework for my class. Since improving typing speed seems to be a universal class goal, consistent weekly practice is going to be really important for the next eleven weeks (and beyond!).
Here’s the scoop: Each of you has an account on Custom Typing. If you forget your username or password at any time, please talk to me before or after class or send me an email (my email address is rhansen@ the school’s domain name. Notice that my last name is spelled with an “e” and not an “o”). You are required to log in to Custom Typing every week and practice typing for at least thirty minutes total each week. You get to schedule your own practice times, so you can do two fifteen minute sessions on different days, do five minutes a day for six days, or do all thirty minutes in one shot.
I will print a report from Custom Typing every Monday at noon that shows me who used Custom Typing in the previous week and how long you practiced, what activities you completed, what your speed and error rates were, etc. etc. I use this report to give you credit for doing the homework, as well as to track your progress and improvement over the course of the quarter.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Question: I couldn’t do typing this week because my computer is broken/I had soccer/I had a doctor’s appointment/I couldn’t get online/I forgot my password etc. etc.
Answer: I don’t accept excuses on typing homework. If your computer is broken or you don’t have the Internet at home, please come to my room during lunch and do it then. It’s your job to plan ahead and get it done early in the week if you know that your weekend is going to get busy. Of course if you had a doctor’s appointment because you broke six fingers, come talk to me and we will work out an alternate arrangement!
Question: Can I log in to Custom Typing and then just leave the window open and go play with my Nintendo Wii and still get credit for doing the homework?
Answer: No. Nice try, but I’m on to you. 
Question: I have another typing practice program that I like to use better, or I have a typing tutor who comes to my house, or I take a typing class outside of school. Does that count as my typing homework?
Answer: Great! The more practice you get the better and faster you’ll become. However, you still need to use Custom Typing for thirty minutes a week to get homework credit for my class.
Question: I’m really on a roll and I’d like to practice for more than thirty minutes. Is that allowed?
Answer: Of course!
Any more questions for me? Write them in the comments! Happy typing!
Sincerely, Ms. Hansen
Posted on January 3rd, 2008 by Ms. Ruthie Hansen
Filed under: 6thGrade, typing, Dear Students, homework | 1 Comment »