SUCCESS IN COMPUTER APPLICATIONS CLASS:
Success in Computer Applications can really be summarized in one word - EFFORT! Every year I have kids who are extremely worried about taking this class because they know they cannot type FAST. As your child will learn from me, speed is really not a major consideration for this class (however, it does play a small role). My philosophy is that each and every child that walks into my classroom will have improved when they walk out of my classroom at the end of the semester, IF THEY WILL LISTEN TO MY DIRECTIONS AND FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE AND FEEDBACK THEY ARE GIVEN IN CLASS!
Students must be willing to learn the correct technique in order to key at an efficient level. Students who choose to ignore the instruction they are given in class usually are the students who struggle the most at reaching a level of proficiency expected of students in the 7th grade. Since it is impossible for me to watch a student key at home, I cannot guarantee that their practice performed at home is of the same quality that I expect in class. My hope is that parents are able to help in this regard by using the technique sheet that is accessible on my website to help their child perform well at home also. Additionally, at this young age, students are transitioning from elementary to Middle School, and thus the educational rigor is also becoming more demanding. It is therefore necessary that 7th Graders work hard at organizing themselves in order to give themselves the best chance at success.
As a group of teachers, the 7th Grade staff would highly recommend a Trapper Keeper of some kind in order to keep all the information from the different classes that your child attends each and every day. Your child should receive a school calendar booklet that he/she can use to write their assignments in - I would highly encourage them to do so. This way, at the end of the day, all your child will need to do is look in the calendar booklet and remind themselves of what homework (if any) they have so that they can gather their materials before they leave school. This should help to avoid the "I left it at school" syndrome common at this age level.
EFFECTIVE STUDY SKILLS - DR. BOB KIZLIK
ACADEMICTIPS.ORG - Offers tips on establishing good study habits.
GOOD STUDY HABITS - This site includes a printable homework organizer; you can also find help for ADD or ADHD children.
SUCCESSFUL STUDY HABITS - This site might best be applied to high school and older groups, but there are quite a few tips that are good for everyone.
MS SCHOOL STUDENTS - GET ORGANIZED! - "Organize your day, your materials, and your study time."