KEYBOARDING AND MOUSE SKILLS

Keyboard

Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps to input data to the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter, although there are some additional keys provided for performing additional functions.

Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now keyboards with 104 keys or 108 keys are also available for Windows and Internet.

Learn how to type Properly:

Sitting posture for typing

• Sit straight and remember to keep your back straight.
• Keep your elbows bent at the right angle.
• Face the screen with your head slightly tilted forward.
• Keep at least 45 - 70 cm of distance between your eyes and the screen.
• Еxpose the shoulder, arm, and wrist muscles to the least possible strain. The wrists can touch the tabletop in front of the keyboard. Never shift your body weight to the wrists by resting on them.

Home
row position

Curve your fingers a little and put them on the ASDF and JKL; keys which are located in the middle row of the letter keys. This row is called HOME ROW because you always start from these keys and always return to them.

F and J keys under your index fingers should have a raised line on them to aide in finding these keys without looking.

Кeyboard scheme

The color-coded keyboard under lesson input field will help you to understand which finger should press each key.

• Hit keys only with the fingers for which they have been reserved.
• Always return to the starting position of the fingers "ASDF – JKL;".
• When typing, imagine the location of the symbol on the keyboard.
• Establish and maintain a rhythm while typing. Your keystrokes should come at equal intervals.
• The SHIFT key is always pressed by the pinky finger opposite to the one hitting the other key.
• Use the thumb of whichever hand is more convenient for you to press the Space bar.

This method may seem inconvenient at first, but do not stop, eventually, you’ll find out that you are typing quickly, easily, and conveniently. To achieve the maximum result, choose a touch typing course for your keyboard layout and in the desired language.

Fingers
motion

Don't look at the keys when you type. Just slide your fingers around until they find the home row marking.

Limit your hand and finger movement only to what is necessary to press a specific key. Keep your hands and fingers close to the base position. This improves typing speed and reduces stress on the hands.

Pay attention to ring fingers and little fingers, since they are considerably underdeveloped.

Typing
speed

• Do not rush when you just started learning. Speed up only when your fingers hit the right keys out of habit.
• Take your time when typing to avoid mistakes. The speed will pick up as you progress.
• Always scan the text a word or two in advance.
• Pass all typing lessons at Ratatype. It will help you to get above the average typing speed.

Take care
of yourself

Take a break if you feel that you get distracted easily and are making a lot of mistakes. It is more productive to come back when you feel refreshed.

Lesson 1 Left Hand Practice

In the first lesson you will only practice with fingers of your left hand.

Place your fingers on the keyboard as described below.

Pinky Finger.....	A
Ring Finger.....	S
Middle Finger......	D
Index Finger....	F
Thumb.......	Space

lesson:2 Right Hand Practice

Place your right hand fingers on the keyboard as described below.

Index Finger....	J
Middle Finger......	K
Ring Finger.....	L
Pinky Finger.....	; (Semi-Colon)
Thumb.......	Space

Lesson 3 Left and Right Hands Practice

 

Using a mouse

There are lots of different styles of mouse, but most have a left and a right button.

To hold your mouse, rest your hand over it and put your index finger on the left button and your thumb resting on the side. The cable needs to be pointing towards the computer. The mouse needs to always be in contact with a mouse mat, desk or hard surface.

You use your mouse to move the cursor around the screen. The cursor changes, depending on what you are doing on the computer. As an arrow you use it for moving and selecting things, as a hand for clicking on links when you are on the internet and it becomes an hourglass when you are waiting for the computer to do something.

Single clicking

You single click with the left mouse button to select things. Just quickly left click and then let go of the button.

Double clicking

You double click with the left mouse button to open things, such as a folder. You need to double click quickly, think about the ‘knock, knock’ you do on a door.

Drag and drop

Drag and drop is when you move something from one place to another. 

First select the item with the left mouse button and keep the button pressed down. Then move the mouse and the item on screen will move with the cursor. When you have the cursor and item in the position you want, release the left mouse button.

The item will now be dropped to where the cursor is positioned on the screen.

You use drag and drop to move things around your computer, such as files between folders.

Right button

If you ever accidently click the right mouse button, a list of computer commands will appear. To remove the list just move the mouse and single click the left button.

Laptop trackpad or touchpad

Laptops can have a built in mouse within the keyboard. This is operated by finger touch. This specialised surface is used instead of a mouse and needs only very short finger movements to move the cursor across the display screen.

This is how you position your fingers on the computer mouse.

Introduction to Manipulative keys

Keys with multiple functions

Manipulative keys are non-printing characters that are used to change the appearance and layout of text on any page. Examples; a. the Shift Key 

b. the Caps Lock Key 

c. the Enter Key 

d. the Backspace Key 

e. the Tab Key 

f. the Delete 

g. the Insert key  

On a Standard and Enhanced keyboard, there are keys that have more than one function. There are other keys that have been assigned to perform special functions. Such keys are known as manipulative keys. For example, the delete key is used to erase errors made when typing a text or clear unwanted files from the computers memory. It is also used in combination with the Alt key and the Ctrl key when you want to restart the computer.

Let's take a look at some manipulative keys.

Shift Key.
The Shift key is a modifier key on a keyboard; it is used to type capital letters and other alternate "upper" characters. There are two shift keys on the keyboard. One on the left (below the caps Lock key) and right sides (below the enter key).

Tab Key.
The Tab key on a keyboard is used to move the cursor to the next "tab stop". Tab is the abbreviation for Tabulator. To tabulate, (tabulating) means to put something into a table or chart.

Backspace Key.
Backspace key moves the cursor backward one character space. It can also be used to delete the character to the left of the cursor. It is particularly useful for correcting spelling mistakes.

Enter Key.
The enter key is also known as the Return key, it is used to move a cursor to the next line or execute a command or operation. You can find two enter keys on most keyboards, one on the main key pad and another on the numerical keypad.

Insert Key.
Sometimes displayed as INS on the keyboard, the Insert key is a key allows text to be inserted. When insert is enabled, it allows text to be typed over existing text in a document.

Delete Key
On computer keyboards, the delete key (sometimes shortened "DEL"), normally erases the character at the cursor's position, moving all following characters one position "back" towards the freed place.