Technologies & Touch Typing for Academic Success

Pre-Course Checklist

Equipment Delivery

The following equipment will be delivered approximately two weeks before the course date.

• Webcam

• Keyboard

• Stickers

  • Coloured: To cover every letter of the alphabet and common punctuation (NOT numbers).

  • Tactile: For the ‘F’ and the ‘J’ keys only.
    (Spares are provided.
    Please keep them in a safe place. Students will need them towards the end of the course)

Equipment will be delivered to the address provided when booking.
You can find this address in your order confirmation email.

If you need the equipment to be delivered to a different address, please let us know ASAP by emailing info@achivenow.org.uk

Check equipment:

As soon as the equipment arrives please:

• Let us know you have it. This enables us to chase late equipment.

• Test every letter of the keyboard works by typing ‘The quick brown dog jumped over the lazy fox’

• Test the webcam works.
  
  

Ensure your child’s device is set up for success:

These requirements are details when booking the course. Here is a reminder of what is required

Every student device must have

• Two USB ports, allowing the keyboard and webcam to be used at the same time.

• Google Chrome installed - REQUIRED for all students regardless of the device used.
  Click this link to download

• Working microphone & speaker - Please check these works

• A “normal keyboard”, that is WITHOUT stickers (used to type user ID and passwords).
  
  

Your child may want or need:

• An ad blocker installed (fewer distractions)

• Headphones (essential when more than one student is working in the same space,
  advisable if students are working in the same space as a parent as software can be noisy and annoying)

• Blu Tak, is sometimes required to keep the webcam in the optimal position to view student’s fingers.

Before the course starts

• Use the stickers to turn the keyboard we provide into student “blind keyboard” https://www.achievenow.org.uk/how-to-create-a-blind-keyboard

• Print worksheets https://www.achievenow.org.uk/tt4as-worksheet
  These are used on the second, third and fourth day of the course.
  Having them printed out helps students keep better track of their progress

We have created a video to show how to set up equipment https://youtu.be/_iIqsO2RI9Q

Accounts required for each student

IMPORTANT participant requirements 

Each student must have their own

• Personal email address - Not a parent’s!!!

• A Zoom account for the students email address

• A Microsoft account. This is required for the Distance Learning section of the course. This video shows how quick and easy an account is to create. https://youtu.be/80ow9FoMDvA?si=moTBeXnoK1271k8O

Parent set up meetings

A mandatory parents’ meeting is scheduled four days before the course begins. Normally on the Thursday evening. They are an opportunity to check everything works before the course starts, scheduled at this time, to ensure there is time to rectify any problems before the live remote lessons start.

Once the course has started it is VERY DIFFICULT to fix anything that does not work

Tell us if …

• Your child can already touch type, or types quickly by looking at the keyboard.

• Your child’s school requires a specific typing speed before students can type their schoolwork.

• We can be contacted using this email: Info@achievenow.org.uk