The importance of accurate and fast typing skills is highlighted by the ever growing cadre of services on the Internet which our students access. From the creation of email messages, drafting reports and essays, and even publishing their own online content, students are required to do an awful lot of typing throughout their "connected" life.

BFIS has contracted with TypingMaster Online to give our community access to an online tool that reinforces proper typing techniques as well as improves accuracy while typing. Out students begin using this tool in the 4th grade and are exposed to it throughout their Middle and High School years with support from families in the home. For the 2009-2010 school year, this practice will begin in grade 3 and more access to technology  for the higher grades means they will have even more time to practice in school while maintaining a required time of practice at home.

The School's TypingMaster Online system has been configured for use with a Spanish layout keyboard. If you need to change the keyboard layout configuration, instructions are after the log in instructions at the bottom of this page.

**Special care should be placed on correct seating and proper hand-placement on the keyboard**

Following is the log in instructions for students/families:

1. Click the following link to go to TypingMaster Online:

http://online3.typingmaster.com/login?id=4hca7g4dn

2. Students will log in using their BFIS Connex account username, and the password either set by them or provided by the School. If you have forgotten your password, it is possible to recuperate it by using the Forgot your ID or password? link below the Login button.

3. Click on the Courses tab on the left-side of the window. Click on the Start Course button within the Touch Typing Course section of this page. This is the course being worked on in School, and should be reinforced in the home

4. Lessons within the Touch Typing Course should be done in order, not random. Choose the lesson that is either "in progress" or a new one if a previous one has been completed. Clicking on The Home Row (Item 1) will give you an overview of how the system works and how to interpret the results of each lesson unit. You can repeat lessons as needed, but you cannot move forward on a lesson until the previous one has been completed.

5. Once inside a lesson, lesson-units will be displayed. These units should be completed in order. Each unit addresses a specific skill and displays the amount of time allotted. You can repeat units as needed

6. Once in the activity screen, the work can begin. The top part of the screen will display instructions of how to complete the unit. The keys or words to be completed will be displayed on the top part of the screen. The keyboard in the middle of the screen will display which key needs to be pressed according to the lesson unit being worked on. On the bottom of the screen, the hand diagram will display with a blue dot which finger should be used to press the key displayed on the keyboard. Lastly, the clock on the right will display the remaining time of the unit

Instructions for changing the keyboard layout:

1. Once you have logged in, click on the Settings tab on the left-side of the screen.

2. Select your keyboard layout from the Keyboard Layout drop-down menu in the middle of the screen. Click the Save button