Touch Typing Tutor for Children With Special Needs

Learning to touch type can be a life changing skills for children with special needs. By learning this priceless skill these kids can improve other skills such as reading and spelling not to mention the vocabulary enhancement. The best way to teach special needs children to type is with a touch typing tutor.

There are many touch typing tutors out there aimed designed for kids with some sort of learning disability. The most popular type of learning disability these tutors are used for is Dyslexia. For years teachers across the land have used specially designed typing tutors to teach dyslexic children how to type.

But these programs have proven to be useful with other types of Special Needs including Dyspraxia / Development Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Semantic Pragmatic & other language disorders and Visual Impairment.

A typing program aimed for special needs children must add educational value and teach keyboard skills at the same. So such programs must include:

A focus on additional literacy benefits whilst teaching touch typing

• Grammar and punctuation lessons
• Written and Spoken instructions
• A simple and uncluttered presentation style
• Games (A bit of fun is always welcomed)
• Rewards (to keep children motivated)
• Short Lessons

Benefits for Dyslexic Children

Learning type can bring many benefits for children with dyslexia including reading, comprehension, focus and spelling not to mention the reduction in handwriting, often a challenging area for many dyslexics.

Benefits for Visually Impaired

For the majority of visually impaired children learning keyboard skills is the only way to use a computer, despite the great strides made in voice recognition software’s the keyboard still the most practical way for someone with sight problems to control a computer.

Benefits for Children with ASD

ASD is the acronym for Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Autistic children have difficulties with producing written work and evidencing progress. Reason why the chosen typing tutor must have well structured lessons with a clear beginning and a clear ending as well as a reward system which is immediate.

Benefits for Semantic Pragmatic Children

Semantic Pragmatic Disorder or SPD causes complex communication problems that can be overcomed with touch typing because it will improve the process of written communication by greatly reducing the need for a linear thought process.

As you can see a touch typing tutor that is design for children with special needs can bring various life changing benefits for such kids and allow them to interact with normally with our society.

This article was written with the special help from the developers of Englishtype a touch typing tutor designed for children with special needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felipe_Bazon

Tips to Make Your Computer Faster

Nowadays speed and agility are essential parts of day to day life especially when we talk about computers and internet. Gone are the days of dial-up internet and 133Hz Pentium processors. Thank God for Broadband and multi-core processors. But despite all the technology available to make our computers faster with time they tend to slow down. What to do then?

In this article I’ll give you some tips to improve the processing speed of your computers. These tips are more or less in chronological order and when you reach the end of this article you will understand why.

Removing Temp Files

Many people are not even aware they exist, but they and with time they occupy huge slots of space within hard drives and start to slow computers down.

There is a simple and easy solution for this problem and it is called Ccleaner. This software is free to download and will clean up all the unwanted Temp files from your hard drives and optimise your computers performance which leads us to my next tip.

Where to find Ccleaner?

Simply do a search in Google and many download options will show up.

Optimising Performance

It sounds geeky but it is also fairly simple. To optimise performance you need to defrag your disks. Wait don’t panic!

Assuming that you use Windows, go to the start menu, all programs, accessories, system tools and select disk defragmenter. Run it but first make sure all programs are closed, it might take some time so I recommend living it running when you go to sleep. You can also schedule auto-runs, that you way you machine is always optimised to its best performance

SDD RAM Memory Upgrade

This one is a little more complicated and you will require the assistance of an IT Man or your local computer repairs man. If you installed many games, heavy software’s like Photoshop for instance you might notice that your computer is running slower when you play or run this programs. This is because they are using most of your computer memory the SDD RAM Memory.

To solve this problem you need to buy and install more SDD RAM Memory cards and to do that you will need professional help. Contact your IT Man or local computer repairs guy and he or she will be able to assist you in the best options available for your computer and more importantly mother board.

Formatting

Again I suggest you seek professional help for this one. Formatting is in other words restoring your computer to factory settings. By doing this all the data will be erased so make sure you ask whoever does that to you to backup the files and folders you don’t want to be erased.

Buying a new computer

This is my last resort! If you have the money to spare why not buy newer and faster computer but remember the first two tips should be done periodically to any computer be it new or old.

About the Author

Tom is the owner of Computer Repairs Bedford and has over 20 years of experience fixing computers and giving IT support.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6827711

Common Computer Problems and Quick Fixes

Computers have been a part of our day to day lives for quite some time now but still when they crash we go ballistic and most of the time we don’t know what to do and end up calling a repair shop or our trustworthy IT man. In this article I’ll list some of the most common computer issues and a quick fix for them.

Before you continue reading this article is for computer users little to intermediate experience, if you are computer savvy you will find some of the problems listed here stupid so to save you from wasting your time, stop reading now if you are a computer geek like me.

Loss of power or no power at all

How many times you were chatting away on MSN or navigating through the web and all of sudden your computer dies away. First of all don’t panic then check to see if the lights are still on in your house. Now check the power lead if it wasn’t power cut and the lights on your power lead aren’t on it might have burned and you will need to buy a new one.

If the lights on your power lead are on check the power light on your computer if they are off check the cable connection sometimes while cleaning you accidentally touched causing it to be badly connected to your computer which in turned caused the loss of power.

Laptop users also need to be aware of their battery life, avoid keeping it plugged in all the time. Use your batteries till they are running out and then plug it in to recharge. The less you live your laptop plugged in the power supply the longer your batteries will live.

Software not responding

This is a very common issue especially if you use Windows. When software’s stop responding the first thing to do is give it a couple of seconds to see if goes back to normal if not hit CTRL+ALT+DEL all at once. You will taken to windows starting screen once there select “Task Manager”.

You will be taken back to your desktop with the Task Manager’s dialogue box open, select the program that is not responding and click on “end task”. This will close the program allowing you to run it again.

System freezing or hanging on start-up

Freezing or Handing is a term used to describe when an Operating System (OS) is running or loading and all of a sudden stop. Again this is a very common problem faced by Windows users it can happen due to a series of causes. Missing or damaged system files (ex: MBR boot file).

Considering that you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7 by now both come with System Recovery Options on their installation discs. If your computer did not come with an installation disc you will have to restart it and boot into the Advanced Boot Options screen.

Select repair your computer and press enter, follow the instruction till you reach the dialogue box where you can select start up repair and viola. Not that confident in doing this by yourself? Give your computer repair guy a call then.

Viruses and Spywares

Two distinct Internet threats that are a pain to deal with but that can be easily avoid these days. The majority of anti-viruses, paid or freeware are pretty effective in protecting your computer against these threats.

In case on of those breached your security don’t panic, check to see if your anti-virus is updated to its latest version if not, do so and get it to scan your computer in 99% of the cases it will detect the problem and remove it.

To avoid the some problem from happening again schedule periodical scan on your anti-virus and make you keep it up to date with the latest version. Don’t be lazy when you see the message that your anti-virus needs to be updated by leaving it for later.

From my experience as an IT guy for the past 20 years these are the most common problem my costumers encounter and as you can in most cases you can fix them yourselves.

About the Author

Tom is the owner of Computer Repairs Bedford and has over 20 years of experience fixing computers and giving IT support.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6702117

Shale Gas Rush: Good or Bad for the Global Economy?

The discovery and first extractions of Shale Gas are dated back to the late 1800’s but it was eclipsed by larger conventional gas reservoirs and its cheaper extraction costs. With global natural gas reservoirs running low and technological advancements to Shale Gas extraction which made it cheaper and more profitable, the gas is now high on the agenda of many Governments around the globe.

This Shale Gas Rush started in America after the development of an extraction process called “Fracking” which uses chemicals and millions of gallons of water to release gas trapped deep underground. Over the past decade American production tripled and Shale Gas accounts for 20% of all natural gas produced in the country and if analysts predictions are correct it could account for as much as half of the gas production in the US by 2020.

As expected other nations started to seek Shale Gas basins in their own territory. Right now there are 48 Shale basins in 38 nations to the EIA (Energy Information Administration), totaling 6,622 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable Shale Gas resources worldwide.

The biggest reserves are located in China (1,275 trillion cubic feet), United Stated (862 trillion cubic feet), Argentina (774 trillion cubic feet), Mexico (681 trillion cubic feet) and South Africa (485 trillion cubic feet).

There is no doubt could will cause a stir on the global energy markets. Nations that have discovered such reserves will reduce or cut down completely their dependence on LNG and natural gas imports causing prices to drop.

But one of the biggest issues is extraction also known as “Fracking”. Many environmentalist advocate the procedure can contaminate underground aquifers and that the chemicals used are potentially hazardous to humans and wildlife. It is known that “Fracking” uses around 80 different chemicals that are injected on the ground the liberate the gas, these gases return o the surface as flow back, bringing with them heavy metals, radioactive materials and other substances harmful to life.

Recently in the UK, “fracking” was even associated with small earth tremors, earthquakes of low magnitude, but the claims were dismissed. We can be certain of one thing, mass scale shale gas extraction is on its early days and studies and regulations must be developed in order to create a safe and harmless extraction process.

Just like it happened with oil extractions Shale Gas extraction should be properly regulated by international bodies to guarantee that even though it proves to be a profitable “fuel” it doesn’t do more harm than good to global economy and above all to our environment.

I’ll leave you with the initial question: Shale Gas Rush: Good or Bad for the Global Economy? Share your views in the comments below.

About the Author

Energy broker specialised in business energy procurement with emphasis on business electricity and business gas contracts for UK businesses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6735655

Top Tips to Increase your Touch Typing Speed

Touch typing is an essential life skill learnt at primary school age these days and the earlier you learn the faster you will type with time. But if you are like me who self taught yourself how to touch type and still not happy with your typing speed here are some tips to increase your touch typing speed.

It is rather frustrating to see your nephews and little cousins flying through the keyboard typing hundreds of keywords per minute without looking at the keyword, isn’t it? Yes, I know the feeling I’ve been there once.

Or at work when your boss asks you to digitalise a document and you take ages to do it because you can’t look at the paper and type at the same time.

Worry no more, your hunting and pecking days are over after you follow my tips to increase your touch typing speed you’ll be typing as fast as those little devils that were making fun of you.

Considering that you are already familiar with the keyboard place all ten fingers over the keyboard in a way that both thumbs are over the space bar. This is way you will start using all ten fingers when typing.

Customise your keyboard, this might sound childish by it does help improve your speed. Now a written text place it next to you and start typing only looking at the paper, you are allowed to occasionally look to the screen but not the keyboard. Aim for 40 words per minute and move yourself up as you feel more confident.

To make things a little harder, cover your keyboard with a piece of cardboard in a way that you can type but can’t see the keys. Repeat the same process as before with the written text.

Consider a touch typing tutor; don’t be ashamed of referring to one. There are touch typing programs specifically made for older people just like you and me. These tutors will help you increase your typing speed as well as improve your literacy as the senior versions of these software’s use more complex words than the ones used in their junior versions.

Computer games are very useful to help one increase speed, despite not using all keys when play they help your finger become more agile and since you can’t look at the keyboard while playing you develop the confidence you need to type without looking at the keyboard.

Going back to those typing tutors most of them offer “Speed Boosters” which are computer games aimed to help you increase your speed while having a bit of fun.

Last but not least we have practice. Despite everything suggested in this article only with daily practice you will increase your touch typing speed.

Preparing for your first driving lessons

So you have finally reached the age of 17, all those long waited years to reach legal driving age have come to an end and you can finally start taking your driving lessons. But where to start? In this article you will find all the necessary information to get you started and driving in no time.

First of all you need to decide whether you are going to hire the services of a qualified driving instructor or you will ask for a family member or friend who has more than two years of experience. As a female driving instructor I am bias of saying which is the best option is so I’ll let you decide this one.

Once you decide who will be giving you driving lessons you now need to start learning the basics of driving. If you opt for an automatic car there is less to learn so I recommend you start learning in a manual car. Manual cars can be tougher in the beginning but once you mastered the clutch and gears you will be able to drive just about any car, including automatics.

A good way to start learning the basics of road driving like signs, rules and laws is by reading the recommended book by the DSA (Driving Standards Agency). These are the same books you will need to study in order to pass the written test before you can take your practical driving test.

The recommended books by the Driving Standards Agency are:

Driving the Essential Skills from DSA
The Highway Code from The Stationery Office
Know your Traffic Signs from The Stationery Office
The Official Driving Test from DSA

You can buy them from your local book shop or perhaps borrow from someone who already took the tests.

Take your time and study these books thoroughly and when you think you are ready, book your theory test online on the DSA website or via their telephone number which is 0870 0101 372. Tests are conducted at local DSA test centres and information on your nearest one can be found on the DSA website.

With regards to driving lessons take as many as you see need till you feel confident that you’ve learned everything you have to learn to take the driving test. Here is when a driving instructor makes the difference, he or she will be able to teach you all the tricks and tips in order to fully prepare you to pass your driving test.

If you opt to learn how to drive with a driving instructor choose a local one and if you don’t know any a simple search in Google should return a handful of reliable options. For instance if you leave in Bedford simply search for Driving Lessons Bedford or use Google Maps which is also another great resource to find local business in your area.

About the Author

Experienced driving instructor with accredited qualifications providing driving lessons Bedford and surrounding areas.

Wet or Dry Dog Food?

Wet and dry dog foods are the most common types of dog food there is. Each has their benefits and drawbacks and the best way to decide which one is right for your best friend is by experimenting. In this article I’ll point out pros and cons of both types of dog food and let you decide which one is the more adequate for your dog(s).

Those of you who have had dogs for many years might already know what is the best type of food to feed your buddies. Over the years I have experimented with different types and brands of dog food and I can assure there is no rule or pattern to be followed as each dog and breed should be treated uniquely.

I had dogs that simply wouldn’t adapt to premium dog food and the best results was achieved with ordinary brands while others wouldn’t contemplate cheaper brands. But the aim of this article is to point out the benefits and drawbacks of wet and dry dog foods.

Wet Dog Foods

Wet dog food or canned dog food have higher protein and fat levels compared to dried kibbles. They usually contain grain gluten and other protein gels used to create artificial meaty chunks to imitate real meat. For that reason they more appetizing and palatable to dogs.

Wet dog foods are also high in moisture making them ideal for puppies and mature dogs because they are easier to chew and have other benefits such as help the urinary tract.

One of the biggest downsides of canned food is the cost per serving especially for larger dogs. A good idea is to mix it up with dry food. I normally use a cheaper brand of mix when I feed my dogs as the canned food masks the flavour of the cheaper feed.

Dry Dog Food

Considered by many breeders, veterinaries and owners as the most complete type of dog food of this type and is also the most popular for numerous reasons.

Dry dog food is specially formulated to support growth, ensure correct muscle, skeletal and organs development, improve coat and skin condition as well as improve performance of competition dogs.

They also help to keep teeth and gums healthy and ensure firmer stools but tend to be high in gluten. A problem that can be easily solved by buying 100% natural or organic brand, they might more expensive but they are worth the money.

With so many brands on the market today it is hard to determine the ideal brand for your dog(s) since each dog will adapt differently to a certain type of food.

My suggestion is that you choose one that will support all the nutritional needs of your buddy throughout his different stages of life. Keep in mind that you should change the type of food as your dog grows older.

article source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Wet-or-Dry-Dog-Food?&id=6399381

Choosing the right dog food for your buddy

Choosing the most suitable feed for your dog(s) is by far the most important decision you will make for him or her. Sometimes it takes months till you find the correct food type and brand to feed your dog(s) with. It is a long winded process well worth the effort to ensure a healthy future for your buddies.

There are many types of dog food all of which have their pros and cons. Before we dig any deeper lets establish that when I mention dog food types I’m referring to: dry, wet (canned), raw and frozen dog food. Each one of these types can be then divided into: natural, organic, fresh and dog food containing preservatives and additives.

Dry Dog Food

Considered by many dog owners and breeders as the most complete type of feed since it the highest number of benefits when compared to other types of dog food. Dried dog food comes in various sizes and shapes and are easy to store. The most important benefits are: it helps to keep teeth and gums healthy, ensure firm stools, lower cost per serving, improve coat and skin condition and ensure the correct development of muscles and skeletal system.

Wet Dog Food

Wet dog food or canned dog food might not be as popular as dried dog food because of its price and cost per serving. It is often used mixed up with dried feeds. Wet dog food is high in protein and moisture which is good for hydration and the urinary tract, it is by far more palatable than other types of food for obvious reasons. The downside is that is has a short shelf life after it’s opened and some dogs can gain weight when only fed with it.

Fresh or Raw Dog Food

Not as common as it use to be but raw feeding seems to be making a come back with more and more dog owners and breeders advocating that dogs cannot properly digest grains. That is true to certain extent since dog’s digestive system weren’t made to eat processed or cooked food. Raw feeding is far more complicated than usual feeding with dry or canned food and it is advisable to have the supervision of a veterinary.

Feeding your dog(s) is a process that changes as they get older since there are different types of food for different stages of their lives. When they are puppies you should feed them puppy dog food which is smaller, softer and formulated to develop growth. As they reach adult age you should switch to adult dog food and as they grow older you should consider mature feeds to ensure they live a longer and healthier life.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Choosing-the-Right-Dog-Food-for-Your-Buddy&id=6399370

6 Benefits of Plyometric Training

Plyometrics was the term coined to describe training methods aimed to increase the speed and force of muscular eccentric contractions (muscle lengthens) which in turn improves power, endurance, explosiveness, strength and speed of athletes in just about any given sport activity.

Plyometric training or simply plyos can boost up just about any training routine allowing athletes to throw further, jump higher and hit harder. You name the activity and plyos can surely help you enhance your performance by improving your explosive reaction through powerful and rapid muscular contractions.

A muscle reaches its maximum force during a rapid eccentric contraction but in order to maximize this strength the muscle must contract in the shortest time possible in what is called a concentric contraction. The process of eccentric contraction followed by a rapid concentric contraction is known as stretch shortening cycle which is the basis of plyometric training.

It is important to note that Plyos Training differ from ordinary strength training because it is performed quickly and explosively. The training is performed in individual muscles groups generally divided by the upper and lower body.

The exercises can be performed without equipment. Common plyometric training equipments are: Plyometric Boxes, horizontal stepping ladders and jumping ropes. As afore mentioned plyometrics exercises are divided into two groups: upper body exercises and lower body exercises.

Lower Body Plyometric Training Exercises

Drop Jumping
Bounding and Hurdling
Standing based jumps
Jumps from Standing
Multiple jumps from standing
Depth jumps
Eccentric drop and hold drills

Upper Body Plyometric Training Exercises

Press ups & hand clap
Incline Push up depth jump
Chest Pass using a medicine ball
Power Drop with medicine ball
Incline Chest Pass

6 Benefits of Plyometric Training

Improves Overall Athletic Performance
Enhances Muscle Explosiveness
Enhances Muscle Power
Increases Muscle Strength
Increases Stamina Levels (Muscle Endurance)
Improves Speed

In summary plyometric exercises can be used to improve and enhance the power of just about every type of athlete in any given discipline. It is down to the coaches out there to develop or select specific exercises that work the desired muscular groups needed to improve the performance of their athletes.

Due to the high complexity of exercises which have a greater risk of injuries individuals that want to engage in plyometric training are advised to train with a qualified fitness instructor.

Article Source: 6 Benefits of Plyometric Training

What to Look for in a Touch Typing Tutor?

An essential skill to use a computer is to know how to touch type; it took me years before I learned how to type fast without looking at the keyboard. But nowadays there are typing tutors to speed up this process which led me to write this guide to help people looking for a touch typing tutor, be it downloadable software or a web-based tutor, find one that best suits your needs.

Computers are an essential part of our life nowadays, be it for leisure or professional use we can’t simply not live without it. Touch typing is an essential skill needed for anyone using a computer these days, whether they are simply using to chat with their friends on msn or to write professional articles like I’m doing right now.

Back in the days of the old typing machines you had to take classes to learn how to type faster. A lot has changed since those days but anyone that is looking to learn or improve their typing skills must make use of a typing tutor, the advantage today is that you can easily download one or even use a web-based tutor.

So what to look for in a touch Typing Tutor?

First and foremost you need to decide what age group is the program aimed at, since there are specific software’s for each group (kids, juniors and seniors).

Will it be used at home or in schools? Most typing software suits both needs but make sure you choose the one that suits your needs best.

Does it offer educational benefits such as helping to improve reading, spelling and grammar skills? Depending on the age group that you are planning to use the program with this is extremely important.

Make sure it suits your language skills and literacy, we all know the spelling differences there are between American English and British as well as Australian.

Avoid typing tutors that market magic formulas such as type like a pro in less then a day. Generally a good typing program will improve keyboards skill within a week but that doesn’t mean that you or your pupils are then ready to give up the program. Remember practice makes perfect.

Is it special needs friendly? Children with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Autism/ASD and VI have great difficulty in writing but that doesn’t stop them from learning how to type and teaching touch typing for them can be life changing to say the least.

Does the program have tests to measure improvements? It is extremely important to measure the achievements after completing the learning levels. Normally the achievements are measured with a speed test (how many words one can type in a given period of time).

Now that you know what to look for in typing tutor you can rest assured that you won’t be wasting your money with ineffective programs and that you or your pupils will have their keyboarding skills improved.

Remember not knowing how to touch type is like writing with a feather and pot of ink to write – painfully slow! Stop hunting and pecking and start improving your typing skills right away.

Touch typing is an essential skill that must be mastered by everyone using computers and remember it is never to late to learn to touch type.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6386332