Their skills with using the computer are minimal. Those are the kids that I have to give more computer time in the classroom because they need time to learn the keyboard and using it. I realized that I have to go in there the day before and try it myself. Because if I just go in there that morning with them, then there is always something that is wrong, we spend most of our time correcting problems and then we need an extra day in the computer lab to finish working, because we wasted so much time. So I go in and go through the system myself.
Wake County requires each student to keep a writing folder.
I went over how to write a friendly letter in class, they chose someone to write the letter to, and then we wrote a first draft, edited it and then finally typed it with graphics. The second time we went we did newsletters. That was a creative writing assignment, in which they wrote about what was going on in their classes and they could used graphics. All of our kids had to get Internet permission forms. They are pretty responsible, because they know it is a privilege and it can be taken away.