Go regularly to the Writing Lab at North (D330) to work the SkillsTutor lessons on language skills.  At least two "test" grades will come from these lessons.  (You will be able to do SkillsTutor lessons on your home PC, which should make things easier for you.)

The Learning Assistance Center (D330) has made arrangements for you to take computer-assisted grammar lessons during the course, using the SkillsTutor (SkillsBank) program that replaced our excellent PLATO program.

First, here is how you sign onto SkillsTutor:

1.  Go on the internet (anyplace, in the lab, at home, in a cybercafe, etc.) and, at the address, type in the following:

2.  You are entered into SkillsTutor with this equivalent information:

So you take your first and last initials, and the LAST six digits of your Social Security number (not the first six as originally stated).

3.  When the login page comes up, the students in the 11 MWF and 11 T-Thur classes will type in your user name, as above, and your password will be your user name.

However, if you are in the 9 MWF or 10 MWF classes, you will only type in your user ID.  Leave the password blank.  You'll be able to pick your own.

4.  For "site," you will type in "fccj03" (that's zero-three).

5.  Scroll down the available lessons until you come to Writing and "Language Mechanics."  Many of the modules or lessons will only take, say, thirty or forty seconds to take, so, if you have to do all of the lessons, it won't take as much time as you think.  Under the old PLATO, students would have been able to do the actual quizzes first, and, if they "mastered" the lessons, they would not have to do the tutorials or lessons.  I do not know if SkillsTutor will permit that.  (You are a guinea pig as we test-drive the SkillsTutor program.)

How long will it take you to finish the lessons?  I don't know.  Using old PLATO as a gauge, those who are very sharp in grammar and usage will probably zip through in, say, 6-8 hours; those who are a little rusty, 8-11 hours; those who are very, very shaky, 12-24 hours.  Lab staffers say each module should take you about five minutes.  (I went through one in a minute, but, of course, I'm a professional.)

We will soon have an orientation in the LAC, perhaps for some subtleties of SkillsTutor to be discussed.

whd3nson

Writing

 Language Mechanics

Language Mechanics Pretest
Capitalization and Punctuation in Letters
Identifying Errors in Personal Letters
Identifying Errors in Business Letters I
Identifying Errors in Business Letters II

Quiz on Lessons 1 through 4

Decision Making: Who Should Be Interviewed?
Capitalization and Punctuation in Quotations
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages I
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages II
Using Commas with Clauses and Phrases
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages III
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages IV

Quiz on Lessons 5 through 10

Induction: Sticky Keys and Sticky Rules

Language Mechanics Posttest

Language Usage

Language Usage Pretest
Nouns -- A Review
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages I
Pronouns -- A Review
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages II
Verbs -- Number and Form
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages III
Quiz on Lessons 1 through 6
Analogies: Teaming to Prepare for a Test
Verbs -- The Six Tenses
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages IV
Adjectives and Adverbs -- A Review
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages V
Prepositions -- A Review
Identifying Errors in Prose Passages VI
Quiz on Lessons 7 through 12
Sequencing: Editing a Sports Story
Language Usage Posttest

Sentence Structure

Sentence Structure Pretest
Complete and Simple Subjects
Complete and Simple Predicates
Predicate Nominatives
Predicate Adjectives
Direct Objects
Quiz on Lessons 1 through 5
Problem Solving: Matching Pets with People
Patterns in Sentences
Sentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences
Combining Short Sentences
Combining Subordinate Ideas
Quiz on Lessons 6 through 9
Problem Solving: Favorite Toys
Sentence Structure Posttest

Clear Writing and Paragraphs

Clear Writing and Paragraphs Pretest
Misplaced Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
Unclear Pronoun Reference
Quiz on Lessons 1 through 3
Induction: Editor of the Pardeeville Gazette
Nonparallel Grammatical Forms
Wordiness
Unnecessary Tense Shifts
Double Negatives
Quiz on Lessons 4 through 7
Classification: Writing and the Constitution
Identifying the Topic Sentence
Developing the Topic Sentence
Irrelevant Sentences
Connecting Ideas in a Paragraph
Paragraph Logic and Organization
Quiz on Lessons 8 through 12
Sequencing: Writing a Humorous Story
Clear Writing and Paragraphs Posttest

Language

Capitalization
Capitalization Pretest
First Word in a Sentence
First Word in a Quotation
Greetings and Closings in Letters
Names and Initials of People and Pets
Names of Buildings, Monuments, Ships, etc.
Titles of Books, Magazines, Movies, etc.
Titles of School Courses
Quiz on Lessons 1 through 7
Induction: Helping a Talented Writer Improve
Proper Adjectives
The Pronoun 'I'
A Title Preceding a Person's Name
A Title Used in Place of a Person's Name
Titles That Are Not Capitalized
Quiz on Lessons 8 through 12
Classification: Tutoring Groups Within a Class
Names of Racial, Ethnic, and Religious Groups
Names of Civic, Social, and Fraternal Groups
Names of Organizations, Businesses, etc.
Names of Geographic and Political Divisions
Names of Natural Features
Names of Calendar Items
Quiz on Lessons 13 through 18
Decision Making: Hiring a Secretary
Capitalization Posttest

Grammar and Usage

Grammar and Usage Pretest
Identifying Verbs
Identifying Subjects
Complete and Incomplete Sentences
Difficult Verbs
Difficult Nouns
Quiz on Lessons 1 through 5
Induction: A Television Writer Improves
Verb Agreement with Subject in Number
Verb Agreement with Tense of Sentence
Irregular Verbs
Double Negatives
Connective Words
Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives After State-of-Being Verbs
Comparatives and Superlatives
Confusing Adjectives and Adverbs
Quiz on Lessons 6 through 14
Classification: Substituting for the Tutor
Pronouns as Subjects
Pronouns as Objects
Possessive Forms of Pronouns
Reflexive Forms of Pronouns
Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement
Quiz on Lessons 15 through 19
Analogies: Completing a Rhyme
Grammar and Usage Posttest

Punctuation

Punctuation Pretest
Periods After Sentences
Periods After Abbreviations
Question Marks
Exclamation Points
Commas to Separate Items in List
Commas to Separate Quotations
Commas to Separate Independent Clauses
Commas to Separate Introductory Words
Quiz on Lessons 1 through 8
Induction: Editing a Reporter's Story
Commas to Separate a City and State
Commas in Dates
Commas to Enclose Interrupting Phrases
Apostrophes in Contractions
Apostrophes to Show Possession
Quotation Marks to Enclose a Speaker's Words
Quotation Marks to Enclose Titles
Quiz on Lesson 9 through 15
Induction: The Case of the Missing Keys
Commas in Greetings and Closings of Letters
Colons After Greetings in Business Letters
Semicolons to Connect Independent Clauses
Semicolons to Reduce Confusion in Sentences
Colons Between Independent Clauses and Series
Colons to Separate Hours and Minutes
Quiz on Lessons 16 through 21
Deduction: Beat the Computer
Punctuation Posttest

Spelling

Spelling Pretest
Plurals Formed by Adding S
Plurals of Nouns Ending in S, X, CH, or SH
Plurals of Nouns Ending in Consonants and Y
Plurals of Nouns Ending in Vowels and Y
Plurals of Nouns Ending in Consonants and O
Plurals of Nouns Ending in F or FE
Irregular Plurals
Suffixes After Two Consonants
Suffixes After Two Vowels and a Consonant
Vowel Suffixes After a Vowel and a Consonant
Consonant Suffixes After Silent E
Vowel Suffixes After Silent E
Quiz on Lessons 1 through 12
Classification: Helping Carlos with Spelling
Suffixes After a Consonant and Y
Suffixes After a Vowel and Y
Words Ending in CEDE, SEDE, and CEED
Words Ending in ENT, ENCE, ANT, and ANCE
Words Ending in ABLE and IBLE
Quiz on Lessons 13 through 17
Induction: Hunt for the Hidden Time Capsule
Using I Before E
Using E Before I
Silent Letters
Same-Sound Consonants
Same-Sound Vowels
Quiz on Lessons 18 through 22
Abstracting: Teaching a Friend Spelling Rules
Spelling Posttest
 
 

1. Work at the lessons steadily and avoid waiting until the last minute to complete them.  You may do the lesson on the internet at any time or place.

2. If you only have access to PCs at school, the lab is EXTREMELY busy from 9 a.m. until noon.  If you try to book all of your SkillsBank time then, you will be frustrated.

3. The lab does not have as much traffic in the afternoon.  The lab is also open until 10 p.m. during regular terms and is open from 10 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m. on most Saturdays.

4. When you think you have completed your SkillsTutor lessons, check with the lab officials to see if you are actually through.  Some students misinterpret what they see on the screen.