Launching a New Volume of CONNECT

I’m happy to announce the launch of a fifth volume of CONNECT, Canada’s Resource Publication on Technology and Adult Literacy. This volume of CONNECT will highlight advancements in technological resources including hardware, software and websites. Practitioners will be able to read how literacy programs across Canada have successfully integrated technology into their curriculum. The publication will provide curriculum material with a focus on word processing software which is readily available and easily adaptable to a wide variety of learners. We will be providing this material in a ready to use, editable format. Lesson material included in Volume 5 will be accompanied by word processing instruction sheets that cover basic word processing skills essential for many everyday tasks. Over the course of the project, the National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) will be helping us to revise the CONNECT website to make articles in previous issues easily accessibly using a search tool.

As always, we hope that readers will take an active role in helping us share information about technologyrelated programs and resources. If you have a success story we’d like to hear from you!

I’d also like to welcome one new member to our CONNECT team, Elyse Schwartz. Elyse is an instructor with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. You can contact us by phone at 613-239-2583 or by e-mail at connect@ocdsb.edu.on.ca.

Diane McCargar, Editor

Virtual-Mouse
Eliminating the Need to use a Mouse

by Sheri Mankal

This interesting piece of shareware, designed by Per Philip Joergensen in Denmark, allows the user to use keyboard commands in Windows, which eliminate the need to use a mouse.

When you first start the program, it will run in default mode, and will display a list of keys that are preassigned to certain mouse tasks. All of the preassigned keys use the number keypad on the right hand side of the keyboard with Num Lock on. The list of these designated keys displays in a separate window so you can check it as required. In default mode, as soon as the mouse pointer glides over an icon, it will open. There is no need to click or doubleclick.

You do have the option of designating your own choice of keys for each function. You can also customize the program by choosing the functions you prefer like single or double-click, the length of a pause before a function is performed, how close the cursor must be to its designated target to engage and the speed at which the arrow moves.

This program can be frustrating for someone who is used to using a mouse. I also noticed that my cursor occasionally jumped up a line while working in Word with Virtual-Mouse still open.

Virtual-Mouse can be downloaded easily for a free ten-day trial period from the Internet or can be ordered online or through regular mail.