Practice Your Typing Skills with Keybr.com

Frequently, we are asked if the Library offers a typing class. We do not, but there are many free online services available to practice your typing skills.

One of these free services is www.keybr.com, a fantastic site that offers practice sessions for people who want to improve their typing skills.

From the site:

"Have you ever wished for a way to practice typing so that you may become a more efficient and capable keyboard jockey? Typing at the "speed of thought," perhaps? Enter Keybr, the flash based type instructor you've been waiting for.

Keybr is very straight-forward. You can choose from three basic lessons that start with a certain number of keys on the keyboard, and then, as you progress through the lessons, more keys are added to the mix to make things a little tougher. As a nice touch, it keeps live track of all your mistakes and your words-per-minute (wpm), and even creates graphs of your performance."

Each time you go to Keybr, you will be presented with a couple of lines to type. The site will track your wpm speed as well as how many errors you make. Accessing the graphs that track your typing requires a free account with the site.

Go check out the site and get typing!

Brainfuse Online Homework Help Now Available from TPL

Have you ever been stuck on a homework assignment, and wish you had a tutor who could help you understand the material? Now you can, thanks to the Troy Public Library

The Library now offers Brainfuse, a live homework help service. Students in 3rd through 12th grades can connect one-on-one to a trained tutor for assistance in math, science, English, and social studies. Tutors are available 7 days a week, from 2 pm-11 pm.

Using Brainfuse is easy. First, go here to download and install the Quick Connect software on your home computer.

After installation, access Brainfuse by clicking on the "Information On-Demand-All Day, Every Day" link in the middle of the Library's homepage. Click Online Tutoring from the subject list then click Brainfuse. A "virtual" whiteboard will appear, allowing you to chat with your tutor, or to draw diagrams, follow examples, and more.

Brainfuse also features a 24-hour writing lab, where you can submit their papers and get feedback about their assignments.

Please let us know about your experiences with Brainfuse!