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MS WordBasics

Refer to the MS Office Suite handout for how to use commonly used functions and tools used by all of the software in the Office Suite.

Overview:MS Word is the word processing part of the Office Suite. You should already have basic word processing skills before you begin to use this software in the ED 3110 course. This handout is not intended to teach basic word processing, but rather to describe additional features of Word that will be helpful to you.

Skill Objectives: You should be able to create a blank, new document and type a basic document You should know how perform common commands such as save, open, copy,

close, print, and format text or a document You should be able to insert an image (clip art or a picture file) and apply picture

special effects to the image You should be able to insert hyperlinks to extend the use of your document (email

links, links to web pages, links to other documnents on a hard drive) You should be able to find and use drawing and formatting tools available for

adding or modifying images to add interest to Word documents You should be able to create tables and columns You should be able to create bulleted or numbered lists You should be able to indent the paragraph using the formatting toolbar tool

Common commands:If you do not know how to do common things with word processing software like open a file, copy a file, close a file, print a file, or format the text style in a document, you should seek assistance. The difference between a Mac and a Windows machine is a difference in which key combinations are used to activate these common procedures in word processing. The Mac operating system uses a combination of the command key (key next to the space bar with a clover on it) and shift and option keys. The Windows operating system uses a combination of the control key (key at the end of the bottom row of the keyboard [CTRL KEY]) and shift and ALT keys. If you are used to using keyboard commands with either type of operating system, substitute the control and command keys and the alt and option keys.

Review the Office Suite handout to find out about the menu bar and the toolbars.

©2003 Vicki S. Napper. Reproduction of this handout is allowed to students enrolled in the ED3110 course. Other copying is not allowed without permission. Images copied from MS OFFICE SUITE X © Microsoft Corporation. (Created 12/03).

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Inserting images:

You can add either the clip art images available in the Office Suite software or add images from other sources (scanned images, digital images from a CD, images downloaded from the Internet, images from a camera connected to the computer). To add an image, place your cursor where you want to put the image, then use the menu or the tools to insert an image.

Menu: Insert: Picture: (Clip Art) or (From File…)

Toolbar: Drawing toolbar, click on the icon for inserting clip art or the icon

for inserting a picture from another source Once you have inserted the image, you can also add special effects to change the image with fancy art effects (Formatting Palette Picture Special Effects OR by double-clicking on the image to activate a window with formatting tools)

The Office Suite also has a tool that locks the image in place. You have several options: In line with the text (the text will appear at the bottom of the edge of the image) Behind the text (the image will appear behind the text) In front of the text (the image will appear on top of text) Text flowing around the image (tight to the text or square to the text)

To change the “layout” of the image,: double click on the image and choose “layout” use the Formatting Palette, Picture, Format options use Menu, Format, Picture

All of these methods will give you the same results. Choose the one that is easiest for you to use.

Hyperlinking:

Hyperlinking is a tool available in all of the software in the Office Suite. You can create 4 types of hyperlinks (an electronic path to another resource):

1. To another document on your computer or on an external drive2. To a web site on the Internet3. To an email address4. To another part of a document

In order to create a hyperlink, you need to select something in your document (refer to the information on how to select objects in the MS Office Suite Basics document). After you have selected the object you want to hyperlink, then use the Menu: Insert: Hyperlink. A window will appear with 3 tabs you can choose from in order to add hyperlinks. Choose the “Web Page” tab for hyperlinks to web sites. Choose the “Document” tab to link to another document or a “bookmark” in the document you are working on. Choose the “Email” tab to add a hyperlink that will activate the email utility so someone can send


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an email message to a specific address (for example, you have a handout and you want your students to be able to contact you if they have a question about what to do).

Hyperlink to a web page can also be accomplished by simplying typing in the complete URL. You must include the http:// in front of the URL. When you finishing typing the link and press the return key, the link will appear. When you move the cursor over the hyperlinked URL, the cursor will turn into a hand. When you click on the link, then a web browser will open and if you are connected to the Internet, the URL will be accessed so you can see the web site.

Type the URL into the “Link to” area. The “Display” area shows the text that is marked as the hyperlink. You can also browse to the web site by clicking on the “Launch Web Browser.” Once you have typed in the web site to Link to, then click on the OK button and it will be come a “active” link.

Hyperlinking to a document:

Browse to the document you want to link to. You would use this type of hyperlink to open other documents that support what you are doing. This is the kind of link you will use when creating your portfolio reflection documents.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In order for the hyperlink to create a path to the document that is “relative” to the document you are working on, FIRST create a folder then save the document you are working in. Then move the document you are linking to into the

same folder. Place any documents you are going to link to in the same folder. Then create your links to those documents. This will keep the links functional as long as they stay inside of the folder. IF YOU MOVE THE FILE FROM THE FOLDER, the link will be broken. Keeping all of the document you are “relating” by hyperlinks in the same folder.


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Hyperlinking to an email address: Select the text you want to be your link and use the Menu: Insert:Hyperlink command. Fill in the email address you want contacted. Add a subject line to help clarify why the email is being sent.

Drawing:

There are a lot of tools specifically for drawing on the page. If you are unfamiliar with the icons used on the drawing toolbar, move your cursor over the icon (don’t click on it) and wait for a couple of seconds. The name of the tool will appear. Experimenting with the tools is advised. There are a lot of fun tools. Any of the icons on the drawing toolbar that have a downward facing arrow beside it, have additional menu items you can choose from. You can add shadows to images or rotate them by clicking on the first icon on the drawing toolbar.

To add arrows, click on the Arrow icon located at the bottom of the drawing toolbar. If you don’t see it, then click on the dowward facing triangle at the bottom of the toolbar and more tools will

appear. After you insert the arrow, it will be selected. You can then click on the line type

and width tool to change how big the line is and the choice of type of arrow tool (also at the bottom of the drawing toolbar)

Other commonly used drawing tools are the line tool and the shapes. To draw a straight line, hold down the shift key while you are dragging the line tool on the page. That will force the line to be perfectly straight horizontally or vertially. If you drag at an angle, the line will be at a 45 degree angle.

TablesTo create a table, you can use the menu (Menu: Table: Insert) or the tools found on the

standard toolbar Each tool is slightly different.


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The one with the pencil allows you to draw the initial row and column of the table. That way you can create a table that has unequal columns.

The one that is all squares allows you to insert the number of columns and rows you select. If you only select one row and multiple columns, that will allow you to set the width of the first row by typing text into each column. Every row after that will have duplicate the width of the column in the first row. Add rows by pressing the tab key in the last “cell” of the last row or by adding the Menu: Table: Insert: Row (or columns)

The column tool allows you create columns on your page. To move from one column to another either just continue to type and the text will flow to the next

column OR insert a column break to force the text to the top of the next column (Menu: Insert: Break: Column Break). At the end of the last column, insert a section break (Menu: Break: Section Break - continuous) then choose the column tool again and format the new column to have only ONE column (it extends across the entire page).

Lists and IndentsYou can create lists very easily by using the list tools found on the formatting tool bar. To create a list as you type, select the type of list you want to create (numbered or bulleted) and then type the text. Each time you press the return key a new line will appear with the appropriate list indicator. If you already have a list of items and want to make them into a list with numbers or bullets, then select the text and then select the type of list. A list indicator will appear at the beginning of each new sentence (paragraph). To separate the items, you may need to press the return key at the end of each list item to separate the items.

To change the format of the numbers or bullets, first create the list and then select the Menu: Format: Bullets and Numbering. Select the appropriate style. You can also continue the numbering of a list by choosing the “Continue numbering from previous list” found at the bottom of the formatting window.

Indents to paragraphs or lists can be added by clicking on the line or paragraph you want to indent and clicking on the indent or outdent tool. This will move the indent to the next level of indent (or level of the outline in a numbered list)

Help is available whenever you need it by clicking on the Help menu and typing in a question in the box that appears.


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