Tutorials for Microsoft Word and Google Docs

Which word processing application do you use?

Do you use Word, the Microsoft Office word processing application? Have you been using it for a while, but would like to add some new techniques? Or have you been using another word processing application and would like to come up to speed with Word?

Would you like to experiment with an online word processor such as Google Docs?

These are certainly not the only options; however, let’s look at some tutorials for these two for the moment.

Microsoft Word
The versions of Word (designed for Windows) most likely being used now are Word 2003 and Word 2007. For Mac users, it’s Word 2004 and Word 2008.

Word 2003 for Windows
Denise Etheridge’s free tutorial (http://www.baycongroup.com/word.htm) provides a simple introduction to Word 2003. The style is illustrations mingled with text. Topics covered include: introduction (toolbars, highlighting, menu commands, new paragraphs), basic features (delete, insert, bold, underline, italicize, opening files, spell check, fonts and font size, saving files), paragraphs (line spacing, indents, alignment), tabs, bullets, printing, and tables (creating tables, navigating, entering and aligning text, adding rows, resizing columns, sorting, deleting, merging cells, headings).

If you have access to Atomic Learning’s subscription-based tutorial series (http://www.atomiclearning.com), you will find introductory, intermediate, and advanced instruction for using Word 2003. Also available at Atomic Learning’s site are tutorials for mail merge and newsletters. Atomic Learning’s tutorials consist of a series of short video clips and are always well done.

TeacherTube has two videos for Word 2003. Creating and Editing a Word 2003 Macro (http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=fed5d5e93a98dc968ac2) demonstrates how to create and edit a macro and how to customize a macro button. Creating Name Badges (http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee3ea4f42c748980eda8) is a “silent” video which demonstrates how to create name badges using mail merge (with the help of Excel). YouTube also hosts videos that teach a variety of techniques for Word 2003. To see what’s available on YouTube, simply do a search for Word 2003 at YouTube’s web site.

Word 2007 for Windows
This free tutorial by Denise Etheridge (http://www.baycongroup.com/wlesson0.htm) provides an easy-to-understand introduction to using Word 2007. Topics covered include: introduction (document views, keyboard shortcuts, new paragraph, ribbon, scroll bars, toolbar), basic features (bold, italicize, and underline, clipboard, cut and paste, delete, find and replace, fonts and font size, insert, opening a file, saving a file, spell check), paragraphs and styles (alignment, indent, line spacing, opening a blank document, styles), and bullets, page layouts, printing documents (bullets, page size, margins, page numbers, page breaks, preview and print documents). The style in this Word 2007 tutorial is the same as Etheridge’s Word 2003 tutorial: text and diagrams.

If you have access to Atomic Learning’s tutorial series (http://www.atomiclearning.com), you will find introductory, intermediate, and advanced instruction for using Word 2007. Also available at Atomic Learning’s site are tutorials for mail merge and newsletters. Atomic Learning’s tutorials consist of a series of short video clips and are always well done.

Bullets and More in Word 2007 (http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=cb72fd897dacff6e9add) is one of the videos for Word 2007 that are available at TeacherTube. This video for beginners demonstrates selecting words, line spacing, adding bullets, and working with headers and footers. Creating a Basic Table in Word 2007 (http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=3d18fdba8f98bfc6ab42) demonstrates how to create a table when using Word 2007. YouTube also hosts videos that teach a variety of techniques for Word 2007. To see what’s available on YouTube, simply do a search for Word 2007 at YouTube’s web site.

Microsoft Word 2004 for Macintosh
If you already know the basics of using Word 2004, Giles Turnbull provides some techniques that you might want to add to your repertoire: audio notes, scrapbook, and paste options. Ideas for using other Office products are also discussed in 21.5 Things You Can Do with Office 2004 (http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/mac/2004/08/03/ms_office.html).

If you have access to Atomic Learning’s tutorial series (http://www.atomiclearning.com), you will find introductory, intermediate, and advanced instruction for using Word 2004. Atomic Learning’s tutorials consist of a series of short video clips and are always well done.

Microsoft Word 2008 for Macintosh
Mactopia is a Microsoft web site for Macintosh products. At this site (http://www.microsoft.com/mac/help.mspx?product=Word&app=4), you can find instructions for using Word 2008, access to forum discussions, and technical support. Explanations are done with text and diagrams and are easy to follow. In addition to learning how to use Word 2008, you can pick up techniques such as mail merge, adding captions to a picture, creating form documents, and turning off auto features.

This Microsoft site for working with Word 2008 (http://mac.microsoft.com/MacOffice/UARedir.aspx?MODE=pv&CTT=InContent&srcid=b1c44fbb-18bb-4a80-94d9-53a8dea237101033&ep=4&locale=en-US&usid=36579005-ea6f-40cb-b411-8f869ecef292&clr=99-4-0&target=5979c9cb-f1f9-4543-abe1-6ae2172c23151033) has instructions for creating a document by using a template, adding clip art and photos, and adding a cover sheet and a table of contents.

Google Docs
Google provides an online word processor, Google Docs (https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=true&nui=1&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&followup=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&ltmpl=homepage&rm=false), that is free, easy to use, and can be accessed anytime/anywhere that you have Internet access. In fact, a new feature allows you to work on your Google documents even if you are not online. One of the best features of Google Docs is the ease with which you and others can collaborate on the same document.

Google does a good job of teaching how to use their online word processor, Google Docs. At this site (http://docs.google.com/support/?hl=en) you can take a tour to get an overview of Google documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online or start with the tutorials to learn how to get started (account and settings), work with documents (editing, printing, collaborating, importing and exporting), and more (mobile, offline, RSS feeds, and privacy). Or take your choice of videos created by users at the Google Docs Community (http://www.youtube.com/GoogleDocsCommunity) at YouTube.

Word Case Changes, Borders, and Charts

Microsoft Office’s word processing application, Word, has some interesting and helpful capabilities. Included in this blog entry are three techniques, some beginner level and some intermediate level. All three techniques are described for both Macintosh and Windows computers. The Macintosh techniques are explained first and the Windows techniques follow.


MACINTOSH _______________________________

Technique #1... Change case

If I were writing this tech tip in Word, I might decide that I preferred that the subhead-- MACINTOSH--be done in mixed case letters--Macintosh--rather than in upper case as it is. Rather than retyping the word I could simply highlight it and then select Format > Change Case > Title Case.

Format > Change Case…
Choices are…
* Sentence case
* Lowercase
* UPPERCASE
* Title Case
* tOGGLE cASE

Five choices are available, four of which are oftentimes quite useful.

Technique #2... Place a border around text

Sometimes I want to make a section of text stand out from the remaining text. Placing a border around the section of text can do that.

Highlight the text and…
Select Outside Border on the Formatting Toolbar
or
Format > Borders and Shading > Borders tab > Box

Technique #3... Create charts from Word tables

Select your table
Insert > Picture > Chart > Microsoft Graph Chart
OR
Insert > Object > Microsoft Graph Chart
The above action will open your graph program
Graph > Quit and Return to Document
Changes in the data in the table will NOT automatically show up in the chart… You must go back to the graph program and make the change there… and that will show in the chart.


WINDOWS ________________________________

Technique #1... Change case

If I were writing this tech tip in Word, I might decide that I preferred that the subhead-- WINDOWS--be done in mixed case letters--Windows--rather than in upper case as it is. Rather than retyping the word I could simply highlight it and then select Format > Change Case > Title Case.

Format > Change Case…
Choices are…
* Sentence case
* Lowercase
* UPPERCASE
* Title Case
* tOGGLE cASE

Five choices are available, four of which are oftentimes quite useful.

Technique #2... Place a border around text

Sometimes I want to make a section of text stand out from the remaining text. Placing a border around the section of text can do that.

Highlight the text and…
Formatting Toolbar > Border Button pulldown menu and choose the border type you want

Technique #3... Create charts from Word tables

Select your table
Insert > Picture > Chart
A datasheet and chart will appear
Changes in the data in the table will NOT automatically show up in the chart… You must go back to the datasheet and make the change there… and that will show in the chart.

Do You Use All the Features in Your Word Processing Program?

Word (as well as most other word processing programs) has many features. Most of us use only a small subset of what’s available. Three of my favorite techniques in Word are using leader tabs, determining readability statistics, and placing a box around text.


USING LEADER TABS

In most versions of Word, the Tabs dialog box is accessed through the Format menu.

• Click on the Format pulldown menu > Tabs.
• Type the ruler setting for your left tab (e.g., .5) > click Set.
• Then type the ruler setting for your right tab (e.g., 6.5), click to indicate that it is a Right tab, click on the Dots leader, and click Set.
• Now you’re ready to type your information.
• Let’s say that we’re typing the table of contents for a grant application.
• Press Tab, type Introduction, press the space bar once, press Tab, press the space bar once, type 1. Return.
• We’re on the second line now.
• Press Tab, type Institutional Demographics, press the space bar once, press Tab, press the space bar once, type 3. Return.
• Let’s pretend that’s the end of the Table of Contents.
• Click Format > Tabs > click Clear All to clear out the Tab settings you entered.
• The result should look like this.

Introduction ................................................ 1

Investigator ................................................. 3

I place a space before and after the Tab because I think that’s a cleaner look than just using the Tab. Try it both ways to see which look you prefer.

Using leader tabs is a useful technique for a table of contents, the program at an evening event, or an invitation. For what other uses do you think it would be useful?


READABILITY STATISTICS

You can customize the Spelling and Grammar check in Word. Each version seems to have its own method for accessing Customize Spelling and Grammar…

• In Word 2002 (XP)—for Windows--click on the Spelling and Grammar icon (ABC with a checkmark) > Customize.
• In Word 2003—for Windows--click on the Tools pulldown menu > Options > Spelling & Grammar.
• In Word 2004—for Macs--click on the Word pulldown menu > Preferences > Spelling and Grammar.

Look through the various options you can change. Experiment with some changes, if you would like. One change that I recommend you make is to select the Readability Statistics. With that option selected, you will see a set of measures each time you perform a Spelling and Grammar check. These measures will give you an insight into your writing.

I checked the Readability Statistics on an article I just finished.

• The statistics included the number of words, characters, paragraphs, and sentences.
• The average sentences per paragraph, words per sentence, and characters per word were also listed.
• What interested me most were…

• the readability statistics on passive sentences (10%... a style which I am working to improve),
• the Flesch Reading Ease (41.1… the average is between 6 and 70… the maximum is 100), and
• the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (11.6).

These statistics help me to analyze my writing style so that I can choose appropriate changes to help improve my writing.


BOXING IN TEXT

Boxing in text is another technique that I find very useful in Word. The procedure is much the same in most versions of Word.

• First, highlight the text around which you want a box placed.
• Then click on the Format pulldown menu > borders and shading.
• Choose the box which places a border around all sides and click OK.

You’re done. It’s easy and yet it helps to spotlight text within an article or a lesson. It also works well in a header. It looks like this…