Week 3 – Document Creation

“I then go miserably enough to the typewriter and I edit with tiny little pen scribbles until you can't read it anymore. And then, I put it into a word processor.” Campbell Geeslin

Our third week has come and gone in Increasing Productivity Through Technology.

Last night's class made me very thankful that word processing was created. The class was based in Microsoft Word, and as our instructor pointed out many platforms are based on Microsoft Word and this information should work in a platform that recognizes Microsoft Word.

We reviewed many shortcuts for formatting, editing as well as creation of templates and insertion points were covered. Most information shared was refresher (shortcuts for cut, copy and paste are CTRL + X, CTRL + C, CTRL + V respectively) and some information was new to me (F8 extend mode-position insertion point where you want in text, F8 x 2 to highlight a word, F8 x 3 to highlight sentence and F8 x 4 to highlight a paragraph).

We covered Templates, both standard and normal, and learned the difference between .doc and .dot files as well. When creating templates, the drawback to a .doc file is that you have to remember to do Save As in the beginning. When creating a template as a .dot file you have all the benefits of a .doc and no worry about having to Save As when you start out.

The last item covered in class was jump points. After you have your document formatted, go back and insert the jump points using CTRL + F9. The use of screen interactions was a wonderful plus here and really highlighted the jump point feature as a big time saver—look forward to getting comfortable with this feature.

Hot tip 1: If you go to Microsoft Word, HELP, Search for Shortcuts select: Quick Reference for Microsoft Office Word.

Hot tip 2: Editing Commands:

Change case (Shift +F3)
Remove Formatting (CTRL + Q or CTRL + Spacebar)
Undo, Redo (CTRL + Z, CTRL + Y)
Return to previous edit (Shift + F5)

This was a great chapter, especially for those who edit or transcribe directly in Microsoft Word. What has definitely been a plus during the course so far is the way the class is presented. The instructor’s use of screen shots, live action, video clips and live Q + A , syllabus and course outlines have all been a great plus, especially since I have not yet received the text. I did receive word last night that my text was going to be sent via overnight delivery for me to receive today, February 26. I love books-- all kinds -- and the delay in receiving this one is a bit challenging, severe storms in the area of the distributor upon initial shipment and now, in New Jersey, my town is currently under 2 feet of snow (and still snowing) and facing some severe weather related challenges. The plus side to the delay in shipment, is my kids see me anxiously awaiting the delivery of my “school book” and they have joined me in on our daily trips to the mailbox to see if it is there AND this is going to be the perfect weekend to curl up with hot chocolate and catch up on my reading!

Thanks for joining me again and have a productive week!