WORD PROCESSING
 

WHAT IS WORD PROCESSING?
Word processing is a function that uses a computer to create, edit, and print documents.  Of all computer functions, word processing is the most common.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO PERFORM WORD PROCESSING?
To perform word processing, you need a computer, a special program called a word processor, and a printer.

WHAT DOES A WORD PROCESSING PROGRAM ALLOW YOU TO DO?
A word processor enables you to create a document, store it electronically on a disk, display it on a screen, modify it by entering commands and characters from the keyboard, and print it on a printer.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF USING WORD PROCESSING INSTEAD OF A TYPEWRITER?
The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can make changes without retyping the entire document.  If you make a typing mistake, you simply back up the cursor correct your mistake.  If you want to delete a paragraph, you simply remove it, without leaving a trace.  It is equally easy to insert a word, sentence, or paragraph in the middle of a document.  Word processors also make it easy to move sections of text from one place to another within a document, or between documents. When you have made all the changes you want, you can send the file to a printer to get a hardcopy.

CAN YOU NAME A WORD PROCESSING PROGRAM?
Examples: Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect
We use both of these word processing programs at Francis McClure.  We use Microsoft Word in the Computer Lab and and the Library Computer Lab.  Classroom computers have at least one of these programs installed and some have both.
 
MICROSOFT WORD AND COREL WORDPERFECT VARY CONSIDERABLY, BUT ALL WORD PROCESSORS HAVE THE SAME BASIC FEATURES.  CAN YOU NAME SOME OF THESE FEATURES?

insert text:  Allows you to insert text anywhere in the document.

delete text:  Allows you to erase characters, words, lines, or pages as easily as you can cross them out on paper.

cut and paste:  Allows you to remove (cut) a section of text from one place in a document and insert (paste) it somewhere else.

copy:  Allows you to duplicate a section of text.

page size and margins:  Allows you to define various page sizes and margins, and the word processor will automatically readjust the text so that it fits.

search and replace:  Allows you to direct the word processor to search for a particular word or phrase. You can also direct the word processor to replace one group of characters with another everywhere that the first group appears.

word wrap:  The word processor automatically moves to the next line when you have filled one line with text, and it will readjust text if you change the margins.

print:  Allows you to send a document to a printer to get a hardcopy.
 
When you open Microsoft Word, the main word processing screen opens.  This is your workplace for creating documents.  You can begin typing in that document immediately.  It automatically calls this blank page Document 1.  When it’s time to save, Word will ask you to name the file.
 
 

Title Bar
This bar indicates which application is operating and the name of the document on the screen.  When you create a new document, the name of that document will be “Document 1” until you change it.

Menu Bar
This bar gives access to all available menus in Word.  Click on a word to open up a menu of options.

Tool Bars
Tool bars contain buttons that allow you to quickly perform certain word processing tasks.  These buttons offer many, but not all, of the functions contained in the menus. 

Status Bar
This bar displays such information as page number and line and column numbers. 

Ruler
The ruler displays the measurements, indents, and tabs on your document.

Scrollbars
These bars allow you to scroll up and down or across the page when the view does not fit into the space on a computer display or window.
 

Page Setup
With a blank page ready, you need to set up the dimensions and layout of your new document.  Word automatically gives you a standard paper size (8.5 x 11) in a vertical (or “portrait”) orientation.  If this is the type of document you need, you’re ready to go.

If you want your paper to be horizontal (a “landscape” orientation), or want your document to print on a different size paper, you’ll need to change these settings with Word’s page setup features.  Click on "file" then "page setup" and choose the orientation you want for your document.
 
 
 

Entering Text
As you probably know by now, entering text into a word processor is different from typing on a typewriter.  One of the main differences is when you reach the end of a line of text.  With a typewriter, you have to press the Carriage Return key to continue typing at the beginning of the next line.  A computer has a RETURN or ENTER key as well, but you don’t need to use it at the end of each line.  Instead, your word processor automatically flows text onto a new line at the edge of the page as you type.  If you press RETURN or ENTER at the end of each line, you’ll create uneven text flow when you edit your document.  Instead, only use the RETURN or ENTER key at the end of each paragraph.
 

Let’s type something.  Remember, don’t use the ENTER key when you get to the end of the line.  Using the keyboard, type:

It was a beautiful sunny day.  Molly and Susan were going for a walk.  All of a sudden, a small cloud burst open, the rain poured down, and a huge puddle formed.  Molly’s new blue shoes were ruined.

Now we are going to change, or format, the way the words look. 

When we want to change the way the words look, we have to tell the word processor by highlighting what we want to change.  There are two ways to do this.  Put your cursor at the beginning of the word BEAUTIFUL.  Use your mouse button and click quickly two times – this will highlight the entire word. 

Once the word is highlighted, you can make changes. 

Let’s make the word stand out, or make it bold.  Now click on the uppercase B button in the toolbar at the top.  This makes the word darker and bolder.  Now click on the B again – this removes the bold.  Ok, now click once anywhere on the page.  Let’s click the cursor in front of the word BEAUTIFUL again.  This time we’re going to click and drag the mouse while we hold down the button on the mouse until we highlight the entire word.  Once the entire word is highlighted, you can release the mouse button.  Now you can use your toolbar to make it bold again. 

 

If you want to change the look of the entire paragraph, you can either click and drag the cursor across the paragraph or you can click one time anywhere inside the paragraph and click three times – this will highlight the entire paragraph.  Try it.

Now, let’s change the font in the first sentence.  Go ahead and highlight the entire first sentence, not the paragraph, just the first sentence.  You will have to use click and drag to highlight the sentence.  Once you have the sentence highlighted, let’s select a new font.  In the toolbar, you will see a box that says “Times New Roman.”  Right next to those words there is an arrow.  Click on that arrow now.  These are all of the different fonts you can use in Microsoft Word.  They are listed alphabetical.  Let’s choose, the ABADI MT CONDENSED LIGHT font.  Click on ABADI MT CONDENSED LIGHT.  See how your text changed in the highlighted sentence.  The word BEAUTIFUL should still be bold though because you didn’t change that, only the font.
 
 

Now let’s change the size of one of the words.  Find the word HUGE in the third sentence.  Highlight it (remember there are two ways to highlight, either click once on the word and then double click or click and drag across the entire word.)

Look on the toolbar for the number next to the font style – it should say 12 by default.  Click on the arrow next to the 12.  Let’s make it a font size of 24, scroll down until you see 24 and then click on it.  See how the sizes of the letters become larger.
 
 

Now let’s make one of the words stand out by making the letters ITALIC.  Highlight the word RUINED.  Click on the I. 

 
 

One more formatting trick – highlight the word BLUE.  Now find the uppercase A with the color under it.  Click on the arrow next to the A.  This gives you a color palette – now you can choose blue to change the word BLUE to blue.
 
 

TEXT ALIGNMENT
Word gives you control over where your text sits on the page horizontally.  You can have the text line up with the left margin, right margin, or have it centered on the page.

Let’s highlight the entire paragraph.  Remember, you can click anywhere inside the paragraph with your cursor and then click three times or click and drag from either the beginning of the paragraph or the end of the paragraph.

Now click on the button in the toolbar that shows where the text will align.  The text automatically aligns to the left margin so let’s choose the center button to change it.
 
 

Now let’s change the margins on the page.  Click on FILE in the MENU BAR, then PAGE SETUP. 

 
 

This box gives you the option to change the top, bottom, left, and right margins of the page.  Let’s make the margins larger.  Click on the up arrow next to the 1” in the TOP box.  Let’s make the top margin 1.5”.  Let’s make the bottom margin the same, 1.5”, and make the left and right margins 2.0”.
 
 
 

Inserting WordArt

Click on the blue A in the toolbar.  This opens up a new window with quite a selection of fancy fonts.
 
 

Pick one that looks fun to you and double click.  Now you can type your name here and change the size of the font and look of the font.  Go ahead.  When you’re done formatting your name, click ok.
 
Word Art
 

Once you place it on your page, you can then make it larger or smaller and drag it where you want on the page.  As long as the handle (the little squares) appear around your name you can stretch it and move it.  You will see a separate formatting toolbar specifically for the WordArt (your name).  If you click on the paint can, you can change the font even more. 

 
 

SAVING YOUR WORK
There are a couple of different ways to save your work.  We can save it on the computer’s hard drive, which is a disk inside the computer tower, we can save it on a floppy disk, or we can save it on the server in our building.  Saving on the server will allow you to access this file on any computer in the building that has Microsoft Word installed.

Right now we're just going to save your document on the hard drive. 

Click on FILE in the MENU BAR.  Then click on SAVE AS.  The first time you save a document, you always click on SAVE AS.  Once you’ve typed a document and then make changes and want to save the new changes, you can just click on FILE, SAVE.