Week 2 Blog

Lecture Summary:

Began with “What do I Know”, discussed Microsoft Applications, Common Internet Browsers, and what new websites you have recently visited.

Common PC Tasks, File handling, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, internet, emails and PDF’s

General skills involved in the Common PC Tasks

Knowledge of the applications which suit specific tasks

Windows Explorer – Understanding of files and technologies, ZIP technologies, Windows Commands

Microsoft Word – Formatting and styles, document mapping, working with templates, inserting images

Microsoft Excel – Formatting and styles, column/row record keeping, formulae and functions

Microsoft PowerPoint – Formatting and styles, wise use of animations, using graphics to support not rule a presentation, notes view

Internet Browsing – Net navigation, browsing, hyperlinks, bookmarks, search engines
Outlook & Outlook Express – sending and receiving email, email protocols, email security, email etiquette

Adobe Acrobat Reader – viewing PDF’s, browser integration, viewing PDF’s online, Saving PDF’s to local PC for offline viewing

Listening and watching audio/video – Windows Media Player, Winamp, Real Player, Viewing and editing graphic files

Skills we will acquire from this course – MS Word and PowerPoint skills, email skills, internet browser skills, knowledge regarding various applications and specific uses

Workshop Write Up:

MS Word

Opened reading_Mod01-2-5.pdf containing the instructions for the Word activity, and the word exercises document.

Copied a piece of text into a blank word document, and then adjusted the formatting of the text.

Adjusted the typeface, the margins and alignment, line spacing created headings with the document map feature, and included a header/footer.

Copied a piece of text containing references into the document, and alphabetised them using the auto alphabetise function in MS Word

Copied a piece of text containing data for a table of contents, and formatted them with dot leaders

Then inserted an image appropriate to the topic of the workshop

Screenshot of the document created:

MS Excel

Opened the document Excel Exercises containing the instructions related to the workshop

Created a table in excel as to the requirements of the instructions

Adjusted the table to match the one illustrated, resized columns and rows, fill colours, borders, etc

Entered suitable values into the empty fields to complete the table

Inserted a formula into the total column for Monday that would total all the values in the fields prior to it. Then copied this formula across the other cells labelled total for the remaining days of the week

Inserted a formula into the total for travelling cell that would total all the values in the fields prior, then copied that formula down to the total for exercise cell

Inserted a formula into the average for travelling cell that would calculate the average for the values entered for that week, then copied that formula down to the average for exercise cell

Created a pie chart for the average hours per week in activity, and placed that in the spreadsheet

Created a bar graph for the hours per day spent on social life, and placed that in the spreadsheet

Screenshot of the document created:

Readings:

Using MS Word for APA Tasks:

Describes the basic tasks and how to perform them for the everyday MS Word user

Covers topics that include:

• Typeface
• Margins and Alignment
• Alphabetising
• “Keep headings with text”
• Indents
• Hanging Indents
• Page Headers and footers
• Line Spacing and Auto formatting
• Dot Leaders
• Customising the toolbar

Graphic File Formats:

Bitmap (.bmp) – Standard image format for PC’s, low quality way of publishing an image

CompuServe (.gif) – A compressed format that is designed to minimise file transfer time over phone lines, most commonly used to display indexed colour and graphics images in HTML, supports moving frames and animations

Joint Photographic Experts Group – Jpeg (.jpg) – Most commonly used to display images on the internet, saving as a Jpeg compresses the file, opening the file automatically decompresses the fil, the higher the compression rate, the lower the image quality

Tagged Image File Format (.tiff) – Used to exchange files between applications and computer platforms as it can be read by Mac or IBM compatible / PC computers. Because of the high image quality Tiff is the most preferred graphic format for professional printing

PhotoShop Document (.psd or .psp or .spp) – PhotoShop documents are those which have layered data within them, all the previous file formats have only one merged layer of image, thus making editing of certain parts complicated, PhotoShop documents allow specific layers text or image or effects to be edited or removed without impacting the other images, PhotoShop images are usually large in size due to the amount of data they contain to enable the ability to edit the different layers.