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Objectives Trainee will be able to: • Identify and use computer hardware. • Open and close a desired program. • Switch back and forth between open windows. • Create and save a Word document on a floppy disk. Prerequisites None Duration 50 minutes Handouts Overview of Microsoft Office Programs (optional) An Introduction to File Structure (optional) Topic Overview Topic Estimated Time Introduction to the Computer Hardware 5 The Windows 2000 Desktop 5 Working With Windows 20 Working With Files 10 Gateway Tutorials 10 Introduction to the Computer Hardware Estimated time: 5 minutes A computer is made up of multiple parts that either send or receive information. All computers will have at least the following
parts:
• Computer Case: Inside the case is where everything takes place. The hard drive, ram chips, CPU, and motherboard are all
found inside the computer case.
• Monitor: Similar to a television, this displays text, pictures, and other items from the computer. • Keyboard: Allows you to type information into the computer. • Mouse: Controls the pointer displayed on the monitor. You use the mouse pointer to select and open items on the computer. There are three disk drives commonly accessible from the front of the computer case. The DVD-ROM drive has the words compact disc on the face. The DVD-ROM drive reads both CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. The Zip and floppy disk drives look similar, but the Zip
disk drive has a larger slot since the disk is larger. The Zip drive also has the word Zip on the face. You can save files such as letters, pictures, and presentations on either Zip or floppy disks. For larger or
more files, save your work on a Zip disk, for smaller or less files, save your work on a floppy disk.
Activity: Locate the Parts of a Computer Locate the monitor, keyboard, mouse, computer case, and headphones. Also locate the floppy and Zip drives. Review Questions You'll find the answers at the end of the lesson. 1. How can you tell the difference between the floppy and Zip disk drives? How would you decide which to use? 2. What do you use the mouse for? The Windows 2000 Desktop Estimated time: 5 minutes Handout: Common Elements: The Desktop & Windows When you first log on to the computer, you see the Windows desktop. Icons representing the programs that are available on
the computer are visible. You should also see the gray taskbar that runs along the bottom of the screen. The desktop can be
thought of as the launch pad for your computer work.
Activity: Locating Items on the Windows Desktop Locate the following items on the Desktop: • Taskbar • Microsoft Word icon • Mouse pointer • Start button Activity: Starting a Program Handout: Mouse Basics You start, or open, a program by double-clicking its icon on the desktop. Once a program opens, the program is visible as
a window on the computer screen and a button representing the program appears on the taskbar.
Hint: If you have trouble double-clicking, you can click an icon once, then press the Enter key on the keyboard. 2. Double-click the Mouse Tutorial icon.
3. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the tutorial. 4. Close the Mouse tutorial when you are finished.
If You Have Time: Open a Program from the Start Menu All of the programs that are available from the desktop are also available on the Start menu. 1. Click the Start button on the taskbar. A menu appears above the Start button.
2. Move the mouse pointer up to Programs. A menu opens to the right of the word Programs.
3. Move the mouse pointer horizontally until it is over the menu that just opened. 4. Move the mouse pointer up to the Encarta World Atlas menu item. The menu item is highlighted in blue.
5. Click to open Encarta World Atlas. 6. Click the Close button on the title bar to close Encarta World Atlas.
Review Questions You'll find the answers at the end of the lesson. 3. What is the gray bar that runs along the bottom of the screen called? 4. How do you open a program? 5. How would you show someone how to get to the Internet? Working With Windows Estimated time: 20 minutes The “windows” in Microsoft Windows, represents open programs and folders. Each window contains different information. For
instance, you could have a window open that displays a letter you are writing and a window that displays a map of the world.
When you are working with multiple windows, the one you are working in is called the active window. You can tell which window
is active by its location on top of other windows and also by the color of the title bar, which is a brighter color than the
others.
Using Common Elements in Windows Windows was developed to make it easy for anyone to use a computer. Graphical icons are used to represent actions and most
of the icons are drawn to look like what they represent. For instance, the Save button in Microsoft Office programs looks
like a floppy disk and the Print button looks like a printer. Most programs have at least some things in common, so once you
learn what to do in one program, you can use that knowledge in another program.
Activity: Locating Common Elements in Windows Programs Depending on what type of information a window contains, it will have certain elements common to other windows. 2. Locate the following items in the Word window: • Title bar • Minimize and Close buttons • Scroll bar • Insertion point • Menu bar • Microsoft Word button on the taskbar 3. Click the Resize button. The window appears smaller and you can see part of the desktop. The button between the Minimize and Close buttons
switches from a Resize button to a Maximize button.
4. Click the Maximize button. The window fills the screen. The button between the Minimize and Close buttons switches from a Maximize button to
a Resize button.
5. Click the Minimize button. The Word window disappears, but there is still a button representing it on the taskbar.
7. Locate the following items in the Africana window: • Title bar • Minimize and Close buttons • Menu bar Hint: Keep Africana and Word open. Activity: Switching Between Open Programs It can be helpful to have two programs open at the same time. For instance, you might be reading a Web page in Internet Explorer
and read about a place that you want to take a vacation to. You can keep the Web page open and use Streets & Trips to find
out how long it would take you to drive there.
1. Click the Document1 - Microsoft Word button on the Taskbar. Word appears and Encarta Encyclopedia is hidden behind it.
Hint: If you accidentally closed Word and Encarta Africana in the last activity, double-click the icon on the Desktop to open it
again. 2. Click the Encarta Africana button on the Taskbar. Encarta Africana appears.
3. Click the Resize button on the Encarta Africana window. You are able to see both the Word and Africana windows.
Hint: Refer to your handout if you forgot what the Resize button looks like. 4. Click the Close button on both open windows. Both windows close and there are no longer buttons for them displayed on the Taskbar.
Using Common Microsoft Office Elements Handout: Overview of Microsoft Office Programs (optional) Microsoft Office is a set, or suite, of programs designed to work together both by sharing a similar look and by sharing information
or data between programs easily. The Microsoft Office Suite (Premium edition) consists of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access,
Publisher, FrontPage, and PhotoDraw.
Just like there are common elements between different windows, there are common elements within suites of programs. A suite
of programs is a collection of programs that were designed to work together or in a similar way. Two common suites of programs
are the Microsoft Office suite and the Encarta Reference suite. Within each suite is a common set of buttons, toolbars, and
menus that make it easy for you to learn new programs within the suite since you don't need to learn the basic commands for
each program. For instance, if you know how to make text bold in Microsoft Word, you will be able to make text bold in PowerPoint,
Publisher, Excel, Access, and FrontPage because the steps are the same in each program.
The Microsoft Office Menu Bar and Toolbars Hint: You located the Menu bar and the toolbars earlier in the lesson. All of the Menu bars in Microsoft Office have the File, Edit, View, Insert, Tools, Window, and Help menus. Click one of these menus to access a list of options. The toolbar contains shortcut buttons to many of the actions
you can access on the menus from the Menu bar.
• Click the File menu. Become familiar with the • Locate the New , Save, and Print buttons on the toolbar.
• Click the Edit menu. Become familiar with the locations of • Locate the Cut, Copy, Paste, and Undo buttons on the toolbar.
Activity: Using Common Office Elements Most of the formatting commands are the same in all Office programs. In this activity, you will see how easy it is to make
text bold in Word and then use that knowledge to make text bold in Excel.
1. Double-click the Microsoft Word icon on the desktop. A blank document opens in Word.
2. Type hello and press the Enter key on the keyboard.
3. Click the Bold button 4. Type bye. The text appears darker, or bold.
5. Click the Close button on the title bar. The Office Assistant displays a message asking if you want to save the document. Click No. You do not need to save changes.
6. Double-click the Microsoft Excel icon on the Desktop. A blank spreadsheet opens in Excel.
7. Click the Bold button on the toolbar.
8. Type your name. Bold text appears in the upper-left cell of the spreadsheet. 9. Click the Close button on the title bar. Click No. You do not need to save changes.
Three Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts 1. To quit a program click Alt + F4. 2. To get help click F1. 3. To save the active document click Ctrl + S. In the Real World: Keyboard shortcuts are useful for people who have difficulty using the mouse. Review Questions You'll find the answers at the end of the lesson. 6. Where is the title bar located on a window? 7. What does the Minimize button do? 8. If you have two programs open, how do you switch between them? 9. What happens at the insertion point? 10. Does the Bold button look the same in Word, Excel, and Publisher? 11. What does the Cut button look like? Working With Files Estimated time: 10 minutes One of the greatest features of a computer is the ability to save what you are working on so you can modify it later without
having to recreate it. If you type a form letter on a typewriter and you want to customize a sentence for each person you
are sending the letter to, you will need to type the letter multiple times. If you write that same letter in a word processing
program on a computer, you will only need to retype the sentence you want customized. The rest of the letter will adjust to
the new text. Once you save the letter, you can use it again at a later date. All you will need to do is change the text that
you want to modify.
Saving Files The steps for saving a document are the same in most programs, so once you learn to save a document using Microsoft Word,
you will have the knowledge to save a picture in PhotoDraw, or a spreadsheet in Excel.
Activity: Create and Save a Document  Supply: Printing, Opening, and Saving Files Computer Quick Guide 1. Insert a floppy disk in the disk drive. 2. Double-click the Word icon on the Desktop. Microsoft Word opens.
3. Type your name. Your name appears at the top of the document. 4. Press the Enter key. The insertion point moves down below your name. 5. Type the city and state you live in. The text appears below your name. Hint: Refer to the Printing, Saving, and Opening Computer Quick Guide for guidance. 6. Click the Save button. The Save as dialog box opens.
7. Click the downward-pointing arrow next to the Save in box. Select 3½ Floppy (A:) from the drop-down list.
8. Double-click inside the File name box. Type me. The text you type will replace the text inside the File name box.
9. Click Save. 10. Click the Close button to close Microsoft Word.
Activity: Opening Files Once you have saved a document you can open it up again to revise or reuse it. 1. If necessary, put the floppy disk that contains the file you want to open in the floppy drive. In the Real World: You can follow these steps for a Zip disk as well. Just select the Zip disk instead of the floppy disk when selecting from
the Look in list. 2. Double-click the Microsoft Word icon on the Desktop.
3. Click the Open button. The button looks like a yellow file folder. The Open dialog box opens.
4. Click the downward-pointing arrow next to the Look in box and select 3½ Floppy (A:). A list of files on the floppy disk appears in the middle of the dialog box.
5. Click the file you want to open. 6. Click Open. The file opens in Microsoft Word.
7. Click the Close button to close Microsoft Word.
If You Have Time You can also open a file from the 3½ Floppy (A:) icon on the Desktop. 1. Verify the floppy disk is in the floppy disk drive. 2. Double-click the 3½ Floppy (A:) icon on the Desktop. The 3½ Floppy (A:) window opens. You should see an icon for the file you just created.
3. Double-click me.doc in the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. Me.doc opens in Microsoft Word.
4. You can now revise, print, or save the document with a new name. 5. Click the close button. The Microsoft Word window closes. Review Question You'll find the answer at the end of the lesson. 12. If you forget how to save or open a file, or need to show someone else how to save or open a file, what can you use for
help?
If You Have Time: An Introduction to File Management  Handouts: An Introduction to File Structure (optional) You can create folders on a floppy disk to save and organize your work. As you become familiar with the computer, you will
be proficient at creating folders from the My Computer window as well as when you save a document in a Microsoft Office program.
Activity: Create a Folder on a Floppy Disk 1. If necessary, put a floppy disk into the disk drive. 2. Double-click the 3½ Floppy (A:) icon on the Desktop. The contents of the floppy drive are displayed.
3. Click File > New and select Folder. A folder icon appears in the window with the text New Folder highlighted.
4. Type a name for your folder and press the Enter key. 5. You can now drag document icons that are on your floppy disk onto the folder icon to move them into it. You can also specify
that folder when you save a new document.
6. Close the A:\ window.
If You Remember Nothing Else You can't harm a computer by experimenting or trying something new, so if you think you remember how to do something, try
it. The worst that can happen is that you learn something new. Refer to any of the Computer Quick Guides to get up and running
on some of the most commonly used programs.
Additional Resources • How to Use the Mouse • Mousercise: an on-line tutorial for learning to use the mouse • Keyboard and Mouse Basics • Simple Practice with Clicking and Dragging • On-line Office Tutorial • Microsoft Office Survival Guide • Ask me.com (get answers to technology related questions) Review Answers 1. The floppy disk drive has a smaller hole for the disk. Also the Zip drive says Zip on it. 2. A few things the mouse is used for: to open files, move text and pictures, select text for formatting, and to select buttons
that save files, print documents, and number items in a list.
3. Taskbar. 4. Double-click its icon on the desktop. 5. You would show them how to double-click the Internet Explorer icon on the desktop. Alternately, you could show them how
to click the Internet Explorer icon next to the Start button.
6. The top. 7. It hides the window, but keeps the program open. 8. Click the buttons for the programs on the taskbar. 9. Text appears at the insertion point when you type on the keyboard. 10. Yes. 11. Scissors. 12. Use the Computer Quick Guides! |
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| Introduction to the Windows Environment |
This helpful lesson provides an in-depth overview of the Windows environment and the various functions that will help users fully utilize the associated programs.
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