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Mary K&1 - Welcome to a Teachers.Net discussion concerning Word Processing.
Pogo/Puter/MS - Which WP do most of y'all use. I use Word by Microsoft.
Kathleen - I think I have word, right, Mary??
Mary K&1 - Yes, Kat, that's what you have
Mary K&1 - I still think that Claris Works is the easiest all around integrated program
Mary K&1 - It can't do as much as Word, but what it does do it does well and without much confusion
Pogo/Puter/MS - I agree Mary w/ CW. We used it for the past 2 years and I switched to Word 97.
Pogo/Puter/MS - I downloaded a lessonplan from Microsoft on Word 97 and rewrote it in Macintosh and teach both versions in my lab.
Kathleen - Are newletters and brochures part of Word
Mary K&1 - Kathleen, Word has some templates for those, but you don't have to use them, you can make your own if you like
Kathleen - easy for you to say
Pogo/Puter/MS - I like Word b/c I can use Kidpix to insert the pictures into Word easily.
Pogo/Puter/MS - If I save my templates in rtf format at home on my PC I can put them in both Mac and IBM comp at school in my lab.
n2kids - I'm pretty sure it's Microsoft Works. Am I behind the times?
Mary K&1 - I don't know is Microsoft is still making Works, I think that they may be, anyone know?
Kathleen - n2, according to the box my wp program came in, I have works, too.
Pogo/Puter/MS - I think so Kathleen, it is sort of like ClarisWorks, kind of an all in one thingy.
Kathleen - I have Home Essentials 98
Mary K&1 - Kathleen, do you have both Word and Works? I do, but I have uninstalled Works
Mary K&1 - Any one know how to get around the pass word for forms in Word?
Kathleen - The box says word 97, Microspft Money 98, Microsoft Wroks, MS Greeting Workshop, MS Entertainment pack-Puzzle collection, Word 97 (did I say that already?)
Kathleen - nope, not me
Pogo/Puter/MS - Password???
n2kids - definitely not me
Mary K&1 - We have a form for our IEPs, but there's an error, but it's pass word protected and we can't fix it. Do we have to contact the state dept. to get the pass word?
Kathleen - We need some questions from the floor:-)
Kathleen - The state dept?
Mary K&1 - The state dept. made the form
n2kids - My home computer has Lotus Word Pro. Anyone ever heard of it?
Kathleen - nope, not me
Mary K&1 - n2, I've heard of it. I think that it must be pretty good, a lot of Companies use it
Chris /md/ *1* - I have a Lotus word processing program called Amnipro.
n2kids - Yea!!!
Kathleen - n2 and Chris, do you like the Lotus?
Chris /md/ *1* - n2kids, I only use it in school and haven't tried much. I just have windows 3.1 at school. It is OK but slow and plain.
Kathleen - Does anyone know any neat tricks, something you've learned that you didn't know existed in your word processing program?
n2kids - It gets the job done. I don't do much other than type letters. That's all I know how to do!
Pogo/Puter/MS - What kind of lesson plan sites have y'all seen that were neat for Word Processing?
Mary K&1 - Pogo, None, you have some to offer?
Kathleen - n2, you probably would like to be able to design newletters, right?
Kathleen - Pogo, I'm not that advanced, not trying to teach it, trying to LEARN it!:-/
Chris /md/ *1* - I would like to see some lesson plan sites also
Pogo/Puter/MS - My kids sometimes have a hard time highlighting words by Double clicking and triple clicking to highlight sentences.
n2kids - My media specialist does that. What else can I do with as an adm.?
Mary K&1 - I take that back, I just saw one for 3rd grade - story stretchers
Kathleen - certiticates? is that word processing?
Pogo/Puter/MS - Mary K & 1 I have some lesson plans on my website that I have scanned and rewrote in Mac.
Mary K&1 - n2, our administrators have the observation forms in Claris - they now use them instead of the old paper forms
Kathleen - Pogo, highlighting by double and triple clicking?
n2kids - What types of things do you have your kids do with the WP?
Chris /md/ *1* - I do nothing that is not done by computer. All report card comments are done on computer, lesson plans, making word wall words, making games etc.
Chris /md/ *1* - Right now my kids are trying to type their names. That is a challenge for them. I am in the inner city and computers are not part of every home.
n2kids - What do I have to do to import a picture from a webpage into my document?
Mary K&1 - n2, first you have to save the picture locally, then insert it in your document
Pogo/Puter/MS - n2kids, right click the picture and save it. Open your document and insert the picture where you saved it.
n2kids - What do you mean locally?
Mary K&1 - n2, save it on your hard drive or a floppy
Pogo/Puter/MS - Locally, the directory you put it in.
Kathleen - Does that right click, save, import work for taking a picture from a webpage and putting onto say a sheet for print stationary?
n2kids - Insert the picture. ..Is there a button that says insert?
Mary K&1 - Kathleen, you can't copy it from a web page and put it in your document, you have to save it first and then put it in
Kathleen - save it on disk as what?
Pogo/Puter/MS - At the top in the menu, there should be something that says Insert and scroll down to picture...probably depends on the WP program as to what the exact wording is.
Mary K&1 - n2, there will be something in one of your menus that indicates that you can insert it
Mary K&1 - Probably your edit menu
Pogo/Puter/MS - I find it best to create a TEMP folder and save my pictures or whatever there. Then I know exactly where to find them. I usually name it something meaningful to me.
n2kids - Is there an easier way?
Mary K&1 - Kathleen, you can save it to your HD or a floppy
Mary K&1 - A lot of people save these things to their desktop so they can find them
Mary K&1 - You have to do what makes you feel the most comfortable
n2kids - What does the middle clicker on the mouse do to your document?
Kathleen - I don't have a middle clicker
Pogo/Puter/MS - I can't stand a cluttered desktop, that's why I create a TEMP folder or directory.
Pogo/Puter/MS - No middle clicker here, I have a scroller in the middle.
Kathleen - [Kathleen looks around at her very cluttered desktop and knows tht she will never be able to allow Pogo to see her desktop)
Mary K&1 - n2, I don't have a middle clicker, I read about them, but I forget. The MS InteiMouse has a middle wheel that helps with scrolling and prob, some other stuff
Kathleen - I don;'t have a scroller in the middle either!
n2kids - If I'm copying something from the internet but don't want to use up all of my ink, how do I make it copy in Black and white?
Kathleen - n2, I can set my printer to ignore color
Mary K&1 - n2, in print set up, change your printer's setting to do just B&W
Pogo/Puter/MS - ROFL, Kathleen.....that was funny. You can't see my desktop {meaning piece of furniture} that my clean desktop puter sits on!!! :-)
Pogo/Puter/MS - My puter may be neat but not my stick of furniture!!
n2kids - Thanks guys.
Kathleen - Which is the best word processing program to have kids start with 1. on PC 2.on Mac?
Mary K&1 - Claris Works for Kids is good, is it available for both Mac and PC?
Kathleen - [please note: I was able to answer a question]
Pogo/Puter/MS - My younger kids use Kid Works. 3-5th are on Word by Microsoft.
Addie k/mo - wow, kat, got here just in time to hear your puter expertise :-)
Kathleen - Hi, Addie:-)
Kathleen - Addie, you're impressed, right????
Addie k/mo - totally impressed kat
Mary K&1 - Kathleen's a techno wizz! But I already knew that
Kathleen - What is a good program for kindergartners that has a primer type font displayed on the screen?
n2kids - Way to go Kat!!!
Mary K&1 - She just likes to act like she doesn't know stuff, but she really does
Mary K&1 - Kid Works is good
Pogo/Puter/MS - Kidworks looks like a tablet that they work on. It also has pictures that change to words...Really neat.
Kathleen - LOL!! an act??? LOL!
Addie k/mo - is kidworks for pc or mac?
Pogo/Puter/MS - I have it running on both Mac and IBM.
Kathleen - kidworks sounds interesting...the pictures that change to words, is it expensive?Mary K&1 - But kids can work in a regular prog. also, just set the font size to 30 or 60 and let them go
Kathleen - I have no software for the decrepit old hand me down computer I have in my room.
Addie k/mo - i have used the writing center (mac) in class before
n2kids - What's the difference between "Save" and "Save As"?
Mary K&1 - Save just saves it as it is, Save As allows you to save it as something else - different name or different format
Pogo/Puter/MS - Use save as when 1st typing and saving the file. Save when you are adding something to the file like txt or pix.
Kathleen - I think I might know that one, too!! Save is when you already have saved as but want to modify...?? maybe??
n2kids - Different format?
Addie k/mo - save saves the file in the last location that was open, save as lets you choose a different location and make sure that it is in the correct file
Pogo/Puter/MS - GO KAT!!
Kathleen - That's what I meant
Kathleen - n2, use 'save as' the first time you type it, then 'save' each time you change something
Addie k/mo - on my mac i always use "save as" cause it will save documents in weird places and you cant find them sometimes with "save"
n2kids - Oh, I think I've got it.
Kathleen - EAch time you use 'save as' it will create a new thingy, but if you try to use the same name again, a window asks you a question you won't know how to answer, so just use 'save'
Mary K&1 - n2, you might want to save your document in just plain text format to insure that some else will be able open it - when you are not sure of what program they have, or you might want to save it in an older version of what you are using for the same reason
Pogo/Puter/MS - N2, you can save files in different formats. In Word by Microsoft you can save in .doc , rtf, txt. etc. (endings) formats.
Addie k/mo - i also use "save as" when i write my class newsletters....when i open the most recent one to redo as the new one, i save as the new name and make modificatons
n2kids - Weird places like where?
Mary K&1 - Most often, it will save the file in the program's folder if you don't tell it to put it some place else
Pogo/Puter/MS - If I save my files in Word to .rtf I can use them on both Mac and IBM. If I just save it as .doc my Macs don't understand the file and can't read them. Kind of like a foreign language to it.
Addie k/mo - LOL, kat! it tells you that you already have a doc by that name and do you want to replace it? if so, the answer is yes, if you want the old doc and the new doc the answer is no and you have to make up a new name
n2kids - I didn't know there were different formats?
Addie k/mo - n2, it has saved the doc in the picture file!!!! hard to find!
Kathleen - n2, just listen to me, use 'save as' the first time you want to put it on a disk, then when you find and correct your typos, use 'save'
Addie k/mo - it might just be our macs at school, they are old
Pogo/Puter/MS - n2, if you type in Word (Microsoft) and save in in .wps the Wordperfect users can read it.
Addie k/mo - i used 'save as" when i was doing my first quarter reports on the puter....i saved a master copy (a report for the ideal student) then i saved it as each student's name and made the necessary revisions to add what kids needed to work on
Mary K&1 - Your computer is good, but it isn't a mind reader, you have to tell it everything
n2kids - Once my son did something on the computer and printed it in red but when it printed out it was brown or some color other than red. What happened?
n2kids - Oh wow. This is mind boggling!
Kathleen - color blind computer maybe??
n2kids - LOL Kat!
Mary K&1 - n2, sounds like your ink cartridge may have been low on red ink
n2kids - The pink would not print at all. It came out blank.
Pogo/Puter/MS - If it was done in red and printed in brown printer was probably low on color and tried it's best!!
Mary K&1 - The blue was over powering the red
Kathleen - If you have an attachment you can't open, this is what you do, you send it to Mary, she does something to it and sends it back in a form that you can read.
Mary K&1 - Yep, low on red ink
Kathleen - low on red ink
Pogo/Puter/MS - Funny Kat.
n2kids - How do you teach a 2nd grader word processing skills? Home keys, etc. The same way you would anyone else?
Pogo/Puter/MS - Let them type their spelling words etc. I don't teach keyboarding to children that small.
Mary K&1 - Did you know that on a computer, you should only type one space after a period, not two like with a typewriter?
Addie k/mo - here is a stretch....if you have an hp printer and if you have tried the cheaper cartridges from sams where you can replace ind. colors...what do you think? they seem to work okay for me, except for printing photos? graphics look fine. any suggestions?
Kathleen - Pogo, when teach keyboarding?
n2kids - Pogo, mine does fine.
Addie k/mo - i didnt know that mary. one space? hmmmmm
Kathleen - addie, I'm afraid to try the generic ink cartridges
Pogo/Puter/MS - I start wordprocessing, spacing, centering, bold,tab etc in 3rd grade.
n2kids - I haven't tried the generics.
Kathleen - Mary, so THAT"S why Word always puts the color error symbol for 2 spaces. I wonder why that is true?
Addie k/mo - what age do you start keyboarding? they are starting it in first at my school and i think that is ridiculous! they wanted to try to teach k and i put my foot down and said it was totally inappropriate
Mary K&1 - I learned that from a neat little book - "Your Mac isn't a Typewriter"
Kathleen - Mary, any other tips?
Mary K&1 - We start it in First Grade also
Pogo/Puter/MS - My kids only come to me once a week for computer for 30 minutes. They aren't there enough to to keyboarding. They get it in middle school. I teach the in's and out's of wordprocessing starting in 3rd.
Addie k/mo - they were way cheaper!!! but i might be sorry :-( actually, i will go get me some good ones and give these to my son for his printer, cause he doesnt print photos anyway
Pogo/Puter/MS - My k-2 play games, a little w/p in 2nd and do things in Kidpix etc. I love Kidpix.
Kathleen - addie, my only fear is something will happen and Epson will find out and void my warranty or something
Mary K&1 - Yes, but I don't remember any, ask me something to jog my old tired brain
Addie k/mo - my school thinks that if you let the kids type wrong, they wont learn keyboarding later...i think that is silly! its like not letting kids have books until they can read
Kathleen - I typed wrong until high shcolk and nohj i man a find typiist!
Addie k/mo - i like kidpix too, we have made slide shows the past two years on kidpix and they turned out neat
Addie k/mo - u b a guud typpr, katt
Pogo/Puter/MS - ROFL on the typos.
n2kids - Is Kidpix something I need to buy my 7 year old for Christmas? I'm looking for something for Christmas.
Mary K&1 - The guy at my favorite computer store said that it's best to stay away from the refillable cart.s he says that they often fall apart and mess up the printer - he said that they have had to clean up some real bad messes
Kathleen - Actually, I was a fine typist after 2 years of it in high school, I don't think kids should be started on keyboarding as early as they are being pushed to. What are they giving up in order to have time for keyboarding instruction?
Pogo/Puter/MS - It is amazing how much faster my kids are that type in chatrooms on the Internet. I can always spy a Internet kiddo.
Addie k/mo - n2...totally! he/she would love kidpix!
n2kids - Who makes it?
Pogo/Puter/MS - YES on kidpix. Any age child will like it and so will you!
n2kids - I have an IBM. Will Kidpix work?
Pogo/Puter/MS - Broadbaud
Addie k/mo - youre right, kat...it can be learned later...i am afraid it is too frustrating and is teaching the kids to dislike using the puterr
Kathleen - how much does kidpix cost?
Pogo/Puter/MS - Abou $39.00
Kathleen - Broderbund?
n2kids - Will it run on an IBM?
Pogo/Puter/MS - It runs on IBM and MAC
Mary K&1 - I find that the little kids, K & 1 like paint programs better - in fact the love them
Pogo/Puter/MS - Only drawback is it needs to run with 256 color. I always have mine set above that and have to reboot when I go into the program.
Kathleen - Mary, are paint programs beneficial, educational?
Mary K&1 - There are lots of good programs for little kids that don't require a lot of keyboard work
Mary K&1 - Exploring color and design - hand eye coordination - having fun - that's what little kids should be doing - patterns and stuff like that
Mary K&1 - Don't make me get defensive here :)
Pogo/Puter/MS - I agree Mary K & 1!!!! Keyboarding is something they can learn when they are older. Most piano teachers don't want kids that small either. They have many older years to get all of that.
Kathleen - oh, great, there's a drawback to kidpix, having to set something
Kathleen - Good points, Mary
Mary K&1 - The kid's hand are too small to do it "correctly" any way
Pogo/Puter/MS - I think it is Broderbaund or something like that.
Kathleen - probably Broderbund
Addie k/mo - depends on your monitor, kat....we dont have to reset at school
n2kids - What other good programs for 7 year olds?
Pogo/Puter/MS - I have several lessonplans on kidpix on my site http://home.cybertron.com/~lamarelem Click there and enter the front door and go to technology lesson plans.
Pogo/Puter/MS - Venn Diagrams, etc.
Addie k/mo - what is the best setting for an ibm monitor? for maximum graphics?
Kathleen - thanks, pogo, I bookmarked it
Mary K&1 - Addie, it depends on the program
n2kids - How do you bookmark a site without going to the site itself?
Addie k/mo - i had the kids practice different skills on their like drawing certain shapes when we were learning shapes, stamping their name out, sorting pix stamps by various attributes, stamping the numerals and stamping the correct number of pix with it, stamping a letter and stamping pix that start with that letter
Pogo/Puter/MS - Mine is set to 16. At school it is at 24.
Addie k/mo - okay, mary, for surfing the net so you see clear jpg images
Kathleen - n2, I go there and bookmark it
n2kids - okay, that's what i did.
Mary K&1 - Addie, at least 24 true color
Addie k/mo - i reset my school one to 24, dont know what mine at home is set at but the jpgs are fine...at school they were grainy
Kathleen - n2, then just use your back button to come back here
Mary K&1 - any less will give a grainy look
n2kids - Pogo, how did you do that link. Can I do it on my computer?
Addie k/mo - i think that is the best the monitor does, would that be right?
Kathleen - just type the whole thing with http:// it will form a hyperlink
Pogo/Puter/MS - I just typed in the exact address and it underscores and you can click it. Has to be exact!!
Addie k/mo - of course, lots of free ex too on kid pix
Mary K&1 - n2, just type in a full address and it will show up that way - it's in the program
Pogo/Puter/MS - n2 you can highlight an address, right click to copy and then paste it on here too.
Mary K&1 - some links http://www.bev.net/education/ntia/ClarisWorks/1_Word_Processing.html
Mary K&1 - http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/text-faq/faq.html
Addie k/mo - we dont have kid pix on the new ibms,so if we do a slide show we will have to use the paint program. that will be harder, so i dont know if we will do that or not...
Mary K&1 - http://klingon.cs.iupui.edu/~aharris/mmcc/mod3/abwp1.html
Mary K&1 - These are WP links
Mary K&1 - http://www.pcworld.com/software/word_processing/articles/nov97/1511tips.html
n2kids - What about email addresses? sleath@tds.net
Mary K&1 - http://www.hic.net/goliad/wordbk.htm
Pogo/MS - http://www.broder.com/education/school/lessons.html
n2kids - It didn't do my email address. Why not?
Kathleen - n2, your e-mail address isn't an http://
Mary K&1 - http://www.picksys.com/guide/c222.htm
Kathleen - n2, your e-mail address will be linked if you type it in the box when you are first logging on here, then your name in Occupants will be linked to your e-mail
n2kids - What is http?
Mary K&1 - email links are different
Kathleen - e-mail address isn't a url
Kathleen - http = hyper text Transport Protocol
n2kids - Kat, that's as clear as mud.
Mary K&1 - Wow, Kat strikes again!!
n2kids - It's Super Kat!
Pogo - Y'all do know you can right click and save the addresses in your favorites? Yes? At least on mine I can.
Kathleen - n2, I logged off and back on after typing in my e-mail address, see how it looks in the Occupants box?
Addie k/mo - no, i didnt know that pogo, what browser are you using?
Kathleen - Pogo, no, I didn't know that, I don;t have 'favortites', mine are called bookmarks, but I should try!
Pogo - I use IE and I can right click and save them.
Mary K&1 - Us Netscapers save it to bookmarks
n2kids - It worked Kat. I left you a message.
Addie k/mo - i have ie too, i will try that next time
Kathleen - n2, it just arrived!
Pogo - Diet coke calling, be right back.
Kathleen - I just found out the neatest (tho worthless thing)!! I right clicked on the screen, chose "add bookmark", then when I used the bookmark, I got a fixed screen of what was on the room screen when I bookmarked!
Kathleen - HEY< IT ISN"T A FIXED SCREEN>>>IT REALLY WORKS!!
Mary K&1 - Right clicking and save bookmark puts it at the bottom of your bookmark list
Mary K&1 - Good night and thanks to all. Drive safely on your way home. The last person out the door, turns out the lights, OK?
