Ten Things Everyone Should Know about Word Processing

Word processors are great tools but can be frustrating to those who don't know how to use them efficiently. I have a list of 10 things I think everyone should know about word processing.  Do you know all 10?

1. Use the Enter key ONLY after at the end of a paragraph or when you need a blank line.
• Word processors automatically wrap text so there is no need to press enter at the end of the line.
• There is a line spacing function in word processors that can be used to double space a paper. 
2. Use the Space Bar Correctly.
• Use only one space between words.
• There is no space between a word and the puctuation that follows. 
• Use one space after all punctuation marks.
• Use the Tab key to indent for paragraphs.
3. Save Your Work Frequently! 
• Save every 5-7 minutes. You never know when a computer can freeze or crash.
4. Spell check all your work.
• This won't catch the use of a wrong word but it will catch spelling errors.
• Spelling errors make the user appear lazy.
5. There is a "Best Font" for your work.  
• Arial, Tahoma, Georgia are very readable fonts (there are many more.) Save the fun, crazy fonts for the fun, crazy documents you make for your friends.
6. Don't use the Caps Lock key to capitalize one letter. 
• USE THE CAPS LOCK KEY WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO SAY!
• Writing in all caps indicates you are yelling. Don't give your audience the wrong impression.
7. Use the correct text alignment.  Left align is what should be used almost all the time.
• Left alignment with ragged right edges is the most commonly used. It should always be used for the body of your paper.
• Center alignment is used for poetry, announcements, invitations, and short sections of text.
• Right alignment creates a special effect. Remember that right alignment means the text is tight against the right margin.
• Justified text will cover the width of a page, but it will also change spacing in order to do that. It often cuts down on the number of words that will fit on a line and sometimes makes large bodies of text look “darker” or crowded.
8. Two fonts at most in a document.
• With rare exceptions a document should never have more than two font styles.
• Along those lines most fonts are easiest to read in sizes or 10 to 14.
9. Learn to adjust the margins.
• Sometimes you want the document on one page. Adjust font size and margins to fit.
10. Use Print Preview before you print. Printing should be done when your document is perfect.

Advice for High School -Assignment

Ask for some advice from your parents (or guardian)  that will serve you throughout high school.  Make sure the advice comes with an explanation as to how and why it will be useful.  Record their thoughts and be prepared to share their ideas in your blog. 

Advice usually comes in one of three forms:

• Advice for - is a recommendation to pick a particular option.
• Advice against - is a recommendation to avoid a particular option.
• Information - supplies a piece of information that the decision maker might not know about.

Explain what advice your folks gave. Which of the three types of advice did you get? How will you use this advice in high school? (or why do you believe it will not help you?) Do you think others could use this advice?


Write at least three paragraphs using correct spelling and grammar. USE SPELL CHECK before you publish your post. Also remember the word "I" is always capitalized. If you want a better grammar and spell checker write your post in MS Word, spell and grammar check it there and then paste it into your blog post.

School in a Perfect World -Assignment

I have to say that I really enjoy school. I love the social part of it, visiting with students and staff every day. I like the structure of 48 minutes with one group then switch. I love the math and computer topics we cover during class time. I love learning new things.  But if I could create school in a perfect world it would look a little different.

For one thing virtual attendance would be available to all students. All classes would have a live feeds and if you weren't in the building you could still attend the class online. Student's often miss class for many legitimate reasons, including illness, appointments, vacations, and family obligations. Our school schedule is so inflexible when it comes to events in our life. I want an option for students to have it all. Live your life and get an education.

Second, students would have access to teachers as needed. Remember I am creating a perfect school. Teachers would be available at convenient times to work one-on-one with students. Learning happens best for all students in small groups or with a mentor. Students need the opportunity to ask questions and work through problems with the guidance of another person that can help them grow in their education.

Finally, I would get rid of the grading system. Grades measure the ability (or willingness) of a student to follow a procedure and produce a product. Don't get me wrong, those are important skills that should be taught and learned but it is not the only skills needed. I would prefer an evaluation system that indicates whether a student has the knowledge and skills to progress to the next level with success. I don't know what that would look like but in a perfect world I am sure I could figure it out.

Now it is your turn. Write a post and publish "School in a Perfect World". Write at least three paragraphs using correct spelling and grammar. USE SPELL CHECK before you publish. Also remember the word "I" is always capitalized.  If you want a better grammar and spell checker write your post in MS Word, spell and grammar check it there and then paste it into your blog post.

Social Studies Presentation Criteria

Mr. Dorr has assigned a portion of the text that you are to read and create a presentation. The criteria for this presentation and the layout are at my website. Click on the top link when you get to this page. You will notice that I scanned the first page twice.

Ten Things I Assume You Know

I hope there is nothing new here but just in case, check this out.

I believe I can (will, am capable, etc) ... Assignment

Many people learn about their belief systems through their everyday life. William Wissemann tells a great story about how he discovered that difficult tasks and obstacles can be broken down into small manageable pieces. You can listen to and read it  here.

After you have listened to the story write your own blog post and title it "I Believe I ..."

The post should be at least 3 paragraphs using correct grammar and spelling.  See my example below if you need inspiration or go to this page and listen to other teenagers telling their story.

I believe that we always have choices

I believe that there is always a choice.  As a teacher I hear "I can't ....." several times a day.  I can't get my homework done, I can't make it to class on time, I can't wait until the dance, etc... The interesting thing is that those statements are all lies. No matter what the situation or how bad things are, there is always a choice.

The problem is the choice is often not easy to make. Right now I am struggling with the choice of getting my school work done today or leaving school to enjoy the sunshine. It seems easy to choose to leave, but the down side is I know there are people counting on me to have lessons ready for tomorrow, papers graded and in the grade book, and my other duties completed. I have spent twenty minutes feeling sorry for myself and trying to get out of my responsibilities. Had I just done what needed to be done, I would be 20 minutes closer to leaving. I think I am making the right choice to get my work done before leaving but it is not an easy choice to make.

Sometimes the consequences of a bad choice makes me think I don't have any choice at all. Last week I woke up one morning and wanted to sleep in. I felt like I had to get up and get my family ready for the day and then get myself to school, and so I made the choice to do just that.  When I look back on that situation I realize that I had a choice to go back to sleep but the consequence of choosing that was too great.  I would rather get up and take care of my family than deal with all the trouble I would be in from staying in bed.

For me, knowing I have choices and that I am in control of what I choose makes it a little easier to do what needs to be done. The fact  that I am still at school working but know that I am choosing to do this makes it tolerable.