Question 2 : What are the key features of wordprocessing software?

How might you use each in your teaching of primary students?

Key features of word-processing software

Basic Commands
Open. o Displays lists of folders and files (documents). o Use this command to locate a desired document and open (display) it on the screen. Save/Save As. o Saves a document on a disk while leaving a copy of it on the screen. o Use Save As the first time a document is saved (give it a filename) and to rename a document. o Use Save to save a revised document without renaming it. Print Preview. Shows a document as it will look when printed, including multiple pages in one view.

 Print. o Prints documents. o Select print options and settings (Print dialog box) before printing. Close. o Removes a document from the display screen. o If the document has not been saved, you will be prompted to save it before closing.

Editing Features
Copy. Copies selected text so it can be placed in another location, leaving the original text unchanged. Cut. Removes selected text from the current location. Paste. Places selected text that has been copied or cut at another location. Undo. Reverses the last change made in the text. This feature restores moved text to its original location.

 Redo. Reverses the last Undo action. Select. o Highlights text on which various operations may be performed. o Use the mouse and/or key combinations to select text. o Once selected, the text can be bolded, underlined, italicized, deleted, copied, moved, printed, saved, etc.

Spell-Check. Checks words, documents, or parts of documents for misspellings.

Enhancement Features
Bold.
o Prints text darker than other copy as it is keyed. o Bold may be added after text has been keyed by first selecting the text.

Borders.
o Adds a border to any or all sides of a page, paragraph, or column, as well as to a table or a cell within a table. o Page border options may include small pictures. o Borders not only enhance appearance, but also make text easier to read by emphasizing certain passages. o Borders are most effective when used sparingly.

Bullets.
o Highlights each item in a list with a heavy dot or other character, as demonstrated in this list of features. o Bullets add visual interest and emphasis.

 Font.
o Consists of the typeface, style, size, and any effects used. o Font features may be changed before or after text is keyed. o The number and size of fonts available depends on the software and printer used.

Underline.
o Underlines text as it is keyed. o An underline may be added after text has been keyed by first selecting the text.

Watermark.
Prints any desired text or graphics behind the main text on document pages

Formatting Features
Line Spacing. Changes the amount of blank space between lines of text. Margins.

o Changes the amount of blank space at the top, bottom, right, and/or left edges of a page. o Default margin settings are not the same for all software.
Page Break. o Inserts a soft page break automatically when the current page is full. o A hard page break can be inserted manually to start a new page before the current page is full.

 Tab.

o Aligns text according to the type of tab set. o By default, most word processing software programs have left tabs already set at half-inch (0.5") intervals from the left margin. o These preset tabs can be cleared and reset.

Insert Features
Shapes. Adds a variety of shapes (rectangles, stars, banners, arrows, flow chart symbols, etc.) to a document. Clip Art. o Drawings, pictures, sounds, and video clips can be inserted into documents. o A collection of clip art files is provided with word processing software; additional clip art can be purchased or downloaded from the Internet. Word Art. o Changes text into a graphic object. o Most word processing software programs have a word art gallery that contains predefined styles such as curved or stretched text.

Special Features
Table. o Creates a grid for arranging information in rows and columns. o A table can be used to summarize information and to arrange it into easily identifiable categories. Thesaurus. A built-in thesaurus that allows you to search for synonyms without leaving the word processor. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). With WYSIWYG, a document appears on the display screen exactly as it will look when printed

How to use features of wordprocessing in teaching primary students?

Set task

The students need to know: - how to create a table -how to write in bold and in different colours -how to underline in colours

Steps: 1) Divide the students in pairs. Throughout the activity they are going to move posts. Using the book, each pair of students will fill a column of a table with the words from the vocabulary list that they think are difficult. 2) This way they will set a sort of test for a second pair of students who will have to complete the column of meaning. 3) A third pair will go through the answers of the second one and will make changes if they do not agree; though they will not delete anything that the others wrote previously. 4) Finally, the students who set the test will mark it making corrections. Each pair will write in a different colour and the corrections will be marked in red, they will also write their names at the top, in the same colour that they use to do the exercise, so that everyone will know whose answers they are.

REFERENCES
http://academic.cengage.com/resource_uploa ds/downloads/0538449071_160980.pdf http://www.freewebs.com/cfc03/wordproces sor_1.pdf