Using MS Office for Administration - WORD

The Microsoft Office - and other shareware Office packages - are "lifesavers" for teachers to use.  They give you an opportunity not only to make your Admin work neat, but also to re-use them in other terms and years.  The best part, is that you can make changes on a regular basis.

Here is a list of some of the things you can use WORD for

¨Creating worksheets

¨Setting test and exam papers

¨Developing assessment rubrics

¨Writing good news or disciplinary notes

¨Weekly lesson plan

¨Creating certificates

¨Designing concert programme

¨Publishing sport team lists

¨Writing letters to parents or sponsors

¨Drawing diagrams using lines and shapes

¨Creating newsletters

¨Writing and editing essays / reports

¨Completing learner support templates

¨Writing CVs

We will look at a few of these applications in this course.

WORKSHEETS

¨Use text boxes, tables and call outs to make the worksheet interesting.

¨Make sure that the text is large enough to read.

¨A clear, clean font makes the worksheet easier to read – even for senior grades

Tests and Exams

¨Tick boxes - FORMS

¨Spacing – 1.5 to double

¨Font size – at least 12 – can be bigger

Assessment Rubrics

¨Tables -these make it really easy to see what is going on.  You can insert a table from the INSERT menu - select how many columns and rows you need.

¤Merge Cells

This allows you to make clear headings for sections of the rubric, or it allows you to make a clear line between sections

Highlight the cells you want to merge and MERGE CELLS

¤Borders and Shading

This makes assessment sheets clear and easy to follow.

Use the Borders and Shading tool to make clear dicisions between types of information in the rubric

¨Smiley Faces or other graphics

In the Foundation Phase you may want to use "smiley faces" to help the learners understand what you are looking for.

One place you can find a smily face icon is in the BASIC SHAPES menu in the INSERT toolbar.

You can even change the shape of the mouth by "pulling" on the diamond on the mouth

Certificates

¨Templates are useful here

¨Office on line - the best ones are definitely on line

¨Make your own and save it as a template so you can use it again

Newsletters

¨Columns make newsletters easier to read - find these in the PAGE LAYOUT menu

¨Use text boxes to emphasise points

¨Insert graphics - remember to use the TEXT WRAP - THROUGH tool so your pictures don't move your text around

CVs

¨Use the Templates Menu or make your own

¤It is called RESUME in the American programmes

¤Choose the type and style you need

¤Don’t put pictures, fancy fonts, etc onto them

¤A cover page is not essential but can make it look tidy

Notes and letters

¨A useful tool is a MAIL MERGE

¨Put people’s names on the top of each letter

¤Find this in MAILINGS

nStart Mail Merge

nSelect Recipients

nMake your own data base of names

                   Merge and Finish to print individualised letters