The Learning Pad Newsletter

Archive for January, 2011

“What a hardworking group of people! These students focused hard and succeeded in completing their Phlebotomy Program December 18th, 2010. With dedication, we know we will be seeing these students at one of our local clinics or labs assisting one of us. Their instructor John Maya enjoyed working with them and seeing their growth”

She has completed our Medical Assistant Program including her externship at Austin Regional Clinic at the beginning of this year. Austin Regional Clinic was so impressed with her, that they offered her FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT due to her training, ambition, and drive for success.

Angelica’s training was sponsored by the WorkForce Solutions – Capital Area

We, as well as her counselors at the WorkForce, know Angelica is excited on embarking on her new career, and we are proud to be apart of that!

Way to go Angelica!!

Organize your SharePoint workspace. Select Modify this Workspace > Design this Page to reduce clutter and organize folders and files in a logical way.

Collaborate while maintaining control. You can use Word document reviewing options to track, accept, or reject changes. To access the Reviewing toolbar, right-click the Standard toolbar and select Reviewing.

Stay on top of tasks in SharePoint with automatic notifications.
 Select a task, click Alert Me, and configure alerts to e-mail you when an item is added, modified, or deleted.

Organize your SharePoint workspace. Select Modify this Workspace > Design this Page to reduce clutter and organize folders and files in a logical way.

Selecting data in Excel.
To select only the blank cells in a region, select the region, click Go To on the Edit menu, click Special, and then click Blanks.
Changing editing preferences in Excel.
If you don’t want to edit directly in cells, click Options on the Tools menu, click the Edit tab, and clear the ‘Edit directly in cell’ check box.
Help protect sensitive information. When sharing sensitive data you can limit viewing, printing, and e-mail forwarding privileges by going to File > Permission > Do Not Distribute, select authorized users, and apply permission settings.

Make it all become clear in Excel. CTRL+SHIFT+( Unhides any hidden rows within the selection. CTRL+SHIFT+) Unhides any hidden columns within the selection.
Rapidly view the information you need.
Zoom in and out of a spreadsheet by holding down the Ctrl key while rotating the wheel button on your mouse.
Organize large, multi-sheet workbooks.
Right click on a worksheet tab (like “Sheet1″) to rename the tab and color-code it; you can even copy And move worksheets.
Quickly print multiple spreadsheets at the same time.
To print spreadsheets on multiple tabs, select the tabs by clicking on them while holding the Ctrl key Then print them by hitting Ctrl-P.
Make your tables come alive. Give your tables a professional look. With your cursor placed within the table you want to format, Select Table > Autoformat and choose the style you like best.
Adding and Editing Comments in Excel. Press Shift+F2 to insert a comment in the current cell. Type the text of your comment, then press Esc twice. To edit a comment, go to the cell that contains the comment and press Shift+F2. Make your changes, then press Esc twice.
Get a notification and a quick preview of an incoming message.
You can momentarily preview an incoming message via a small caption above the task bar. Turn this feature on or off by clicking Tools> Options > E-Mail Options > Advanced E-Mail Options, and select “Display a New Mail Desktop Alert”.
Selecting data in Excel Select nonadjacent cells or ranges by selecting the first cell or range, and then holding down CTRL while you select the other cells or ranges.
Delete a range of cells.
Delete a range of selected cells by holding down Shift while you drag the fill handle up and to the left.
Scrolling through charts quickly and easily.
 As you use the arrow keys to scroll through the Chart Objects box on the Chart toolbar, the corresponding item in the chart is selected.
Quickly build a list in Excel To increment a single number, hold down Ctrl while you drag the fill handle at the corner of the selection.
Resizing diagrams
To keep the proportions of an object constant when drawing or resizing it, hold down shift while dragging the corner.

Edit Data quickly . Instead of using the formula bar to edit the contents of a cell, you can edit directly in the cell by double clicking it.
Changing the size of the chart.
You can move or resize the plot area of a chart. Drag its border to move it, or drag a selection handle to change the size.
Formatting Data in Excel. To indent text in a cell, you can use the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent buttons on the formatting toolbar.
Keeping consistent in Excel.
 When you change the chart type, retain custom formatting by clearing the Default Formatting check box on the Standard Types tab.
Change a chart with a click of a button.
To change the type of your chart in Excel just right-click the chary, and then click chart type.
Create charts instantly in Excel.
To instantly create a chart, select the data you want to present in the chart, and then press F11 or ALT + F1.
Customizing charts in Excel.
To create and customize a chart at the same time, select the data you want, and then click Chart Wizard on the Standard toolbar.

Many people rely on Microsoft Outlook for their email program, but they don’t realize how many functions the program actually has. Check out all of these ways to improve your productivity:

1. Add your own follow-up flags in Outlook. Click the Message Flag button and then type the text you want in the Flag to box.

2. Automatically add holidays to your calendar. On the Tools menu, click Options, click Calendar Options, and then click Add Holidays.

3. Stay on top of Spam. Go to Tools > Options > Preferences > Junk Mail to set options. Select the level of filtering you prefer, and create lists of Safe Senders (White Lists) and Blocked Senders (Black Lists).

4. Outlook shortcuts Ctrl-N creates a new message, Ctrl-S sends, Ctrl-R replies, Ctrl-Shift-R replies all, Ctrl-F forwards, and Ctrl-D deletes. Ctrl+1,2,3,4,5 will display Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes.

5. Compare calendars. For planning and scheduling a meeting you view calendars side-by-side. In the navigation pane click Open A Shared Calendar to view those calendars you have permission to view.

6. Access folders faster. Add frequently used folders to a Favorites list. Drag and drop a folder from the Mail Folders pane up to the Favorites Folders area, Right click to remove.

7. Basic navigation in Outlook. To switch to Mail press CTRL+1. To switch to Calendar press CTRL+2. To switch to Contacts press CTRL+3. To switch to Tasks press CTRL+4. To switch to Notes press CTRL+5.

8. Help protect sensitive data. When e-mailing confidential messages, you can restrict e-mail forwarding, copying, and printing. When composing a message, got to File > Permission > Do Not Forward

9. Use a bigger, better reading pane. Display more information on the screen with easier-to-read vertical orientation. While viewing e-mail, Click View > Reading Pane > Right.

10. Create items quickly in Outlook (Part 2) To do this press CTRL+SHIFT+M for a Message, CTRL+SHIFT+N for a Note, CTRL+SHIFT+H for a new Office document, CTRL+SHIFT+S for a Post in this folder, CTRL+SHIFT+P for a Search Folder, CTRL+SHIFT+K for a Task, CTRL+SHIFT+U for a Task request.

11. Create items quickly in Outlook (Part 1) 
To do this press CTRL+SHIFT+A for an Appointment, CTRL+SHIFT+C for a Contact, CTRL+SHIFT+L for a Distribution list, CTRL+SHIFT+X for a Fax, CTRL+SHIFT+E for a Folder, CTRL+SHIFT+J for a Journal entry, CTRL+SHIFT+Q for a Meeting request.

12. Start Outlook in a folder other than Inbox.
 On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab. In the Advanced Options dialog box, set the startup folder that you want.

13. Quickly attach a file to a message, task, appointment, meeting request, journal entry, or contact. Open the item, and then on the Insert menu, click File. Locate the file you want to attach.

14. Quickly change the time zone for all Windows-based programs. Right-click the space at the top of the time bar when you view days in Calendar, and then click Change Time Zone on the shortcut menu.

15. Send that note fast! Click the note icon in the upper-left corner of the open note and then click Forward.

16. Keyboard Shortcut Tips . To show the menu to download pictures, change automatic download settings, or add a sender to the Safe Senders List, press Ctrl+Shift+W.

17. Remove a name fast from Other Tasks List. To remove a name from the Other Tasks list, right-click the name, and the click Remove from Other Tasks.

18. Quickly assign tasks in Outlook. Right-click the task, and then on the shortcut menu, click Assign Task and then type a name in the To box.

19. Set reminders to reply to messages. Right-click the message you want to set the reminder for, point to Follow Up, and then click Add Reminder.

20. Quickly dial a phone number for a contact. Right-click the contact, and then on then shortcut menu, click Call Contact.

21. Toggle the Navigation Pane. To switch the Navigation Pane on and off, press Alt+F1.

22. Contact meeting attendees with a reminder or other message. Open the original meeting request, click the Actions menu, and then click New Message to Attendees.

23. Quickly mark a task as complete in Outlook. Right-click the task and then click Mark Complete on the shortcut menu.

24. Quickly assign tasks. To create a task related to a contact simply click on the contact, click the actions menu, and then click New Task for Contact.

25. Quickly view dates in your calendar. In the date picker box, click and drag your pointer over the dates that you want to view or compare.

26. Add a new contact from an e-mail message. Open the message. In the From field, right-click the name you want to make into a contact. On the shortcut menu, click Add to Outlook Contacts.

27. Get a notification and a quick preview of an incoming message. You can momentarily preview an incoming message via a small caption above the task bar. Turn this feature on or off by clicking Tools> Options > E-Mail Options > Advanced E-Mail Options, and select to Display a New Mail Desktop Alert.

If you have any experience with Microsft Word, you know that it is a powerful product, but most only use a small portion of what it can really do. In our classes, we teach not only the basic functionality, but also how to navigate around faster to make you more productive. Here’s some of the top tricks and tips that you probably didn’t know how to do:

1. Working with text in Word. To go directly to the last edit you did in your document press Shift+F7.

2. Viewing documents in Word. To see two parts of a document simultaneously, drag the spilt bar at the top of the scroll bar.

3. Editing Word documents in Print Preview. To edit in print preview, click Magnifier on the Print Preview toolbar.

4. Keyboard shortcuts in Word. To move to the previous or next word, press Ctrl+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Right Arrow. To go to the beginning or end of a document, press Ctrl+Home or Ctrl+End.

5. Seamlessly import text from the Web. To import text from the Web without inadvertently adjusting your document’s formatting, highlight the text and hit Ctrl-C to copy; paste it on your Word document with Edit > Paste Special and select Unformatted Text.

6. Find just the right word. Click on a word and hit Shift-F7 to automatically look up a synonym, antonym, or alternative choice, Using a thesaurus or other available tools.

7. E-Mailing with Word . To send an active document by e-mail from Word press ALT+S.

8. Turning words into hyperlinks Highlight the word you want to turn into a hyperlink, and right-click it and select ‘Create Hyperlink’ or select the word, and press CTRL+K.

9. Change the position of text in a table. You can change the text orientation in table cells so that the text is displayed vertically or horizontally. Click the table cell that contains the text you want to change. On the Format menu, click Text Direction. Click the orientation you want.

10. Show or hide shortcut keys in ScreenTips. On the Tools menu, click Customize. Click the Options tab.Under Other, select or clear the Show ScreenTips on toolbars and Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips check boxes.

11. Show or hide screen tips. When you rest your mouse pointer on some items in Microsoft Word such as a comments, tracked changes, hyperlinks, or toolbar buttons, you can view information about them in ScreenTips. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the View tab. Under Show, select or clear the ScreenTips check box.

12. Format on the fly with keyboard shortcuts. Select text and hit Ctrl-B to bold, Ctrl-U to underline, Ctrl-I to italicize, Ctrl-[ and Ctrl-] to change font size, or Ctrl-Shift-A to toggle between CAPS and lowercase.

13. Moving your text quickly and easily. To center, left-align, or right-align a selected paragraph, press Ctrl+E, Ctrl+L, or Ctrl+R.

14. Clearing the table To delete a table and its contents in Word, select the table, point to delete on the table menu, and then click table.

15. Make a sheet of identical labels. Point to Letters and mailings on the Tools menu, click ‘Envelopes and Labels’, click the ‘Labels’ tab, and then click ‘Full page of the same label’.

16. See the same document in two different views. Click Split on the Window menu, and then choose the views you want.

17. Quickly edit a table in Word. To move a table row up or down, select the row, and the press Alt+Shift+Up Arrow of Alt+Shift+Down Arrow.

18. Save time in Word. To close all open documents, press shift, and then click Close All on the File menu.

19. Resizing graphics in Word. To restore an imported graphic to its a original size, press Ctrl and double-click the graphic.

20. Correct Typos with a click. With the “Check spelling as you type” feature enabled (Tools > Options > Spelling & Grammar), you can right-click on the highlighted typo and then select from a list of the suggested, correctly spelled words.

21. Working with multiple formats. To change the margin or column settings for part of a word document, first create section breaks.

22. Adding a check box to a document. To add a check box to a Word document, click View, select Toolbars, click Forms, and then click Check Box Form Field on the Forms toolbar.

23. Moving around quickly in Word. To move to the previous or next word, press Ctrl+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Right Arrow. To go to the beginning or end of a document press Ctrl+Home or Ctrl+End.

24. Working with graphics in Word. To use a button on the Drawing toolbar multiple times, double-click the button.

25. Moving around Word easily. To view a documents organization and jump to different sections, click Document Map on the View menu.

26. Displaying page margins. To display page margins, click Options on the Tools menu, and then on the View tab, under Print and Web Layout options, select the Text boundaries check box.

In our classes on PowerPoint, we teach many tips and tricks that help you to navigate faster. Here are some of the most requested functions that you probably didn’t know about.

1. Working with the pointer during a slide show. Hide the pointer and slide show toolbar immediately by pressing Ctrl+H. Hide them in 15 seconds by pressing Ctrl+U.

2. Save time by copying formatting.
 Copy the formatting style of your selected text or shape in PowerPoint be pressing Ctrl+Shift+C. Paste the style by selecting the destination text or shape and pressing Ctrl+Shift+V.

3. Change the position of a shape, picture, or WordArt on a slide. Select the AutoShape, picture, or WordArt you want to change. On the Format menu, use the keyboard to choose the command for the type of object you selected — for example, AutoShape or Text Box — and then select the Position tab. Under Position on slide, select the options you want. To preview the change, choose Preview.

4. Working with Clip Art in PowerPoint. Use the More AutoShapes command (click the AutoShapes button on the Drawing toolbar) to display the Clip Art task pane, where you can search for and insert clip art.

5. Quickly edit PowerPoint presentations. 
Display additional tools while using PowerPoint to make navigation and editing simpler and quicker. View a list of keyboard shortcuts by pressing F1, and display the shortcut menu by pressing SHIFT + F10 (or the Right mouse button).

6. Working with PowerPoint notes. Erase on-screen annotations by pressing E. Show or hide ink mark-up by pressing Ctrl+M.

7. Working with animations. Perform the previous animation or return to the previous slide by pressing P, Page Up, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Backspace.

9. Pausing your presentation . To display a white screen in a presentation press W or Comma, to display a black screen pess B or Period.

10. Navigating hidden slides in presentations. Go to the next hidden slide by pressing H.

11. Time your presentation. Set new timings while rehearsing your presentation by pressing T. Use origial timings when rehearsing by pressing O.

12. Navigating slide shows. To stop or restart an automatic slide show press S or + sign. End a slide show by pressing Esc, Ctrl+Break, or Hyphen.

13. Navigate animations with ease. To perform the next animation or advance to the next slide in a slideshow press N, Enter, Page Down, Right Arrow, Down Arrow, or the Spacebar.

14. Changing the pointer in a slideshow. Redisplay the pointer and change it to a pen by pressing Ctrl+P. Redisplay and change it to an arrow by pressing Ctrl+A.

15. Navigate slideshows with ease. Go to a particular slide by pressing the Number + Enter. Return to the first slide by pressing 1 + Enter (or press both mouse buttons for 2 seconds).

16. Working with shapes in PowerPoint.
 Use the More Autoshapes command (click the Autoshapes button on the Drawing toolbar) to display the Clip Art task pane, where you can search for and insert clip art.

17. Quickly convert one AutoShape to another without losing formatting. Select the shape you want to change, clicking the Draw button (on the Drawing toolbar), pointing to Change AutoShape, and then clicking the new AutoShape