Productivity Software Applications for Educators

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COMPUTERS IN THE CLASSROOM CT 243
Emery Roth eroth_at_hartford.edu http//uhaweb.hartfo
rd.edu/eroth/
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CHAPTER 3 Productivity Software Applications for
Educators
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Objectives

• Define and describe a user interface and a
  graphical user interface
• Identify the important features of widely used
  software applications
• Describe the advantages of software suites
• Explain how to create web documents
• Describe why the use of special needs software
  is important for K-12 schools
• List and describe learning aids and support
  tools that help you use and learn software
  applications
• Explain how to work with different versions of
  software applications

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Application Software Purposes

• As a productivity/business tool
• Supporting school and professional activities
• Assisting with graphics and multimedia projects
• Helping with home and personal activities
• Facilitating communications

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Categories of Application Software

• Productivity Business
• Graphic Design/Multimedia
• School/Professional
• Home/Personal
• Communications

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The Role of the Operating System

• System software - consists of programs that
  control the operations of the computer and its
  devices
• Operating system - contains instructions that
  coordinate all of the activities of the hardware
  devices in a computer
• When you boot your computer up the operating
  system is loaded into memory

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The Role of the User Interface

• A user interface controls howta you enter data
  or instructions(input) and how information is
  presented on the screen (output)
• GUI - combines text, graphics, and other visual
  cues to make software easier to use

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Starting a Software Application

• The desktop is an onscreen work area that uses
  common graphical elements such as icons, buttons,
  windows, menus, and dialog boxes, all of which
  can display on the desktop
• An icon is a small image that represents a
  program, an instruction, or some other object
• A menu is a list of commands from which you can
  select
• Commands are instructions that cause a computer
  program to perform a specific task
• Submenu is a list of commands that displays when
  you select a command on a previous menu

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Working With Software Applications

• Document is a piece of work created with an
  application program and saved on a disk with a
  unique file name
• Creating involves developing the document be
  entering text or numbers, designing graphics, and
  performing other tasks using an input device such
  as a keyboard or mouse
• Editing is the process of making changes to the
  documents existing content
• Deleting permanently removes content
• Cutting allows you to remove content and place on
  a clipboard for later use

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Working With Software Applications Cont.

• Copying allows you to duplicate an item and
  store it on the clipboard for later use
• Pasting is the process of moving an item from
  the clipboard onto your document
• Formatting involves changing the appearance of
  your document
• Font - is a name assigned to a specific design of
  characters
• Font size - specifies the size of characters of a
  particular font (measured in points)
• Font style - is used to add emphasis to a font
  (bold, italic, underline)

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Working With Software Applications Cont.

• Saving is the process of copying a document from
  memory to a storage medium such as a floppy disk
  or hard disk
• AutoSave - automatically saves your document at
  specified time intervals
• File is a named collection of data, instructions,
  or information, such as a document you create
• Dialog box is a special window displayed by a
  program to provide information, present available
  options, or request a response using command
  buttons, option buttons, text boxes, and check
  boxes.
• Speech recognition - is the computers capability
  of distinguishing spoken words

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Productivity Software

• Productivity software is designed to make people
  more effective and efficient while performing
  daily activities
• Word processing software - is used to create,
  edit, and format documents that consist primarily
  of text
• borders - decorative line or pattern along one or
  more of the edges of a document
• clip art - collection of drawings, diagrams, and
  photographs that can be inserted into a document

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Spreadsheet Software

• It allows you to organize numeric data in rows
  and columns
• A spreadsheet consists of 256 columns and 65,536
  rows
• The intersection between the rows and columns is
  a cell
• A formula performs automatic calculations on
  numeric data
• A chart graphically illustrates the numeric data
  into a visual representation

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Database Software

• A database is a collection of data organized in
  a manner that allows access, retrieval, and use
  of that data.
• A database file is a collection of related data
  that is organized in records
• Each record contains a collection of related
  facts called fields.

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Presentation Graphics Software

• Allows you to communicate ideas, messages, and
  other information to a group
• Slides are used to enter data, graphics, and
  sound
• Slide shows can then be presented via
  transparencies, lcd panels, etc.

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Personal Information Managers

• PIM is a software application that includes an
  appointment calendar, address book, and notepad
  to help you organize personal information such as
  appointments, task lists, and more.

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Software Suite

• A software suite is a collection of individual
  application software packages sold as a single
  package
• I.E. - Microsoft Office, AppleWorks

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Graphics and Multimedia Software

• Desktop publishing software allows you to design,
  produce, and deliver sophisticated documents that
  contain text, graphics, and brilliant colors.
• Paint/Image/Photo editing software - allows you
  to draw pictures, shapes, and other graphics
  using various tools on the screen such as a pen,
  brush, eye dropper, and paint bucket. It also
  allows you to edit existing images.