Basic Computer Skills

Technology plays a major role in School Library Media Centers.  The following list of suggested skills are those most frequently used by media specialists.  This is by no means intended to be inclusive, nor mandatory, however it is a self-evaluative tool that can be used to determine the skills one has, needs, and is willing to learn.  There are many books, free online tutorials, and computer classes offered by various districts, community colleges, etc.  The skills listed were selected based on frequently asked questions and tasks media specialists' perform for faculty, staff and students.

Check  (ü) the skills you feel you have mastered.

General Computer Skills

¾       Install a program on a fixed (hard) disk

¾       Install or run software applications from a CD-ROM disk.

¾       Use the mouse

¾       Format a floppy disk

¾       Copy files from one disk to another.

¾       Delete files from a floppy or hard disk.

¾       Create folders / directories

¾       Copy files from one directory or folder to another

¾       Renaming a folder

¾       Deleting a folder and all its contents

¾       Work with more than one application at a time

¾       Save documents

¾       Print entire documents

¾       Print specific pages of a document.

Presentation Programs (Powerpoint, Hyperstudio)

¾       Create a Blank Presentation

¾       Create Presentation from Template or Wizard

¾       Add / Delete Slides

¾       Use different views

¾       Change slide order

¾       Insert Clip Art / Graphics

¾       Create a Text Box

¾       Cut / Copy / Paste Text

¾       Create Hyperlinks

 

Word Processing Skills (Microsoft Word, Works, WordPerfect, etc)

¾       Create a new document

¾       Open an existing document

¾       Change Margins

¾       Center a Cover Page

¾       Save a document to a floppy or zip disk.

¾       Edit / copy / paste

¾       Format text (different fonts, color, size, style)

¾       Check the spelling and grammar in a document.

¾       Find and replace text.

¾       Change text alignment.

¾       Use Tabs

¾       Create Columns

¾       Insert Clip Art

¾       Insert saved graphics from a disk

¾       Use Word Art

¾       Create Tables

¾       Use undo and redo feature

¾       Insert / Format Headers and Footers

Spreadsheets (Excel, Works, Clarisworks)

¾       Enter data

¾       Insert rows / Delete rows

¾       Insert cells / Delete cells

¾       Insert Columns /  Delete Columns

¾       Sort Data

¾       Use the formula bar

¾       Copy spreadsheet data into word processing document.

¾       Format Spreadsheet