Category Archives: Microsoft Office

MOS Webinar 1 Review – Off to a great start

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Our first Microsoft Office Specialist Study/Support Group’s webinar held on August 27 got us off to a great start with 76 attendees. I apologize for some of the audio difficulties, and my verbal fillers, such as “ok”, “um”, etc. As a professional speaker, I detest verbal fillers and became a victim with this session. Since this is a very interactive session and I’m nervous taking tests anyway and then to do so in front of 76 folks really added to my anxiety and verbal fillers. In spite of these “challenges”, we learned a lot and had a good time. I believe you will find this webinar helpful as you prepare for your MOS certifications in the months ahead. Enjoy.  Here is the link to replay the webinar.

Also, here are links to the PowerPoint presentation and to the Certiport $75 practice test for a year deal. Also, attendees requested my TIPS form that I use in my management and leadership presentations for mentoring, tasks, and performance management, so I have included the PDF link below to the TIPS sheet. On the webinar, I show my TIPS form for my plan to certify in 2013 PowerPoint by September 30.

PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file.

Certiport $75 annual practice test deal.

TIPS (Task/Time frame, Information, Process, and Status) form that I use for Mentoring, Tasks, and Performance Management.

Let’s plan the next webinar for Tuesday, September 23, 8:00 PM EST. I’ll have an agenda the closer we get to the date. Thanks to everyone and look forward to our time together in the next 18 months.

 

Microsoft Office Specialist – Study/Support Group

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Propeller Geek HatI am leading a FREE Microsoft Office Specialist Study/Support group for the next 18 months to help people with certifying in the Microsoft Office suite. Selfishly, I want companions and I need to complete ALL of the 2013 Office application certifications, include Access, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word, and I like to have much support along the way. I am certified in Office 1997 and 2007 as a Master Educator and Microsoft Certified Application Specialist – Instructor having completed all certification exams. I have helped Certiport develop exams, too. I found the certification process lonely and frustrating. I want companions to help me achieve and I want to be a companion to help others.

I have 100 + folks who are tagging along with me and want to certify. I and team members will offer advice, cheer leading, and education to help achieving our certification action plan. The first webinar is August 27, at 8:00 PM EST and will continue for 18 months at monthly or as needed intervals with guest presenters and experts. Here is the link to register for the webinar: http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EA59DE83864930.

You may join this group until January, 2015 at that time the clock ticks too fast for you to certify in our 18 month program – September 1, 2014 – April 1, 2016. Email me at creechgreg@bellsouth.net to become a member of this team. Webinars are free and you may replay them at no cost. Please remember me for your organization’s training needs, operational projects, entertainment, and emptying trash cans for a modest fee. Thank you and let’s enhance our skills and knowledge in technology.
Remember, no one has ever been fired or not hired because they knew too much about Microsoft Office and certifications never hurt a career.

Smart Guides: A New Microsoft Office 2013 Feature

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How Smart it is! Office 2013 New Feature Smart Guides.

Placing pictures, text boxes, and other items EXACTLY aligned can be a painful process in PowerPoint, Word, or Publisher. Microsoft Office 2013 provides Smart guides that pop up to show you when you have items centered, aligned with each other, when you are going outside the margins and other areas. PowerPoint’s Dialogue box at right displays your option. The screenshot at right shows PowerPoint 2013 View tab’s Show group that you may turn on or off your Guides, Gridlines, and Rulers. You’ll find these very helpful in aligning your objects. I’ve circled the Dialogue Box launcher that activates the Grid and Guides options displayed here.

2013 PowerPoint Grid and Guides

2013 PowerPoint Grid and Guides

Celebrate TODAY() in Excel!

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TechTip: Celebrate TODAY() in Excel. The TODAY() function in Excel is versatile. Simply typing =TODAY() in a cell displays your computer’s current date. Using this function in a formula calculates the information in days. For example, in a blank worksheet in cell A1 type 01/15/2014 and in cell B1 enter =TODAY()-A1. Excel may display the result as date, so change the cell’s format to a number as displayed below. Excel displays the number of days (after changing your format to number). This is great for calculating 30-60-90 day money or days since a customer appointment; anytime you want to calculate the difference in days. The calculations for measuring in years is: =(TODAY()-A1)/365.25; my birthday and age appear below (SHAME!). Both calculations display below in a picture. So, enjoy TODAY()!

Excel's TODAY function

Excel’s TODAY function

Welcome Back! New Microsoft Office 2013 Feature

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TechTip: New Office 2013 Feature – Welcome back! When you open a document or presentation that you have edited, Word and PowerPoint 2013 provide a bookmark at the right edge of your screen. Hovering on the bookmark provides a message “Welcome back! Pick up where you left off.” The message even tells you the title where you left off and when. Clicking or tapping this quickly goes to where you closed the document ready to begin again. Welcome back, and Thanks!

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!

 

Common MS Office Function Keys – Adds Functionality, Saves time

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TechTip: In Word, Excel, Outlook (Email, Appointment), and PowerPoint (PC versions) these four Function Keys at the top of your keyboard work the same:

  • F1 is Help (not that I would EVER need help HA!),
  • F7 runs your Spell Checker,
  • F10 is Key Tips (Keyboard shortcuts for using the Ribbon and tabs), and
  • F12 (my personal favorite) key quickly activates Save as for you.

The other Function Keys work differently in the applications, such as F5 is Go To in Excel and Word, but begins your PowerPoint presentation from the beginning and activates Find and Replace in Outlook.

Stay Tuned! Plenty more keyboard shortcuts coming soon.

Text-to-Speech – Talk to me, Baby!

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TechTip: Text-to-Speech – Talk to me baby! Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook (2010 and 2013) can read any of your selected text. Outlook speaks my selected email text and Word helps me proofread by reading back my document. Add the Speak button to your Quick Access Toolbar by clicking the arrow at the end of your toolbar and clicking More Commands – pictured below. At the next pane (displayed below), in your Choose commands from list choose Commands Not in the Ribbon and scroll to Speak and click the Add button. Click OK. Now, in your application select text (paragraphs, pages, sentences – whatever) and click the button – Michael Microsoft reads to you! I’m not so lonely anymore.Text-to-Speech - Talk to Me!

Text-to-Speech – Talk to Me!

Word – Readability Statics – Make the Grade!

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TechTip: Make the Grade with Word. Word has a neat feature called Readability Statistics. After using your Spelling and Grammar check, Word can give a pane showing you the percentage of passive voice (editors/publishers do not like more than 8% – 10% passive voice) and what grade level you are writing. To activate Readability Statistics, go to your Word Options from the File Tab (Office 2010 and 2013) or the Office Button for (Office 2007) and click Options and check Show Readability statics as displayed below. After you run your spell/grammar check (use the F7 key at the top of your keyboard to quickly activate Spelling and Grammar), the pane below displays. Mrs. Wyman, my high school English teacher, is very proud that I’m writing this post at the 11th grade level AND no passive voice; however, my Flesch Reading Ease should be at 70 – 80. This works in Outlook 2010 and 2013 for your email messages, too.

Word's Readability Statistics

Word’s Readability Statistics

 

Outlook 2013 Tech Tip

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TechTip Outlook 2013: If you write something like see attached or I have inserted and DON’T attach/insert file (not that you have ever done this), Outlook’s message box says: You may have forgotten to attach a file; you may choose the button Don’t Send or Send Anyway. This new 2013 feature did not take me and my clients very long to discover. Enjoy!

2013 Outlook - You may have forgotten!

2013 Outlook – You may have forgotten!