Try It: Computer-Based Writing

Computer-Based Writing Journal Entry

To Do

Develop a 200–400 word journal entry describing your proficiency with using word processors, and what you might still need to practice further. To help you write this entry, consider some of the following questions:

  • Would you consider yourself a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user of word processors? Why?
  • What do you find yourself frustrated by, when you use a word processor?
  • What comes easily to you, when you use a word processor?
  • What do you feel you need more practice with?
  • What do you feel you could explain how to do to others?

Worked Example

Journal entry assignments tend to be more flexible than other types of writing assignments in college, and as a result they can be tailored to your own experiences as long as they answer the primary questions asked in the assignment.

One model of a successful entry about this topic can be found below. Feel free to include your own experiences and examples from real life as they pertain to the issue at hand.

Computer-Based Writing Journal Entry

by Sandy Brown

I would categorize myself as an intermediate word processor user. I’ve used Word a lot, both for work and for personal use. I write letters, and have no trouble with the basics like saving or attaching to emails. I have definitely had the experience of losing documents in Word, which is very frustrating. I would like to know more about how I can prevent that from happening again.

One of the classes I withdrew from was going to use Google Drive for submitting essays. I’ve never used that before, and I’m a bit nervous about other classes that may require the same thing. I set up an account but didn’t get very far with it.

I consider myself much better at programs like Excel, because I use those all the time for work. Some of the things I recognized in the Word tutorial videos were things I do regularly in Excel, like changing formatting. Changing the default settings seems like a good idea, because it sounds like many instructors will require the same kinds of document formatting for the written assignments I turn in. I don’t know why the default settings are different from what we use in school, but that’s okay. It helps knowing that I can change them once and then not have to worry about it anymore.

I’ve never had to do bibliography pages before, though my oldest daughter has for school projects. I hope that she can help me figure out the harder parts when it comes time for that. And having these videos to refer back to will be very helpful, as well.