COMPUTER BASICS
I.
Mousework
 Place hand over mouse and gently rest index finger on left button.
 Follow the arrow around the screen. Do you notice when it becomes a
hand?
A NOTE ON MOUSE MOVEMENT
If you run out of room when using the mouse, pick it up and place it in the
middle of the mousepad.
II.
Cursor Shapes
 The cursor is a symbol that indicates position on the screen.
 The cursor has different shapes depending on what you are asking the
computer to do.
An arrow appears on the screen which moves as you move the
mouse.
It becomes a hand when placed over an internet link.
I
It looks like the letter “I” within an area of text.
▌
It becomes a blinking vertical line when an area has been selected
to type in.
It becomes an hourglass when waiting for the computer to perform
a function.
III.
Clicking
 Clicking tells the computer where you want to go.
 The left button on the mouse controls clicking.
 When clicking, use your index finger, click lightly and release. There is
no need to press hard or to hold the button down long.
IV. Time to get clicking!!
 At the bottom of the screen, click on the rectangle called “page 1.”
 Now click on the numbers 2 through 20. These numbers will become
smaller, so look closely.
V.
Radio Buttons and Check Boxes
 You might see radio buttons or check boxes when filling out a form.
 Radio buttons are round and require you to chose only one.
 Check boxes are square and allow you to select as many as you wish.
 Continue working through page 22.
VI. Drop-down Menus
 Drop-down menus are very common on the internet.
 Drop-down menus list a number of choices. Click on one to make your
choice.
 Continue working through page 24.
VII. The World of Scrolling!
 Locate the gray bar on the right side of the screen. That’s the scroll bar.
 Scrolling takes you to the top and bottom of a page. It can also move you
from side to side.
 There are three methods of moving around a page:
1. the arrow keys on the keyboard
2. the small arrows at the ends of the scroll bar
3. clicking and dragging the scrollbar
 On page 24, take moment to practice each of the three scrolling
methods.
 You may encounter scroll-bar menus. You need to click on the up and
down arrows in order to see all options. Click on the one you want.
 Continue working through page 28.
VIII. Pop Up Windows
 Pop up windows are small boxes that unexpectedly appear on your screen.
 Some contain important messages while others are advertisements.
 There are several methods of closing a pop up window:
1. Read the message and click on the appropriate response
2. Press the ENTER key on the keyboard after reading the message
3. Click on the “X” usually found in the top right corner of the
window to close it.
 Click on the pop up window on the page. See if you can remove the
window using the three methods mentioned above.
 Continue working through page 29.
IX. Forms and Tab Key
 You may encounter internet forms when registering online, making
purchases, or filling out applications.
 Examples of websites that have forms include www.irs.gov,
www.amazon.com, and www.wsj.com (The Wall Street Journal).
 When filling out a form, first position the arrow in the box. When the
arrow becomes a vertical line ( | ), click in the box. Now you can begin
typing.
 Use the TAB key to easily move from one box to the next. Try it now!
 Continue working through page 30.
X.
Highlighting
 The key to highlighting is to position the arrow directly in front of the first
word you wish to highlight. When the arrow becomes a vertical line ( | ),
click and hold, then drag the line over the words. The words should now
be covered with a blue or black box.
 To remove highlighting, simply click the mouse anywhere on the page.
 Highlighting is an important feature because it allows you to copy text,
move text, and delete text.
 Continue working through page 31.
XI. Other Helpful Keyboard Keys
Backspace
Removes a letter or character to the left of the cursor each
time you press the backspace key.
Delete
Removes a letter or character to the right of the cursor each
time you press the delete key.
Enter
In many instances pressing ENTER is equivalent to
clicking.
To practice Mousercise again, go to:
http://www.3street.org/mouse/