My Teaching Approach: Free Computer Training

New Software Versions

New versions of popular software come out all the time and in many cases software upgrades are an annual event. Software companies make money by selling software and therefore it is in their best interest to create new versions. Sometimes, the new upgrade is a dramatic improvement from the old version. Unfortunately, in many cases they’ve simply added a lot of bells and whistles that the average person doesn't use on a regular basis. Having said that, sometimes they’ve added something that is perfect for your needs and worth every penny.

I try to address dramatic changes in software as they come about. But the nature of this free training is that I only have so much time that I can devote to recording new tutorials and because of that I have to focus my attention on what I feel gives the greatest value to all my students. Let it be known that your donations go a long way to allowing me to spend the time on this website that it deserves.

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If you feel there is something that is missing from this training I urge you to tell me about it. Pick up the phone and call me (781-728-9777), use Skype (tony.holowitz)or use our suggestion and feedback form on the right hand side of this page to tell me how I can make this site better. I look at this website as a community of students that want to learn more and I leave it up to you to let me know when I can do a better job. My goal is to make this the best free computer training website in the world.

My Approach to Teaching Microsoft Office for Free

There is a new version of Microsoft Office available: Office 2010. Have you upgraded yet? Most likely you haven’t and that’s okay. Many individuals and businesses still use Office 2003 and an equal number of you use Office 2007. Very few of us use Office 2010 at this point in time.

The majority of my Microsoft Office training focuses on Office 2003 because I started recording these videos when that version was most prevalent. When office 2007 was released I agonized over the best way to approach the software from a teaching point of view.

These are some of the conclusions I’ve come to about teaching new versions of Microsoft Office:

The Ribbon
The biggest change in Office 2007 is the new Ribbon interface. Therefore I recorded a section specifically addressing this topic which you can review by clicking here.

Microsoft Office Rookie?
Most of you have used previous versions of Microsoft Office, possibly Office 97, 2000 or 2003 and you have a pretty good understanding of the way the software works. You might not be an expert, but you’re getting by just fine and you are eager to learn more.

The 80/20 Rule
80% of what you need to know has not changed dramatically in Office 2007. They have moved some things around, eliminated some things and have made some improvements, but most of us don’t have a lot of time on our hands to explore and we just want to get our work done so we keep our bosses happy.

Be Efficient
Most of us use Microsoft Outlook daily and Microsoft Word and Excel on occasion. My goal is to make you more efficient at Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook so you can do a better job in less time. I look at Microsoft PowerPoint differently and that is the subject of point number five.

PowerPoint versus Time
Microsoft PowerPoint is very different in my opinion because there is an element of creativity that you can lend to the software. Allow me to explain.

If I asked you to produce a PowerPoint presentation about how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich you could do it in about an hour. However, if you have a creative side and some time on your hands, you can turn it into a weeklong project.

You could start by discussing the history of bread, the invention of jelly and the development of crunchy peanut butter. Before you know it a simple project has turned complicated and time-consuming. If you’ve done PowerPoint presentations in the past you know exactly what I’m talking about…don’t you.

You Already Know How to Drive
If you buy a new car you don’t have to learn how to drive all over again. The same could be said for Microsoft Office software. If you’ve learned Office 2003 and you’ve upgraded you don’t have to learn the software all over again.

If you decide to take advantage of my training, here are some tips that will help you get the most from my free Microsoft Office training:

Tip number 1: please review my Office 2003 training first
Specifically, my Microsoft Word 2003 tutorials. These tutorials will help lay the groundwork for future tutorials and will teach you the fundamentals that will carry over to the rest of Microsoft Office.

Tip number 2: review tutorials that don’t really interest you
You never know what you’ll learn about something that could become useful in the future. Even if you don’t “watch” the video, just listen to the recording to hear what is discussed. You might just pickup something useful or maybe you’ll have a “aha” moment in the future when realize that what you learned can be used in some way.

Tip number 3: think of my website as a resource
I always tell people it’s okay to forget what you just learned and my website allows you to do that without being penalized. In other words, if you forget how to do something just come back and review the video again. Don’t clutter your mind with stuff you might use only once every three months. Just come back and review my tutorials when needed.

Tip number 4: get really good at Microsoft Outlook
We spend so much time using Microsoft Outlook that it is imperative that we become as efficient as possible working with email. Sending and receiving email can waste a lot of time and rob you of productivity if you allow it to control you. I’m constantly on the outlook (pun intended) for new products and services, some that are free and some that cost money, that can make you more efficient when using Microsoft Outlook.

My Teaching Approach: Free Computer Training

New Software Versions

Please Donate Today

My Approach to Teaching Microsoft Office for Free

These are some of the conclusions I’ve come to about teaching new versions of Microsoft Office:

If you decide to take advantage of my training, here are some tips that will help you get the most from my free Microsoft Office training:

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Call Tony: 781-728-9777