Using+Computer+in+English+Class

** Using the computer to type your rough draft in English class **
When you use a computer to type your rough draft, you have two options: 1) **Microsoft Word** 2) **Google docs**. You could also write it in your blog, but I can imagine problems that you may have with that right off the bat. So, avoid that option.


 * When using Microsoft Word**, you have to keep in mind that __where__ you save and __what you call it__ are important! Give your document a name that you will remember. Your last name would be a good choice. Or your last name and your topic. For example, //brown_hamlet// would be a good file name. You may add numbers like this, //brown_hamlet1//. When you save, make sure you pay very close attention to WHERE you save it to, so you can find it again. The best place to save to is the "shared file" //on the server.// You can save to the hard drive of a computer, but that is dangerous, because you may forget which computer you saved to or you may not have access to that computer later. If you call your essay, "My essay," "My poem," "My writing" or "My composition," you will likely lose it. And I will not be able to help you find it. If you forget where you saved it to, I will not be able to help you.


 * When using googledocs,** you need an account. The best way to do that is to get a gmail account. You will have to write down your username and your password.Keep them in a place where you can access them **during class**. If you write your essay in googledocs and then forget your username and password, I can't help you.

The cool thing bout googldocs this that you can share your draft with other people through their googledocs accounts or through email. This makes peer sharing or getting teacher feedback easier. You also can access you googledocs from home and school as long as you have the internet.

Sometimes the computers in room 504 do not //play well// with googledocs. That's why I always back up my googledocs into Microsoft Word and onto the server.

Saving to the Sever
First you have to **get to** the server. Then you have to **save** to the server. Before you even go looking for the server, make sure you have **saved your document to the desktop**.

Once you have saved it to your desktop, you can click and drag it to the **shared** folder in the server.