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Improving computer
fluency with shortcuts

by Alicia M. Bartol

re you still using the menu bars at the top of the screen to enact common commands like copy, paste, save, print, or quit? If you were brought into the computer age with a Mac, you probably are. Did you know there's a faster way?

Consider for a moment the time in your day. Time management specialists analyze the smallest instances in the days of corporate moguls to make their time use more efficient. After all, time is money. But honestly, who is more in need of some extra time than teachers?

If you are attached to your mouse -- you often switch back and forth between your mouse and your keyboard -- you are probably spending more time on your handouts than I am. I know ... it seems ridiculous to compare the three seconds it takes you to switch to your mouse to find file and save versus the half second it takes me to use the corresponding keyboard shortcut, +s on a Mac, or ctrl + s on a PC. Certainly, if you only know one shortcut, this is the one to know. As for those three seconds ... I'd be willing to bet you'll start saving more often if you use the keyboard shortcut. And saving more often can sometimes save you hours of stress and headache. For information on recovering files after a crash, read Recovering lost files on a Mac or PC.

But what about all those other shortcuts?

ou may be wondering whether shortcuts really help. They do. If you become proficient with three or four common shortcuts, you will save time. Learning keyboard shortcuts not only saves you lots of little instances here and there, but it also improves your overall computer fluency. While your coworker is fumbling with her mouse during a hands-on technology in-service, you'll be up to speed, using keyboard shortcuts without looking, allowing you to watch the trainer. Plus, once you start to use shortcuts, you'll probably want to learn other, more sophisticated shortcuts for commands that you use often. Finally, you can train your own students to use shortcuts that will save them valuable classroom time, and will improve their fluency.

A majority of Macintosh shortcuts employ the command key, which flanks the spacebar and looks like this:

If you're using a PC, many shortcuts require the control key, which is just below the shift key. Here are some of the most common shortcuts you might use while working on the computer. The majority of these commands are the same in all applications:

copy

+c

ctrl + c

How do you use them?

ost shortcuts use two keys, pressed simultaneously. I usually hold down the or ctrl key first, then depress the remaining key. There are also three-key shortcuts, but these are less common. If you can't remember a shortcut, they are usually listed in the pulldown menu, to the right of the command. You can see many examples of this in the image below. The red arrow points to the shortcut for undo.

You can refresh your memory by looking in one of these menus, and then practice using the keyboard shortcut until you remember it.

How can shortcuts help me work?

ne common use for shortcuts involves copying and pasting. You can copy and paste within one application, such as within a word processed document, or between two applications. For example, let's say you are trying to make a TrackStar Track, or a list of Web resources that your students can use for a project. You want to collect the addresses, called URLs, for a number of Web sites, but you don't want to risk making typos when you make the list. Typos in a URL almost guarantee that your Web browser won't load the Web page. To prevent typos, copy the URL from the Web browser, like Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer, and paste it into your list in a word processor, such as Microsoft Word or ClarisWorks. (You can also paste URLs directly into TrackStar and other online forms.) The steps for this process follow.

Copying & pasting between different programs

n this example, we'll make a list of URLs for our students. We'll find the URLs in a Web browser, then paste the addresses into a document in Microsoft Word. You can use any browser and word processor. First, open both programs. Also open a blank document in the word processor, if one doesn't appear automatically.

Today we'll be working on a Mac, so you'll also use the Finder. Unlike PCs, in which open programs are listed in a bar across the bottom of your screen, a Mac shows all the open programs only when you click on the Finder. The Finder in a Mac is in the top right-hand corner, and when no programs are open, only a small purple face appears. When you click on the Finder, you can switch between open programs by highlighting the program you want. You can see an example of this below:

In this example, four programs are open: Claris Home Page, Microsoft Power Point, Microsoft Word, and Netscape Communicator. Use the Finder to switch between applications while copying and pasting.

When a program is open and active, its icon will replace the Finder's happy face. This is a good visual cue. If you are currently reading this article on a Mac, your Web browser's icon should appear in the Finder. It may look something like this:

  or  
Internet Explorer            Netscape Navigator

ow that you have both your Web browser and your word processor open, use your Web browser to find one of the sites you want to list for your students. Once you navigate to that site (maybe it's already a bookmark or favorite on your own computer), highlight the URL in the location bar, as you see below:

Once the address is selected, hold down the and c keys. This copies the selected text into a virtual clipboard for later use.

Pasting the URLS

asting the URLS into the Word document is just as simple. So far, your computer has the recently copied URL in its memory. Now switch over to the Word document (use your Finder and select Microsoft Word). Your cursor should already be at the top of the page. Simply hold down the and v keys (the paste shortcut) and your URL is pasted into the document. Hit return on your keyboard to position the cursor on the next line, then switch back to the Web browser to find your next URL and continue copying and pasting addresses until you have finished your list. That's it!

Using shortcuts is easy, and learning them isn't too difficult. Stretch your computer skills by using shortcuts for common tasks like saving, printing, copying, pasting, and quitting. You'll be glad you did.