Computer courses Help.

[Jelly Bean]

I am to be starting to run an adult computer course up the local Dropin Center once some work is completed up there and I can set up a computer room.

It will be proberly twice a week.

I will be doing the course set up as three steps.

Step 1 will be for the adults who have never even touched a computer,so this will be a total start from the begining.

Two of my students I know have never used a computer.

Step 2 for those who can use a computer but possibly lack skills in some areas such as Office,AV,s,Word,etc.

Step 3 will be for computer repairs such as reinstalls,fitting a hard drive,RAM and so on.But this will be basic and general teaching.

Nothing will be on the scale of building a computer from scratch or how to regedit etc.It will be basic help and how to.


I know step 1 and 2 will proberly over lap on some subjects.

I need a little help on organisation.

Example:

Step 1 will start how to turn on a computer and logon,how to install an AV,how to uninstall software,setting up MSN.Basic.

Step 2 I have been asked to include how to use FaceBook.Using Office,how to scan a computer via diffrent methods such as CCleaner,disk cleanup,defrag and so on.

Step 3 is hardware and software but will be delt with on what my students put to me.If they ask a how to then I will teach them it.


Ok what I am asking is a little help on what to teach in step 1 and what I should teach in step 2?

A compiled list.

Any idea,s on what to include?

Please remeber these are adults who will need the help and I need to print out some sheets on what the basic courses will include.

Thankyou guys and girls.

[danzil]

step one i would use.
without sounding sarcastic.
this is the monitor (explain crt/tft)
this is the keyboard (explain layout)
this is the mouse
this is the computer.(explain layout).
then proceed from there, like making sure monitor is on then powering the PC etc.
then branch off from there, like operating system, start menu, control panel, etc.

hope that helps a little.i ahve only trained people at some advance level, with software they use. not so much hardware etc
regards
danzil

[Jelly Bean]

Danzil you got what I mean.

Thankyou I found it hard to explain what I wanted.

:)

[Plastic Nev]

Hi for my contribution, which is basically taking it from where Danzil left off, once you have got to the point of turning it on, although it won't always apply, but there is the question of activation of Windows and registration with Microsoft if the machine is brand new straight out of the box, plus all the other bits and pieces of a first time start up.
If the machine is either second hand or has been activated then move on to the start button once it has fully booted,( it is also a good idea to point out that it may take a small amount of time to fully boot, so best to let it get on with it first, and not try opening programs etc till it has booted up)
I think at that point it is worth while opening the programs list from "Start" and going to Accessories and explaining all within, a good grounding on things like disk clean up, defrag, system restore etc is no bad idea.
A lot depends of course on how much the person all ready knows of course, but simple basics such as those above, plus the copy and paste for copying from one document to another are well worth the time and effort.
Nev.

[RandyL]

The basics.
Toolbars, for instance file, edit, view,tools, help and the other functions of a basic browser toolbar.

Quick Launch, Taskbar, System Tray or Notification Area in Vista.

The power of right click and the context menus.

Shutdown, sleep, hybernate, logoff and switch users.

Create new folders, save files to folders and rename files and folders.

And for those with kids how to create a user account instead of an Admin account and password protect the main admin account.