What to cover - computers for the terrified

Kazbah

Hi All,

I've been asked to give a presentation once a week at work to bring people up to speeed technically. Some of the things I plan to cover are creating using PowerPoint & Word, used a shared network, installing/using printers, basic network troubleshooting but I'm looking for suggestions of other topics to cover?

Thanks,
Kaz.

Myxomatosis

Depends on what the end goal for these people is.

Get them to open up a PC, take a look at the insides, identify HDs, CD/DVD Drives, RAM, Processor, Graphics card etc.

Copy, Cut and Paste. You'd be suprised how many people don't actually understand copy and paste, weather it's for files or text.

JonathanAnon

Well the first thing I would suggest would be make handouts for all of the things that you teach. Put them together in Word, and have them very easy to follow. Otherwise you will be plagued with follow up calls.

Where there are a number of steps in a particular operation I use Windows Media Encoder to create a video of me actually doing it, and then upload the video to youtube for my clients.

You could ask for suggestions from the people you work with. But I would focus on the most used apps i.e. Word, Excel, Email client. I would put together a sheet of shortcuts as well. Like "Windows Key + E" brings up explorer, copying and pasting functions etc etc.

Kazbah

Myxomatosis wrote: »

Depends on what the end goal for these people is.

Get them to open up a PC, take a look at the insides, identify HDs, CD/DVD Drives, RAM, Processor, Graphics card etc.

Copy, Cut and Paste. You'd be suprised how many people don't actually understand copy and paste, weather it's for files or text.

Opening up the box would frighten the life out of them I imagine. Most of them have a laptop not a desktop. The end goal is to enable them to enhance their ability to do their job with the help of I.T. - we are teachers. I must cover using data projectors as well.

Good call on the copy/cut/paste.

I definately plan on doing handouts - thanks.

Myxomatosis

My Mother is a teacher and it's like banging my head against a brick wall trying to show her the most basic of computer opperations.

All I can say is good luck to you

AlmightyCushion

Make sure you teach them about viruses/malware. Both how to cure damage done by a virus and how to prevent getting one.

Enright

go to www.ncte.ie

a lot of resources for teachers and ideas for areas to be covered

TechieEddy

Another really good site here

http://www.teach-ict.com/

daftdave

this might be of use to you also

http://www.howstuffworks.com/search.php?terms=computers&x=0&y=0

uberpixie

Myxomatosis wrote: »

Copy, Cut and Paste. You'd be suprised how many people don't actually understand copy and paste, weather it's for files or text.

+10

Also cover SHIFT selecting and CTRL selecting of files, how to rename files/use 2nd mouse button. How to search for files would also be good.
(basically anything you think is too easy to teach and insults their intelligence make sure you cover it.....)

I would worry more about teaching basic concepts to people that they can apply these else where than a learn by rote myself, but cheat sheets and full proper proceadures on how to do basic taks in word etc would be advisable. A lot of people seem to view learning PCs as learning by rote as they couldn't be arsed thinking or they just hate tech in general.

They don't need to know hardware other than the difference between hardware and software and what an OS does.

Kazbah

Great suggestions. Some of that stuff is so second nature to me I forget that people don't know it! Thanks...