January to May 2017 Schedule & Course Descriptions

January 2017

Introduction to Facebook – Facebook is used and enjoyed by people of all ages. Facebook provides easy ways to exchange communications with friends and family. You will learn how to view and post your own photos, video, and messages. You will learn about posting on friends "Time-line“, "Commenting" on friends’ pictures, and real-time Chat. Personal security recommendations are also covered. If you do not have a current account, please tell the desk and plan to arrive 15 minutes early for the class. Class fee $15.

Computer Fundamentals using Windows 10 gives the beginner or person with limited experience the basic concepts, skills and tools such as terminology, using the mouse proficiently, and mastery of the keyboard. You also receive a general grounding in word processing, file organization, and an introduction to the Internet, web browsing and e-mail.  Our PCs use Windows 10, but the skills taught in this class apply to earlier versions of Windows as well. Class fee $25.

February 2017

Introduction to Android Smartphones & Tablets - This 6-session workshop will show you how to use your Android Smartphone or Tablet. Except for phone calls, these devices work the same way. We'll show you how to use the Home screen and Settings. Phone users will learn to make and answer calls and manage your contacts. Then we'll explore texting and email. We'll search the web, play with YouTube, set up calendars, tasks & alarms. We'll use the camera for photos and videos. And, we'll show you how to find free & fee apps - including games - to personalize your Phone or Tablet. Class fee $25.

Windows 10 Workshop - This 3-hour class is for students familiar with Windows 7 or 8.1. We will be using our classroom desktop PCs, and handouts with practice exercises are provided. Students with Windows 10 tablets or phones can practice these exercises at home. Class fee $15.  

We will cover:

Open Computer Lab – One of our instructors or coaches will be present to help you learn more about personal technology. Bring your questions and your hardware – or just use one of our PCs. Make sure you have your passwords for any apps you want help with - like Skype or Facebook. And, of course, bring power cords and anything else that could be useful. Free Seminar - Please enroll to save your seat.

File Management – This workshop will help you become more self-sufficient in managing the information you choose to save on your Personal Computer - whether you are using Windows Vista, 7, 8 or Windows 10. It guides you through practice exercises that use features of the operating system designed to create and organize “folders” that hold the information you produce or obtain from other sources. This will help you get started reorganizing your personal files and folders so that they are easier to locate and access. The skills practiced in this workshop are applicable to every task you perform on your computer. Class fee $15.

Computer Security & Backup: Protect Yourself - We spend much of our day on the Internet. In this free seminar you will learn some of the basic ways to protect yourself in this fast-paced online world. Of course, in spite of our best efforts, things can go wrong. You need have good computer security software and a backup method in place for your computer files. We will discuss how to install & use Microsoft Security Essentials or Windows Defender and give you some easy-to-do computer backup alternatives. Free Seminar - Please enroll to save your seat.

March 2017

Skype - Skype is a very popular way to stay in touch with your loved ones! Skype is a free program that lets you make voice or video calls over the Internet using your computer's web camera and microphone. Calls between computers running Skype are free, and calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Skype also supports instant messaging, file transfer, and videoconferencing. Skype has many millions of registered users.

In this class we will start by helping you connect your own computer or tablet to the internet. Then we will explore Skype's key features.   If you bring your own laptop or tablet to class, you must have Skype already installed with a Skype account name and password already checked out. 

To install Skype and set up your Skype account:

On computers: Go to www.skype.com, click the Download button, and follow the instructions.

iPads & Android smartphones & tablets:  Go to the app store for your device, download Skype, and start it up. 

If you don't have a Skype account, you will be asked to create one as part of the setup. You will also be asked if you want to use your existing Microsoft account for Skype. Once you have created your Skype account you can sign into Skype on any device.  In class, you are welcome to use your own Skype account - or one of ours - with one of our class PCs. Class fee $15.

Windows 10 Workshop - This 3-hour workshop is for students familiar with Windows 7 or 8.1. We will be using our classroom desktop PCs, and handouts with practice exercises are provided. Students with Windows 10 tablets or phones can practice these exercises at home. Class fee $15.

We will cover:

Introduction to Word Processing - This 3-session workshop will introduce the student to the basics of word processing. We ill work with a basic word processing program called Wordpad and the more-sophisticated word processing program - Word 2013. You will learn how to use the ribbon. We will cover the creation of your first document. You’ll learn to move around in your document, using formatting marks, moving text by using Cut and Paste, and changing line spacing and alignment. Prerequisite: If you have little or no experience, your first course should be Computer Fundamentals.

Class fee $15.

Everything Google - Google offers us lots of free, web-based apps along with the free space for storing the files we create or upload.  In this workshop, we will examine several of Google's free programs, including Search, Maps, Drive (Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations), Calendar, YouTube, Groups & Calendar. You will learn how these programs are used to collaborate on projects and to share your creativity with family and friends. Class fee $15.

Introduction to the iPad and iPhone – These devices are amazing all-in-one tools for email, text, photos, music & videos. They are also a camera, e-book reader, Internet browser, and gaming device.  You will learn about setting up email, about Siri, iTunes, and the App Store. You can even totally replace other general-use computers with the iPad. You can add a real keyboard; in fact, your iPad/iPhone will work with nearly any Bluetooth keyboard. Please bring your iPad or iPhone to class.  Class fee $15.

Open Computer Lab – One of our instructors or coaches will be present to help you learn more about personal technology. Bring your questions and your hardware – or just use on of our PCs. Make sure you have your passwords for any apps you want help with - like Skype or Facebook. And, of course, bring power cords and anything else that could be useful. Free Seminar - Please enroll to save your seat.

April 2017

Introduction to Ancestry.Com - We will cover the fundamentals of beginning to create your family genealogy using Ancestry.Com. We will go through some actual examples, such as using the US Census, birth, marriage, and death records to tie them to your own family history.  Class fee $15.

Introduction to Your Mac & OS X – This 3-session workshop is for current Mac owners who would like to learn more about using their Mac, and prospective Mac owners who want to know more before buying their first Mac. We will introduce you to the variety of Macs available today and then look at many of the Mac’s basic features. We will examine the elements of the desktop, dock, and menu bar; the Finder and OS X folder structure; system preferences (settings for, hardware, internet, printer); setting up user accounts; setting up and syncing iCloud; and give you an overview of the key software on your Mac. Please note: Our classroom is set up only with PCs. Our instructor will be demonstrating using a Mac laptop and classroom projector. Bring your own Mac laptop and follow along or simply watch the demonstrations.  Class fee $15.

Editing & Sharing Your Photos - We will explore three popular & free desktop photo editors - Picasa, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows 10 Photos. We will organize and edit photos & videos. We will create amazing collages, panoramas and movies. We will fuse into one perfect photo the best smiles and open eyes from a collection of similar shots. Then will will learn to use Google Photos to upload our photos to the cloud from a PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet. From there we can keep editing, create albums, and share them with friends & family, using Google's free cloud storage. Notes:  Picasa and Windows Photo Gallery are no longer supported, but your instructor will have a copy for you to install on your computer. All students should bring a digital camera and flash drive to class. Bring a smartphone or tablet if you have one. Mac users should bring their Mac laptops to class. Class fee $25.

Pinterest.Com - Pinterest is a pinboard-style photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies, and more. Users can browse other pinboards for inspiration, "re-pin" images to their own pinboards, or "like" photos. Pinterest is a tool for collecting and organizing things you love. Class fee $15.

Windows 10 Workshop - This 3-hour workshop is for students familiar with Windows 7 or 8.1. We will be using our classroom desktop PCs, and handouts with practice exercises are provided. Students with Windows 10 tablets or phones can practice these exercises at home. Class fee $15.

We will cover:

May 2017

iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch for the Vision Impaired - The iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone, especially with iOS 8.1 or above, are equipped with robust speech output features for the blind, called VoiceOver and Speak Screen, as well as a speech-enabled personal digital assistant, called Siri. You can accomplish tasks with far less physical interaction than that required by computers and many high-tech adaptive products. When you combine all of the built-in apps with those that are being created by third party developers every day (most of which range from free to under $20.00), people with severe vision loss can now use their iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone to search the Internet, send email, take notes and access online services; to identify currency and products in packages; and to carry a single solution that functions as a clock, flashlight, GPS device, portable book reader, calculator, calendar, reminder, radio, and more. Class fee $25.