U3A Computing Beginners Class

Now combining the beginners and advanced classes.

Leader – Brian Moore
Assisted by – Alan White, Neil Crossley, Neil Smith and John Sherwood
Week 1 of 10 weeks. All Mondays 4:15 to 5:45 pm Room 17
Dates = Sept 17, 24 Oct 1, 8, 15 Nov 5, 12, 19, 26 Dec 3 2012.

Computer Uses

Main uses= Browse Internet including Facebook & Twitter, Email, Letter writing , Other Office Programs, Printing, Photo storage, Games, Telephone-Skype, TV -Iplayer, Playing DVDs & Music.
More unusual uses - Photo editing, Music creation.

Overall Course objectives

Proficiency in using the ordinary features of :=
Microsoft Windows XP and Office 2007.
Microsoft Internet Explorer and Google including Internet safety. Detail on browsing & Google.
Using Facebook & Twitter.
Email –Web based email only. Dealing with SPAM !
Microsoft Office Word 2007 and basics of Excel and PowerPoint.
Digital Camera Photograph organising and backup.
Purchasing a Computer & Software.
Safety – Avoiding problems – viruses, updates etc.

Today

Computer & Laptop components. Main box, Screen, Keyboard and Mouse etc. Later how to connect up. (E.g. if new)

Starting programs. This course will be using Windows XP and Office 2007 Programs.

Switch on, including logon. You all have individual accounts.

Mouse Practical.

Internet browsing - Simple instructions on Internet Explorer and quick use of Google.

Keyboard Special Keys

Esc – If you are in a menu you do not want, Esc will get out of it.Print Screen – Takes a copy of what you have on your screen.Ctrl – In Microsoft programs used to select one item in a list.Up Arrow, just above Ctrl – Types Capitals when held down. In MS programs used to select all items between in a list.Alt Gr – Used to type special characters

Using the Mouse(Pointing Device)

You can't do much in Windows until you have tamed the mouse. It is used for locating the cursor, for selecting from menus, highlighting, moving and changing the size of objects and much more. It won't bite, but you will have to show it who is in charge!

The Mouse and the Cursor

The mouse you use in class has special light underneath which detects mouse movement when on a hard surface. Moving it moves the arrow (cursor) on the screen.

If you reach the edge of the mat and cannot move the cursor any further, pick up the mouse and put it back into the middle.

Extra large or alternate shaped mice are possible.

Mouse Actions

Point - move the cursor with your fingers off the buttons.

Click - the left button to select a file, menu or other object. Double-click to run programs.

Right-click (click the right button) to open a menu of commands that can be applied to the object beneath the pointer.

Drag - keep the left button down while moving the mouse. Used for resizing, drawing and similar jobs.

Drag and drop - drag an object and release the left button when it is in the right place. Used for moving objects.

In the Practical we will use a Mouse Training Program.

Starting up

Press the power switch or button on the computer.

Various screens will flash by, here ending in the Logon Screen.

Here at Thomas More you need to Login to your account with Usernamefrom my list and Password= “u3a.Monday”.

After a minute you will get to the desktop.

Home computers on XP with just one account do not need Login.

Running Internet Explorer

Double click, that's quickly press twice on the Internet Explorer Icon. It’s on the left near the middle.

There will be questions you need to answer.

Do agree to the conditions here at St Thomas More? This means basically just look at normal web sites. Answer yes/OK.

Practical

Is the screen power on? Are there any lights showing at the bottom? If not the screen switch is underneath slightly to the right of middle.

Is the computer already on? Are there any lights on the main box? If not switch on by a button on the front of the main box and wait a minute.

Wiggle the mouse, this often wakes it up to show the login screen.

At User name: type in your Username from the sheet provided. Password: = “u3a.Monday”.
Log on to: leave as “STTHOMASMORE”.

Mouse Practical

To start the mouse training program run the Program MousetutorBnoPaint.pps
It is in S:\U3A\U3A – Monday Group\WK 1
At this stage you will need help on this.

After this. Start Internet Explorer so that you can explore the World Wide Web (www).

Internet or Web

The world is your Oyster now! If you want to know something somebody in the world is bound to know about it. Finding it without being sidetracked is the challenge.

Today, just a few ideas. Type in -