Teaching an adult basic computer skills?

[BillChin]

I've been hired to teach basic computer skills to a person who just bought their first computer. The student is 40 years old. He is a construction worker. Spanish is his first language, though he can converse in English. He doesn't have any specific tasks that he wants to learn other than emailing his relatives in Mexico.

The computer is a laptop. He doesn't have a printer, doesn't seem to want one right now. Doesn't have a camera or MP3 player or any other computer type gadgets, or much desire for these at the moment.

Lessons are half an hour, twice a week, one-on-one. Right now, I am thinking eight lessons and then follow up support via email. What topics might you cover or attempt to cover? Internet use is obvious, but am not sure what direction to take that even. Any other advice? Thanks.

[Congratulations]

CD-ROM drive is not a cup holder.

[Congratulations]

Mouse is not a foot pedal.

[Congratulations]

That e-mail you got from your coworker is not funny. Don't send it to everyone in your address book.

[BillChin]

I am sure this will be most helpful:

The mouse is not a foot pedal

el ratón no es un pedal del pie
>>

CD-ROM drive is not a cup holder

El lector de CD-ROM no es un sostenedor de taza

[gonzo914]

Basic Computing --

1. You probably should not open emails from girls named after weather conditions -- Stormy, Misty, Sunny, Windy, Tornado and the like. Nothing good can come of it.

2. Even if you only have one questionable picture on your hard drive, the probability of it ending up in your PowerPoint presentation to the CEO is a near certainty.

3. No one cares about those angel and kitty emails, and nothing bad will happen to you if you don't forward them, so for chrissakes, cut it out!

4. Eternity is a dial-up connection.

5. Never, ever, use "Reply All."

[s1m0n]

I'd find out what he wants to do with it, and then teach him that. I'd avoid conveying the message that poking things on a computer is dangerous; that if he makes a wrong move, his whole computer will blow up and viruses with infest his swiming-suit area.

[djm]

There are plenty of Dummy and Idiot books out on basics of computers, basics of Windows, basics of Internet, etc. Why is he taking lessons with all these written tutors? Perhaps you can point them out to him so that he can continue to learn on his own after your introductory lessons. Perhaps you yourself can use these books to base your lesson structure on.

djm

[Innocent Bystander]

SequoiaView

Here is something you might find useful. It's a program developed by a University in Netherlands, which tells you in a pretty little diagram, where all the space went on your computer. I used it just this morning to locate some music files.

If you showed him how to use that symbol program, and put a link on his desktop - in fact, showed him how to put a link on his desktop - he would find that useful in his emails.

It's not so much what to show him, but showing him how computers are organised these days - by which I mean, things like Control-A (select all), Control-C (Copy selection), Control-V (paste selection) and Control-Z (undo) are becoming almost standard.

That and system security, system housekeeping and the dangers of spam - that should keep you busy!

charmap.exe - I forgot what it was called...

[MTGuru]

SequoiaView

Here is something you might find useful.

Very nice ... thank you, IB! The same functionality as the app I've been using (SpaceMonger), but with a much nicer interface.

[missy]

Install the very best virus protection you can.

Do NOT feel that you have to open every email that comes your way, you do NOT have to click on every link in every email, etc.

If he uses the internet, show him how to set up favorites, and NOT to rely on addresses in his history or pull down. Show him how to type an address in the address bar.

Show him how to clean up his temp files and how to defrag. If his computer has the option, set these up as a routine.



The last two groups of sentences are what usually get my users in trouble.

[mutepointe]

Bless You. I have to talk my co-workers through basic computers skills over the telephone because we are all in different cities.
Making a folder.
Saving a folder.
Renaming folders and files.
Click and drag.
Copy and paste.
Interacting between two things like a website and e-mail.
Attaching a picture to an e mail.

One of my rules of thumb teaching is "The left mouse button lets you do stuff. The right mouse button tells you what you can do."

Do not forget the mysteries of the right mouse button.

Let us know how it goes.

[Innocent Bystander]

Do not forget the mysteries of the right mouse button.

By the power of grayskull! Hear him, O ye multitudes!

[anniemcu]

Dora the Explorer games.

Seriously. Spanish and English together, easy peasy, good practice of computer skills.

[Lambchop]

Two absolute truths in computing . . . and you are NOT an exception . . . are:

1. You cannot enlarge your . . . umm . . . masculine part.

2. You will NOT get any money from the Nigerian scam.