Outreach Ministries: Computer Skills Class

It may seem surprising in today’s world of I-Pods and instant messaging, that there are still many people who aren’t familiar with basic computer functions. Many older people are resistant to change in this respect. However, basic computer knowledge has become essential in almost every aspect of education and career development. There is a whole world of opportunity waiting for your students, just a mouse click away.

First, secure a location.Ask a local school library if they will let you utilize their facility during their off hours. If this is beyond your reach, secure a computer and hook it up to a projector. That way, you can use a single computer to demonstrate and your students can follow along on the projection screen.

Second, assess your students’ abilities. At the beginning of class ask students to share their level of computer knowledge. Some may have previous experience they wish to expand on. Others might not know what a mouse is. Once you’ve established your lowest point of experience, you can begin from there.

Now it’s time to get down to the business of introducing your class to the 21 century.

Describe computer hardware: Define each piece of equipment and what it does.

Discuss basic software: such as operating programs, office software, and Internet service providers.

Perform basic computer operations: These include turning the computer off and on; using the keyboard and mouse; opening software applications; opening, minimizing and closing windows; and managing files and folders.

Once you’re sure students have the fundamentals down, you can move on to further demonstrations. These might include teaching them how to:

• Write and save a basic document
• Print a document
• Conduct a basic Internet search
• Write and send an e-mail

These are probably enough topics for one lesson. Any more and your students are likely to become overwhelmed. If you want to turn your class into a weeklong course, then you can get into more advanced computer uses. Also, if you do manage to secure a computer lab, it might be a good idea to include an introduction into typing skills.

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