This schedule lists Dan's planned topics for each weekly class this year.
There will also always be time for your questions
As each class is completed, we will add links to download that session's handouts
|
Date |
Session Name |
Topics Covered (Very General) |
|
Nov 12, 2018 |
Welcome
and Scam Discussion |
OPEN MEETING (attend without
joining). Welcome to PebbleCreek
Computer Club. Focus
on Scams and how to recognize them and avoid being taken advantage
of. Also some talk of computer
problems, including slowness. This discussion should be of interest to all. Questions encouraged at every meeting. A
paper handout will be available today and with each session. If you become a member, handouts will be
emailed to you before each meeting. Throughout the year, I
will have two computers at each meeting to be projected on a 10 ft. screen -
one with Windows 10 and one with Windows 7. There is no need to bring your computer to the meetings. Also at first meeting: Brief introduction
of officers and explanation of meeting format. Presentation of plan for the year. Getting a feel for attendee
demographics. Some discussion of
computer basics, definitions, operating systems (Win 7, Win 8/8.1 and Win 10)
and computer applications. All further references to Window 8 also
include 8.1. |
|
Jan 7 2019 |
Getting
Started |
What to consider when buying a
computer. Continuing with common terminology. More exposure to Windows 10. General
discussion for beginners. Handout
consists of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their answers. Although
I have only a Win 7 and Win 10 computer at the meetings, questions on Windows
8, Vista and XP are still welcome. Microsoft has stopped supporting Win XP and
Vista. That means no more updates or corrections. It is still OK to keep using either of
these if they meet your needs, but you should really start considering a new
machine. Some programs may not work
correctly and your computer is technically "obsolete"! Win 7 will be supported through 2020. My opinion is that the useful life
of any well-maintained computer in today's ever-growing technology maximizes
at about 5 to 7 years. |
|
Jan 14 |
Windows
Settings & Features
|
How to use the start menu and change its
format. More coverage of Win 10. Taskbar
menu. How to alter display properties
to personalize your computer. What’s
in the control panel with discussion of things you can change and things you
shouldn’t change. Working with Setting
area of Win 10. How to use Windows (File) Explorer, which is different from
Internet Explorer, to organize your files and folders. Where to find these
items in Win 10. Keeping a computer efficient and safe. Virus
checkers and Spyware checkers discussed. More comparison of different versions of
Windows. |
|
Jan 21 |
Internet
Session
1
|
General discussion of ISPs. (Internet
Service Providers) Choosing an ISP.
Signing on. Internet Explorer
settings & menus. Introduction to the new Microsoft Edge browser that
comes with Win 10. Other browsers such
as Chrome and Firefox. Deciding on a
home page. Using a search engine such
as Google. Search technique
suggestions. Using an encyclopedia and dictionary. Introduction
to some very interesting websites. How
to get questions answered online. Making you computer faster on the Internet.
Web terminology. Internet
and Windows questions will ALWAYS be addressed. This is the heart of PC use. So never hesitate to ask anything! This session and the next two always
prove to be very interesting and popular. |
|
Jan 28 & Feb 4 |
Internet
Session
2 Internet Speedup & Troubleshooting |
Focus on other aspects of the Internet -
e.g. Shopping and banking. Introduction
to E-bay and Half.com. Using Amazon.com.
Demonstrate Travel related capabilities, Including Travelocity,
Expedia and Tripadvisor. Introduction
to "Tabbed Browsing". Using
the Internet to reserve flights, hotels, rental cars and dinner reservations. How to track airplanes in flight. How to use different corporate websites to
get things done - e.g. bill paying, Property Taxes, APS, Southwest Gas,
American Express and other credit cards. Always bring your questions. Using the www.pebblecreekhoa.org website. |
|
Feb 11 |
Email |
Discussion of email. Using Mail handler in Win 10, Windows Live
(Win 7 and 8). How to get on the
PebbleCreek E-group. Working with
attachments, forwarding email and using the address book. Managing your email. Using the BCC (blind carbon copy) feature. Establishing
an account with Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo.
Common email errors. |
|
Feb 18 |
Microsoft
Word 1 (Word Processing in General) |
Basic explanation of ribbons, settings and
documents. How to work with fonts,
margins, copy, cut and paste. Changing
things in a document and cleaning up basic formatting problems. Print preview. I will cover the format used in Office version
2007 and later (2010, 2013 and 2016 and all similar). I will also discuss some free office
productivity suites including MS Office 2010 Starter Edition (Win7 only), Apache
OpenOffice, WPS Office and King LibreOffice.
As always, questions and answers. |
|
Feb 25 |
Working with spell check and auto
correct. Using some of the basic
features. Adding lines, boxes and
WordArt to a document. Creating
personal letterhead. Creating
labels. Working with tables. Sorting and editing. Adding Clipart |
|
|
Mar 4 |
Word
Processing (Concluded) |
Close up loose ends in word
processing. If this session isn’t
necessary, this will be an open week to talk more about the Internet, Windows
and address audience concerns. |
|
Mar 11
|
Excel
1 |
Basic introduction to Excel and
Spreadsheets.
Title of this session should be "Why You Should Know Something About
Spreadsheets, Even If You Think You Don't Need to Know Anything About
Spreadsheets". Ribbons and
settings will be addressed. Cell formatting, rows and columns, borders,
worksheets, workbooks, editing will be covered. Some basic applications and uses. What Excel is good for and what it isn’t so
good for. Emphasis will be on Excel
version 2007 and later. Review of Excel wannabes such as Works, OpenOffice,
WPS Office and LibreOffice. |
|
Mar 18 |
Excel
2 |
Basic addition and subtraction
applications within a spreadsheet.
Creating a nice looking report.
Defining a print area. Cross
footing. Demo of my programs. (e.g.
How Long Will Your Money Last and Minimum Required withdrawal from a 401K) If desired and time permits - Introduction
to some basic functions. Working with
functions. Hiding rows and
columns. Protecting cells. Linking worksheets. Doing graphs. |
|
Mar 25 |
Windows
Cont’d |
More explanation on how to making Windows
more efficient. How to examine your
computer for startup functions. System
Tray. Review of in-depth explanation
on how to use Windows Explorer. Reference
to Microsoft Edge Browser. This sounds
like topics covered earlier, but questions often make this session relevant.
If it hasn't been dealt with yet, backing up a computer will be addressed. Detailed Control Panel use. Working with networks. Sharing files and
printers. Moving data from old
computer to new one. Wireless router
setup. Hooking up a wireless printer
and dealing with related problems. Please
bring all your questions, as always. |
|
April 1 |
System
Cleanup, Photo Story 3 |
My last meeting.. Snowbirds
(including us) are starting leave by now.
General Internet. Q & A on
any topics. Downloading
and using Microsoft’s free download called PhotoStory3. Creating a nice slide show with music and
slide animation. This has always been a
very fun and well-received topic. Working with digital pictures. Will emphasize how to use Microsoft Office
Picture Manager for picture enhancement.
Learn how to get rid of red-eye and brighten up dark photos. Other digital picture handler programs
discussed (e.g. Picasa). How to make
your camera’s setting more efficient. Time usually permits having open
discussion on any topic you want such as more interesting Internet Sites and
maybe using Quicken. Have a safe summer and hope to see you in
the fall - if you are still interested.
It has been my pleasure to hold these meetings and sincerely thank you
for your attendance and support. |
|
April 8 |
Apple
Meeting |
Kathy and I will be away on a trip. We will arrange for a guest speaker to do a session of Apple Devices. |