It turns out that it works really well to call a class a “kindergarten,” (e.g. Excel Kindergarten) as opposed, perhaps, to a “dummies” class. We are not, of course, dummies by any means. However, we may be “kindergarteners,” depending upon which computer program or concept we find challenging.
Research in computer learning among adults demonstrates that we are very reluctant to “play” with computers. First of all, we feel too pressed for time; second, we want to learn just what we need to know and not the “extras.” Of course, we also have many, many “don’ts” in our heads, so we may tend to think we are going to mess up somewhere and maybe even blow up the computer or bring a deadly virus into our lives.
The best advice is first, to relax. You won’t blow up your computer. “Deadly” viruses can general-newsly be defeated. Second, take a few minutes each day to follow a beginner tutorial and fill in some of the blanks that you may have if you are self-taught. (And we all have those!) Third, don’t be afraid to Google for any little tips you need. You might be surprised at how far natural-language Web searching has come (meaning you don’t have to do AND, NOT, OR in a terse, Boolean kind of search). You can even enter a question that you have, e.g. “How do I change the font in Word?”
For two easy tutorials that are helpful for file management and computer basics, try Jan’s Illustrated Computer Literacy (http://www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/index.html) or here’s a tutorial for classroom teachers from the University of Chicago: http://cuip.uchicago.edu/wit/2000/curriculum/homeroommodules/compBasics/CBTeachGuide.htm.
Our recommendation for other computer basics pages would be to look for anything designed for teachers (so look for “.edu” sites) or pages done by public libraries. For some reason, both types of pages are written in plain English and are usually easy to follow.
Remember, too, that we have faculty mentors who each work an hour a week in the Faculty Resource Room. The schedule is here: https://www.hvcc.edu/cet/meet_mentors.html.
Also, don’t hesitate to e-mail mentors@hvcc.edu. Just don’t be surprised if you receive several answers. We all want to help!
Feel like a computer kindergartener? That’s OKAY!
Published: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000 by y.vannier