Beginning Excel 2010 Syllabus for 5 Week Course

Excel is one of those programs I didn't truly understand until I was asked to teach Beginning Excel--the basics.

At first, I was terrified. I had used Excel a lot. Almost every day. I am the Budget Queen, so I used Excel to track all my expenses and felt that didn't qualify me to teach. But a lot of people had faith in me. So, I said I'd do it.

Thankfully, my advisers provide me with every necessary tool to be successful at my job. I am a HUGE, HUGE fan of Labyrinth Learning. They have great books and I won't teach a class unless I get to pick from their selection. I have yet to use their Teacher Edition. I create all of my lesson plans from the same book my students use. If I don't know how to do something, I spend the hours searching and trying to find the answer on my own. The harder I work for the answer, the better prepared I am to teach it.

For my beginning class, I chose Labyrinth's Microsoft Excel 2010: Level 1. It comes with 6 lesson plans that I condensed into a 5 week course.

After each lesson, I have the students work on their own for 30 minutes. I have them download the Student Data Files to get more comfortable with the content we cover.

When I receive a book, the first thing I do is plan out the overview of my syllabus. Here is the syllabus for Excel Level 1:

Week 1 (~2 hours): The Basics

• Locate and open the program
• Excel Layout - Home tab, columns vs. rows

Week 2 (~2 hours): The Worksheet

• Selecting cells and ranges
• Cut, Copy, and Paste
• Undo and Redo

Week 3 (~2 hours): Changing the Appearance of Worksheets

• Printing worksheets
• Editing workbook properties
• Modifying columns and rows

Week 4 (~2 hours): Working with Formulas and Functions

• Creating formulas
• Cell references
• Modifying and copying formulas
• Using Insert Function

Week 5 (~2 hours): Format

• Formatting numbers 
• Creating charts

In the next couple of weeks, I will post each lesson in-depth and then do the same for Intermediate and Advanced Excel 2010. 

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below.

Happy Teaching!
Jessica

PowerPoint Project Idea For Your Computer Class

I'm always trying to come up with ideas for my class projects because I think that the best way for my students to learn is to take everything they've been taught and create something positive.

So, for my Advanced Computer Class, I had my students create a 9-slide PowerPoint presentation on their dream vacation. They had to present their PowerPoint's and they had a blast!

Here's how I went about it:

First, we devoted an entire day to the basics of PowerPoint. We covered title slides, basic slides, themes, bullet points, and refreshed our memories on font and font size.

Then, I let them loose for 20 minutes. They played around with the different buttons and asked me lots of questions. Finally, we ended the last class going back over how to download a picture from the internet.

Then, I showed them an example and asked them to think long and hard about their own dream vacation.

The next week, I used the projector and had them follow along with me as we designed our own presentations.

We started with the title slide, text, and theme. Each student chose their own theme and their own destination.

After that, we moved onto the slide where they had to include where they were going and a picture that represented the place.

I chose a road trip across Canada for my example!

Then, each student had to choose six things to do on their dream vacation and create slides with pictures and descriptions.

For the last slide, the students were asked to end their presentation with a creative slide that wrapped everything up. My example was a recap of the miles traveled across Canada. 

My students had a great time with this engaging assignment and had a blast asking each other questions about their presentations. I am looking forward to doing it with my next class.

Note: all images were used for educational purposes only.

How To Create A Simple Graphic Using Paint

This is a tutorial that should be labeled "Graphic Design For Dummies." Because I am a complete dummy when it comes to designing graphics. However, in the world of blogging--and internet marketing--it's a necessity to have this skill. And I have found a way to make it simple. 

I used this step-by-step outline while teaching my Facebook Marketing class how to create graphics for their pages. It's so simple, even people who could barely use the computer picked it up in one class period.

A Dummy's Guide To Creating Graphics Using Paint:

1. Find a picture.
It's important that you photo credit all images you use that are not yours. And it's also important that you attempt to use your own images to avoid copyright infringement.

Here is my picture that I took on a pier in Southern California that I am going to use for this sample:

2. Open the image in Paint

The easiest way to do this is to locate your image (which will most likely be in your Picture folder). Right click to open the command menu. Once it appears, choose Open with and select Paint.

The image will then Open up in Paint.

3. Add Text

Select the A option at the top of the program. 

You can then place your mouse on the image, hold down the left-clicker on your mouse and drag diagonally to create a Text Box. Once your Text Box is created, begin typing. You can change the font type, size, and color by using the tab at the top of the page. I usually tell my students it's just like using MS Word.

4. Add your website, name, etc. for copyright.

Create a Text Box, choose your font and size, and then begin typing! 

Your finished product will look something like this: 

You will see the copyright down in the bottom right-hand corner. I usually place it somewhere that is noticeable so people can be redirected to my site. I also like to place it somewhere that people will have a hard time cropping out. 

This is the simplest way I know how to create basic graphics. I do use Photoshop and Paint.NET to create graphics, but if you're looking for an easy way to help your students understand graphic design, Paint is the best option because most people have used it from time to time. They're more likely to pick it up faster if they've already had some exposure to the program. 

Best of luck on your teaching adventures!

--Jessica

How To Use A Computer Mouse

Photo Credit: 4vector.com

To some of us, it may sound like a foreign concept. Use the mouse?! Everyone knows how to use the mouse. Surprisingly, that's actually not the case.

I remember my very first Beginning Computers for Seniors class quite well. I asked my students to click on the Start Button and several gave me blank stares. One even went so far as to push the Start Button with his finger on the screen. If only it had been a touchscreen...

At first, I was at a loss for words. For the last 20 something years, I had been using the mouse almost as if it was an extension of my arm. I couldn't even fathom how I would explain it's function, let alone when to use the left and right clicks. Thankfully, my students are oftentimes very forgiving. And if I throw in a computer joke every now and then, it tends to lighten the mood.

So, how exactly did I explain how to use a computer mouse?

1. First of all, I knew I had to position the mouse correctly for each student. This happened to be the most trying step because several students wanted to turn their mouse sideways. With patience, we managed to figure it out.
Thumb: alongside left portion of the mouse
Pointer finger: on top of left-clicker
Middle finger: on top of the right-clicker
*Naturally, this differs for left-handed students. I have not had a left-handed student to date, so I have not run into this challenge yet.

Photo Credit: razorleaf.com

2. Next, we went through the two clickers. The Left-Clicker is used for two main functions: select (single left click) and open (double left click). The Right-Clicker is used to open a command menu. You only single click the right side of the mouse--you don't double-click. The Scroll Wheel in the center is used to move the page up and down.

3. Finally, we opened Paint and I had them draw me a picture of a tree after explaining how to use the program. Then, they had to draw a picture of an upcoming holiday, and, finally, a bug. It turns out that this has been my go-to program for helping my students understand how to use the mouse. They learn how to select colors and brushes. They learn how to click and drag. And the main thing they learn is how to move the mouse around on the mouse pad, which seems to be the of the most challenging part of learning how to use the computer mouse. By using Paint, all of my students have learned how to use in a mouse in 30 minutes or less. Trust me, this works! 

When your students walk into your classroom with no computer experience, it's important that you to give them the encouragement they desperately need. As I always tell my beginning computers students, learning how to use the computer is like learning how to speak a new language. It takes a lot of patience and determination. 

The truth is, some of your students won't think they'll be able to learn how to use the computer and, most of the time, they'll doubt your ability to teach them. Be patient; they will pick it up! And always encourage, encourage, encourage. When they get something right, tell them! It boosts their confidence and makes the entire experience a positive one. I've witnessed miracles in my classroom by always remaining optimistic. Do the same. Watch them progress at rapid speeds!

If you have any tips for helping teachers teach their students the basics of using the mouse, share in the comments. Thank you!

--Jessica

Welcome To Tips For Computer Teachers!

"I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user." - Bill Gates

Some days, it seems as though we have an impossible job: stay up-to-date with the latest technology, and then share it with others. And let's be honest, the moment the latest technology comes out, the newest update is right behind it. It's an endless cycle of adapt or die.

I teach a variety of classes--QuickBooks, Facebook Marketing, Beginning and Advanced Computers-- for Northeast Technology Center in Oklahoma and come into contact with people from all walks of life. And they have taught me a great deal about how to help people understand computer basics.

It's been many semesters of trial-and-error, but I have tons of tips for computer teachers that I want to share. Everything from how to use the mouse to how to create simple graphics in Paint. And it's my hope that you will be able to use this blog to help your students understand the computer--and technology in general--BETTER.

Take these tips--all of them are free for you and your students--and pass them along. The computer is a vast resource that we all can use to stay connected and learn. Best of luck to you on your computer teaching adventure.

--Jessica