Computer Skills - Avenidas

PALO ALTO ADULT SCHOOL/AVENIDAS COMPUTER CLASSES
The following daytime classes are offered through a partnership between the Palo Alto Adult School and Avenidas Lifelong Learning. A discount is provided to Avenidas members. All classes are held at Avenidas, 450 Bryant Street in Downtown Palo Alto. Convenient free 3-hour city parking is available in the parking garage across the street from Avenidas on Bryant Street. Registration begins on Friday, August 13. Register with Visa or Master Card by calling (650) 289-5400, at the front desk at Avenidas located at 450 Bryant St, Palo Alto, or online at www.avenidas.org. If you have questions or need more information about the classes, you may email CLC@avenidas.org or check out our program at www.avenidas.org.

Please note the change in class times from previous years.

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET

8 wks · Sept 15–Nov 3
Wednesday · 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Cost: $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Sarah Gitter

Prerequisites: No experience is necessary.

Are you just getting started with computers? Get comfortable using the mouse, get on the Internet, send and receive email, and start typing and editing a document.

         

BUILDING YOUR COMPUTER SKILLS

8 wks · Sept 13–Nov 1
Monday · 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Cost: $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Sara Girton, sygirton@ix.netcom.com

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Intro to Computers and the Internet course or equivalent experience is recommended.

Further develop your computer skills using the address book, mailing lists, and folders in Yahoo mail. You will customize your desktop, find helpful websites, search for information on the internet, and manage files and folders.

WORKING WITH FILES AND FOLDERS

8 wks ·Sept 13–Nov 1
Monday · 12 noon–2 p.m.
Cost: $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Larry Weber, lbweber@pacbell.net

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Building Your Computer Skills or equivalent experience is recommended.

Building on skills you learned in our first two courses, you will use files of different types, organize your folders so that you can easily find documents and work with images and text files using basic editing programs. You will then be prepared to take our more advanced courses.

CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR PC

4 wks · Sept 14–Oct 7
Tuesday and Thursday
2:30-4:30 p.m.
Cost: $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Larry Weber, lbweber@pacbell.net

Prerequisite: Successful completion of our introductory and intermediate classes or equivalent experience.

Keep your computer software, including antivirus programs, up-to-date. You will be able to configure your desktop and improve the performance of your computer. This class is for users of XP, Vista and Windows 7. This class will be held on both Tuesdays and Thursdays for a total of 8 sessions.

GETTING STARTED WITH FACEBOOK

8 wks · Sept 14–Nov 2
Tuesday · 2:30–4:30 p.m.
Cost: ·$55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Bill Beason, beasontech@yahoo.com Canceled

Prerequisite: Successful completion Working with Files and Folders or equivalent experience is recommended.

Facebook is the premier social network site. It helps you find long lost friends as well as keep in contact with your friends and family. This introduction to Facebook will get you started by creating an account and showing you how to keep secure and control your privacy. Topics will also include: sharing files, photos and videos, joining groups, playing games, chatting, status and much more! While the class will be taught in the PC lab, Mac users are welcome.

EXPLORING MICROSOFT EXCEL

4 wks · Oct 19–Nov 11
Tuesday & Thursday · 9:30–11:30 a.m.
Cost: · $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Peter Llewellyn, pmllewellyn@aol.com

Prerequisite: Successful completion Working with Files and Folders or equivalent experience is recommended.

Microsoft Excel lets you create and organize information such as financial data and mailing lists. We will begin with the basic concepts of Excel, such as the formatting of cells use of sheets and links, and continue with financial records and calculations, text boxes, charts and graphics. Links to other Microsoft Office products and the Internet will be used. We will look at both Microsoft Excel 2003 and Microsoft Excel 2007 depending on what you have at home. This class will be held on both Tuesdays and Thursdays for a total of 8 sessions.

DIGITIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS

8 wks · Sept 16–Nov 4
Thursday · 2:30–4:30 p.m.
Cost: · $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Keith Schwamkrug, kschwamkrug@gmail.com and Jan Cheung, weddingbokay@yahoo.com

Prerequisite: You should be able to use your digital camera and be comfortable with using your Internet connected PC.

Use Capture visually appealing photos and perform basic computer enhancements using Picasa, available at no cost. Learn basic camera controls (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) and photo composition on local field trips. You will manage the photos using Picasa and post them to the web while discussing and critiquing them with the class. Transportation to field trip locations must be provided by the student.

ORGANIZING A LIFETIME OF PHOTOS

8 wks · Sept 14–Nov 2
Tuesday · 12 noon–2 p.m.
Cost: $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Mary Sredanovic, msredanovic@yahoo.com

Prerequisites: Successful completion "Working with Files and Folders" or equivalent experience is recommended.

Is your "My Pictures" folder on your PC a hodgepodge of miscellaneous photos? Are boxes in your closet bulging with unsorted snapshots? You will learn how to digitize, organize and make simple improvements to those images, prints and slides. And then pull it all together into an organized slideshow of pictures and captions that you can easily share with family and friends in the form of print, CD, DVD, flash drive, web site and even TV.

MAKE YOUR OWN GREETING CARDS

8 wks · Sept 16–Nov 4
Thursday · 12 noon–2 p.m.
Cost: $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Lois Hall, loispa2@yahoo.com

Prerequisites: Successful completion "Working with Files and Folders" or equivalent experience is recommended.

Be creative using your own photos or thousands of pre-designed projects to personalize greeting cards, invitations, business cards, labels, T-shirts, and banners to print or share on the internet. Easy to learn and fun using inexpensive software.

Mac Classes

INTRODUCTION TO THE MAC

8 wks · Sept 23–Nov 11
Thursday · 9:30–11:30 a.m.
Cost: $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Bill Whitmer, bill.whitmer@yahoo.com

Prerequisites: No experience is necessary.

Are you just getting started with your Macintosh Computer? Get comfortable powering up and shutting down the computer, using the keyboard, mouse, menus and programs. Practice typing and editing a simple document with Microsoft Word. Save, find, edit and discard documents that you create.

BUILDING YOUR MAC SKILLS

8 wks · Sept 13–Nov 1
Monday · 12 noon–2 p.m.
Cost: $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Miles Smith, ACSP, miles@macintek.net

Prerequisite: Successful completion of "Introduction to the Mac" or equivalent experience is recommended

Are you ready to grow your Mac skills? Increase confidence using word processing and graphics. Learn what you can do with System Preferences, iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie and iDVD, Apple's Mac services, iCal, Address Book and basic Internet using Safari.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE MAC

8 wks · Sept 14–Nov 2
Tuesday · 12 noon–2 p.m.
Cost: · $55 · Register with Avenidas

Instructor: Miles Smith, ACSP, miles@macintek.net

Access to a digital camera and successful completion of "Building your Mac Skills" or equivalent experience is recommended.

Organize your photos and improve composition and quality. Discover what layers are for, practice techniques for photo touchup and prepare your photos for a slideshow, email, and printing and sharing over the Internet. Bring your digital camera or a photo to be scanned to the first class. We will use Apple iPhoto and Photoshop Elements 4.

*STATE SUPPORTED CLASSES

Classes marked by an * are partially supported by funding from the state.