Computer Skills and Typing Class – Tuesdays

Hello, everyone.  I am teaching a Pre-GED class for the first time this year (woo-hoo!) and I am really enjoying it.  I have taught public school before (elementary music) but never a class this small, made of adults, and technology related.  I was a little nervous about teaching computer skills at first, but what I’m finding so far is that for the most part I’m helping students who have never had an e-mail address and are still learning the basics of navigating a computer.  We have signed everyone up for e-mail addresses.  They’ve all sent me an e-mail and plan to bring a friend’s or family member’s e-mail next week to send a message to.  We have done a google search and talked about the results.  Some of them learned to search for local businesses or locations using a map search engine.  I think for some of them using the internet is a little frustrating at times, but I can tell that they’re excited when they figure out how to do something.  I have a feeling that next week when we get them e-mailing with someone that they know that it will become even more fun.

The other part of the class is the typing skills.  They LOVE the Mavis Beacon typing program!  The games especially.  Most of them are typing at 2-5 words per minute currently.  They mostly hunt and peck when they type, but I’m hoping that by the end of the semester they might be able to type with a little more ease.  The program is definitely helping them get to know the keyboard a little better and to get used to using both hands to type.

A favorite moment was when the students were using the Mavis Beacon program and several were laughing out loud at one of the games.  It’s a game where a lizard eats leaves that have letters on it as the students type the letter.  Ants are holding the leaves.  If they type the wrong letter the ant screams and leaps off screen.  This was a big hit.

I’ll post pictures when I can figure out how to do it.

Mikal Hughey