Some of us take our computer skills for granted; we type up a word document, edit it, save it and often attach it to an email. However, there are some people that are almost afraid of computers and their applications, as they don’t yet have the basic skills to be computer literate.
Recently, on a popular radio chat show, that came from Google headquarters in Dublin, many older guests admitted to their difficult and often comical relationship with computers. One mother, in her 50s, admitted that her first email involved typing it up, printing it and posting it in an envelope, with the ‘To’ and ‘From’ email addresses visibly displayed at the top of the page. Another person described their frustration at the mouse pointer not moving on screen despite their increasingly exaggerated gestures with the mouse to get it going, unfortunately they were holding the mouse in the air instead of on the mouse-pad.
According to Google and Age Action Ireland, young people should try to get their parents using the Internet. It is often the case that older people know how to email but do not use other services the Internet offers such as: online banking, photo sharing or social networking. The show highlighted, that with a lot of sons and daughters having to emigrate, that email and Facebook is an ideal way for parents to keep in contact with their loved ones.
If you are an absolute beginner; you are not alone! The good news is that there are many courses that can help you take that first step into the computer world. You will learn everything you need to know – from working that plastic mouse to accessing and watching that ‘missed episode’ of Fair City via the RTE Player. Beginner courses should cover topics like: how to control your computer once it is on, moving and restoring windows and word-processing (Microsoft Word helps you to create letters, flyers, posters etc). Some beginner courses also cover Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
If you are looking for a beginners computer course that is more comprehensive – you might consider learning Microsoft Office with Pitman Training. Microsoft Office is the most widely used software suite in business and office environments. It is essential if you want to keep up to date with the skills demanded by many employers and to progress your career.
After you have completed a basic computer course – you will be as comfortable holding a computer mouse as holding a pen. Writing an email will be as normal as writing a letter. You will understand that windows are more than something you look through! You will be computer literate. I am afraid to say if you don’t like computers, you might just have to rethink that relationship, as computers are now considered a basic tool to daily living.
It is in your best interests to become computer literate. If you are seeking employment – many employers presume computer literacy is a given. Computer literacy does not mean you need to know how to use every single piece of software you may encounter. It does not mean you need to know how to write programs or network computers. You just need to know some basics — how to save and open a file, how to use a word processing program (which is actually just processing ‘words’ – similar to how our mind processes thoughts except you have a keyboard and a screen!), and how to send and receive email — for starters. It means having some sort of level of comfort around computers rather than a look of fear.
A basic computer course will help you begin your new relationship with computers. Remember, one way to overcome a fear is to face it!
Find more computer training and IT courses on Findacourse.ie Computer Training Category >>
