Computer Vocabulary Review and Listening Exercise

If you were not able to be in class today (Wednesday, May 24th), please review the computer vocabulary we have learned so far (see Vocabulary 1 and 2 handouts). Then try an internet quiz on computer parts and accessories (a few of the computer terms are not on the handouts, but hopefully you can figure them out).

The other activity we did was to read ads for jobs. We completed a listening exercise and answered True/False questions about the job advertisements. This exercise is on the internet at the second link below.

My suggestions:  1) Click on the first link below for a multiple choice quiz about computer parts and accessories.

LINK 1: Multiple Choice Quiz on Computer Parts and Accessories


2) Click on the next link below and read I. Pre-Listening Exercises with the three job ads. Then scroll down to II. Listening Exercises and click on the Play Audio button that looks like this:

You will listen to ten statements about the ads. The statements are partly written below the Play Audio button, but you have to listen to the recording to hear the complete statements and decide if each one is true or false. For each statement, click the True or False button. When you have answered all ten, click the Final Score button at the end to check your answers. WARNING: I think one of the answers the computer gives (#9) is wrong. See if you agree!

LINK 2: Listening Exercise--Questions about Job Ads

Review Your Knowledge of the Windows Operating System

The website https://www.gcflearnfree.org/ has many tutorials on many subjects, including computer skills. No matter which version of Windows your computer uses, there are lessons and quizzes available online at this website or others.

My suggestions: If you need to learn about using the the Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 versions of this operating system, click on one of the links below. Each tutorial has a quiz at the end.

LINK: Free Windows 8 or 8.1 tutorial

LINK: Free Windows 10 Tutorial

If you need to review your knowledge of the Windows operating system in general, the Northstar Learning Guide to Windows 7 on the St. Paul Public Library site is a great place to review.

LINK: Northstar Learning Guide: Module 3A: Windows 7
(picture of lessons chart below)

Afterward try the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment for using Windows 7:

LINK: Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment for Windows 7

OR for using Windows 10:

LINK: Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment for Windows 10

Try an Interactive Online Tutorial for the Linux Operating System

Like Windows and Mac OS, Linux is an operating system for computers. Unlike Windows and Mac OS, Linus is FREE. If you are interested in finding out what using this free operating system is like, there is an online tutorial that teaches you  basic Linux commands and lets you try using them in a series of lessons (this is called an interactive tutorial).

My suggestion: Click on the link below. Read the Introduction and follow the instructions to see what using Linux is like.

LINK: LinuxSurvival--a free interactive tutorial for Linux beginners

Basic Online Tutorial for Mac OS X (Apple) Operating System

If you buy an iPad or an Apple desktop or laptop computer, you have to learn the operating system used on these products--Mac OS X (pronounced Mac OS ten). The St. Paul Public Library website directs you to the Northstar learning guides that teach basic computer skills, including both the Windows 7 and Mac OS X operating systems. These learning guides help you meet the Northstar Digital Literacy standards, which are widely recognized standards in adult education programs that teach computer skills.

NOTE: Sometimes the Mozilla Firefox browser (which won't run Adobe Flash Player software) doesn't work well with the Northstar online guides and tests that the St. Paul Public Library uses for teaching computer skills. Use Google Chrome or Microsoft Explorer instead.

My suggestion: Click on this link:

LINK: Learning Guide: Module 3B: Mac OS

You will see a chart like the one below, which matches the Northstar Learning Standards for using the Mac OS X operating system with links to learning resources that help you meet the standards. Click on the first link under Learning Resources (Using a Mac: What is an Operating System?) for a presentation.

Some of the links in the Learning Resource column on the right of the chart may present information you already know. When you think you know most of the information in the lessons, try the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment (test) for the Mac OS X operating system by clicking HERE. 

(All Northstar assessments begin with an audio test to see if your computer's sound is working--you should see a picture of a piano and hear music playing.)

Test Yourself Against Digital Literacy Standards

In class we worked through a couple of the assessments (quizzes) on the Northstar website. We did the first module, on Microsoft Word, and the last module, on Information Literacy. Here is an explanation from the website itself: 

The Northstar Digital Literacy Project defines basic skills needed to perform tasks on computers and online. The ability of adults to perform these tasks can be assessed through online, self-guided modules. Included are basic computer digital literacy standards and modules in ten main areas: Basic Computer Use, Internet, Windows Operating System, Mac OS, Email, Microsoft Word, Social Media, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Information Literacy.

My suggestion: Click on the link below and scroll down to where it says Jump in and launch  a module. Then click on one of the ten icons to take an assessment (your browser needs to have Adobe Flash enabled for you to take the assessments; Macintosh/iPad computers tend not to allow the Flash player, and Firefox has difficulty with it. The website recommends a browser other than Windows Explorer). 

Here is a picture of the icons (these are not links--the link is below, at the end of this post):

Note: Choose #3A if you use a Windows operating system on your desktop or laptop computer, or #3B if you have a Macintosh computer or iPad). 

LINK: Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment

Which Laptop Should I Buy?

We talked about using the Internet to research schools, jobs, and phone plans. If you're considering buying a computer, how can you use the Internet to help your research? You want your search to be as specific as possible, but you don't want it so specific that you want see results that might be helpful to you.

First you should decide if you want a desktop computer or a laptop. If the computer will be used by several people in the family, including children, a desktop computer is probably best. It's stationary, so children can't carry it around and throw or drop it. You can put it in a central location, such as a living room, so that you can supervise what your children do on it.

If you want a computer for your personal use, a laptop is probably best, and that's what I'm going to write about here. You can find many guides on the Internet to help you decide what features you want, but you'll have to decide how much money you want to spend. It's tempting to spend a lot of money for something fancy and powerful, but you may not need all the features it has. Many people do fine with an inexpensive, basic laptop. However, you don't want to buy something too cheap that won't last. If speed is important to you, spend the money to get a laptop with more RAM (random access memory).

My suggestion: Click on any of the links below for some guidelines that will help you decide what you want and need in a laptop.

LINK: What Kind of Laptop Are You--A detailed multiple choice "quiz" and suggestions 

LINK: Laptop Buying Guide: 8 Essential Tips from Laptop Magazine

LINK: Pick a Laptop (Notebook)--Click Show Me to answer questions and get recommendations based on your answers 

Researching Jobs on the Internet

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a lot of information on what jobs are likely to need workers in the near future, what workers actually do in particular jobs, and what salary you can expect to earn in different parts of the country.

My suggestion: Click on the link below to research job possibilities in the work area of your choice.

LINK: Bureau of Labor Statistics--Occupational Outlook Handbook

Are you still confused about some Internet terms? Check this out!

Lifewire.com has a list of "The Top 30 Internet Terms for Beginners, 2017." It explains the meaning and use of words and abbreviations used in speaking of the Internet and the Web.

My suggestion: Click on the link below. Scroll through the 30 words and see how many of them you already know before reading the definitions. Then read the definitions and make sure you understand what things like an IP address, a plugin, phishing, and a blog are!

LINK: The Top 30 Internet Terms for Beginners, 2017

More on Computer Safety and Security

Yesterday we talked about keeping your computer and your personal and financial information safe from viruses, spyware, etc. For more information, click on the link below (from gcflearnfree.org):

LINK: Computer Tutorials for Beginners 

After clicking the link above, scroll down until you see the menu pictured below, and click on any of the tutorials listed:

Typing Lessons That Talk to You

Here's another choice for learning to type. The website gcflearnfree.org has a typing tutorial that talks you through each lesson and tells you how you're doing. You can click on "Learn" and watch videos that show you what to do and then have you practice it, or you can click on the the "Practice" button to choose the letters or keys you want to work on. Whichever you choose, you'll hear a voice giving you feedback--"Great!" "You got it right!"--but you can turn off the audio if you get tired of it. The lessons remind you that you will be frustrated and discouraged at first, but continuing to practice, even with mistakes, will produce the results you want.

My suggestion: Click on the link below and try this different approach to typing instruction and practice:

LINK: Typing Instruction with Audio Feedback

WHOA! Check Out the Google Fast Facts Cheat Sheet!

A great website for online learning is gcflearnfree.org. You can find grammar videos. You can find free lessons on using software like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. You can find basic computer skills lesson and typing lessons. You can find help with how to hunt for a job online, interviewing skills, and writing a resume.

Today on this website I found something I didn't know existed--a way to get fast answers to common questions by using the Google Fast Facts Cheat Sheet. For instance, if you want to know how much 500 euros is in U.S. dollars, use the Convert Currencies search pattern: type 500 euros to dollars in the Google search box. You quickly get an answer in the first result listed--$560.92. To know the current local time in Germany, use the Get the Time search pattern. Simply type time Germany, and you get the current time in Germany as your search result. Here's a link to the article at gcflearnfree.org, Search Better: Google Search Tips , where I found the cheat sheet:

 LINK: Search Better: Google Search Tips

And here's what the sheet looks like:

Free Step-by-Step Excel and MS Word Lessons Online

If you really want to learn Microsoft Excel, free step-by-step lessons are available online at a British website (lessons in using Windows, Microsoft Word, web design, and other computer skills are also available). Since this website (www.homeandlearn.co.uk) is based in the United Kingdom, keep in mind that spelling, currency symbols (pounds instead of dollars), etc., may be different from what we use in the U.S. There are NINE sections in the Excel course, and they take you from beginning to advanced user levels. Here are the topics in only the first two sections:

Later sections cover topics such as creating charts in different styles, more advanced formulas and functions, improving the "look" of your spreadsheet with color and formatting, etc.

My suggestion: Click the first  link below for free online lessons in Excel. Click the second link below for Microsoft Word lessons at the website.

LINK 1: Free Microsoft Excel lessons at homeandlearn.co.uk 

 

LINK 2: Free Microsoft Word lessons at homeandlearn.co.uk 

 

Notice the table on the left side of the webpage which lists other computer tutorials available on the website:

Out and About English website

Click on the first link below to go to activities on the website associated with the book we use in class (Out and About). Click on the second link below to buy an older edition of the book online.

LINK: Out and About English website   UPDATE 3/13/2020: This website is no longer open.

LINK: Click here to purchase an older edition of the book at Amazon.com

Practice Filling Out an Online Job Application

When filling out a job application online, have all your information ready: your address and other contact information, your employment history (including names and addresses of former workplaces), your education history, special awards or achievements, and references (names and contact information for people who can recommend you as a good employee).

My suggestion: Click the link below to practice filling out a job application online (this is not a real job application, only for practice):

LINK: Practice Job Application at ExperienceWorks.org

Online Excel Tutorials at gcflearnfree.org

We had a brief lesson on Microsoft Excel in class today (Tuesday, May 30, 2017). If you want to know more about using Excel---

My suggestion: Click the link below to go to free lessons at gcflearnfree.org. This website also has lessons available on Microsoft Word and other software.

LINK: Free Excel Lessons at gcflearnfree.org

Work on Your Typing Speed with the Meteor Game!

If you have completed at least Lesson 1 and 2 at typing.com, with 80% or more accuracy, try this typing lesson and game at a different website. It's also a great way to work on improving your speed!

My suggestion: Click on the link below, which takes you to Typing Tutorial Lessons at sense-lang.org.

LINK: Typing Lessons and Meteor Game (or other games)

Click on Lesson 2, which covers the letters j, f, k, and d. You can
watch a video if you wish, then try the lesson. After the lesson, click on the Meteor Game. You have to wait for a video ad to play, but when the game loads, click on level of difficulty Easy, then click Start. You must place your fingers on the home row so that the correct finger types each letter (right index for j, left index for f, right middle for k, left middle for d). Meteors with the letters j, f, k, and d on them will fly at you. When you type the correct letter (the letter on the meteor), a laser shoots and explodes the meteor. It sounds easy, but the letters start flying at you faster and faster, and your fingers really have to remember what they're doing.

Each lesson adds more letters to the meteor game, so it gets more challenging. Also, you can select a higher level of difficulty. If you select "all letters" for a game, punctuation and numbers are included, and it's a real challenge for even a good typist!

Read About and Practice Word Processing Skills

Jan's Computer Basics is a website with a lot of good lessons on computers and applications (programs).

My suggestion: Click on this link--

LINK: Jan's Computer Basics--Read About and Practice Word Processing Skills

Read the sections entitled Word Processing and Create, which are about steps to producing a document and the different skills used in word processing (move the cursor, scroll, enter text, select, copy, paste, delete, etc.). Then scroll about halfway down the page to a yellow window that looks like the picture below and practice skills in the small white text box. After that, you can keep reading the sections called Format and Print.

When you go to the website and scroll down to this yellow window, you can click in the smaller white window on its right side and follow the Directions in the white window at the left (which has its own scroll bar). You can practice the skills you have just read about on the webpage!

Performing Basic Tasks in Microsoft Word

"If you're new to Microsoft Word, you'll need to learn the basics of working with text so you can type, reorganize, and edit text. Basic tasks include the ability to add, delete, and move text, as well as the ability to find and replace specific words or phrases."

The above quotation is from the website gcflearnfree.org. It introduces a video and instructions for performing these basic tasks in MSWord. You can download a practice document if you like.

My suggestion: Click on the link below to read about how to select, copy, paste, delete, insert, find, and replace text in a document. Then watch the video on the upper right of the page to see a demonstration (the video's text is not provided, so you get to practice your listening skills while you watch the demonstration).

LINK: Text Basics in Microsoft Word--Instructions and Video

Names for Common Internet Symbols

The above chart is from theenglishstudent.com

Parts of a Computer Keyboard

Here is a picture of a standard computer keyboard. The parts of the keyboard are labeled, and so are the keys that are not letters and numbers.

The keyboard picture is from a website called DigitalUnite, The DigitalUnite website has some useful basic lessons, including a lesson on how to use a keyboard. Some of the other lessons may confuse you, because the instructions were written for the Windows 7 operating system, and the computers we use in class have Windows 8 or Windows 10. If you don't know what various keys on the keyboard do, study this lesson by clicking on the link below.

My suggestion: Click on the link below to study DigitalUnite's lesson on using a computer keyboard.

How to Use a Computer Keyboard


NOTE: If you want to open WordPad to try creating a document, click on the How to open WordPad link in the lesson. The instructions refer to the Windows 7 version of the Microsoft Windows operating system. This happens to be the version on the computers in room 402, our summer classroom.

However, these instructions are not helpful when you use the computers in room 405, which have Windows 10. You can open and use Microsoft Word instead, but WordPad is a simpler word processing program that is good for learners. Follow the instructions below to open WordPad on a Windows 8 or 10 computer:

1. Find the File Manager icon (symbol) on your desktop screen. It should be located on the task bar at the bottom of your screen (it looks like the picture at the right). Click on it to open it.
2. In the column on the left side on the File Manager page, scroll down and find Windows (C:) in the list. Click on it to open it.
3. In the list of files that appears, double click on the Windows folder to open it.
4. Scroll down the list of files, all the way to the bottom. Double-click on the very last file, which is labeled write, to open WordPad.

What is Word Processing and Can I Do It?

When people produced letters or memos on old-fashioned typewriters, the metal letter and number keys struck first an ink ribbon, then the paper, and produced a "hard" physical copy. It was difficult to correct any mistakes, because they were already printed on the sheet of paper (luckily there was something called Liquid Paper).

When typing on a computer keyboard, no hard copy is produced until you decide to print what you have typed on paper. You use a keyboard to type words that appear on a monitor screen. You can then correct misspelled words and insert (put in) or delete (take out) whole words or paragraphs. You can change the way the letters look (their style or font) and change their size and spacing. That's why typing on a computer is often called word processing--you can keep changing the words as long as you want to. Nothing is final until you decide to print the document. Just be sure to save your changes often so you don't lose them!

The computer must be loaded with word processing software (software is also called an application or program). Think of software as instructions that tell the computer what to do in response to what the user types on the keyboard. The most popular word processing program is Microsoft Word (MSWord).

My Suggestion: To read more about word processing, learn word processing vocabulary, and practice basic word processing skills, click on the link below.

Learn word processing terms and practice basic skills at Jan's Computer Basics

1. Read about the five steps to producing a document. Do you think the order of the steps should be changed? (Hint: Notice where "Save" appears in the order of steps)
2. Scroll down to the Create section. How many of the vocabulary words under the Features/Terms heading do you already know?
3. Scroll down to the section that says Do it! Simple Text. Follow the directions to play with basic word processing skills.