Learn the basics of managing a spreadsheet using MS Excel. Students will learn various uses of spreadsheets, basic formula creation, charts and spreadsheet appearance. MS Office 2013 is used in the class.
Students must have a basic knowledge of computer usage.

This course combines lecture and “hands on” exercises to peel back the mystery of the personal computer and look inside to see what makes it “tick”. It is designed for the complete novice (we start with locating the “On/Off” button). You will learn what all those confusing techie terms and intimidating acronyms are all about so you can feel at home in front of your computer’s monitor - that’s the screen (see what I mean?). No prior computer knowledge or experience is necessary; however students are advised that a basic knowledge of the keyboard layout (as opposed to actual typing skill) is highly recommended. The course will cover the following subjects:

• Hardware – the various boxes, buttons, cables/wires and connections that define the personal computer, and what part they play in the operation of this marvelous machine.
• Software Part 1 – the Operating System (O/S), Microsoft Windows – the essential piece of software, which in may ways, is akin to the motor in your car, enabling the various hardware parts to “talk” to each other and control the other software components so they can operate without getting in each other’s way.
• Software Part 2 - the “file cabinet” tool of the Operating System, Windows Explorer, that enables you to maintain a well organized system for saving (and finding) all the things (documents/files) that you create (or download to) your computer.
• Software Part 3 – the Browser, Internet Explorer (IE) - the software you use - with the help of your Internet Service Provider (ISP) - to navigate the Internet, aka World Wide Web (WWW), the information and entertainment world that resides outside of your computer.
• Software Part 4 – Email, Outlook Express – the wonderful way to “stay in touch” around the world within seconds, how to use it safely and avoid the dangers you may be exposed to, sending attachments, and more.

This course is the first of a 2-part sequence of Computer Literacy, and will provide you with a solid foundation for moving on to Part 2. There is a $10 cash fee due on the first night of class to cover all the materials you will receive throughout the course. Part 2 starts at the conclusion of this course and picks up where this one leaves off.

If you’re using your computer for email and surfing the net, and you’re in “fat city”, then this course is not for you. If, on the other hand, you understand that email and web surfing - as wonderful tech-tools as they are - are not skills that make you “computer literate”, then you’ve come to the right place. This course is the second of a 2-part sequence of Computer Literacy courses, and picks up where Part 1 ended. Students who have completed Part 1, or who have attained an equivalent level of literacy/knowledge elsewhere, will be prepared for this course.

This course covers the basics of the 3 primary software products included in Microsoft Office. MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint. Since all the Microsoft Office software tools use a common User Interface (UI), we will start by examining the “ribbon” interface and learn how to use it.

• With Microsoft Word, you will learn how to create, edit and print documents. We’ll start by providing you with a simple document to replicate, then learn to use many of the editing and formatting tools to re-shape it into a dramatically different looking document. You’ll see how we can take a “plain vanilla” document filled with typos, spelling errors and worse, and easily correct and turn it into a spell-perfect, graphic-embellished, impressive business letter (or event flyer, stationary letterhead, employment resume, or multi-column newsletter).
• With Microsoft Excel, you will discover the wonderful versatility of this spreadsheet tool, from simple list management with sorting and filtering, to various business management documents, including the use of formulas (and even a basic function or two) that can turn mere numbers into sophisticated what-if scenarios to help with important decision-making, and more.
• With Microsoft PowerPoint, you will learn how to create impressive slide presentations with motion and sound effects. You will see how you can parlay the skills you learned in the other MS Office software tools to come up to speed quickly with PowerPoint. In the last class, we will put much of these newly learned skills to use in a fun project creating a computer-based slide show that you will present to the class and be able to take home with you.

You will also see how these 3 independently-powerful pieces of software can be used in various combinations to augment the final product proving that the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.

Note: There is a $10 cash materials fee due on the first night of class